8 of Baton Rouge's Best Restaurant Hacks

by Sydney Blanchard

If you've lived anywhere long enough, you'll become an expert on the area. And if you eat anywhere long enough, you'll learn the area's top secret menu tweaks to level up your favorite dishes.

We rounded a few of our favorite local restaurant "hacks" and threw in some of your suggestions through social media to come up with this list of our best Baton Rouge restaurant hacks. We didn't include fast food (except for Cane's because they started in Baton Rouge) or chain restaurants in this list, because that's not our style.

If you've got any restaurant hacks or know of any secret menu items at local restaurants, let us know in the comments!

Sammy's Grill

This one is Jay's: substitute pickled for fried mushrooms when ordering the Coach's Plate at Sammy's Grill.

The Chimes

The Ale Runner recommends ordering a blackened alligator poboy or a buffalo shrimp poboy at The Chimes.

No better appetizer than blackened gator

A photo posted by BBQ614 (@bbq614) on Apr 29, 2016 at 9:47am PDT

Bistro Byronz

On Instagram, @eatbatonrouge suggested adding the bleu cheese sauce to the debris sandwich at Bistro Byronz.

Beausoleil Restaurant and Bar

According to @gsweathers on Instagram, ordering Beausoleil's truffle fried oyster appetizer on a bun is a recipe for success.

Tio Javi's Fresh Mex Bar & Grill

According to insider sources, Tio Jave (formerly Ninfa's) has a secret third salsa that you can get only if you ask for it by name: the Molcajete.

Atcha Bakery & Cafe

Team Bite and Booze consumes more Atcha per week than anything else. Blair taught us this tip: substitute the rice in any combo plate for extra hummus.

Pluckers Wing Bar

This one was one of my favorites in college! Frachos: order the nachos but sub out the tortilla chips for waffle fries.

Want those boneless wings and lemonade... #pluckers #food #boneless #wings

A photo posted by Pluckers Wing Bar (@pluckerswingbar) on May 25, 2016 at 7:53am PDT

Raising Cane's

There are a number of Cane's hacks, but my favorite is that you can get your toast toasted on BOTH SIDES if you ask for it. Also, unbeknownst to many, they have honey mustard. (Formerly, everyone in the know knew to order the Cane's chicken sandwich with toast instead of buns for a cheaper, two-toast alternative to the three finger combo, but my sources tell me that Cane's caught on and no longer honors this substitution.)

If it can be dipped, it tastes better with #CanesSauce.

A photo posted by Raising Cane's (@raisingcanes) on Apr 11, 2016 at 4:53pm PDT

You Deserve a Video Break

by Sydney Blanchard

Hey, you. Yeah, you there. We just want you to know, we see you. We know you've worked hard all year. You've put in the hours, you've sent all the emails, and you've attended to most of your responsibilities.

Despite long grocery store lines and children crying in restaurants, you've managed to stay on Santa's naughty list.

And for that, we salute you.

Here, check out these videos. You deserve a little break. Let's be real, you're running on empty from now until the end of the year anyway.

Free Booze Friday

In which Jay gets puppets drunk and they all argue about booze

Louisiana Culinary Trails

In which important food people talk about delicious Louisiana cuisine

Food Network Star Finale

In which Jay gets a little emotional at the Food Network Star finale party

I'm Not Trying to be an Underwear Model

In which Jay tries to get fit

Raising Cane's Store #94 Grand Opening

In which a young Jay hangs out with Todd Graves and former Mayor-President Kip Holden

Chicken, Chicken, Chicken! Which Combo You Pickin', 3rd Street?

Todd Graves and Jay Ducote at the new Downtown Baton Rouge Cane's

I had a great time on May 22nd at the Grand Opening for the first ever Raising Cane's in downtown Baton Rouge! There were tons of people lined up around the block to celebrate another great happening for Red Stick's downtown development. Todd Graves and Raising Cane's have done so much for the Baton Rouge community so I welcomed the opportunity to help them break in the new fryers. The staff and eager customers gathered outside of Cane's for the ceremony complete with a proclamation and ribbon cutting. As the doors opened in the late morning sun, folks gathered over chicken fingers, fries, toast, slaw, sweet tea, lemonade, and of course that ever famous Cane's Sauce.

Not only did I attend the ceremony, but Raising Cane's actually invited me to film the events of the day with TommysTV. We had a blast talking to the likes of Mayor Kip Holden, Todd Graves, and even Cane herself! Check it out:

Raising Cane's Lemonade Contest for the Kids!

This is cool... and I'm so happy to be a part of it!  South Louisiana's Lemonade Day, which is coming up on May 7th, is presenting a Lemonade Tasting Contest next Thursday, April 28th.  Kids will have a chance to enter their homemade lemonade, and the top prizewinner will get FREE Cane's for a YEAR!  Amazing! 

Best of all... I get to be a judge!  So grab a kid, make some lemonade, and come meet me at the Mall of Louisiana!  I'll be looking for the perfect balance of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, sweetness, and tartness that makes lemonade the... well, the second most refreshing beverage on a hot summer day!  But it's number one for the kids!  See you there!

South Louisiana Lemonade Day

May 7th will be here before you know it, and that means South Louisiana (and other regions/cities around the country) will participate in Lemonade Day!  Bite and Booze has teamed up with Tommy's TV to get on board as an official "Media Partner" with South Louisiana's Lemonade Day!  I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to support such a great cause.  So excited, in fact, that I thought I'd share it with you!  I'd love to see some of you get involved too, especially those of you with kids out there that are ready to learn a little entrepreneurial spirit!

I recently met up with Todd Graves (Founder, CEO, and Fry Cook at Raising Cane's) and East Baton Rouge Parish's Mayor-President Kip Holden to get a little more information on South Louisiana's Lemonade Day!

Here are the main points that they wanted for me to help get out to my readers:

• Lemonade Day is open to kids of all ages
• Each child needs a Caring Adult that will help guide them through the process
• The Caring Adult can register the child at LemonadeDay.org
• Once you’ve registered online, backpacks will be available beginning this week at all  Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Greater New Orleans Raising Cane’s restaurants, MAPP Construction in Baton Rouge, Junior Achievement in NOLA, the Louisiana Children's Museum in NOLA, and Veteran's Ford in Metarie
• The backpacks include an Entrepreneur Workbook that guides the “Lemonaders” through Setting Goals, Finding Investors, Site Selection, Building a Stand, and Running a Business
• The Lemonaders are encouraged to Save a third, Spend a third, and donate a third to their favorite charity.
• Teacher’s guide and worksheets are available at LemonadeDay.org

If you're interested in learning more, here is a little bit about Lemonade Day:

What is Lemonade Day?

Lemonade Day is a nation-wide event that teaches kids the skills they need to be successful in life. Kids learn to set goals, develop a business plan, establish a budget, seek investors, provide customer service, save for the future, and give back to the community. Lemonade Day is the perfect opportunity for a community to show kids they care and train the next generation of entrepreneurs through a free, fun, engaging, and empowering activity. Last year Lemonade Day impacted more than 50,000 children nationwide. This will be South Louisiana's inaugural year, and we hope to reach as many as 5,000 children in the Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette areas.

How did it start?

Michael Holthouse, a Houston entrepreneur and philanthropist, founded Prepared 4 Life (P4L), a nonprofit that provides fun, proactive, and experiential programs infused with life skill, character education, and entrepreneurship. Inspired by the lessons he was able to teach his young daughter and her friend when they set up a lemonade stand, Holthouse launched Lemonade Day in Houston, Texas in 2007 as a community-wide, educational initiative, which has now become P4L’s number one outreach and educational priority.

When is it?

Lemonade Day will take place on Saturday, May 7th, 2011.

Who can participate?

Youth of all ages, can register to set up an official Lemonade Day stand. Kids must register with a caring adult so there are lots of opportunities for mentors and volunteers. In addition, community support from schools, youth organizations, and local businesses is essential to the success of Lemonade Day.

How does it work?

Once a child is registered they will receive a backpack with an informational workbook that outlines the steps needed to start a business: from setting a goal, creating a business plan, forming a budget, finding an investor, to saving money, and donating a portion back to the community (The children get to choose which charity to which they would like to donate a portion of their proceeds).

How can I get involved?

Everyone is welcome to be involved with Lemonade Day. We need mentors, investors, employees, and custom­ers to support participants! Sponsors and volunteers are also needed to make Lemonade Day a success! All money raised through local donations and sponsorships is used directly to support Lemonade Day in South Louisiana.

Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers Grand Opening - Store #94

Last Thursday, on Veteran's Day, I had the privilege of attending the grand opening ceremonies for the 94th Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers restaurant.  The event occurred at 8899 Florida Blvd., marking the 18th Raising Cane's in the Greater Baton Rouge area.  The kickoff event for the restaurant included a Veteran's Day tribute complete with the LSU Pershing Rifles, multiple Cane's crew member Veterans, and country music recording artist David St. Romain, a Veteran himself, singing the National Anthem.

Also in attendance were Raising Cane's Founder, CEO, Fry Cook, and Cashier Todd Graves, Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden, the Broadmoor High School cheerleaders, and the best fast-food mascot around, Raising Cane II!  Raising Cane's also presented a $1,000 check to the American Cancer Society and donated 15% of all proceeds from the day to the American Legion.  I teamed up with TOMMYStv to capture the ribbon cutting and grand opening on video.  Enjoy, and eat some chicken fingers!

Oh, and one more thing.  My friends at Raising Cane's left me with this gift basket to give away to a lucky reader of Bite and Booze!  Just post a comment below telling me how you order at Cane's.  For example, I go for the #1 Box Combo no slaw extra toast, as seen in the above video.  Also, make sure I know how to get in touch with you.  One winner will be chosen at random.  You have until the end of November to enter so I can get this puppy to somebody's home for the Holidays.  What is your One Love?

Raising Cane's to open restaurant #94 in Veteran's Day Style!

Raising Cane's, a now national chicken finger restaurant chain that got its start right here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is set to celebrate the grand opening of the 94th Raising Cane's on Florida Boulevard tomorrow.  I'll be there to help them get started in sauced up style!  The new location, near Cortana Mall, will enter the marketplace with a Veteran's Day tribute starting at 9:30 AM.  The ceremony will feature a ribbon cutting and a fundraising event benefiting the American Legion. The LSU Pershing Rifles will present the colors and country music singer David St. Romain will sing the national anthem. The event will kick off a one day fundraiser for the American Legion Scholarship Fund. Raising Cane’s will donate 15 percent of net proceeds on Veteran’s Day from the Florida Boulevard restaurant for any customers mentioning the fundraiser. Additionally, Raising Cane’s will present a $1000 check to the American Cancer Society – a donation made on behalf of a customer who won the restaurant’s Give Back Giveaway.  Also set to be in attendance are Todd Graves, Raising Cane II, and Mayor-President Kip Holden.  Plus, if you come by early, I'm sure you'll find a free chicken finger or two!

The 94th Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers on Florida Blvd in Baton Rouge

WHO:    Todd Graves and yellow lab Cane II, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers

LSU Pershing Rifles

Mayor-President Kip Holden

Adam Knapp, Baton Rouge Area Chamber

David St. Romain, Country Music singer and Nashville Star finalist

Percy Singleton, Cortana Mall General Manager

American Legion veterans

Broadmoor High cheerleaders

WHAT: Ribbon cutting at Cane’s 94^th restaurant

            Veterans’ Day ceremony including LSU Pershing Rifles presenting the colors

            Fundraiser for American Legion scholarship fund

            $1000 check presentation for American Cancer Society

WHEN: Thursday, November 11, 2010 9:15 A.M – guests arrive program begins at 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: Raising Cane’s 8899 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, La, 70815

Oh, and don't forget to get some of that fresh squeezed lemonade... though it actually may have been even better on a snowball like this:

Submit Your Flavor Contest - Semi-finals from Contrast Films on Vimeo.