First Look: Southdowns Grille opens next week in former Solera space

Fans of Solera were sad to see it close in February, but its owners have been working for several months to replace the tapas concept with something new. Southdowns Grille, opening April 14, will serve “elevated comfort food” for lunch and dinner.

The eatery was developed by long-time business partners Brian and Tiffany Dykes and Kelwin and Lynda Clark, who also own the 19-year-old Bin 77 in Perkins Rowe.

Solera had been an inventive addition to Baton Rouge’s food scene, serving Spanish-influenced hot and cold small plates, housemade paella and Old World wines. It opened in 2019 and closed temporarily during the pandemic.

“Solera, I loved it,” Brian Dykes says. “And if you had come in here on a Friday or Saturday, you would think business was fantastic.”

But sales lagged during the week, and the lunch business never caught on, Dykes says. In its stead, Southdowns Grille promises a Swiss Army knife-style approach, with familiar dishes prepared with novel ingredients and details. The restaurant’s name is a nod to Southdowns Lounge, the casual watering hole that ran for several years in the same location and closed in 2008. It holds special significance for Dykes.

“It was where my wife and I met,” he says.

The new menu was created by Eric Sibley, formerly of 18 Steak, who has served as executive chef for both Bin 77 and the Solera since November 2024. Dykes says the team wanted the new restaurant to appeal to area residents.

“There are thousands of people within a two- to three-mile radius of here,” Dykes says. “We decided to go with upscale comfort food. A good, easy menu for lunch and dinner.”

Dishes include blue crab fritters and grilled artichoke with herbed yogurt, shaved fennel and crispy shallots. Sibley is also rolling out pork and beef lasagna with handmade saffron pasta, chicken schnitzel with mushroom gravy, and crawfish-topped redfish served on the half shell.

St. Bruno Bread Co. will make all the restaurant’s breads for sandwiches, burgers and its signature muffaletta, Dykes says. Weekday specials like cornbread-stuffed crabs and Cajun pork roast will be core offerings. On Sundays, the restaurant will serve “chicken and bubbles,” or fried chicken with biscuits and white gravy and sparkling wine, Dykes says.

Craft cocktails and happy hour are expected to be a big draw. The wine list features about 25 easy-to-drink wines by the glass. Live music will be featured near the patio area.

Designer Emily Torrance Berthelot with Salco Construction created the restaurant’s new look, which now feels brighter and airier. Dissected panels from wine crates give texture to a main wall on the west side, while contemporary light fixtures throughout add warmth.

A new area outfitted with barstools and modest counters adjacent to the bar gives patrons space to sip cocktails while waiting for a table. Across the main dining room, mustard yellow chair cushions add a pop of color against walls painted a peppercorn gray. The design also added a service counter for to-go orders.

The restaurant seats about 125, Dykes says.

Southdowns Grille opens Tuesday, April 14, and will be open Tuesdays through Sundays for lunch and dinner. It is located at 4205 Perkins Rd.