First Look: Emeril Lagasse opens new steakhouse concept in L’Auberge this week

L’Auberge Casino Hotel’s dining options are getting kicked up a notch with this week’s opening of Emeril’s Chop House, a new signature restaurant by famed chef Emeril Lagasse. 

The restaurant opens in L’Auberge Thursday, Sept. 24, with a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration. Emeril’s Chop House takes over the space formerly occupied by 18 Steak, right in front of the casino floor entrance. Patrons can expect a Lagasse-curated menu of appetizers, soups, salads and sides with Louisiana flair. 

The restaurant recently made a bit of a debut with local foodies at Baton Rouge Epicurean Society’s Fête Rouge event, where it placed second in the culinary competition’s seafood category for a Louisiana Yellowfin Tuna dish.

With a slew of concepts located in New Orleans, Las Vegas and at sea on Carnival cruise ships, Lagasse has created different dining experiences under The Emeril Group. This will be his first restaurant in Baton Rouge. 

“This is a creation that we did specifically for this hotel and casino,” Lagasse tells 225 about Emeril’s Chop House. “It has a little bit of Emeril’s, a little bit of Meril, and here’s a little bit of the Delmonico Steakhouse. It’s fun, and that’s what I wanted to do and create. I wanted the atmosphere to be fun, not too serious. … I’m hoping that people in Baton Rouge are going to embrace it and make it their local restaurant.”

Like anything Lagasse touches, this menu packs a punch of flavor with nods to the Bayou State. Classic Louisiana dishes like Emeril’s BBQ Shrimp, Gulf Fish Amandine, and chicken and andouille gumbo will be familiar to local patrons. Other items like caviar deviled eggs, Chop House Wagyu Burger and a Maine lobster tail bring an elevated touch. Would you expect any less from Lagasse, whose namesake New Orleans restaurant proudly holds two Michelin stars?

“The menu’s fun and delicious,” Lagasse tells 225. “Obviously, we take a lot of pride in our steak program and, of course, our chops. But we also have a great salmon dish. We’ve got king crab and truffle potato chips, which I created when I opened the original Delmonico Steakhouse twenty-some years ago.”

And don’t forget to save a little room for dessert. This lineup includes Emeril’s Banana Cream Pie, a peanut butter mousse pie and other sweet options. Emeril’s Chop House also has plenty of beverage options to wash it all down, from a stacked wine list to a curated collection of cocktails. A Saturday and Sunday brunch is also in the works. 

While Lagasse says it’s hard to pick his menu favorites, he shouts out items like barbecue shrimp, gumbo and the Thick Cut Apple Cured Bacon, which features pickled watermelon rind and Abita Root Beer syrup. 

This week’s opening comes after months of renovations to transform the previous restaurant space into Emeril’s Chop House. Changes include more seating at the bar and a cocktail lounge area, giving the casino’s diners a new experience. The 175-seat restaurant also features a private dining space and outdoor deck seating with a view of the Mississippi River.

“Think of Emeril’s Chop House as the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion, to sneak away for a date night, or to mix with old friends and meet a few new ones at the bar,” L’Auberge vice president and general manager Jeremy Fontenot says. 

Lagasse tells 225 he first visited L’Auberge after it originally opened and returned a year ago to check out the property again. He says the idea was for him to create a burger or Italian concept on the casino floor. But after seeing the former 18 Steak, Lagasse says he knew it’d be a great fit for a chop house. 

Besides refreshing the space, the culinary team worked with Lagasse’s top chefs to create a menu that included the chef’s favorites and brought new bites to Baton Rouge. The Emeril’s Chop House team trained with Lagasse’s teams in New Orleans and Las Vegas to learn the ropes. L’Auberge Chef de Cuisine Brendan Rufty will lead the restaurant’s culinary team under the direction of executive chef Jared Tees.

Emeril’s Chop House opens Thursday, Sept. 24. Reservations can be made online now. L’Auberge Casino Hotel is located at 777 L’Auberge Ave.