A barbecue dinner is great. Smoky sausage. Sauce. Fries. Coleslaw. Now imagine all of that in the convenience of a bun. No need to imagine, because that very innovation already exists and it’s called a Polish boy. Invented in Cleveland, Ohio, the Polish boy includes kielbasa sausage (aka Polska kielbasa, hence “Polish” boy), coleslaw, and fries, all drizzled in BBQ sauce and crammed in a sausage-sized bun. While the specific origins of the sandwich are unclear, it is rumored that barbecue pioneer Virgil Whitmore Sr. created it in the 1960s or ’70s by combining items he happened to already have on hand. If you can’t summon the ghost of Virgil Whitmore to make you one or you won’t be in Cleveland any time soon, here’s a guide to Sporked -approved products for making the best Polish boy sandwich at home.
- Kroger Polska Kielbasa
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If kielbasa is going to be the heart of this meal then it needs to be hearty and super flavorful. We know. You probably always just buy Hillshire Farm kielbasa and call it a day. Well, if you have a Kroger-owned grocery store nearby, there’s something way tastier you can buy. Kroger Polska Kielbasa is super snappy, incredibly juicy, and—unlike a lot of grocery store kielbasa—has an additional layer of flavor because it’s smoked. This is not just a long, fat hot dog bent into a horseshoe shape. This is the best kielbasa—and certainly the best kielbasa for a Polish boy.
Read our full ranking of the best sausage from our taste tests
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Reser’s Coleslaw
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When you’re making a Polish boy at home, you can put the fries atop the coleslaw or vice versa—do what you feel! But either way, you’re doing it right if you buy this creamy, dreamy Reser’s coleslaw. What we love most about this store bought coleslaw is that it’s actually crunchy—even in the creamy, tangy dressing, the cabbage doesn’t turn to mush. This stuff is going to add lots of creaminess to your at-home Polish boy, and some good texture, too. We can’t say that for most store bought coleslaw.
Read our full ranking of the best grocery store coleslaw
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Grown in Idaho Hand Cut Style Fries
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The Polish boy is a decadent, sloppy sandwich. And since your fries will be in close contact with all that saucy coleslaw, we need fries that are up to the job. That’s why these Grown in Idaho fries from Lamb Weston are the way to go. They’re coated in modified food starch to create a coating that will help them maintain some crunch, even when they’ve been doused in slaw and BBQ sauce. These fries are well seasoned, super potatoey, and hearty enough to turn a sausage sandwich into a real real meal.
Read our full ranking of the best frozen fries
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Famous Dave’s Sweet & Zesty BBQ Sauce
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A Polish boy has lots of components, so we need a BBQ sauce with enough oomph to bring them all together. Famous Dave’s Sweet & Zesty BBQ Sauce is just so good. Just like the name says, this stuff is sweet and zesty in equal measure—it has incredible depth of flavor and tang. It’s also nice and thick—perfect for drizzling on a Polish boy without simply being absorbed by the rest of the ingredients.
Read our full ranking of the best barbecue sauce
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Kroger White Hoagie Rolls
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Welp, if you’re picking up our recommended Polska kielbasa at a Kroger-owned grocery store, you might as well get some hoagie rolls while you’re there. Listen. We know nothing compares to a hoagie roll from the bakery, but if you’re grabbing a pack at the grocery store, these are good. They’re light and fluffy, but also sturdy and substantial. These are rolls that will really let everything else in a Polish boy sandwich really shine.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!