Classes are over for the day. Students who are planning to go out, but want to go someplace different and new, should take a trip to two of LSU’s newest spots near the Tigerland area, Pluckers and Rickochet Billiards.
Pluckers Wing Factory & Grill, located on Nicholson Drive near Tigerland, has more than the average chicken wings.
“We have the biggest wings around,” said Justin Wile, co-owner of Pluckers.
The restaurant’s chicken wings come in 17 different flavors, including buffalo mild, teriyaki, honey BBQ and Cajun.
Pluckers first opened in Austin, Texas in 1995, and five locations exist in the Austin and Dallas areas. The Nicholson location is the first Pluckers in Louisiana.
Pluckers offers its customers more than just chicken wings. The menu includes salads, burgers, sandwiches and appetizers.
“Our biggest-selling appetizer is our fried pickles,” Wile said.
Jeff Bormer, a construction management junior, agrees that the fried pickles are good.
“I don’t even like pickles,” Bormer said. “But I’ll eat the fried pickles.”
Pluckers offers free delivery, carry-out or dine-in. Inside, customers can relax while watching different sporting events on nine television sets.
“This is not just a wing place,” said Lauren Hebert, a business senior. “There is a fun atmosphere here.”
Wile and co-owner Steve Levy said they want to concentrate on providing great customer service.
“To us, our customers are our guests,” Levy said. “You do not invite customers to your home. You invite guests.”
Ben Blanchard, an international trade and finance senior, said the managers and servers are polite and conversational with guests.
Pluckers has dine-in lunch specials Monday through Friday, daily dine-in specials Monday through Thursday and a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m.
The restaurant features a “Wall of Flame” to recognize the “toughest mother plucker.” Patrons who eat 25 Fire in the Hole chicken wings get their picture on the wall.
If patrons manage to beat the current record for either the “cocks” (males) or “chicks” (females), they will win a $25 gift certificate to Pluckers and a t-shirt.
The current record at the Baton Rouge location is 80 wings for the “cocks” and 30 for the “chicks.”
“This place has everything,” said Blanchard. “All of the specials I like are on Thursdays when we go out. For the amount of food you get, it’s cheap. This is the new place to go in Baton Rouge.”
Once students are finished eating, Rickochet Billiards right off Nicholson near Tigerland offers pool tables and drinks.
This location, owned by Rick Clark, has 24 pool tables and a bar sitting in 5500 sq. ft. of space.
“We purposely over-spaced so that people would not bump into their neighbor,” said Jack Wagner, a partner with Clark.
When customers walk into Rickochet, a hostess will greet them and check IDs (students need to be 21 or older to get in).
From there, the hostess escorts patrons to a pool table where she sets up the first rack. While patrons play, the table’s personal waitress brings drinks to them.
“We are all about service,” said Wagner. “We cater toward a relaxed atmosphere where people can come in and have fun.”
The regular rate for pool play is $8 an hour per table. Rickochet offers happy hour from 3 to 8 p.m. with a rate of $4 an hour per table.
Students also can get the same rate Thursday nights for student night with their student IDs.
For those who cannot stand cigarette smoke, Rickochet’s size filters the smoke better than other places.
“We try to make everyone as comfortable as possible,” Wagner said. “We treat this place kind of like a restaurant.”
Wagner also maintains the equipment daily.
“The waitresses brush every table after every use,” he said. “We also re-felt the tables every year, and if equipment breaks, we immediately replace it.”
Rickochet raffles off a new pool stick every weekend starting on Friday. Customers can purchase a raffle ticket for only a dollar with the drawing on Monday. Winners will be called if they win.
“I want Rickochet to be a place where people can come in and feel completely safe and at the same time have fun,” Wagner said.
Both Pluckers and Rickochet concentrate on making their customers feel at home. Both have much to offer the LSU community. These spots just opened, but they will be around for a long time.