Bywater Grocery

NOPE! Sorry folks, I’m attaching a photo of the tiny condiment dish they served my $ 6.00 (GREASY as all hell) Jambalaya order in. I’ve lived in New Orleans, and know that Jambalaya is not health food but I walked away from this over priced, smattering of a dish with a film inside my mouth that was sickening. After leaving, I was like a dog that ate a spoonful of peanut butter trying to get the grease off my tongue. The woman was friendly, the food had a nice spice, but I will never return. See photo and zoom in on the greasy spats on the dish you will get it. I felt ripped off completely, no reason to gouge!

Love this place but definitely disappointed today. Called to make sure they were open on the holiday and was told yes — they’d be open until 2. Well I guess they changed their mind and are closed today.

Great oyster PO boy. Very fresh and light bread and lots of oysters. I will definitely come back again.

I had previously gone to a couple of the other eating places at the Zipper food complex and had my eye on coming back to also try Bywater Grocery for a «taste of New Orleans». So today, an order of jambalaya at Bywater Grocery seemed perfect for lunch. I ordered the smaller «cup» size for $ 6.00. OK, very good! I have had jambalaya at other places but there had always been something not to like about the other versions I had tried elsewhere.. .either too bland, or too watery, clumpy, etc. Bywater Grocery’s jambalaya was just right for me. It had a good medium spiciness, the rice was cooked to the right consistency, and there were big chunks of chicken and andouille smoked sausage in it. Well, I thought $ 6.00 was a bit spendy for a small cup, but on the other hand, it was really good.

I’m from the south so don’t try to butter me up with bulls**t. This is not a good po’ boy and I’ll attach a picture if you need evidence. Iceberg lettuce and freezer tomatoes bathed in mayo in a Safeway bun-​my god a breakthrough. This is gross. However I have not tried their jambalaya or fried stuff which is harder to mess up, so who knows! Maybe they fry stuff good. However, considering all the stuff around it, it’s foolish to try this place first in the zipper.

First time visiting!
My friend and I had to try their oyster poboys. They were really the best I have had in Portland. Can’t even find them in Vancouver!
Talked to the owner, and encouraged her to add a combo to her menu. Oyster, shrimp, and catfish, poboy!

Enjoyed the oyster po’boy sandwich — tender and succulent on the inside, nice and crispy on the outside. If there on a Saturday, finish off with the beignets which arrive piping hot!

Hallelujah! So glad I stopped in. This is the best Po’Bo I have had since ever. Also, the tastiest shrimp I’ve had in my life. I told nice lady at the counter I tend to avoid shrimp because its usually that SE Asian cesspool farmed stuff that’s bland as old bubblegum. So glad she talked me into trying Bywaters… they’re the real deal gulf shrimp with perfect fry batter that took me right back to fried pickles in the French Quarter 10 years ago! Did I mention they’re also super, super sweet folks!?! Go now!

Lovely place in the Zipper I hadn’t tried until today. Excellent jambalaya. The po’boy we got as well was huge and very tasty, there’s a gorgeous little condiment bar, and an old light fixture above the entry that really gives it that Nola vibe as well as the cheery orange painted walls which glow even more in the grey Portland afternoon light. I hadn’t eaten today and the owner at the counter got out a huge sample of the jambalaya for me to try, so I could be sure. I added a little crystal hot sauce and It was ideal. I prefer this place to Rua, and the customer service was excellent. They can do lots of things vegetarian and gluten free and I love that the menu is so flexible that way, as well has having kick ass andouille sausage and after I run a marathon, I’ll be back for the seafood platter and the bread pudding! Oh a little tip, she makes beignet on Saturday mornings with café au lait.
I’ll be there soon for those as well. Great place, just right for a January afternoon in chilly Portland. Welcoming staff and I don’t think it could have been cleaner. You can sit inside the café or if there’s no tale space venture out into the big dining area of the Zipper. Check it out. So far all the restaurants at the Zipper are worth putting a little effort into finding a parking spot.

As a New Orleans native, the Portland food scene is really frustrating. Everywhere you look it’s «Cajun» style this or that, always woefully inaccurate as no one this far north seems to have a single clue what Cajun is. Finally, a place that gets it right. Clearly there are real locals involved here so look no further. Great poboys and jambalaya, seafood is fried to perfection and the jambalaya is perfectly seasoned. Make sure to get your poboy dressed. so happy, I’ll be back here often.

Bywater Grocery is an unmistakably Louisianan place. It is in the Zipper, serving meat and seafood, available in the form of sandwiches and otherwise. Seating is to be found not only in the place, but also in the general vicinity of the Zipper.
I was impressed to have tried the oysters a week ago for a five dollar snack. A shrimp po boy, chips and a can of soda are fourteen dollars together. That sandwich came quickly. The shrimp was crispy and seasoned well. It was big, but it better be at that price. Shrimp did fall out a bit more than I would have wanted, but the ingredients were well synchronized together. The shrimp sometimes skinned off the breading, but the sandwich makes up for it. I’d also put more sauce along with the shrimp for a more perfect balance. I’ve had better po boys, but I was glad to have this, since I have not had a po boy for awhile now. If your friends want something different, you can rejoice that you are in the Zipper with plenty of other places that they can chose from.
Talent can be seen here.

I relly like the concept of the location. It is an old car lot converted to a food court. There are three different food options and a large bar. On open space in the middle has a dozen or so tables. The outside area is set up with tables and a fire pit.
I love me some good ‘olé southern food. We got the beef po’boy, jambalaya and shrimp plate. The Po’ boy was done well — plenty of debris and a lot of napkins called for. Jambalaya was good, flavorful and spicy. The shrimp were ok, not fantastic.
The staff were helpful and friendly. I will give it another shot.

ATMOSPHERE:
In «the zipper», you’re probably taking your food to the shared seating anyway, so I didn’t pay attention. There are a couple little tables though, if you really want to eat here.
SERVICE:
Guy at the counter was patient and helpful.
FOOD:
I like quirky simple sandwiches, so tried the Original: Lettuce, pickle, tomato, mayo, topped with a heap or mediocre fries. Not bad, but just seemed like a sandwich you’d make if it was late and you had almost nothing at home, so you tossed together whatever was on hand. Pull the lettuce and mayo, and replace with coleslaw. Ditch the fries and layer in a few slices of potato. Yeah, a tomato/​potato/​coleslaw sandwich could work. The Original does not.
Took a bread pudding for home. They recommended heating, but it was pretty good at room temp. Of course, it’s hard to go wrong with bread pudding (except the sourdough version I tried, and the place that served a slice of french toast and tried to call it bread pudding). The topping sauce was gritty, which I wasn’t expecting. I did heat it, as recommended, but it didn’t smooth out. I was glad it came in a little tub, so I didn’t have to scrape it off.
Chip selection was better than some (a brand I’m unfamilliar with).
PRESENTATION:
Because of the shared seating area, there’s no way anybody at The Zipper is going to class it up. Paper and plastic is what you’ll get.
PRICE/​VALUE:
Oh, what do I know? I guess I’m out of touch; everything seems too high to me. Anyway, I think I paid $ 14 for a meatless sandwich, bag of chips, can of root beer, and bread pudding.
OVERALL:
I might try some of their other menu items someday, but based on my initial experience they’re not on my «revisit soon» list.

probably the best po boy I’ve had outside of New Orleans. well dressed, appropriate bread, and a good amount of very tasty pacific oysters. $ 10 for the 8-​inch was a filling meal. would definitely eat here again.

Fabulous! Stopped in for lunch today and had a delicious shrimp po’boy. It was my first, but won’t be my last! The shrimp was so fresh, and the roll had the most exquisite flavor and texture… Ate it «dressed» (mayo, lettuce, pickles and tomatoes) — just had to gild the lily.
Did take half home with me so I could indulge in the homemade bread pudding with hard sauce. (What can I say?) Glad that NOLA has come to Portland.

I have to admit that I’m not a po’ boy lover. I’m a muffuletta girl if we are talking southern sandwiches. Therefore, I can’t comment on the sandwiches here.
But I did try the jambalaya, which had great flavors, but lacked the right spiciness for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the perfectly fried oysters and shrimp with remoulade on the side.
My only complaint was that my jambalaya needed to be nuked a bit longer. It was still pretty cold in the middle.
I’ll be back for the red beans & rice (with pork), but I really hope they add offerings to the menu or do weekly specials. If they were able to get gator, I imagine their fried gator would be beyond amazing based on the fried oysters/​shrimp I had.
Pretty please!

Had hopes for this little place, but my sandwich was mushy and bland and beans/​rice were heated in a microwave –and not good tasting to begin with. No authenticity here I’m afraid.

Love this place. The fried shrimp is to die for. The red beans and rice are top notch — I hate to use that word «authentic». Let me just say they have a solid Louisiana flavor. You can get them vegan or carnivore — your choice! The dressed shrimp po’boy comes with remulade, shaved iceberg, tomato and pickles and your choice of hot sauce. And when they say FRIED they mean batter-​dipped and FRIED! It’s the closest I’ve had to a NOLA fried shrimp outside of NOLA.

Winner. I was a bit confused by the name, not sure where «Grocery» fits into experience, but oh well.
The Jambalaya was excellent, the rice is compacted and sticky. Portion seems a bit small for $ 6, but it’s filling.
The French Fry Po Boy was also a hit, but definitely opt for the gravy for an extra $ 1. There were so many meat pieces in the gravy that it turned into a beef sandwich.
Cute décor, the larger space that houses other eateries is superb. Easy parking!

I have been meaning to stop here for weeks now and I am glad I finally did the sandwiches were amazing. I had the Roast Beef and my co– workers had the shrimp we were all very pleased and we will be sure to be back on a regular basis