Tony’s Seafood Market & Deli
Customers often line up out the door at Sammy’s Grill, and LA Boilers continues to win new customers, but Tony’s Seafood Market & Deli (36.1%) on Plank Road remains Baton Rouge’s top crawfish connection. tonysseafood.com
2) Sammy’s Grill ……. 28.1%
sammysgrillonline.com
3) LA Boilers ……. 8.3%
laboilers.com
The Chimes
Brunch at The Chimes? Oh, yeah. On Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., those in the know (and that’s 20.7% of our poll respondents) visit one of The Chimes’ two locations for a delicious brunch menu and perhaps some of those award-winning Bloody Marys. thechimes.com
2) Mason’s Grill ……. 11.9%
masonsgrill.com
3) Mansur’s on the Boulevard ……. 11.1%
mansursontheboulevard.com
Five Guys Burgers & Fries
We have a new winner. Also voted this year’s Best New Restaurant, Five Guys (15.9%) brings its trans-fat-free burgers—and the rest of its classic no-frills items like hot dogs and fries—to a Towne Center location, one of 750 nationwide. fiveguys.com
2) Dearman’s Hamburgers & Ice Cream ……. 13.3%
7633 Jefferson Hwy.
3) George’s ……. 12.6%
georgesbr.com
Louisiana Lagniappe Restaurant
Tucked away near—but not in—Perkins Rowe, Louisiana Lagniappe (21.9%) wins this category for the second straight year with an unpretentious menu of regional classics like crab cakes, fresh fish Pontchartrain and softshell crab, plus unique specialties like Oysters Lagniappe and Fresh Fish en Papillote. louisianalagniapperestaurant.com
2) Parrain’s Seafood Restaurant ……. 15.7%
parrains.com
3) Juban’s ……. 13.4%
jubans.com
Chef Don Bergeron Enterprises
In a competitive category, Chef Don Bergeron (12.0%) just edges out runner-up Unique Cuisine. The award-winning chef caters events for crowds of 20 to 2,000 and serves the Louisiana Department of Tourism as a worldwide ambassador for Cajun cuisine. chefdonb.com
2) Unique Cuisine Catering ……. 11.6%
uniquecuisine.net
3) Wayne Stabiler Catering ……. 7.8%
cateringcajun.com
Chuck E. Cheese’s
It’s a universal truth, whether you’re in Baton Rouge or Borneo: kids are picky eaters, and pleasing them is hard. But Chuck E. Cheese’s (13.1%) seems to have found the right formula at its two area locations with a combination of kid-friendly food and fun. chuckecheese.com
2) Chick-fil-A ……. 12.5%
chick-fil-a.com
3) Louis DeAngelo’s Casual Italian Dining ……. 8.7%
louisdeangelos.com
Maxwell’s Market
Perennial favorite Maxwell’s Market (27.3%) owns this category. Its two locations please local gourmands with a wide variety of specialty meats and cheeses, extensive deli choices and an array of wines—and offer the rest of us tasty pre-made dinners and pints of gumbo to go. maxwells-market.com
2) Jason’s Deli ……. 18.9%
jasonsdeli.com
3) Whole Foods Market ……. 13.8%
wholefoodsmarket.com
Fleur de Lis Pizza
Winner for the past two years in the Best Pizza category, Fleur de Lis takes top honors again (29.0%) in the renamed “exotic” pizza slot. The menu is simple—the toppings themselves not unusual—but in the world of pizza, square is outside the box. fleurdelispizza.com
2) California Pizza Kitchen ……. 12.6%
cpk.com
3) Mellow Mushroom ……. 8.6%
mellowmushroom.com/batonrouge
Taco de Paco
The most popular of the new kids on—well, any block where they show up—more than doubles its nearest competitor’s score, grabbing 16.3% of the vote and the hearts of local taco lovers. Seared tuna on a taco? You heard that right. tacodepaco.com
2) Go-Ya-Ya’s ……. 6.3%
goyayas.com
3) Curbside Burgers ……. 6.1%
weeatthestreet.com
Cold Stone Creamery
With the searing heat of summer fast approaching, Cold Stone Creamery (13.1%) freezes out its nearest runners-up with 11 million possible combinations of super-premium ice cream and mix-ins. coldstonecreamery.com
2) Latte e Miele Gelato ……. 12.8%
twitter.com/lemgelato
3) Counter Culture ……. 11.5%
counterculturela.com
Juban’s Restaurant
For more than 25 years, Baton Rougeans have turned to Juban’s (14.9%) for the definitive Creole fine dining experience. The restaurant’s elegant award-winning dishes, many featuring fresh Gulf seafood, are getting a run for their money, though: Juban’s edged out runner-up The Little Village by only two votes! jubans.com
2) The Little Village ……. 14.9%
littlevillagebr.com
3) Ruffino’s Italian Restaurant ……. 13.7%
ruffinosrestaurant.com
Whole Foods Market
Walk in to the Whole Foods (31.1%) in Towne Center, and you’ll find yourself in a temple to wellness where the food emphasizes fresh, organic and locally grown. And Whole Foods offers online resources and in-store help for those wanting to make a real lifestyle change for better health. wholefoodsmarket.com
2) Zoë’s Kitchen ……. 23.8%
zoeskitchen.com
3) Jason’s Deli ……. 15.5%
jasonsdeli.com
Albasha Greek & Lebanese Restaurant
This city loves its Greek and Lebanese food, so taking home a Best Hummus prize is no small feat. Albasha (31.3%), Best Mediterranean winner five straight times, comes out on top again this year as Baton Rougeans zero in on the restaurant’s thick, smooth and garlicky side dish. albashabr.com
2) Zea Rotisserie & Grill ……. 18.9%
zearestaurants.com
3) Serop’s Café/Express ……. 17.0%
seropscafe.com
Monjunis Italian Café & Grocery
Monjunis (23.5%) delights pasta lovers with a homemade pomodoro sauce that’s thick, rich and classically delicious, whether you savor it over pasta in one of their two Baton Rouge locations or take home a jar from their Italian grocery or website. monjunis.com
2) Gino’s Restaurant ……. 18.0%
ginosrestaurant.com
3) DiGiulio Brothers ……. 11.1%
digiulios.com
Ambrosia Bakery
A local favorite for nearly 20 years, Ambrosia (24.8%) shows its devotion to the king cake tradition with—among other things—a website countdown to Mardi Gras 2012. Of course, there’s also the layers of moist, cinnamon-flecked pastry, the thick sweet icing and the swirls of purple, gold and green sprinkles to remind customers who’s king cake royalty. ambrosiabakery.com
2) Gambino’s Bakery ……. 21.5%
gambinos.com
3) Calandro’s Supermarket ……. 18.4%
calandros.com
Louie’s Café
Locals have good reasons for voting Louie’s (31.9%), a 70-year-old legend among short-order grills, to the top of this category again this year. To name a few: biscuits, hash browns, pancakes, big juicy burgers and oh, those omelets that are a fresh and filling nosh after a long night. louiescafe.org
2) The Chimes ……. 12.9%
thechimes.com
3) Waffle House ……. 9.0%
wafflehouse.com
Five Guys Burgers & Fries
The menu is short and simple. All toppings are free. The fries are cooked in peanut oil, and the hot dog and hamburger buns are made special for Five Guys. Unabashed and unapologetic fans of the big, greasy burger, this year’s Best Burger winner is also Best New Restaurant, according to 18.3% of readers. fiveguys.com
2) Beausoleil ……. 12.3%
beausoleilrestaurantandbar.com
3) Rock-n-Sake ……. 10.7%
rocknsake.com
Tsunami Sushi
In just six years, Tsunami’s Baton Rouge location has quickly become a favorite among 225 readers, honored in previous years in categories ranging from Best Sushi to Best Ambiance. This year, ambiance is the key, with 24.4% of readers giving props to the restaurant’s chic rooftop with a view. servingsushi.com
2) Superior Grill ……. 8.9%
batonrouge.superiorgrill.com
3) Kona Grill ……. 8.3%
konagrill.com
Gino’s Restaurant
When you’re ready to impress the love of your life, there’s no better choice than Gino’s (10.7%). Share an order of hot, cheesy Laurence bread and enjoy a heaping plate of pasta smothered in Gino’s sweet, smooth red sauce. If the Italian salad gives you garlic breath—well, at least you’ll both have it. ginosrestaurant.com
2) The Little Village ……. 9.9%
littlevillagebr.com
3) The Melting Pot ……. 8.5%
meltingpot.com
Texas de Brazil Churrascaria
Come on. Was there any doubt? We’re talking about a carnivore’s Mecca, where wait staff literally roam the room carrying giant skewers of juicy, tender, flame-grilled meat. With several cuts of beef on offer—plus pork, lamb, chicken and Brazilian sausage—Texas de Brazil owns this category with 31.3% of the vote. texasdebrazil.com
2) Ruth’s Chris Steak House ……. 23.2%
ruthschris.com
3) TJ Ribs ……. 8.6%
tjribs.com
Acme Oyster House
Acme Oyster House (13.3%) continues its climb, from being voted one of 2009’s best new restaurants to nabbing second place in 2010 for Best Po-boy. This year Acme’s version of the venerable shrimp po-boy wins readers’ hearts with perfectly seasoned, golden-fried shrimp, traditionally dressed or topped with a Tabasco-infused mayo, if you like. acmeoyster.com
2) George’s ……. 12.4%
georgesbr.com
3) Sammy’s Grill ……. 11.8%
sammysgrillonline.com
Thai Kitchen
Thai Kitchen’s website boasts its sports bar and karaoke in addition to Thai food and sushi. Who could resist? Some 26.6% of Baton Rouge voters cannot, making their way to the Perkins Road eatery for their satay and curry fix—not to mention Thai spring rolls and shrimp toast, loads of adventurous seafood dishes and homemade coconut ice cream for dessert. And karaoke!
thaikitchenla.com
2) Rama Restaurant ……. 9.2%
2919 Perkins Rd.
3) Bay Leaf Indian Cuisine ……. 7.5%
bayleafbr.com
Ichiban Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar
The sushi addiction hit Baton Rouge hard during the past decade, bringing with it a variety of popular cafés and chic sushi bars. Conveniently located on Essen Lane, with a warm and elegant décor and a huge selection of mouthwatering choices, Ichiban (21.2%) takes the top sushi spot for the second straight year. ichibanbr.com
2) Tsunami Sushi ……. 15.9%
servingsushi.com
3) Sushi Yama ……. 10.3%
sushiyamabatonrouge.com
Ambrosia Bakery
In the Capital City, nearly a third of us (28.1%) spell dessert “A-M-B-R-O-S-I-A.” Forget about the salads and healthy-looking wraps the longtime local favorite (and perennial award-winner) serves for lunch at its Siegen Lane pastry palace. We’re talking about guilty pleasures, here—giant cupcakes, prim petits fours, delectable pies, tart lemon bars and that famous strawberry cake. Yes, I’ll have a piece, if you please. ambrosiabakery.com
2) Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro ……. 14.8%
copelandscheesecakebistro.com
3) Whole Foods Market ……. 7.7%
wholefoodsmarket.com
