Calliope’s | South Main

Calliope's is a sandwich operation dressed up as a Cajun-Creole menu, and that's exactly why it works. The seafood boils and turkey-neck-laden pots are on offer, but they're not the point. The point is the po'boy, specifically the Surf and Turf: thin-sliced roast beef against breaded shrimp that comes out of the fryer with real snap still on it. That contrast, tender meat against a crisp shell, is the kind of detail that separates a sandwich built with intention from one thrown together for volume.

This is built for grab-and-go, and it holds up to that test. A 12-inch po'boy that survives a car ride home without going soggy is a harder trick than it sounds, and Calliope's pulls it off consistently. It's not trying to be a destination meal. It's trying to be the best quick lunch in reach, and it hits that mark cleanly.

The New York Times named it to its national restaurant list in 2025, which tracks. The ambition here is narrow and the execution matches it. Order the Surf and Turf. Skip the boil.