This Bakery Has Been Making New Orleans' Legendary Po'boy Bread Since The 1920s

New Orleans' food scene is all about history and culture, documenting how a melting pot of different people came together to create new recipes. Though there may sometimes be disagreements, one thing every restaurateur agrees on is that the absolute best bread for po'boys is French bread, and Leidenheimer Bakery has been serving it up for almost a century.

In 1896, German immigrant George Leidenheimer settled in New Orleans and opened his namesake bakery. Though he started with loaves from his homeland, the streetcar conductor boycott of 1929 popularized the po'boy sandwich, a mix of whatever tasted good wedged between two slices of French bread. Capitalizing on the trend, Leidenheimer soon developed his own recipe and later passed it on to subsequent generations that owned the business. Despite drastic changes to the business model, the bakery remains at its 1904 location on Simon Bolivar Avenue.

Today, a new generation of Leidenheimer's descendants runs the business. A father-and-son team, Sandy and William Whann, continue to rapidly expand both production and distribution while still maintaining legendary quality. It's now considered an indispensable part of both the city's food culture and supply chain, providing everyone, from alleged tourist-trap spots to the best New Orleans restaurant for po'boys, with its bread.

Good French bread doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but that only means the texture, aroma, and appearance must be perfect. Leidenheimer never skimps on quality, and if you've had a po'boy in New Orleans, there's a good chance you've tried its bread for yourself. Though most po'boys are between 6 inches and a foot long, Leidenheimer bakes its loaves to be around 32 inches. Golden brown and almost perfectly cylindrical, they're far more pillowy than a typical baguette, making them all the better at absorbing sauces and seasonings from a sandwich's fillings.

While this is, by far, its most famous offering, you can also find Leidenheimer pistolets — crusty Belgian rolls that are great for smaller sandwiches — at grocery stores. If you can't make it to the Crescent City for a taste, don't worry. The bakery nationally distributes its products to 30 states plus Washington, D.C., both frozen and fresh. You might even be able to find its signature muffulettas, a round Italian sandwich famous in New Orleans for its cold cuts and tangy olive salad spread.