It’s 3:30pm on a Saturday. Though Bâton Rouge’s patio is bright and sunny, it’s exposed to the chilly September winds, so I head inside to the dining room. I’m greeted by several friendly staff and given the option of a table downstairs in the lounge or the top-level dining room. Since my friend is late, I get to decide where we sit. There’s plenty of choice in the lounge; at midday, only one booth is occupied. I spot a table by the window bathed in sunlight and settle into the seat to await my friend.
I order a coffee ($3), which tastes like bitter coffee grounds, and take a look around. The bar is constructed of dark wood and the booths are covered in deep red leather, which is smart, since the colour red is known to excite the appetite. The restaurant is housed right downtown in the old Morse’s Tea building, and its original brick and stone walls and rustic exposed beams add to the historic air, even though this Bâton Rouge is one of the newest in the chain of 30 restaurants across Canada.
My friend arrives and we start checking out the menu. Our server is very helpful and quick to assist in making recommendations. We decide to order off the lunch menu offered until 4pm, though the dinner options are also available now. After a quick consultation, I settle on the brie burger ($13) with fries, while my pal chooses the 10-ounce ribs ($17) with coleslaw.
Our lunches arrive quickly—within 10 minutes of placing the order. My burger looks pretty good: served open-faced, the eight-ounce patty is topped with melted brie and caramelized balsamic onions, lettuce, tomato and red onion. But as I start to put it together, I notice that it’s devoid of condiments. I ask the server for some kind of sauce and she obliges with the house-made dijonaise—essentially, dijon mustard and mayo mixed together. It does the trick.
The patty, on the other hand, is just OK. The beef is under-seasoned for my taste, and although it’s cooked well, it isn’t the juicy type of burger that you’d expect from a restaurant specializing in meaty items. I really like the shoestring fries; they’re crispy and seasoned with salt and pepper for an extra kick. Though I could have eaten a plateful of these fries, they’re a little puny for a rib joint.
My friend’s ribs are alright, although they certainly didn’t fall off the bone. The house barbecue sauce is nice; there’s plenty of deep, dark molasses and a bit of smoky hickory flavour as well. His side of coleslaw is made up of the usual suspects: green cabbage and carrot. It looks pretty tasty, but it’s actually quite bland and I notice he grabs the salt shaker once or twice.
When the dessert menu appears, we both push it away, unable to eat another bite. But we notice one of the neighbouring tables has ordered the key lime pie ($7), my friend’s favourite, so we come back a few nights later to try a slice. It’s decadent, with a sweet graham cracker base, the smooth pie filling has a consistency similar to that of cheesecake. The lime flavour is vibrant and evokes the olfactory association of the essential oils that perfume the air when you zest a lime. Topped with real whipped cream and toasted coconut slivers, it’s a taste of the tropics that’s over before you know it.
After this second visit I appreciate elements of Bâton Rouge—the beautiful interior space and the incredibly friendly staff—but that’s about it. The food is mediocre, and when a restaurant’s signature dish (the ribs) fall flat, it doesn’t really encourage me to go back. And though some elements were tasty, I think next time, I’ll try another restaurant’s piece of the pie.
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2011.
wow that is a pretty scathing review based on very little evidence listed. I haven’t been there personally nor am i associated with it in any way, but if you as a paid food critic are going to suggest going to “another restaurant” I would expect you to explain why.
“But as I start to put it together, I notice that it’s devoid of condiments” – they may serve mustard and ketchup on your quarter pounder with cheese but any higher end establishment will usually bring the burger as it was listed on the menu and let you “season to taste”
“My friend’s ribs are alright, although they certainly didn’t fall off the bone. The house barbecue sauce is nice; there’s plenty of deep, dark molasses and a bit of smoky hickory flavour as well. His side of coleslaw is made up of the usual suspects: green cabbage and carrot. It looks pretty tasty, but it’s actually quite bland and I notice he grabs the salt shaker once or twice.” – Proper ribs are not supposed to fall off the bone, you should be able to bite into them easily and tear some meat off without pulling the rest off. If they were tough then did you ask the waiter to take them back or go back another day and try them? Ive cooked ribs before and they can be remarkably hit and miss. you can cook one rack and have them super tender and amazing, and do it again and they are tough.
the comments about your initial visit seem to be minor and nothing a little tweaking in the kitchen cant fix. at the very least it seems to warrant a 2nd visit and review (i know you went back for pie but you didn’t mention any of the mains).
anyway that’s my 2 cents.
I’ve been @ BR twice so far and have had no complaints. My ribs were “fall off the bone” and very tasty! The staff as stated are exceptionally friendly and helpful. The decor/ambience is one of the nicest in the city in my opinion. I suggest you readers try it for yourselves and make up your own mind as I have to agree with the previous writer, I feel the critic’s writeup is off the mark!! For the record I also have no affiliation whatsoever with this restaurant. I have been in order BR establishments in Ontario and Quebec, and I have always been very happy with my choices. These are not 5 star restaurants but then again neither are their prices. Try it!!
If you guys want a positive review of this restaurant go to their website. If you want the review of someone who has eaten there, then this is it.
Are you guys suggesting she cannot review the restaurant if she hasn’t eaten the whole menu?
I don’t want all of these reviews to say the food is excellent, because it rarely is in restaurants.
If you don’t like it, write your own, just don’t tell this person that they aren’t correct in their assessment.
If Not For You, I am quite happy to tell this person that they aren’t correct in assessing the rubs as being wrong if they aren’t fall off the bone. Fall off the bone ribs are generally overcooked. The overall assessment of ribs ‘falling flat’ has nothing to really back it up. Bad review of that plate. And I don’t work there, and would never eat here by the way, it’s fast food and fast beer AFAIAC. But this review has issues.
I think the reviewer is being as polite and tactful as possible.
I eat out a lot, in Halifax and on the road in cities big and small.
BR gives the impression it’s a steak house… or at least some kind of meat lovers experience.
It’s not. The presentation, the service and the food just aren’t premium price worthy. The crowd I went with tried food across the menu and I had steak.
I wouldn’t normally write in a food column. In downtown Halifax I’m happy at the Triangle, Momoya, Cha baa Thai, the Great Wall or even most days at the Scotia Square food court (Rays, Taste of India). But there’s something offensive about restaurants that put on the airs of a premium price steak house in Halifax. They don’t deliver. I often entertain business guests in town. It’s easy. There’s so much great about Halifax it’s simple to take them to some place and have the combination of style, quality, conviviality and food blow them away. But not so with steak and places like this – definitely a good idea, as the reviewer says, to try somewhere else.
I like steak. Traveling I go to lots of steak houses. The bar for me is high when the price is high. Yes, the room has to be woody and ambient, the service traditional and formal, but is the steak and meal better than you could do for yourself at home? That’s my test. BR just doesn’t make it. It’s not in the game. I don’t think it’s even clear what the game is. The steaks are just not good. You can literally do better for less than a third the price with a tavern steak at the Triangle up the street.
As to friendly service, sure, when we went the kids in the wait staff were joky, informal and friendly, they were horsing around and generally having a good time by the looks of it. Fun stuff – if it were a pub on Friday afternoon. But that’s not what a premium steak serving restaurant is about… at least not for me.
After going there, I believe the review is very accurate. No I don’t work there.
Go to the Mic Mac Tavern,Cut or many other places that really do stick out.
I had the misfortune of eating at one of their Montreal locations recently. Being a chain, I imagine my experience there would be replicated in Halifax so I doubt I’ll be dining at BRHfx anytime soon. Stick to non-chain places, or if you insist, go to The Keg.
I have been there and generally concur with the reviewer’s comments. The space is very nicely done and the staff were great. The food, and the menu overall, left me wondering, “what is this place supposed to be?” It isn’t a steakhouse, though they do offer steaks. It features ribs, but not in the variety that one might expect. The name would imply a Louisiana/cajun themed menu, but that isn’t it either. The one common theme is a reliance on onions with virtually every dish – hardly a drawing card, and a detraction for some.
They need someone with experience to makeover their menu and figure out something they can do really well.
Baton Rouge is part of “Imvescor”, who also run Pizza Delight and Mike’s… so their specialty is blandness. I think any of those restaurants have done dessert ok, frozen/premade so hard to mess up
LOL @ “I order a coffee ($3), which tastes like bitter coffee grounds”
Time to come back in to try again. This review was written way back in 2011. New owners and revamping of the menu within the last three years. I do work at Baton Rouge and quite honestly love the food. I have been serving for 30 years and it is the best menu I have ever had the pleasure of serving. You are welcome to contact me so that I can personally make a reservation for you. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.