“Howdy,” is a thing hillbillies say, right? Even though that isn’t what was said to us when we walked into Hillbilly’s Po’boys and Oysters, we still felt welcomed with the delicious smell of food and the warmth that came from the heaters on the front porch.With it being the first time to walk into the restaurant, it was a nice and comfortable experience.

Not really knowing what to expect while walking in, we were intrigued by the spiral staircase that led to the basement- also known as “the Hole.” I was a little skeptical of this, due to the amount of horror movies I’ve seen in my lifetime (if you’ve seen Insidious… you feel my pain) but I decided to get over it and took a seat at a table.

Before going to the restaurant, my mind was already set on one thing: fried pickles. Seeing that it was on the menu with a mixture of fried onions as well, we decided to order it.

I was caught off guard by the fact that the pickles were sweet, but it made a delicious blend with the saltiness of the batter. They were so good that I was disappointed when I realized they were all gone.

“The fried pickles? OMG,” said adviser Kelli Taylor.

In almost every food review we have done, Stephanie Emerson and I order just about the same thing. We both ordered the Best Pulled Pork Ever, which consisted of roasted pork with bacon BBQ sauce. I also ordered it with a side of barbecue seasoned fries. The fries were absolutely amazing. If I were to go there again I would totally consider ordering just the fries, if they offered more for the price. The meat on the sandwich, however, was a little too greasy, which made the bread somewhat soggy but it was still delicious with the different seasonings on it.

“It was not as spicy as I was expecting it to be since it’s a Cajun restaurant, but I would recommend it to people who cannot handle spicy food well,” Emerson said. She agreed with me that it was too greasy, but we both liked it the same. “If I go back I would probably get the same thing; however, I would get a side to go with it,” she said.

Taylor ordered the Jed’s Blackened Shrimp Po’boy with orange remoulade and a side of barbecue seasoned fries. The sandwich consisted of lettuce, tomato and chopped bread and butter pickles. She thought the shrimp was spicy, but not overpowering to where she couldn’t eat it.

“The pickles went well with the sauce, which was a little sweet and a nice compliment to the heat,” Taylor said. She also thought that the fries were good, but they were overpriced for the small amount they give.

Isis Frazier ordered the Mack Daddy’s Muff, which had salami, roast beef, Swiss and mozzarella cheese, Creole mustard, tapenade, greens, tomato, pickles, mayo, and Greek vinaigrette. She thought the roast beef was good, but didn’t like the chewy texture.

“After a while, I was like ‘oh no I can’t decide if I like it or not,’ but I would go back for sure and maybe order something else,” Frazier said.

Camila Gonzalez ordered the Smoky Mountain Meatball. It consisted of smoked mozzarella-stuffed meatballs and pancetta marinara topped with Parmesan cheese.

“Halfway through I couldn’t handle the spiciness. If I ever decide to come back, I’ll get it without the sauce because that’s what made it spicy,” Gonzalez said.

Since she couldn’t finish the sandwich, I shared my fries with her. “They were bomb,” Gonzalez said.

Gabriel di Gregorio ordered the Shannon’s Reuben, which was made with corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and 1000 island dressing served open-faced on a toasted baguette. He thought the pickles on it gave it a unique flavor and the corned beef was served with a good portion.

“Once I finished it I was full but I really wanted more because the flavor was great. The 1000 Island dressing was not too sweet, and all the flavors were well balanced. I’d definitely go back,” di Gregorio said.

Hillbilly’s is a small Cajun restaurant that sits next to a set of train tracks located at 1 NW 9th St in Oklahoma City. They are open every day, Monday through Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm-ish and Sundays from 11 am to 8pm-ish. You can also order from home and they’ll deliver,  just call 405-702-9805. You can also schedule to reserve the Hole for a party or a get together with family and friends. The Hole includes 2 HD flat screen TVs and WiFi, as well as room for up to 20 people. Minimum cost is $350 and the restaurant needs two weeks notice.