April 2025’s new openings and spots to watch in Baton Rouge: TBR Books and Tea, Tacos del Cartel and more

When one door closes, another opens—quite literally. This past month saw the revival of a neighborhood market that’s more than 110 years old, the quick transformation of Habaneros into Tacos del Cartel, and a downtown oyster concept that’s in the process of returning to its roots.

Here are some of April’s splashiest debuts, plus a few other openings that recently caught locals’ attention.

Did we miss a new eatery? Have a hot tip? Email us at [email protected].

Spanish Town Market and Cofe

701 Spanish Town Road

Spanish Town’s iconic corner grocery store reopened April 1 under new management. The newly christened shop is run by Horatio Isadore, who owned the now-closed concept Southern Cofe. Expect specialty coffee drinks, grab-and-go items, lunch specials, grocery goods and fresh meats. The shop will eventually introduce a pizza counter serving full pies and fresh slices. First established in 1914 at the corner of Spanish Town Road and Seventh Street, the store has been a local staple for decades. It has changed hands and names several times over the years. Its most recent iteration, Belli, closed at the end of October.

TBR Books and Tea

7276 Highland Road, Suite B

Step back into your childhood book fair at TBR Books and Tea, a new Highland Road bookstore. The 2,500-square-foot shop opened April 12 with a sprawling selection of reads, retail items, artisanal tea blends and a children’s area. Owner Jamie Freeman wanted to meld her two favorite hobbies: reading and tea drinking. “I just wanted to create the bookstore that I wanted to go to and shop at,” Freeman says. Her initial inventory order contained about 7,500 books from local and national authors in a variety of genres. The store is divided into sections like romance, teens, fiction, nonfiction, new arrivals and more. Selections will rotate based on releases and customer demand.

Tacos del Cartel

10155 Perkins Rowe

The popular New Orleans area eatery soft-opened April 17 at Perkins Rowe inside the former Habaneros space. Tacos del Cartel is known for a showy dining experience, with fire-breathing bartenders, out-of-the-box cocktail glassware and more. Diners are greeted with lush greenery and bright pink flowers overhanging the walkway. The food menu pulls inspiration from all over Mexico. The rich tacos de birria, which are rooted in the traditions of the Mexican state of Jalisco, are slow-cooked for hours and served on a traditional Mexican clothesline with the restaurant’s signature consommé.

Also on our radar

• Blue Iguana Taco Bar & Tequila opened March 21 at 5252 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. with modern Mexican flavors. Blue Iguana has other restaurants in Lake Charles and Eunice, Louisiana, as well as Destin, Florida. The Baton Rouge location aims to stand apart with interesting art, entertainment options, and freshly made food and cocktail choices. The new spot was previously 225 Crab, but part-owner Alejandro Oseguera says the team wanted to try something new. Read more here.

• Salt Pepper Oak debuted April 19 at 6721 Exchequer Drive in the former City Pork Kitchen & Pie space. The viral barbecue restaurant, which has more than 125,000 followers on TikTok, relocated from Diamondhead, Mississippi. “Social media made us a destination restaurant,” Owner Vincent Hunt tells Daily Report. “We would have customers driving in from all over the place because they saw what we were doing. We’re planning to keep that going here.” Learn more here.

• Pura Vida Coffee Bar opened April 26 at 4005 Nicholson Drive in a Southgate Towers Apartments suite that formerly housed a Regymen Fitness location. The two-story, tropical-themed space is decked out with plants, including towering palm trees, and boasts breakfast, lunch and beverages. Read more here.

• The A.C. Lewis branch of YMCA of the Capital Area opened April 28 at at 350 S. Foster Drive. Originally built in 1963 and one of Baton Rouge’s oldest Y branches, it was completely rebuilt from the ground up. The state-of-the-art facility now includes a two-story gym and fitness center, two pools, a whirlpool, steam room, sauna and other wellness offerings. The second floor exercise room has large picture windows with natural light and a coffee area with tables for gathering and complimentary brews from River Road Coffees. Read more here.

• Bayes Oyster Bar is slated to open in May at 315 North Blvd., inside the former home of Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar. Co-owner Rick Volland and his son, Ricky Volland, want to put the focus of the eatery back on oysters and cater to lovers of the Louisiana delicacy. Rick was one of the original team members behind Jolie Pearl when it opened in 2014 but sold to his partners about a year later. Oyster fans can expect some Jolie Pearl signatures on the new menu, such as the chargrilled and Bienville oysters, and a new color scheme in the interior. Read more here.