Crawfish Po'Boys Are A Lenten Tradition At This Louisiana Restaurant

At Old Tyme Grocery in Lafayette, Louisiana, fried crawfish po'boys are a longstanding Lenten tradition.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Glenn Murphree bought Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette, Louisiana, over 40 years ago on his 23rd birthday. During the Lenten season, the restaurant sells over 1,000 pounds of seafood each Friday, with the fried crawfish po'boy being a special menu item that has been a tradition for more than 30 years. The restaurant hires 15-20 additional staff to handle the volume, which can more than double their regular Friday sales.

Why it matters

In Lafayette, Louisiana, a predominantly Catholic community, the Lenten season is an important time when many residents abstain from eating meat on Fridays and instead turn to seafood options. Olde Tyme Grocery's fried crawfish po'boy has become a beloved local tradition that draws in customers from across the region during this period.

The details

Olde Tyme Grocery's fried crawfish po'boy was first introduced to the menu over 30 years ago when the restaurant's local bread supplier, Bobby Langlinais, suggested that Murphree create the specialty sandwich. It took Murphree 25-30 hours of testing different batters and recipes before he landed on the version he wanted to serve customers. On the first day he offered the po'boy, Murphree made 200 pounds of crawfish, which sold out completely.

  • Olde Tyme Grocery was purchased by Glenn Murphree on his 23rd birthday, over 40 years ago.
  • The fried crawfish po'boy has been a menu item for more than 30 years.
  • During the Lenten season, Olde Tyme Grocery sells over 1,000 pounds of seafood each Friday.

The players

Glenn Murphree

The owner of Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette, Louisiana, who purchased the restaurant over 40 years ago on his 23rd birthday.

Becca Kennedy

Murphree's daughter, who works alongside him at the restaurant with two of her four siblings.

Bobby Langlinais

Olde Tyme Grocery's local bread supplier, who suggested that Murphree create the fried crawfish po'boy over 30 years ago.

Cheri Murphree

Glenn Murphree's wife, who is pictured with him and their daughter Becca circa 1988.

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What they’re saying

“God's got a funny sense of humor, because that's what I ended up doing for a living.”

— Glenn Murphree

“In Lafayette, a lot of people are Catholic. During Lent, Catholics eat seafood [instead of meat] on Fridays.”

— Becca Kennedy, Murphree's daughter

“I had no clue how many I would need to make, so I went ahead and did 200 pounds of crawfish the first day. We sold it all.”

— Glenn Murphree

The takeaway

Olde Tyme Grocery's fried crawfish po'boy has become a beloved Lenten tradition in the predominantly Catholic community of Lafayette, Louisiana, drawing in customers from across the region during this important religious season.