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Born in Austin, Matthew left soon thereafter and finally made it back after years of paying his penance wandering the earth. Before coming to Austin360, Matthew co-edited Austinist.com, worked as an advertising copywriter and led tours of the Roman Forum, among other things.

When not busy pounding away on his keyboard, he can be found at book readings, concerts, gelaterias, pizza joints, Barton Springs, movie theaters, the golf course, or home with a book. The M.O. gives readers a little insight into the world of this man without a plan.

The entry titled "Now open: Turf N Surf Po' Boy."

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Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2010 > April > 12 > Entry

By Matthew Odam | Monday, April 12, 2010, 04:58 PM

If the faint smell of saltwater infiltrates your head as you walk by Second Street and Congress Avenue, no one could blame you.

Turf N Surf Po’ Boy, the latest addition to the downtown trailer scene, is housed in a rusty old ship container that looks like it was sitting on a beach for the past several decades before being dragged along the blue highways and into Central Texas.

But the crusty and rusty exterior belies the fresh flavors coming out of the trailer.

Owners Ralph Gilmore and Priscilla Garcia profess a strict commitment to organic and local ingredients, which they’ve used to create a menu for a restaurant four times the size of their space — which is a good thing for anyone looking for some Gulf Coast boardwalk-meets roadhouse Americana fare.

Representing the “turf” side of the menu are a half-dozen free-range chicken sandwiches, a sinful fried pork chop sandwich, burgers that can be customized with more than a dozen toppings and more.

I’m not sure whether my inspiration came from the surfboard attached to the trailer or the gravel underfoot calling to mind crushed sea shells, but I ordered lunch from the large list of farm-fed seafood offerings. Tangy, creamy and messy in a good way, the shrimp salad po’ boy ($9) was light, fresh and delicious. The fried catfish po’ boy ($8) featured fish that was breaded and fried to crunchy perfection, the insides steaming and succulent, and the dressings of spring mix, tomato and tartar sauce were fresh if not a bit unruly. Doubling down on the fried side of things, I ordered the seasoned fries ($2.50) that came topped with cilantro, lemon and sea salt.

No matter how high the architects built the Austonian, the residents in the upscale new condos were never going to get an ocean view, but at least now they can catch a glimpse of food with a flavor of the coast.

Turf N Surf Po’ Boy. Second Street at Congress Avenue. Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Food

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By Jimmy Lough

April 26, 2010 2:36 PM | Link to this

10.50 for a Po Boy and Fries? Ouch. Do they charge 5.00 for bottled water or a soda?