February 19, 2007
By Maggie Heyn Richardson
A reader recently sent me this email regarding Louie’s, the longtime campus diner famous for burgers, fries and breakfast. After a Saturday morning visit, she said the place was just too grody to let her enjoy her Big Cheesy Lou in peace.
"I'm going to tell them that they have wonderful food and very friendly servers, so it's a shame that they may be losing sober customers because of the seriously visible dirt and grime in the restaurant. And as for the customers who stay loyal, at least do those guys a favor and clean the place b/c the dirt is extremely hard to look at while you're eating, even if the food is good. Why not make the whole dining experience a good one?! Good food, nice servers, AND a clean facility?!" – KB, Baton Rouge
Hmmm. Let me say straight up that I’m a confirmed Louie’s patron, but girlfriend does have a point. No matter how good the hash browns, Louie’s loyal customer base has to see past a stinky, front porch dumpster, lots of litter, horrendously dusty air vents, and walls whose stains have been there since Moby Dick was a minnow. Unless you arrive tipsy, you definitely want to avoid sitting at the back right table, which features a particularly showy view of grunge.
It’s a funny thing. I have friends who avoid Louie’s because of its characteristic filth. And as loyal a customer as I am, I’m not without freaking out when my children accidentally drop crayons onto Louie’s lovely floor. But all in all, I have no trouble compartmentalizing the dirty veneer and scarfing down a three-egg Mitch and crispy fries on a regular basis. Is that so wrong? Or does KB in Baton Rouge have a point?
Give me your read on Louie’s.
Comments
Posted by MajorTom on February 21 at 3:18 p.m.
I love Louie's...BUT, regarding dirt and the God-awful view indoors and out, it has gotten progressively worse. I now have Louie's virgins refuse a return visit. The smart-ass working the grill could also learn a bit regarding customer relations. Still recommending them and will continue to do so. They (and Coffee Call BTW) need to wake up and do a lot of housekeeping, immediately.
Posted by wendella14 on February 21 at 4:01 p.m.
Funny thing, I dined there yesterday and was a bit apprehensive about going through the door when noticing the stacked up crates, boxes, dumpster and possibly an ice machine in the front of the restaurant. However, after walking through that door the aroma of freshly cooked breakfast Louie's style hit me smack dab in the face and put me in another dimension, where the obvious filth becomes no so obvious, and where i can turn a blind eye to the details that would normally horrify me, although slighty aware but not fixating-perhaps it was a flashback of a drunken college night? One thing was clear- the timing was excellent, the food was even better, and I received service with a smile. No matter what, they seem to have it down to a fine art at Louie's, but it wouldn't hurt them to clean up the place up sometime, yes it is pretty gross, but perhaps the grime makes the food taste better? Maybe it induces delerium? Chalk it up to character, but i do know this-they ain't hurtin' for business. After all-who doesn't love a Mitchell?
Posted by homeydcat on February 22 at 10:07 a.m.
You all need to learn to embrace the funk, not fear it.
The funk is what makes Louie's holy... just like the Fleur-de-Lis, The Pastime, the dearly-departed Silver Moon.
If you can't handle that, go fold doilies at the Silver Spoon. Louie's is salt-of-the-earth. Many a post-gig musician would have starved to death were it not for the Big Cheesy Lou and the Mitchell.
Places like Louie's are anchors against BR becoming nothing but a sea of freakin' Chili's and Applebee's.
Viva La Louie's!
Posted by rocketboy on February 22 at 8 p.m.
i own a restaurant and it is not hard to keep it clean. i went to louie's last summer and noticed the produce sitting outside, next to the ice machine with no lid. i got water with a chucnk of something black in it. the waitress informed me that it was just leaves from the ice machine.
i agree that louie's is salt to the earth, and as a former musician i also agree that it kept me from starving. i refuse to beleive however that you have to keep your damn produce in the parking lot.
rocketboy
Posted by scout on February 22 at 8:14 p.m.
Fleur-de-lis may have a little character building funk that is embraced by loyal diners, as does Georges, Rama, and a few other great local spots. I'll give you that.
But the FUNK at Louie's is just down right repulsive; especially the funk in plain view of diners sitting at the corner table near the kitchen. I sat at that table recently and after seeing what I saw, I won't go back (nor will I be folding doilies at the Silver Spoon, whatever that means). It's too risky.....that palce is a health hazard.
Posted by louie on February 23 at 12:07 p.m.
Message received. Working on it. No excuses. Thanks for the heads-up.
Posted by Wade on February 23 at 8:39 p.m.
I'm glad that Mr. Louie has acknowledged the problem and is working to resolve it.....which will be very difficult. Fundamentally, space is the problem..........there is no space available. Louie's consist only of the building and the parking in front of the building....not the surrounding parking areas and cannot place the dumpster anywhere else. Also, they have a very large volume of 24/7 walk-in traffic into a very small place.........it's a challenge to be as clean as I-HOP.....but if you want to pay more than twice the price for a lousy biscuit....eat at I-HOP.
That said, Louie's offers the largest variety and highest quality foods of any short order place in BR. Yes, you can always (24/7) get the classic American breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Louie's; but also, Louie's offers the strongest healthy alternative foods in town for a short order place.
In the 1970's Louies introduced BR to the fruit smoothie, the vegi omelet, meatless sandwiches, sprouts, pancakes with a blend of 100% whole wheat flour....etc. Louie's was BR's original health food restaurant. Where else can you get a fresh fruit salad loaded with 5 fresh fruits, raisens, pecans and low fat yogurt?.......no where.
Heart healthy, whole grains............yes.......trans-fat free 100% whole wheat bread...or try my favorite: oatmeal with pecans and blueberries.
Trans-fats were removed from the grill at Christmas. Only fresh (and often local) vegetables are served (not from the can). If you want warmed up canned vegies eat at Christinas or Franks.
At Louie's you eat on china with real flatwear and friendly human service...this is an expensive thing to do for a small place. If you want to clog the environment with throw away plates, plastic forks, and styrofoam cups (and no service) eat at McDonalds or Zeeland Street Mkt.
Quality: very high..............the senior chef, Frenchy, was trained at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and he cooks only original dishes with fresh ingrediants. All soups are made from scratch.....not from the can.
The uniquely iconic Louie's Cafe is the oldest and most successful restaurant in BR..........yes, there is a problem with keeeing it clean......but the coffee is always (24/7) fresh, the food unique, and the staff is supurb.
Posted by kenrat on February 23 at 9:53 p.m.
There are many remarkable things to be said about Louie's, but let's leave that for later. Perhaps we should address the most obvious problem which was ignorantly excluded from the discussion by the foolish, self-righteous critics. If a restaraunt is open 6 days/week from 11am-11pm, the establishment would have 4,992 hours per year during which it could be cleaned. Louie's has but 24 HOURS PER YEAR (Christmas day) to thoroughly clean up the mess left from the extraordinary feat of feeding all manner of patrons day and night throughout the year. Pretty difficult task. So, I am prepared to overlook a bit of old grease to enjoy hash browns, burgers, soups, etoufees, omelets and coffee served and cooked with humor and grace and not a small bit of wonderful flavor. Long live Louie's!
Posted by janey_says on February 25 at 11:08 a.m.
i worked at Louie's for more than 5 years....what I have to say is an echo of others who posted...Louie's is one of the only unique staples in Baton Rouge, as far as eating is concerned. The dirt is NEVER in the food, and never in the 5 years that I worked there has the outdoor ice machine not had a lid on it. The only produce that is stored outside are the potatoes and onions that are going to be peeled and steamed before they are grilled, and they are kept outside due to a lack of space.
I agree fully with kenrat, that the restaraunts hours make it more difficult to keep as immaculate as a red lobster. But, Louie's really isn't that filthy, if we were than how could we have remained open for over 60 years? I think the only ones who have a right to criticize the cleanliness of Louie's are the health inspectors, and Louie's has always passed the inspections. This is a matter of if you can't see it, then it doesn't exist. This isn't a blog criticizing the cleanliness of fast-food chains, and why is that? Everyone eats fast food, probably more than they eat Louie's, right? The critics are after Louie's because the only way to enjoy that food is to enter the restaraunt and sit in the midst of all the chaos; from a bar stool you can watch everyone's food being cooked, you are part of the atmosphere for the brief time you dine there. It's up to the customers to choose for themselves if they prefer to know exactly who has cooked their food and how, or if they would rather feign ignorance, and drive through a Jack in the Box, and pretend that their ultimate cheeseburger was cooked under the most clean conditions.
Posted by por_deni on February 25 at 5:17 p.m.
State restaurant inspectors give Louie's a GOOD rating.
Good: 5 or less critical violations were noted, re-inspection must be performed to ensure compliance.
http://retailinspections.oph.dhh.louisiana.gov/sanitarianservices/retailfood/apps/onlineinspections/inspections.asp?Facility=11666&pNum=1
I agree that they do not have time for a thorough cleaning due to their 24/7 nature. But that does not excuse the grime. Maybe close down during the slowest part of the week for 4-6 hours for a janitorial contractor to come in and hose the place down? Some will complain that such a measure ruins the spirit of the place. But wouldn't you rather dine at a restaurant with an Excellent rating?
Posted by homeydcat on February 26 at 10:54 a.m.
See, the silver spoon is like the anti-Louie's.... oh. nevermind.
Posted by scout on February 26 at 1:48 p.m.
When was this rating of "good" given? That's shocking! Have they been inspected recently?
I'm also shocked at the number people who are so excited about the Mitchell, or the Big Cheesey Lou, that they can overlook the DIRT/GRIME dangling from the vents, lurking in the corners, and hanging from the ceiling, as well as the sticky funk under tables that makes your shoes stick to the floor. (My neighbor recently stepped in some combination of bannanas and grease on the floor there, that was still on the bottom of her shoe when she got home. She was disgusted.) And let's not overlook the nauseating smell of garbage in the parking lot that cannot be avoided when walking up to the door, or the three inches of I'm not sure what, that is under and around the refrigerator and other kitchen appliances. (Again, I promise a good view of whatever it is, if you sit at the corner table by the kitchen.) Now, I agree that the food tastes good...... BUT COME ON! WHEN DID GOOD FOOD BECOME AN EXCUSE FOR A FILTHY REATURAUNT?! AND, IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BEING OPEN FOR 24 HOURS OR HAVING A CLEAN PLACE, MAYBE YOU SHOULD NOT BE OPEN FOR 24 HOURS! HOW ABOUT 12 HOURS ONE DAY A WEEK AND 24 HOURS THE REST OF THE WEEK?!
I realize that I can just choose not to eat there if I'm not happy with the conditions. But... I think it's a shame that it's become what it has, because I really like the food, but in my opinion, The Mitchell and The Big Cheesey Lou are just not worth lowering standards of basic cleanliness for.
A rating of GOOD? Seriously?
And Buddy, let the Silver Spoon thing go. We know you tried. But folding doilies? Whatever......
We all know there can be a happy meduim between Louie's and ladies lunchtime places.
Posted by louie on February 27 at 7:26 p.m.
Had a health inspection today. Big surprise. And a very thorough one indeed. No food safety violations. No surprise. The inspector said we needed some general housekeeping which we are doing. Thanks for all your comments.
Posted by spatuladiaries on February 28 at 9:37 a.m.
Classy response, Louie. Thank you. Great points, readers. Thanks for responding. Please chat it up on future blogs. This week's discussion: what do you want out of your downtown at night (foodwise)? - MHR
Posted by artistetypographie on February 28 at 4:58 p.m.
I agree with the statement "Viva La Louie's", but I don't have to embrace the funk. It's inexcusable. I'm glad that they plan to address the issue. Just because they aren't hurting for business doesn't mean they don't have a moral obligation to clean up a bit.
Posted by janey_says on March 3 at 4:54 a.m.
i am posting again...i currently live in south america and dream nightly about the food that louies cooks. it is in one word delicious. that is the bottom line. you can bitch all you want about the "inexcusable filth" and all that jazz, but the reality is, what else is open at 5 am that will give you a choice of an omlete, burger, or crawfish etouffee? louies is a staple of baton rouge, it gives anyone and everyone a place to eat at all hours of the day/night and i really think that deserves respect. the people who work there completely bust their butts, day in and day out, and i think that all of this complaining should be reserved for jack in the box, or burger king, or weinerschnitzel, or something that is truely filthy with no excuse....louies might be more unkempt than your typical restaraunt, only because we never shut down....but that deserves respect and not criticism...either choose not to eat there or simply hush your mouth.....
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