• By JUDY BERGERON
• Restaurant reviewer
• Published: Jan 15, 2010

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It would be a stretch to say I grew up on Hi-Hos, but my memories of the longtime Hammond barbecue sandwich eatery do go back as far as high school.

Who knows how long it was before the restaurant’s signature sandwich began to be known simply as “a Hi-Ho,” but I’m sure it was well before my time.

With Ponchatoula a mere 15 minutes’ drive from the bigger city of Hammond, our “hanging out” in high school sometimes included a stop at the original Hi-Ho. The little building on Thomas Street was somewhat of an oddity, small and quaint, with the merchandise display behind the big counter pairing candy alongside cigars. The menu was limited, and the staff never wrote anything down, but rather just yelled the orders into the kitchen. And the taste of those sandwiches never varied from that consistent smoky hickory flavor.    

Flash forward to 2010 and Hi-Hos have made their way to Livingston Parish with the opening of Hi-Ho BBQ #4 in Denham Springs.

The new eatery has kept the limited menu and minimalist décor. Decorations on its white walls are few, save for a bit of sport-themed art and the focal point of the dining room, a large mural on one wall depicting what must have been the Hi-Ho’s first building in Hammond, complete with vintage gas pumps and an automobile parked out front.

Diners still order at the counter, but these days, the staff writes down the orders and relays them to the kitchen.

We tried their classic sandwiches, the beef dressed with cheese ($3.25), and the pork dressed with cheese (also $3.25). Both were delicious and tasted just like we remembered them back in Hammond. The meat was sliced razor thin and is obviously cooked in the thin smoky, hickory-style sauce for an extended time. It’s then layered on a hamburger bun, and dressed with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and a slice of American cheese. The sandwich is then lightly pressed together, holding all the elements in, at least until that first bite is taken. Then plan on using that stack of napkins they gave you. This is a very juicy sandwich.  Ordering a beef and a pork sandwich is a popular choice, as eating just one tends to leave one wanting another.

We also tried the cheeseburger ($3.25), and found it delicious as well. The thick patty was juicy and had that nice old-fashioned, homemade flavor. The thick cut, traditional French fries ($1.50) were a hit as well.

The ham and cheese sandwich ($3) consists of a slice of ham put on the grill just long enough for the cheese to melt on top of it, then placed between two pieces of toast, and dressed with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. We’d rate this one average.

For old times sake, we also tried the sauce bun (with cheese, 75 cents; without cheese, 50 cents). This is just what it says — just the sauce, no meat — on a hamburger bun.  Maybe this is a throwback to Depression-era days when many couldn’t afford the “meat” sandwich. A late relative used to speak of getting a roast beef gravy sandwich in New Orleans for a nickel back in that time.

Hi-Ho also has Barq’s Root Beer in a bottle. Now what goes better with a Hi-Ho than that?