First Look: Route 66 Smokehouse Is A Good Lunch Option If You’re Not Paying

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We have a lot of new restaurants that open downtown that are pretty far outside of Midtown Lunch’s price boundaries of $10. When Route 66 Smokehouse announced its opening I took a peek at the menu and saw a bunch of items that sounded delicious including a pulled pork BBQ sandwich that I’d already tried at a pop-up, brisket, and a fried oyster po’ boy. The last one is pretty rare in Lower Manhattan, although you can find an awesome shrimp and oyster po’ boy at Cheeky Sandwiches on the Lower East Side.

I love a good po’ boy, so I took a trip to Route 66 to try an expensive version of a classic sandwich. 

The first floor of the restaurant is meant to look rustic with a lot of weathered wood and staff wearing plaid shirts. I moseyed up to the bar and sat next to a gaggle of gentlemen fresh off their desks on Wall St. There is nothing on the menu for less than $10 except for snacks, and you get no discount at lunch. I decided to just go for the gold and order the po’ boy even though it would set me back $17. It comes with fries, but it still hurt a lot to pay that much for lunch, especially once I saw what you get for that price.

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As you can see, this is a po’ boy only in name and not in size or appearance. You get a handful of fried oysters on this bun that is admittedly nice, but more suited to a burger, along with chopped romaine, a large slice of tomato and some Tabasco remoulade. Alongside is a serving of french fries dusted with herbs but in need of some salt, and there were no salt and pepper shakers to be found.

While the flavor of the po’ boy is good, I wish they would have referred to it as a fried oyster sandwich on the menu because that’s what it is. Either that or they should consider using a different bun because for the price I paid I felt fairly ripped off.

So, if you would like to sink your teeth into some brisket, ribs or this po’ boy, plan on spending $15 to $20 and not being completely stuffed afterward.

Route 66 Smokehouse, 46 Stone St. (btw. Coenties Slip & Hanover Sq.), (212) 943-1602

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4 Comments

  • That is pathetic. That is an insult to po boys everywhere….F that place!

  • Andrea: You deserve a Pulitzer Prize for your efforts to uncover the best downtown has to offer…and to take an occasional hit for the team. Like its neighbor, Mad Dog and Beans, Route 66 is a terribly overpriced joint that will, no doubt, be packed with rich boys and girls who simply don’t care about quality or price. Thanks for giving us the dope on Route 66’s poor po’boys.

  • Yes, by no means was i trying to insult the writer here—only the establishment. FU Route 66! Good job andrea–letting us all know to avoid it like the plague!

  • yup… you summed it up perfectly Andrea. PASS was my first thought when i saw the posted menu last friday. laughed at the headline “if your not paying”. being that a key component to BBQ is quantity, and the price/I’m full ratio is so off… this is a def skip. sorry Rt66.

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