By: Matt Stock
There are few monthly columns that fill us with excitement quite like the Southender Sandwich Showdown, not only for the obvious, tasty reasons but because we get to check out a joint that’s outside of our normal go-to rotation. That was definitely the case this month as Cranford and I excitedly bellied up to the counter at Marley’s Shrimp and Burger Shack in Park Plaza.
It’s always cool hanging at a local spot with counter seating where you have a first hand view of the action, and on this beautiful Spring night there was no shortage of it as manager Johnny Lively and his crew were rocking out orders to the counter, adjacent outdoor tables, and to-go window with the crackerjack precision that comes with working in close quarters with a talented team. Our attention was shifting between the kitchen and our menu, and with classic options across the board including burgers, lobster rolls, po’boys, jumbo dogs, cubans and cheesesteaks, we were having a hard time deciding what two sandwiches to choose. After some contemplation and a little help from Johnny, we elected to go with a Shrimp Po’Boy and a Double Griddle Cheeseburger. Might as well go with the namesake sandwiches, right?
In quick time we were presented with a couple of fine looking sandwiches accompanied by a huge basket of hand-cut fries. We ordered the Double with the traditional topping load – lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and, naturally, bacon. The Po’Boy boasted an ample amount of lightly fried shrimp on a toasted yet still soft hoagie roll, with shredded lettuce and juuuuuuust the right amount of tartar sauce.
Our work cut out for us, we dug in and found ourselves in serious sandwich discourse almost immediately, with Cranford claiming some expertise in one particular area. “I’m a conossieur of the Po’Boy,” he proclaimed with tremendous confidence. “The secret to a good Po’Boy is the bread, and this is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, which is perfect.” We were equally impressed with the size of the sandwich, which contained TEN large and flavorful fried shrimp, all held in place by the tasty roll. “It’s important to keep the sandwich held together,” Cranford elaborated. We devoured our halves without the sandwich falling apart and were in agreement that it was indeed, as Cranford put it, “a hell of a Po’Boy.”
It was a battle of the North and South, as we saw it, and the Double Griddle Burger didn’t disappoint either. The two handmade smashed patties were thin and tasty, complimented perfectly by the cheese, toppings, soft bun and perfectly cooked bacon, with just a touch of that good grease flavor that makes it all pop. I was fondly reminded of the Jersey Shore burgers of my youth, ordered with sandy feet and a sunburned face at windows and walk-up counters just like this one.
At the intersection of nostalgia and deliciousness lies victory, and we unanimously crowned the Double Griddle Cheeseburger the victor of this month’s Southender Sandwich Showdown!
