The #1 Southern restaurant in Baton Rouge right now, according to diners—plus, see the runners-up

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Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Baton Rouge by diners

When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.

Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.

What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.

The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Baton Rouge using data from Yelp . Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.

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#29. Tallulah Crafted Food & Wine Bar

- Rating: 3.3/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7000 Bluebonnet Blvd. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, cocktail bars, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#28. Piccadilly

- Rating: 3.3/5 (19 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6406 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, cafeteria
- Read more on Yelp

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#27. Capital City Grill

- Rating: 3.4/5 (270 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 100 Lafayette St. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: cajun/creole, southern, seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#26. Po-Boy Express

- Rating: 3.5/5 (47 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4320 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, sandwiches, seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. Mike Anderson's Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar

- Rating: 3.6/5 (319 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1031 West Lee Drive Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole, seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Southern Pearl Oyster House

- Rating: 3.6/5 (199 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9460 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: seafood, southern, cajun/creole
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Bullfish Bistro

- Rating: 3.7/5 (197 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 14241 Airline Hwy Ste 105 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: caribbean, southern, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Rice and Roux

- Rating: 3.7/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2158 O'neal Lane Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: cajun/creole, seafood, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. Hannah Q Smokehouse

- Rating: 3.7/5 (146 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4808 Government St. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: barbeque, southern, smokehouse
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Sonny's BBQ

- Rating: 3.7/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12475 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: barbeque, new american, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Stroubes

- Rating: 3.8/5 (272 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 107 3rd St. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: steakhouses, southern, seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Nola Cajun Seafood

- Rating: 3.8/5 (13 reviews)
- Address: 1097 South Flannery Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: cajun/creole, southern, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Spoke & Hub

- Rating: 3.8/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5412 Government St. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, bars, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Rice and Roux

- Rating: 3.8/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 320 Lee Drive Ste A Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole, seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Couyon's Express

- Rating: 3.8/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: 3653 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: barbeque, southern, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Poor Boy Lloyd's

- Rating: 3.8/5 (219 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 201 Florida St. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Zea Rotisserie & Bar

- Rating: 3.9/5 (247 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7415 Corporate Blvd. Ste 920 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: new american, southern, seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Olive Or Twist

- Rating: 4.0/5 (518 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7248 Perkins Road Ste A Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: new american, southern, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Bergeron's City Market

- Rating: 4.1/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8200 Jefferson Hwy Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, seafood, delis
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Eliza Restaurant & Bar

- Rating: 4.1/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7970 Jefferson Hwy Ste J Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: cocktail bars, seafood, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Chimes Restaurant

- Rating: 4.1/5 (985 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3357 Highland Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole, bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Zeeland Street

- Rating: 4.2/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2031 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: soul food, breakfast & brunch, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. City Pork Jefferson

- Rating: 4.3/5 (565 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7327 Jefferson Hwy Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, barbeque
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Chow Main

- Rating: 4.4/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 501 Main St. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, asian fusion
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Crawford's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1980 Staring Lane Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, seafood, comfort food
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Parrain's Seafood

- Rating: 4.4/5 (2408 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3225 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole, seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. A&j's Coffee Bean Cafe & Catering

- Rating: 4.4/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: 8080 Bluebonnet Blvd. Ste 1308 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: cafes, caterers, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Cecelia Creole Bistro

- Rating: 4.6/5 (209 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 421 North 3rd St. Ste B Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: cajun/creole, seafood, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#1. Fresh Chef Kitchen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: 11522 Merchant Drive Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Categories: american, southern
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.