Deciding where to try a po'boy in New Orleans and what to order involves lots of research, so we've done the work for you: See our multiple written entries on the iconic sandwiches, broken into meat- or seafood-dominated categories. (See roast beef/debris po'boy and BBQ shrimp po’boy for more history and background on the NOLA po’boy.)

Fried seafood po'boys are a must in this city. Fried shrimp, oysters, catfish, or soft-shell crabs (in season) are stuffed into French bread and given the po'boy treatment: dressed (if desired) with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Here's where to try one.

Where: The oyster po’boy, pictured, at Parkway Bakery & Tavern (538 Hagan Ave., map) in Mid-City is just as it should be: brimming with plump, crispy fried oysters. As a huge plus, Parkway uses locally harvested, wild-caught oysters and wild-caught Gulf shrimp. As with all po'boys, “dressed” means lettuce, tomato, mayo, and pickles.

When: Wed-Sun, 10am-6pm. Fried oyster po'boys are served on Wednesdays and Thursdays only.

Order: The golden-fried Gulf oyster ($13.99 small; $19.99 large) or the flash-fried Gulf shrimp po’boy, dressed ($9.99 regular; $13.29 large). Can’t decide which sandwich to get? Try a Parkway surf-and-turf po'boy, which combines the shrimp po’boy with the excellent roast beef and gravy po’boy.

Alternatively: In the French Quarter, a nondescript market and deli called Verti Marte (1201 Royal St., map) has popular po'boys and is open 24/7 for all your late-night sandwich needs. R&O’s (504-831-1248; 216 Metairie Hammond Hwy, map) in Metairie (you’ll need a car) and Domilise’s (504-899-9126; 5240 Annunciation St., map) Uptown are highly recommended, as well as Mahony’s Po’boy Shop (3454 Magazine St., map) near the Garden District, which offers both classic and nontraditional po’boy fillers (for instance: chicken livers and Creole slaw; fried oysters, bacon, and cheddar). In the Bywater, try family-owned Frady's One Stop (3231 Dauphine St., map), a convenience store with groceries and killer popular po'boys.

If you find yourself in nearby Slidell (we went for an excellent swamp tour), do plan a stop at Jazzy Pete's Po'boys (2117 Gause Blvd E, Slidell, map), a local-recommended place with an excellent (and massive) fried shrimp and hot sausage po'boy.