Restaurant Review: Poor Boys

Kingston’s Poor Boys brings New Orleans to the outer-realms of London. The whole decor captures the Cajun vibe perfectly — look out for the vintage gold till at the bar. The restaurant takes its name from the main dish it serves, a Louisiana classic, the po’ (or poor) boy. The dish comes from New Orleans when the Martin Brothers gave free food to striking tram workers (who the dish was named for) — meat and seafood scraps on French loaves.

That structure — apart from the scraps, it's prime cuts only here — remains in place for the tasty sandwiches Poor Boys serves today. The Reuben Boy has a touch of New Yawk about it — Salt Beef and Russian dressing  — and is solid, if not outstanding. Outshining the sandwich is the incredible mac’n’cheese topped with crispy onions. The strength of the flavour is unusual for a dish some dismiss as simple, which is what makes this so tasty.

Follow that up with one of the best brownies we’ve ever had — topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and popcorn — and you’ll barely be able to move afterwards. In a good way.

Poor Boys, 5 The Griffin Centre, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 1JT.