It has been almost 33 years since the first Baton Rouge Grillhouse & Bar location opened at Carrefour Laval. Fast forward to today and there are now 30 across Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes.
I remain a huge fan of this brand, so it was with great enthusiasm that I got to experience the new Lasalle location at Carrefour Angrignon. This marks the first Baton Rouge spot in the Sud Ouest. There is plenty of free parking and the spacious venue seats 269, including a seasonal terrasse. It opened last July, following a nine-month construction project.
Owned by the MTY Group, the Baton Rouge team always seems to be in expansion or full renovation mode. I have written stories over the past two years on the magnificent makeovers at the Decarie and Complexe Desjardins facilities.
Director of Marketing Maria Frank says that the bright, cheerful and modern design in Lasalle closely follows the look of the latest renovations in the brand, including Complexe Desjardins, Decarie and Lachenaie. This one has a slightly smaller square footage.
The Baton Rouge menu features many tempting choices such as the trademark BBQ baby back ribs, chicken, the finest AAA and Certified Angus Beef steaks, craveable appetizers, crisp salads, signature burgers and sandwiches, seasonal vegetables, premium seafood, lobster in season and decadent desserts.
In Lasalle, the team is headed by general manager Tom Sabatino. He is a veteran in the restaurant business.
On the night we dropped by Antoine was the acting manager. At our table we were taken care of by a trio of servers: Lena, Natalie and Ricardo. The latter told me his nickname is “Flash” and we could immediately see why. When my order arrived, I realized I had forgotten to order their trademark fries. I told this to Ricardo and in a “Flash,” barely 45 seconds, he raced back to the table with a nice serving for us.
We started with some soups, chicken noodles for me and Classic Maine chowder. The latter comes with clams, potatoes, celery and onions, served with traditional oyster crackers.
While my usual go-to meal here is the chicken and ribs, I decided to try the Baton Rouge prime rib for the very first time. The tender, juicy meat revealed a warm and rosy center. I will have it again for sure. On the side, I had wild rice pilaf and those fries Flash rushed to the table on the side. My friend went for one of the house favorites, the rub steak. It is served with seasonal vegetables and a side. He added in the black tiger shrimp and scallops.
At Baton Rouge, I always save room for dessert. I enjoyed every morsel of my chocolate-dipped key lime pie. This velvety key lime was filled on a graham crust, generously topped with whipped cream, sprinkled with toasted coconut and dipped in salted caramel chocolate. As for my friend, he dug into his white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. This was a heavenly piece of cheesecake swirled with raspberry and pieces of white chocolate on a crispy chocolate crumb crust.
Except for pasta, all the kid’s meals (aged 12 and under) here are served with one choice: Caesar salad, mixed salad, French fries, seasonal vegetables, or sweet potato fries with chipotle mayo ($3 extra). Included with the meal: are a beverage and ice cream.
Sabatino says he is very pleased with how well the launch of the new location has gone. Not only are people from the immediate area coming regularly, but the location is also attracting mall-goers and it has become a very convenient venue for the NDG, Montreal West, Côte Saint-Luc and Hampstead crowd. “The response has been wonderful. We did not even advertise upon opening in July, yet the clients have kept on coming.”
This new Baton Rouge Grillhouse & Bar is located at 7077 Boulevard Newman. You can call 514- 223-0713. Log on to www.batonrouge.ca
Mike Cohen, born and raised in Côte Saint-Luc, has long been active in the community as a volunteer, journalist, and consultant. He profiles restaurants in Montreal and beyond.
mikecohen.ca