Baton Rouge may be best known for LSU football, but the capital city has a solid selection of delicious restaurants. Out-of-state students tend to stick to eateries around campus or limit themselves to LSU’s dining halls. But arguably some of the best meals to be had in Baton Rouge can be found a quick drive from campus.
Jasmines on the Bayou, located at 6010 Jones Creek Road, serves up Cajun fare in generous portions. The menu includes seafood po-boys, burgers, fried pickles, seafood platters, pastas and decadent desserts.
“We like to do a fusion of different cultures,” says Michael Taranto, owner of Jasmines.
This culinary diversity shows throughout the menu such as spring rolls (also in a dessert form made with cookie dough) and Rocket Pasta, a tangle of linguine soaked in olive oil and topped with tangy, spicy shrimp and vegetables. According to Taranto, everything is made in-house from family recipes, including the homemade dressings and remoulade. This becomes obvious upon tasting the food, which has been featured on the Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible. Jasmines also offers a gluten-free menu.
Anthony’s Italian Deli at 10248 Florida Blvd. offers a combination of the delicious tastes of Italian cuisine and warm, Southern hospitality. Opened by first-generation Sicilian immigrants in 1978, the Saia family still owns what is now the oldest Italian deli in Baton Rouge.
Manager Marco Saia says that the food is so good it speaks for itself.
“We get people from Australia, Ireland and England,” he said.
Their specialty is the “New Orleans Style Muffuletta,” a succulent sandwich stacked with provolone, ham, Genoa salami, olive dressing, and more. The “Cheese Lover” sandwich includes globs gooey, cheesy goodness with provolone, swiss, mozzarella, American cheese, and tomatoes; and the tiramisu is so good it’s dangerous. Anthony’s has plans to move to Government Street in January.
If you’re looking for something a little closer to home, Downtown Seafood & Grill at 130 3rd Street is your one-stop shop. Family-owned for more than 28 years, the restaurant boasts a menu with seafood po-boys, hamburgers and seafood platters, all made from family recipe with fresh local ingredients.
Don’t be intimidated by the austere atmosphere – the food more than makes up for it. Crunchy sweet potato fries complement catfish fried to perfection, in between a crispy French bread loaf that tastes like home.
Court Street Cafe on 805 Court Street in Port Allen is located about five minutes outside of Baton Rouge and serves up scrumptious soul food for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A quaint cafe with table service and a breezy patio, Court Street specializes in adding some Southern spice to traditional dishes like po-boys, burgers, omelets, and etouffees. The Catfish Acadian, a filet of fried fish over fluffy white rice with crawfish etouffee drizzled on top, is one of their top-selling menu items. According to manager Emily Megen, the manager, once you taste it, you will realize why.
For dessert, Megen suggests the white chocolate bread pudding made from scratch with rum sauce.
Frostop at 402 Government Street near downtown Baton Rouge is a local favorite. Serving up all-American-style burgers, po-boys, hot dogs, fries and onion rings, Frostop is most known for its homemade root beer floats. The restaurant itself has an aura about it – it’s been around since, well, no one really knows.
