tl;dr the fish po' boys at this Mount Airy sandwich shop are fantastically delicious and hearty,…read moreovershadowing even the terrible service
Gilben's is a family-owned soul foodery best known for its signature po' boys. The 3 interconnected shops -- the Bakery, the Creation, and the Smokehouse -- collectively sport a brown-and-pink storefront, immediately popping out from a dull and industrial block. The stores are all slightly tacky and run down, but each is otherwise uniquely decorated. The takeout-only Bakery (home to sandwiches and baked desserts) has lime-green walls decked with large, sentimental paintings. Wall-mounted flat screen flash pictures of menu items with Microsoft WordArt text. The bakery display is relatively barren, and Christmas decorations have yet to be taken down. Old-school R&B playing up front clashes with modern rap blasting from the open kitchen.
GIlben's seafood hoagies called to me as the perfect Lenten eats, and a buddy and I recently journeyed to Mount Airy for late Friday lunch. We had no trouble finding free street parking just across the street. We split 2 sandwiches: the Fried Shrimp Po' Boy and the Fried Fish Po' Boy, both upgraded with melted cheese and sauteed onions. While you can't go wrong with either protein option, we agreed that the shrimp was more flavorful, while the fish was more texturally aesthetic. The monster sandwiches -- each at least twice the size of an ordinary po' boy -- were half-wrapped in aluminum foil and then squeezed into the largest Styrofoam takeout boxes I've ever seen. The seafood was lightly battered and heavily seasoned, then stuffed alongside shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes into extra-large, toasted French rolls (accurately described as "garlic bread"). They were then hosed with a house rémoulade that had a vibrantly rich, tangy flavor to match its neon-orange color. The end product was as delicious as it is messy -- but, notably, no napkins are to be found without a dedicated search.
Why one star off? The painfully inefficient service. I had placed my order 30 minutes in advance. Not only was it not ready at my scheduled pick-up time, but the staff hadn't even done anything beyond printing out the ticket. The cashier shrugged and quoted us another 15 minutes. Other patrons placed their orders in person (so at least 30 minutes after we had ordered) and received their food at the same time as us. And, after we did have our meal, most of the few two-seater bartops were taken by employees taking personal phone calls, and trying to wave down a staff member for a napkin felt like searching for water in the desert. Lastly, the queue at the Smokehouse was shockingly long even during the off hour: some folks stood in line during the entire duration of my visit.
The sandwiches start at about $15, raising in price with upgrades (such as additional toppings or premium protein options), and each can fill you up for an entire day. Although GIlben's is a takeout-centric operation, I can't imagine the po' boys holding up against even a short trip home -- the sandwiches began descending into a soggy mess before I had even taken a bite. Regardless, Gilben's po' boys are unbeatable when fresh, even compared to New Orleans.
