Skip Traditional Culver's Fish Sandwiches: Turn Your Meal Into A Southern Classic

It's not unheard-of that we take a classic Louisiana food and recreate a variation from a ways away — just recently, we discovered the (delicious) idea of dumping Campbell's Chunky gumbo over mashed potatoes for a spin on a Cajun classic. Today, we're taking another bayou fave, the po' boy sandwich, and recreating a facsimile in the dining room of Culver's, the home of the ButterBurger. A po' boy sandwich, for the uninitiated, is stuffed with fried shrimp and veg atop a crusty baguette. It's been a New Orleans banger for over 100 years, but it's sadly underrepresented outside the Deep South. If you live near a Culver's location, however, you can bring a bite of the Pelican State into your life ... as long as you're willing to engage in a bit of fast food DIY.

All you have to do is order an à la carte serving of six fried shrimp with a side of a hoagie roll and all the fixins: lettuce, tomato, and pickle slices. Since this isn't a standard Culver's menu item, you'll have to order in-person at either the drive-thru or front counter. We always recommend that, with peculiar (albeit yummy) ordering situations, you visit the counter during non-rush times and bring a smile and plenty of "pleases" and "thank yous."

Once you have your sandwich components, you can probably guess how to assemble them. Open your roll, layer in your veg, and stick those crispy, golden shrimpies in the middle. Your sandwich will be thick and should look downright delectable. This po' boy dupe has it all: salt, crunch, textural differences, and plenty of heartiness.

We're no strangers to tweaking seafood creations at Culver's, given the fact that we came up with a whole list of delicious additions that will upgrade your North Atlantic Cod sandwich. As was the case with that bevy of customizations, we feel that a few thoughtful, ingenious changes can take your impromptu po' boy right over the top. The first issue we want to address is the rémoulade — or, specifically, its absence at Culver's. 

A truly great po' boy has that spicy-sweet mayo-based condiment to add creaminess to all the fried richness and veggie crunch of the sandwich. Culver's doesn't have a precise dupe for the complex, horseradish-kissed original, but it does have cups of Thousand Island dipping sauce. We'd argue that's a pretty decent swap for fast food. Order some dressing with your sandwich and apply it as generously as you would like.

The second, perhaps even more obvious way to personalize your Culver's po' boy is with toppings. While lettuce, tomato, and pickle are pretty authentic to a "real" po' boy, this is already not a traditional version of the Louisiana classic, so you can be forgiven for venturing from the beaten path. We think that the Culver's fish sandwich is best with extra tartar sauce and pickles, which also sounds like a heavenly way to dress up your shrimp sando. Getting some onion in the mix? Mais oui! Culver's also offers sliced jalapeños on its topping menu, and the spice from the chilis might lend some welcome zing to cut through the unctuous essence of the fried shrimp.