Move over, restaurant chains of the South — a new steakhouse is coming to town, and its location may be what rivals all other competitors.
Saltgrass Steak House signed a 10-year lease at the former location of Coyote Blues at 2450 S. Acadian Thruway and plans to open its doors in late August.
The location was chosen primarily because of its demographics: high density population, high income area and its proximity to I-10, which has on and off ramps, said William Hoffpauir, a senior associate at Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate firm that is brokering the property.
Saltgrass Steak House was originally opened in Houston and was later acquired by billionaire Tilman Fertitta, the CEO of Landry’s Inc., a restaurant and hospitality company in Houston who also owns Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, Landry’s Seafood and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Landry’s Inc. owns various other companies that are slowly populating the map, and the Baton Rouge Saltgrass location will be added to the list of 55 Saltgrass locations spread across Texas and various states in the U.S., including Louisiana.
Saltgrass has locations in Bossier City, Lafayette and Lake Charles and was named one of 20 top restaurants by Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau.
According to the Landry’s Inc. website, the steakhouse is known for its famous Certified Angus Beef steaks cooked with Saltgrass-7 Steak Spice and topped with garlic butter. The restaurant’s menu also consists of seafood, chicken, baby back ribs, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more.
Quite a bit of money will be spent on renovations, Hoffpauir said, and the space won’t look at all what it looks like now.
This doesn’t come as a surprise, as the previous restaurant at its location served Mexican food but Saltgrass’ website boasts it’s “Texas to the bone.”
And according to its website, “Our pledge is simple: Honor the old legends, while making a little history of our own.”
Memorabilia hangs on the walls to retell the era when millions of longhorn cattle were driven south each winter to graze on the Texas Gulf Coast’s salt grasses, according to Saltgrass’ website. Trail riders heading to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo each year still bring their horses down the Salt Grass Trail, and along the way, they still pass the first Saltgrass Steak House.
As for Coyote Blues, the corporate office released a statement on the closing in August:
“At this time, management has closed the Baton Rouge location to allow the brand to venture into a new direction,” the statement reads. “The updated look and feel of Coyote Blues will require less square footage but will still provide its signature dishes influenced by the richness of Mexican and Louisiana cuisine. We hope to serve the Baton Rouge community at another location very soon.”