From The New Orleans Menu Daily By Tom Fitzmorris Revised August 2009 Guy's Po-Boys Sandwiches. Uptown: 5257 Magazine. 504-891-5025 . Map. Lunch through the afternoon Monday-Saturday. Very Casual. Cash only.   WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL   Guy's is the kind of poor boy shop we don't see much anymore. It's basically one guy--Marvin, the owner--who makes all the sandwiches, one at a time, carefully but not too, while engaging in patter with the customers, most of whom are regulars. It's the kind of honestly utilitarian place that convinces a lot of people that this is the real thing. And it is.   WHY IT'S GOOD   With a setup like Guy's, the consistency chart can hardly help but be a flat line, which is exactly what you want. Marvin not only makes all the sandwiches but cooks the roast beef and gravy himself, resulting in a classic flavor that reminds me a lot of the sandwiches at the old Martin's Poor Boy Restaurant. They're a real mess to eat and much too large--a small poor boy wipes me out. They have all the usual fillings, and are a bit famous for their shrimp poor boy. Marvin will make almost anything you ask him for,   BACKSTORY   Like many poor boy shops, Guy's began life in the 1950s as a grocery store, and evolved into a sandwich house. Marvin Matherne bought it in the early 1990s from Guy Barcia, Jr., the second-generation owner. The interior, which looks much too glitzy and new for a place with this pedigree, was redone in 2007, after a fire shut the place down just long enough for Guy's customers to elevate its status to just short of legendary.   DINING ROOM   One big room with as many tables as could possibly fit. Marvin works completely out in the open, behind a small counter manned by his cashier. The paint job, lighting sconces, and even the new logo on the window glass seem more appropriate for a spiffy clothing store than an ancient poor boy shop, but there you go.   ESSENTIAL DISHES   Poor boys: Roast beef. Ham. Grilled catfish. Grilled chicken. Grilled or fried shrimp. Or make up your own. Daily plate specials. Pork chops. Fried chicken.   FOR BEST RESULTS   Don't think of this as fast food. Those in a hurry call ahead and place orders. It's better to order there, and hang out with a root beer while taking in the place and listening to Marvin. They get very busy at around noon; that's a bad time to go.   OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT   This could be a nearly perfect poor boy if the bread were warmed. They'll do it if you ask, but I never remember to ask.   FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD   Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter. Dining Environment Consistency +2 Service Value +2 Attitude +2 Wine and Bar Hipness Local Color +2   SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES    Small private room Open Monday lunch Open all afternoon Unusually large servings Good for children Easy, nearby parking Click here for an index to current reviews of the 200 Essential Restaurants, and others. Click here for an index to current reviews of the 200 Essential Restaurants, and others. © 2009 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com.