A guide to some of the Capital Region’s greatest—and oldest—culinary assets

Since 225 launched two decades ago, the regional culinary scene has evolved in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Our pages have reflected this tasty transformation, flooded with food news, splashy openings, gastronomic fads and local chef gossip. We’ve happily chased down those bright, shiny stories, and you’ve been happy to read them.

But peek below the surface of what’s fresh and new and you’ll find one of Baton Rouge’s greatest culinary assets: a rich layer of unvarnished hometown favorites. These are beloved spots that don’t need to be chic or fancy. They just need to be.

In celebration of our 20th anniversary, we’ve compiled 20 enduring eateries established before 2000 where the cooks aren’t concerned with fussy plating or trendy techniques. This isn’t to say the food isn’t delicious and satisfying—they wouldn’t have stayed in business otherwise. But there’s something else that draws passionate adherents that’s arguably more important: character.

“The majority of Baton Rouge is from Baton Rouge,” says Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Cuisine owner and industry observer Jim Urdiales. While his own concept is modern and innovative, Urdiales grew up working for his father Carlos, whose eponymous Airline Highway Tex-Mex cafe was a local institution for nearly 50 years. “There’s a nostalgia that people have for these restaurants,” Urdiales says.

Every community across America has the type of well-worn establishment we’re talking about. Places with unchanging menus and defiant design choices. Their walls wear the patina of life experience. If only they could talk.

But we’d argue that the Red Stick is a place where such spots are especially meaningful. Louisiana has more native-born residents than any other state in the country, according to the U.S. Census, yielding generations of ride-or-die locals who assign big value to tradition. The Capital Region is steeped in repeating rituals, from territorial tailgate locations to high school affiliations. Similarly, nostalgic restaurants retain their allure because they serve as comforting tethers to the past.

“There are families who have been with us since the ’50s,” Milton LeBlanc told 225 in May for a Jay’s Bar-B-Q retrospective, part of our anniversary year coverage on influential local restaurants. “We still get conversations in here like ‘I grew up coming here when Jay owned the place.’”

These hometown favorites span the decades. Like bread crumb trails through local history, they’re the places your mama and them enjoyed, and you still might, too. If you haven’t spent time in one lately, pull up a chair.

You’ll be more than welcome.

Capital City Classics: 1919 — 1941

Capital City Classics: 1945 — 1954

Capital City Classics: 1958 — 1964

Capital City Classics: 1967 — 1982

Capital City Classics: 1983 — 1995

Gone But Not Forgotten

Take a trip down memory lane by remembering these eateries that have passed on

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Watering holes that have been fortifying Baton Rouge imbibers with strong pours, dance floors and Tiger roars for a quarter-century or more