Like many food trucks who eventually find a more permanent home, Broad Street Peaux Boys is no…read moredifferent and now has a home in the Pizitz Food Hall in downtown Birmingham. Occupying the space previously used by Spoon and Ladle, Broad Street is next to Uno Tacos and across from J Wings. A native of New Orleans, Kelli Caulfield was raised in Birmingham and never forget her fondness for New Orleans food and culture. So much so that she started a New Orleans themed sno-ball "truck" called NOLA Ice in 2011. Six years later, she added another venture to her resume and started the Broad Street Peaux Boy food truck. It's success has now lead to this location in the Pizitz Food Hall. By the way, I love the clever spin on the spelling and pronunciation of "poboy" to "peaux boy".
Unlike Walk-On's or Pappadeauxs, the menu at Broad Street Peaux Boys is short and delectable. It has the basics such as chicken and sausage gumbo, red beans and rice and chicken and sausage pasta jambalaya (or pasta-laya). This menu also has some changes from their food truck menu, but their peauxboys are basically the same. Broad St is proud of their "overstuffed" peauxboys as advertised on their menu and website. All their peauxboys are "dressed" with lettuce, tomato and pickle on french bread and served with your choice of chips or cajun fries with one additional side of dirty rice, cajun corn, or collard greens.
Their choices of Peauxboys include:
The Parkway is their classic fried shrimp, catfish peauxboy. The Hot Boy is a lemon pepper "hot" catfish on french bread. If you like your catfish blackened and covered with their remoulade sauce, try the Parkway. The Cassie is their classic fried shrimp but tossed in hot buffalo sauce then topped with blue cheese crumbles and ranch on french bread. Finally the Hollet is a peauxboy made with roast beef in their special au-jus sauce.
Beyond Peaux Boys, they have what they call Broad St Boxes which include Shrimp Box, Catfish Box, and a Catfish n Shrimp Box. There's even a Broad St Salad Box which can be served with your choice of catfish or shrimp. These are also served with a choice of sides and hushpuppies.
Studying their menu, I had planned on trying the gumbo, red beans and rice, and a shrimp peaux boy. Unfortunately that didn't work out as planned because when I arrived, the kitchen was shutting down. They were closing early due to impending storms. Although most everything was already put away, the last employee there felt sorry for me and offered to cook some simplified boxes for me. I couldn't say no so I got a shrimp box and a catfish box. Both only had cajun fries. The catfish and shrimp were both fried in the same "fish fry" powder. The catfish filet was a nice size and fried perfectly. The batter wasn't thick but just enough to seal in the oil and juices of the catfish. The catfish was oh so good. Yom Yom Yom. It wasn't too salty or overly covered in a thick batter... just the way I like it. The fries were on par and complimented the catfish and shrimp.
The shrimp box had about 8 large shrimp that were also fried to perfection. With the same delicious light "crust" that meets your taste buds first, you then taste the inviting shrimp underneath. I'm quite sure that the shrimp that's used in their peaux boy will be cooked the same way so I'm trying to imagine how these shrimp would taste sandwiched between their french bread and dressed with tomatoes, lettuce and pickle with possibly mayo or remoulade sauce. It was torture trying to imagine that so that's why I'm definitely returning. I'm not a big roast beef peauxboy kindaguy, but I may even try the Hollet.
If you fancy sno-balls, feast your eyes on all the different flavors that NOLA Ice has to offer right under the same roof. Also owned by Caulfied, it made sense for NOLA Ice to also be there next to Broad St Peaux Boys to tickle your taste buds.
Broad St Peaux Boy may not be a big place, but they have big flavors. Nothing fancy about their silverware or dishes since everything is served in disposable containers, but their food is cooked fresh and to perfection. Don't forget that they still have a food truck and they cater. Welcome to the Pizitz Food Hall, Broad St Peaux Boys!