Po'Boys & Pickles makes Big Easy flavor accessible

You know how it is when you're driving home late from work, or an after-work gathering, and you're hungry but don't feel like fixing something at home.

Pizza and Thai takeout sometimes seem so old hat. How great it is, then, to have another alternative for casual fare that doesn't cost a lot, but isn't fast food either.

Depending on what time of day you go, Po'Boys & Pickles is definitely not fast food. Each item is made to order, so be prepared to wait a while during a lunch rush.

The restaurant serves a range of New Orleans-style sandwiches, along with gumbo, salads, sides and dessert, all for very reasonable prices. The sandwiches come in regular and large sizes, and are served with Morse's pickles. Sides are basic – French fries for $2.50 extra or sweet potato fries for $3.

On our first visit, we tried a pulled pork sandwich for $5.75. It was served on a fresh bun (soft on the inside, a touch crusty outside) that was filled with tender chunks of pork, Cajun coleslaw, tomato and barbecue sauce. The sandwich was fine, but we liked even better the blackened fish sandwich (also $5.75) we tried on our next visit. It also came with Cajun coleslaw and tomato on the bun, but instead of barbecue sauce it was dressed with roasted pepper mayo that gave it a nice little kick.

An order of sweet potato fries arrived piping hot, and the plentiful serving was enough for two.

Our favorite choice was the Louisiana gumbo, a flavorful mix of chicken, tender Maine shrimp, small slices of Andouille sausage, rice and just enough seasonings to clear your sinuses without being too much. It's spicy enough for folks who like their gumbo hot, but not so spicy that it should scare away the timid.

We were also impressed by the portion size in this age of ever-shrinking bowls of soup. This gumbo, along with a delicious layered, salty biscuit that comes with it, would be plenty on its own for lunch or even dinner.

The restaurant also serves beef chili and a variety of salads, including a steak salad for $7.50 and the item we'd like to try next – a golden fried oyster salad ($8.50) made with mesclun mix, green beans, shallots and blue cheese dressing.

Other sandwich options include golden fried shrimp with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce, and Creole sausage from Comeaux's with lettuce, tomato, roasted peppers and onions.

If you have room, you can top it all off with sticky toffee pudding.

There's also a chalkboard with specials, and on the counter there's an assortment of Zapp's potato chips in Tabasco and other wild flavors. It's bistro-style seating (note to Portland restaurateurs: The whole bistro thing is getting stale) and on the tables you'll find bottles of Cajun Chef Lousiana Hot Sauce.

The space is decorated with Mardi Gras beads and photos of Louisiana.

Our wait was about 20 minutes during one busy weekday lunch rush. The tables were filled, and there was a line of – seriously – at least a dozen people waiting to order. Our second visit was a half-hour before closing, when there were only a handful of people in the place, and everything moved much faster.

The Features staff of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram anonymously samples meals for about $10.

Po'Boys & Pickles