There’s a lot to love about Po-Boy Express in Ocean Springs

Good po-boys can be found up and down the Coast, but recently several friends have asked me if the images I’d posted on Facebook were from Po-boy Express in Ocean Springs, so I paid this almost 30-year-old business a visit.

What I found was a menu loaded with po-boys like no other I have ever seen.

There are more than 30 options, including the usual offerings, such as fried oyster, shrimp, roast beef and gravy ($5.95 to $9.95, 6-inch and 12-inch choices), but also some one-of-a-kind po-boys as well.

The Floyd ($6.50 and $9.95) is served on locally made bread, as are all the po-boys (Electrik Maid in Biloxi) loaded with roast beef, ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and bacon.

Its cousin is the Hammerhead ($6.50 and $9.95), filled with roast beef, ham, turkey, Provolone and American cheese, and gravy.

One of the most creative po-boys on the menu, and now my all-time favorite, is the Steak Bomb ($6.95 and $9.95).

This delicious po-boy is a cornucopia of thin-sliced steak, caramelized green peppers and onions, melted Provolone and fried shrimp. A side of gravy is a great option.

A lot of the po-boys on the menu come with gravy, and there is why.

Dana Smith, who’s the VP and co-owner (with his brother Darin Smith, who runs the Hattiesburg location), and assistant manager Anthony Wright told me the homemade gravy is so delicious they go through 3 or 4 gallons of the stuff a day.

Dana Smith is passionate about his restaurant and said his customers are the best.

He isn’t a man of many words and when I asked just one too many questions, he replied, “I like my food to speak for itself.”

I have been to Po-boy Express twice now and I love the po-boys I have sampled, and that includes the massive Muffuletta ($6.95 and $11.95).

Po-boy Express is a laid-back kind of place. The service is snappy, and the prices are right.

This story was originally published April 14, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "There’s a lot to love about Po-Boy Express in Ocean Springs."