×

Baton Rouge’s most talked about new restaurants and bars in 2015


It was a big year for the Baton Rouge culinary scene, with plenty of new restaurants popping up around the city and shuttered spaces opening up again with new names and owners. As 2015 draws to a close, there’s still a little time to grab a bite or a drink at one of these new establishments. New Year’s resolutions don’t start just yet, right?

We’ve compiled a list of some of the new movers and shakers in the world of local food, as well as a few existing restaurants that saw expansions or makeovers in 2015. Check our roundup for any you haven’t tried yet, and order up something new.


BARS

Brad Watts, co-owner of The River Room. Photo by Allie Appel
Brad Watts, co-owner of The River Room. Photo by Allie Appel

Corporate Brew & Draft. A sister to The Cove, Corporate Brew & Draft offers more than 100 beers on tap and a wide selections of domestic and imported bottles, not to mention freshly cooked brats.

Ruffins Downtown Daiquiri Lounge. Downtown has another music and libation venue to offer with the opening of Ruffins Downtown Daiquiri Lounge, which serves beer and liquor in addition to your favorite daiquiri flavors.

The River Room. This year, downtown lost Red Star Bar but gained The River Room in its place—a classy, contemporary bar with lounge seating areas, craft cocktails and select wine and beer.

Mahony’s Irish Pub. Inhabiting Reginelli’s former spot on West Chimes Street, Mahony’s Irish Pub took off in Houma before expanding to Baton Rouge to bring the LSU area another option for beer, burgers and po-boys.

The State Bar & GrubThe State had a big grill to fill when it took over the longtime home of Louie’s Cafe, but a solid liquor selection and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches have made it a fast success on State Street.

Bottle & Tap. City Pork co-owner Stephen Hightower took over Happy’s former space on Coursey Boulevard with Bottle & Tap, a beer-focused bar featuring a rotating selection of regional craft beers.  

1913. Third Street’s newest nightclub is 1913, featuring a dance floor, VIP sections, flowing drinks and often some more adult-themed entertainment.

The Bandit. The frequently changing East Boyd bar previously known as Shady’s—as well as Tops and The Levee for short times—has seen a successful reopening as The Bandit, a college-geared bar on the outskirts of Tigerland.


RESTAURANTS

Two Ru n Farm Flatiron Steak // Table Baton Rouge, LA
Table Kitchen & Bar’s Two Run Farm Flatiron Steak. Photo by Amy Shutt

Table Kitchen & Bar. A changing seasonal menu, the freshest of locally sourced ingredients and creative dishes have made Table Kitchen & Bar the city’s hottest farm-to-fork concept since its opening in April in the former Portico space.

Barcadia. The New Orleans-based chain made its first appearance in Baton Rouge with the grand opening of Barcadia near the North Gates of LSU this year, and the intersection of beers, burgers (from Curbside food truck creator Nick Hufft) and vintage arcade games has become a busy one indeed.

Roux 61. We were sad to see local fixture Boutin’s go, but Natchez-based newcomer Roux 61 is keeping the homestyle vibe of family-owned Cajun cuisine alive in the location with classics like chargrilled oysters and crawfish étouffée.

Newk’s Eatery. This fast-casual chain out of Mississippi opened two brand new locations in Baton Rouge—one on Corporate Boulevard, and another near LSU’s North Gates.

The Velvet Cactus. Another New Orleans expansion, The Velvet Cactus has brought a fresh perspective on Mexican fare and some truly unorthodox margaritas—habanero simple syrup, anyone?—to Old Hammond Highway.

Boil & Roux's Catfish Acadiana
Boil & Roux’s Catfish Acadiana. Photo by Amy Shutt

Boil & Roux. Taking over the former Portico location on Coursey Boulevard, Boil & Roux dishes out boiled seafood and more southern Louisiana favorites in a casual, come-as-you-are atmosphere.

Crispy Catch. Members of the family behind Tony’s Seafood launched their first fast food concept this year with Crispy Catch, a Cane’s-style quick stop with a simple menu of fried fish, hushpuppies and boudin balls.

Smashburger. The local burger scene saw a new addition this year with the opening of a location of the national Smashburger chain, a fast-casual, counter-serve joint with a menu full of monster burgers.

Your Mom’s Restaurant & Bar. A Hammond favorite, Your Mom’s opened its first Baton Rouge location this year at the corner of Burbank and Lee drives with a menu packed with a wide burger selection.

Canefield Tavern. This Southern kitchen and bar opened its doors in Brew-Bacher’s Grill’s former Nicholson Drive location and brings brunch, drinks and a decidedly down-home lunch and dinner menu.

Simple Joe's French toast. Photo by Allie Appel.
Simple Joe’s French toast. Photo by Allie Appel

Simple Joe Cafe & Confectionary. A new face in the Government Street shopping center between Time Warp Boutique and Radio Bar, Simple Joe is a fresh coffee shop serving up breakfast fare and lunch specials.

Tredici Bakery & Cafe. This new bakery in the Capital Heights neighborhood offers Italian treats, naked cakes, coffee and a build-your-own cupcake bar.

La Salvadoreña Pupuseria. After Willy’s Chicken & Waffles shut its doors, new Latin American eatery La Salvadoreña (formerly a collection of food trucks) took over the campus-adjacent spot with authentic offerings including tamales, tostadas and signature pupusas.

Shucks! Originally based out of Abbeville, Shucks! took over Le Creole’s location in the Wayne Stabiler restaurant empire and specializes in—you guessed it—oysters.


NEW LOCATIONS AND EXPANSIONS

Fresh strawberry pie at City Pork Kitchen & Pie. Photo by Chelsea Caldwell

City Pork Kitchen & Pie. Following the successful launches of City Pork Deli & Charcuterie and City Pork Brasserie & Bar in 2014, the chain recently launched a third location in the Industriplex to serve up breakfast, lunch and pies.

Bistro Byronz. Though the menu remains unchanged, Bistro Byronz’s new Willow Grove location was the buzz of Baton Rouge when it opened in January.

Kolache Kitchen. The popular joint specializing in handheld breakfast made the expansion from its Nicholson Drive roots to a second Kolache Kitchen location on Jefferson Highway, adding lunch offerings such as tacos and sandwiches to the menu.

Bin 77 Sidebar. Growing into the former location of its next-door neighbor, The Wine Loft, Bin 77 added a sidebar that specializes in classic cocktails and doubles its square footage in Perkins Rowe.

Cupcake Allie. The city’s most creative bakers of pint-sized desserts added a second Cupcake Allie location on Nicholson Drive in the former spot of Frosted Cupcakes. Look out for a third location coming to Mid City in 2016.

Willie’s Restaurant. Seafood and smoked meat specialist Willie’s Restaurant made the leap from their Industriplex location and moved into a new spot on Coursey Boulevard, where the team has since expanded its menu.

Fresh Kitchen. This summer, clean eating spot Fresh Kitchen opened its second location in Willow Grove to meet the demand of health-conscious diners in a new area of Baton Rouge.