The atmosphere of most restaurants can be defined as either romantic and quiet or fun and lively — an intimate place to go on a date or a great place to hang out with friends.
Most dining venues in Baton Rouge fit these descriptions, and some offer both.
Sarah Guthrie, an architecture senior, said the interior of a restaurant determines who is more likely to dine there.
“[A romantic restaurant] is somewhere that has soft music in the background, a candle on the table, quiet people talking in a subdued voice,” Guthrie said. “It’s usually an older crowd.”
Guthrie said Macaroni Grill is an ideal place for a date, although it is not always a quiet place.
The elegant atmosphere and dim lighting makes a great setting for sitting in a booth with a romantic interest, Guthrie said.
Melissa Day, a secondary education junior, agrees Macaroni Grill is a nice setting for a date. She admires the restaurant’s versatility.
“You can make [a date at Macaroni Grill] formal or informal,” Day said. “But the place is not so formal that it’s stuffy. It’s very comfortable.”
Jason Hughes, a geography junior, said Chili’s is a casual and fun restaurant, and it still is a great place to eat with a date.
“You can still get more personal with your date there,” Hughes said.
Blaise Cornett, a landscape architecture senior, said many restaurants double as a romantic setting and a place to hang out with friends.
Places such as Logan’s and Bennigan’s offer an energetic bar and lounge area as well as a formal dining area with quiet booths, Cornett said.
“You can usually eat first with your date, then call friends to come and meet you at the bar,” Cornett said.
Chemika Daniels, a biological sciences sophomore, said Rotolo’s is a great place to hang out with friends.
Daniels said she and her friends like to meet at Rotolo’s to eat pizza and drink before going out.
Mary Kate Watkins, a first-year graduate student, said she often visits Kamado’s sushi restaurant with her friends.
“It’s a little formal and not the best place to go wild, but it’s still a good place to hang out with your friends,” Watkins said.
Watkins also suggests Phil’s Oyster Bar as a place for a group of friends to eat.
The lighting is bright, and the menu mainly consists of beer and oysters, which is not the best idea for a first date, Watkins said.
The Great Wall Chinese buffet usually is a restaurant groups of friends frequent, Day said.
The Great Wall is a convenient place to eat with a lot of people because as a buffet, people get their own food, and there is no waiting for the server to take everyone’s order, Day said.
Guthrie also suggests The Great Wall and any buffet restaurant for a group of friends.
She also said The Chimes is a good place for friends because it often is loud, and the menu offers food items anyone likes and lots of beer.
Guthrie said groups of friends often meet at The Chimes to have drinks before going out.
“The Chimes is one of those places people go to see and be seen,” Guthrie said.