As promised, I will give y'all a detailed list of recommended restaurants, golf courses, and other attractions to maximize your visit to the Capital City.
I don't have time to get into it right now, but I'll edit this post later tonight and put in my recommendations. Hopefully it'll be done by tomorrow. I hope the weather stays beautiful like it is right now, and you all have a safe and happy experience in Louisiana.
Tex-Mex/Mexican Restaurants
Nando's- Located on Coursey Lane @ Hickory Ridge Blvd. I have no idea why this place isn't more popular. The food is fantastic, with very generous portions, and great prices. I've never, ever had to wait for a table there. Recommend the burritos with Steak Fajita, but pretty much everything on the menu that I have tried in my dozen or so visits is great.
El Paso Mexican Grill- Located on Coursey @ South Sherwood Forest. Very similar to Nando's, but I slightly prefer Nando's. Normal Tex-Mex prices, but El Paso has a great atmosphere at night, and the fajitas are excellent. Bean dip is also very good. This in a highly congested area of town, so don't be surprised if traffic is bad and parking spots are hard to come by.
Ahuua's Mexican Restaurant- On Jones Creek Road in a strip mall by Grand Cinema. The sign ouside simply says "Mexican Restaurant", so don't be fooled. If you want delicious authentic Mexican cuisine, this is the place to go. It is pricey compared to the other two, but the food is fantastic.
Avoid Las Palmas, although most of them have been put out of business by superior restaurants. I didn't realize how bad Las Palmas is/was until I explored the ones listed above. They completely changed my view of Mexican cuisine after years of average-at-best meals at Las Palmas.
Burgers
Burgersmith- Located on Acadian Thruway @ Perkins Road, right outside campus. Fantastic burgers, complemented by a great selection of beers, and also fantastic ice cream. I recommend the Strawberry ice cream, which is in season. If there's a better reasonably-priced burger in town, I am not aware of it.
We have all the usual chains, if you like those. McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Jack in the Box, Five Guys, even a few Whataburgers.
BBQ
TJ Ribs- On Acadian Thruway, right outside campus. Most things on the menu are very pricey, but the portions are generous and the food is fantastic. Widely considered the best in town. Popular spot for LSU coaches to eat. Les Miles had his own reserved parking spot. Don't expect an easy parking spot, any time of day. This place is popular.
VooDoo BBQ & Grill- Cheaper than TJ Ribs. More like your standard BBQ menu, but I believe the head chef is Haitian, and some of the menu has a bit of a Carribean twist, if you're into that. I often order several pounds of their shredded pork when I'm too lazy to make sloppy joes for parties. Delicious.
Pizza
Reginelli's Pizzeria- Wide variety of toppings, if you're adventurous with your pizza.
Rotolo's Pizzeria- Great Italian food all around. I recommend the calzones.
Cici's Pizza- All you can eat buffet for $5 each. Great if you need to feed hungry kids.
Others
Louie's Cafe- Open 24/7, this family-owned diner right off State Street on the north of campus has been around since World War II. Don't expect anything fancy, but they have great breakfast and diner-type food. Think of it like a superior version of Waffle House. Louie's pretty much got me through late-night study sessions as an undergrad. Great place to go if you get the late night munchies.
Bistro Byronz- Located on Government St. Excellent mix of food, with a focus on more local dishes. Popular place, so parking is tight.
Mike Anderson's- Very pricey, but fantastic Cajun-themed steak and seafood restaurant. Fish tanks everywhere create a cool ambiance as you eat. Great for dates when you forget your wife's birthday or anniversary. Famous onion rings, and they also serve alligator, if you're adventurous. It's quite good.
Raising Cane's- If you like Cane's, it started here in Baton Rouge. The original is actually on campus at State Street. Recommend ordering your chicken fingers extra crispy, which is how they used to come standard until a few years ago. Better than Zaxby's, in my opinion.
South of Philly Cheesesteaks- Located on Sherwood Forest Blvd. As the name would imply, this is a cheesesteak place. I recommend the 12'' with onions and fries. Bad for your arteries, but good for your soul.
The Chimes- Multiple locations, including one on campus right by Cane's. Classy restaurant, specializing in Louisiana cuisine and seafood. Beware, lines can be long.
Portobello's Italian Restaurant- Multiple locations, but I go to the one by Ahuua's off of Coursey. Great pasta, seafood, and steaks. I highly recommend the Shrimp & Crab Alfredo pasta.
Newk's Eatery- On Corporate Blvd. Great "artisan" food. Soup, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and other stuff. It's all good, and made from quality ingredients. I recommend the mac and cheese with bacon, and a roast beef sandwich.
Texas de Brazil- Expensive as hell, but if you have $50 each to spend, it's all you can eat of incredible food. Located in Perkins Rowe, which is not far from the Mall of Louisiana on Bluebonnet Blvd.
P.F. Chang's- If you don't mind paying top dollar for 5-star Chinese food, we have a Chang's on Corporate, right by Newk's. There's a Panda Express on College if Chang's is too pricey.
Zorba's Greek Bistro- Best Greek food in town, made and staffed by actual Greeks. I think the cheapest entree there is like $20, but the food is very good. Located on Esssen Lane, which can be a traffic nightmare at times.
Serop's Caf- Lebanse & Mediterranean food. Reasonable prices, and I recommend the gyros platter. There are multiple locations in town, the one on Corporate is the best, in my opinion.
Bonefish Grill- On Corporate by Chang's and Newk's. Great variety of seafood dishes.
Bowling
Don Carter's- Located on Airline by a Motel 6 in a somewhat seedy area of town, so just watch yourself if you go at night. Very clean compared to most bowling alleys in town. Good bar, and there are 64 lanes, so you can pretty much always walk in and get a lane immediately.
Golf
LSU Golf Course- Located on the other side of Gourrier Avenue, right by Alex Box Staudium. Beautiful 18-hole course with a driving range. My favorite course to play. It gets very busy on the weekends, so you might want to call ahead and see if you need to reserve a tee time.
Webb Golf Course is good if you only have time for a quick game. 9 holes, and not far from campus.
There are other courses in town, but those are the closest to where I presume most of you will be staying.
Shopping/Movies
Mall of Louisiana- On Bluebonnet Blvd. Second largest mall in the country. You name it, you can buy it there. Also has a movie theater.
Perkins Rowe- Beautiful new complex right down the street from the Mall of Louisiana, with shops, restaurants, and a movie theater. Parking can be a hassle, but it's a great place to enjoy the night.
AMC Movie Theater- Located by the interstate exit to O'Neal Lane. A good place to catch a movie, but I think Grand Cinema is a better values for those that don't care about watching movies on IMAX screens.
I don't have time to get into it right now, but I'll edit this post later tonight and put in my recommendations. Hopefully it'll be done by tomorrow. I hope the weather stays beautiful like it is right now, and you all have a safe and happy experience in Louisiana.
Tex-Mex/Mexican Restaurants
Nando's- Located on Coursey Lane @ Hickory Ridge Blvd. I have no idea why this place isn't more popular. The food is fantastic, with very generous portions, and great prices. I've never, ever had to wait for a table there. Recommend the burritos with Steak Fajita, but pretty much everything on the menu that I have tried in my dozen or so visits is great.
El Paso Mexican Grill- Located on Coursey @ South Sherwood Forest. Very similar to Nando's, but I slightly prefer Nando's. Normal Tex-Mex prices, but El Paso has a great atmosphere at night, and the fajitas are excellent. Bean dip is also very good. This in a highly congested area of town, so don't be surprised if traffic is bad and parking spots are hard to come by.
Ahuua's Mexican Restaurant- On Jones Creek Road in a strip mall by Grand Cinema. The sign ouside simply says "Mexican Restaurant", so don't be fooled. If you want delicious authentic Mexican cuisine, this is the place to go. It is pricey compared to the other two, but the food is fantastic.
Avoid Las Palmas, although most of them have been put out of business by superior restaurants. I didn't realize how bad Las Palmas is/was until I explored the ones listed above. They completely changed my view of Mexican cuisine after years of average-at-best meals at Las Palmas.
Burgers
Burgersmith- Located on Acadian Thruway @ Perkins Road, right outside campus. Fantastic burgers, complemented by a great selection of beers, and also fantastic ice cream. I recommend the Strawberry ice cream, which is in season. If there's a better reasonably-priced burger in town, I am not aware of it.
We have all the usual chains, if you like those. McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Jack in the Box, Five Guys, even a few Whataburgers.
BBQ
TJ Ribs- On Acadian Thruway, right outside campus. Most things on the menu are very pricey, but the portions are generous and the food is fantastic. Widely considered the best in town. Popular spot for LSU coaches to eat. Les Miles had his own reserved parking spot. Don't expect an easy parking spot, any time of day. This place is popular.
VooDoo BBQ & Grill- Cheaper than TJ Ribs. More like your standard BBQ menu, but I believe the head chef is Haitian, and some of the menu has a bit of a Carribean twist, if you're into that. I often order several pounds of their shredded pork when I'm too lazy to make sloppy joes for parties. Delicious.
Pizza
Reginelli's Pizzeria- Wide variety of toppings, if you're adventurous with your pizza.
Rotolo's Pizzeria- Great Italian food all around. I recommend the calzones.
Cici's Pizza- All you can eat buffet for $5 each. Great if you need to feed hungry kids.
Others
Louie's Cafe- Open 24/7, this family-owned diner right off State Street on the north of campus has been around since World War II. Don't expect anything fancy, but they have great breakfast and diner-type food. Think of it like a superior version of Waffle House. Louie's pretty much got me through late-night study sessions as an undergrad. Great place to go if you get the late night munchies.
Bistro Byronz- Located on Government St. Excellent mix of food, with a focus on more local dishes. Popular place, so parking is tight.
Mike Anderson's- Very pricey, but fantastic Cajun-themed steak and seafood restaurant. Fish tanks everywhere create a cool ambiance as you eat. Great for dates when you forget your wife's birthday or anniversary. Famous onion rings, and they also serve alligator, if you're adventurous. It's quite good.
Raising Cane's- If you like Cane's, it started here in Baton Rouge. The original is actually on campus at State Street. Recommend ordering your chicken fingers extra crispy, which is how they used to come standard until a few years ago. Better than Zaxby's, in my opinion.
South of Philly Cheesesteaks- Located on Sherwood Forest Blvd. As the name would imply, this is a cheesesteak place. I recommend the 12'' with onions and fries. Bad for your arteries, but good for your soul.
The Chimes- Multiple locations, including one on campus right by Cane's. Classy restaurant, specializing in Louisiana cuisine and seafood. Beware, lines can be long.
Portobello's Italian Restaurant- Multiple locations, but I go to the one by Ahuua's off of Coursey. Great pasta, seafood, and steaks. I highly recommend the Shrimp & Crab Alfredo pasta.
Newk's Eatery- On Corporate Blvd. Great "artisan" food. Soup, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and other stuff. It's all good, and made from quality ingredients. I recommend the mac and cheese with bacon, and a roast beef sandwich.
Texas de Brazil- Expensive as hell, but if you have $50 each to spend, it's all you can eat of incredible food. Located in Perkins Rowe, which is not far from the Mall of Louisiana on Bluebonnet Blvd.
P.F. Chang's- If you don't mind paying top dollar for 5-star Chinese food, we have a Chang's on Corporate, right by Newk's. There's a Panda Express on College if Chang's is too pricey.
Zorba's Greek Bistro- Best Greek food in town, made and staffed by actual Greeks. I think the cheapest entree there is like $20, but the food is very good. Located on Esssen Lane, which can be a traffic nightmare at times.
Serop's Caf- Lebanse & Mediterranean food. Reasonable prices, and I recommend the gyros platter. There are multiple locations in town, the one on Corporate is the best, in my opinion.
Bonefish Grill- On Corporate by Chang's and Newk's. Great variety of seafood dishes.
Bowling
Don Carter's- Located on Airline by a Motel 6 in a somewhat seedy area of town, so just watch yourself if you go at night. Very clean compared to most bowling alleys in town. Good bar, and there are 64 lanes, so you can pretty much always walk in and get a lane immediately.
Golf
LSU Golf Course- Located on the other side of Gourrier Avenue, right by Alex Box Staudium. Beautiful 18-hole course with a driving range. My favorite course to play. It gets very busy on the weekends, so you might want to call ahead and see if you need to reserve a tee time.
Webb Golf Course is good if you only have time for a quick game. 9 holes, and not far from campus.
There are other courses in town, but those are the closest to where I presume most of you will be staying.
Shopping/Movies
Mall of Louisiana- On Bluebonnet Blvd. Second largest mall in the country. You name it, you can buy it there. Also has a movie theater.
Perkins Rowe- Beautiful new complex right down the street from the Mall of Louisiana, with shops, restaurants, and a movie theater. Parking can be a hassle, but it's a great place to enjoy the night.
AMC Movie Theater- Located by the interstate exit to O'Neal Lane. A good place to catch a movie, but I think Grand Cinema is a better values for those that don't care about watching movies on IMAX screens.
