Wags on the Levee – Hot Lunch

810-3845 | 324 Third St. | 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays; 9:30 p.m.-3 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. | All credit cards

Dining in downtown Baton Rouge has been a bit of a roller coaster. There was a time when you would be hard-pressed to find anything other than Creole plate lunches and burgers. Plate lunches and burgers are wonderful, but the steady diet can be a bit monotonous. These days, though, you can hardly find a buffet line.

There are a few old-school holdouts, but I was heartened to hear that a new spot had opened on Third Street to satisfy the occasional soul food craving.

Wags on the Levee is a bit spartan and dark for a lunch spot, but the food is wonderful, so give them a little time to get art on the walls. You can go two ways at Wags. They have a daily special and a selection of regional specialties. The Wash Day classic of Red Beans and Sausage ($7.95) was creamy with a slight hint of vinegar. The sausage was rich and moist. You can’t miss with this one. Another solid choice was the Fried Shrimp Plate ($7.95). Both came with a choice of two sides, and you can pick from the predictable variety of vegetables and starches that make plate lunches so enjoyable: greens, macaroni and cheese, string beans, potato salad and so on. Take heart. No-fuss and hearty soul food has made a tasty and affordable return to downtown Baton Rouge. And yes, always get extra corn bread with that. wagsonthelevee.com

For more by Frank McMains, including blogs from his trip to China, click here.