Cuisine: Cajun
Corner of Gay and High St.
614.381.4993
Monday-Friday 11am-2pm
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire? Last year we wrote a post about Johnny Oak’s cajun BBQ truck. In it’s previous iteration, they were serving up BBQ, but have recently moved away from that after finding that downtown office workers called the fire department when they spied plumes of BBQ exhaust emanating from their on-site smoker.
Having closed his North Campus restaurant, Johnny is now focusing on mobile food completely, and the revamped menu found on his new trailer (in the same downtown location) is closer in content to the old restaurant menu.
Johnny is deliberately trying to keep his prices down, and as a result his sandwiches are one of the best lunch deals around. We heartily recommend the creole shrimp po boy, and were particularly impressed with the plump, tasty and well cooked shrimp. Not too surprising for a place that has the crustacean featured in its name, but we can think of a few seafood-themed restaurants that should be begging him for his supplier’s contact info. The photo below, sadly, is not a great picture and it’s not the whole sandwich either – this thing was huge (as in, probably 14″ long), and all of $5.50.
There are also sides available if you have room for them. Of the two we tried (beans and greens) we preferred the greens which featured a generous amount of bacon.
If you’re in a hurry you can call or text in your order. But don’t forget to leave a tip – as of our last visit, the cooks were working for gratuity alone.
Also, keep an eye out around town – Johnny is prepping a full-on Cajun assault with the impending debut of a fleet of 4 trucks.
That’s me in the tan jacket, ordering up my first Creole Shrimp Po Boy. Since I was a newb, Johnny let me try a sample of the Greens & Bacon as well. Both the po Boy and the Greens were outstanding, with the Greens comforting me on that cold and windy Monday. Lots of butter goes on that grill of theirs along with the shrimp, onions, rep pepper and spices. The hoagie roll is massive as the author said and had soaked up much of that delicious butter and other grill goodness. My sandwich was given to me with the warning, “they are good and messy so I can’t be responsible for addiction or ruining your clothes if you choose to walk and eat.” Very true words as I’ve been back several times (always sitting down to enjoy) in the last two weeks taking a rookie with me each time for indoctrination. My money has rarely been better spent.
Tried to go here for lunch twice in the last 2 weeks and it was closed both times. Both trips were around 11:45. Is it closed, are the hours of operation listed incorrectly, or is it just open when Johnny feels like it?
I have moved on campus. I am now located on Neil and 11th Avenue in the park behind James Cancer Institute. Open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. still serving your favorites and sometimes rib tips and brlsket. In October I have a new truck I will be serving Jewish style deli foods like corn beef and pastrami and much more look for us on my website and Facebook thank you for all the great reviews. And I hope I never disappoint anyone Thank you your friend Johnny