Beck's Cajun Cafe: The Train Wreck and Alligator Sausage Po' Boy

It was my 26th birthday and I decided that it was necessary to gorge. The Reading Terminal Market is the perfect locale to belly up the feeding troth and carry around a basketball sized food baby for a solid six hours.

Months back, while showing my friend around the Market, we tried a free sample of gumbo. It was spicy and delicious, and that sample nearly served its purpose by convincing me to buy a full cup. This gumbo makin’ joint is called Beck’s Cajun Café and this will be the first “Market Marvel” I will review.

Beck’s sits smack dab in the middle of the Market and offers take out plus a breakfast menu. Customer’s can sit down at one of the ten stools to order or carryout to the disastrously crowded public seating area.

 

Chef Bill Beck creates “exotic, flavorful and spicy Cajun/Creole favorites…inspired by the rich cultures, people and history of New Orleans and the Mississippi River Delta.” Beck’s menu is littered with po’ boys and gumbos. A po’ boy is a traditional submarine sandwich from Louisiana served on French bread. According to folklore, po’ boys are named after the poor workers of the 1929 New Orleans streetcar strike. A restaurateur and former streetcar worker pledged to feed his brethren during their strike and referred to the workers as “po’ boys.”

The Train Wreck

I dined in with my best friend Adam and we proposed a handshake agreement to share the other half of our sandwich with each other.  Adam ordered the Train Wreck Po’ Boy, ingredients: Andouille sausage, steak, salami, American cheese, and onion. I ordered the Alligator Sausage Po’ Boy, ingredients: caramelized onions, peppers, creole mustard, and alligator sausage.

The Train Wreck, or the “Cajun cheesesteak,” was very good, almost causing Adam to break his handshake agreement and eat it all for himself. Beck’s Train Wreck did not skimp on the meat and every bite had melted American cheese running throughout. 

I was expecting the Train Wreck to have a little more spiciness than it did, I fixed that issue with some hot sauce. In my opinion the hot sauce took the po’ boy to a whole new level.

Alligator Sausage Po' Boy

The Alligator Sausage Po’ Boy was simple but a treat. The sausage had a touch of sweetness to it. I would have been a fan of more peppers and onions on the sandwich, and if I am being honest more sausage. The Creole mustard was tasty and came highly recommended by the very friendly waitress. For good measure my friend and I split the Cajun Fries. The fried potatoes were tossed in Louisiana spices and were layered with jalapeños and onions, definitely worth a try, but not enough to merit the $4 price tag.

At the end of the day, the prices and service were good and the food was better. I strongly recommend stopping by Beck’s Cajun Café for a po’ boy!