Louie’s Cafe

After a late night downtown by the riverfront hanging out with the BR Fire Guild we were famished. We knew that our options were slim to none for our late night hunger pangs. It was either IHOP or try some other late night chain breakfast eatery, or try Louie’s Café. We decided on Louie’s café since we had never been to the newly opened location. I ordered the seafood omelette and my company ordered a cheeseburger and the other ordered a breakfast plate. To be honest, the food was bland and none of us enjoyed our dishes. Also, they charge for every little thing. Don’t think fries are coming with your burger, that’ll be 3 dollars extra. Don’t think that you will get cream cheese for your bagel, you’ll have to buy a cold pack of plain cream cheese for .65 cents. Don’t think your food will be well seasoned, because it’s not. I honestly think this place is good for late night drunk college people to stumble into to get ahold to something greasy to help with their queasiness and hangover.

I ordered the Sharon salad, it had spring mix, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, walnuts, with a house vinaigrette. Delicious. I also ordered a small chicken gumbo, it was okay. My daughter had blueberry pancakes and my other daughter daughter had a California cooler sandwich. She loved it. My husband ordered a basic breakfast plate which he said was delicious. Friendly staff, the establishment could be a little cleaner.

After a loud and fun night at the Varsity listening to a Deftone tribute band, we needed food to sober up the designated driver. Lol. Louie’s Café it is! Back in my college days, this was (and still IS) a LSU college staple. They moved to a newer building a couple hundred feet away, but the ambience is still the same. Brightly lit, loud laughs and talking, and an array/​diversity of people… with one thing in common: hungry for food. They are open ²⁴⁄₇; the portions are huge and the prices are just right.
On this particular night, we shared an order of the «Mitchell» omelet: chopped up sausage patties, chunky potatoes-​style hash browns, grilled mushrooms and melted shredded Colby cheese… all wrapped perfectly in this blanket of eggs. Literally, it looked like a Christmas package. What totally pulled it over the top was a side cup of their sausage gravy. Oh. My. Gosh! Did I mention it was perfect for 2 people to share? I think I ate more than he did. Lol

This diner was recommended to us by our Airbnb host and it was great! It was really close to LSU and even though it was packed both times we went, our food came out really fast! The hash browns were my favorite part of the meal, but overall everything was great! I gave it four stars because it’s not the cleanest place and our hostess slopped off our messy table with a soaking rag and just left our table gross and wet. Our waitress was annoyed by that and happily cleaned it up for us.
Also, you can sit at the cook line (not sure if that’s the correct term) and watch the cooks prepare everything! One of the cooks was so friendly and sweet and was thanking us for waiting for our food (they had sent our original order to a different table, but even with that mishap the food came out quick). Really enjoyed this place! Overall awesome diner food and friendly staff.
PS: for any Albuquerqeans reading, this place reminds me of the Baton Rouge version of The Frontier (and most of us would find that to be a good thing)!

This place is a decent college breakfast. We came here passing through town. Service was… well, pretty sure it’s college students working and I doubt they want to be there in the morning. Food was decent.

Excellent food, service. I was with a group of 11 people. They were quick to seat us, get our beverages, take our food order and prepare our food. All 11 orders came out exactly as we ordered. Food tasted great.

While I really loved the old location, this one doesnt really cut it for me. It’s a diner type of place. The food is made to order and possibly too greasy but it is what it is.
I’m not a huge fan, honestly. The food has been average at best here and service was sweet but slow. Like molasses slowwwwww.
On my last visit I had the seafood ettouffee omlette. An omlette stuffed with cheese, crawfish and shrimp ettouffee really appeals to this Cajun girl. But something was missing. Lack of spice? Maybe. It just wasn’t…right. I got past that since their hashbrowns are the shredded kind and I LOVE those. Biscuits were soft and good and the bacon was crisp like I like it but all in all, I don’t think this would be my first choice for breakfast in Baton Rouge again.
It’s a popular spot so expect a wait.

This diner was recommended by our hotel staff as the best place in Baton Rouge for breakfast; although it’s a 24-​hr diner. It is just north of LSU’s campus, which makes it a wonderful place for late-​nite eating by students. We seated ourselves and were greeted shortly thereafter by a smiling server.
I ordered a Spanish omelet. It contains a spicy mixture of hashbrowns, sautéed onions, bell peppers and garlic with Colby cheese topped with their house-​made salsa. The flavorful salsa really gave the omelet a nice taste. My companion had pancakes, which were thick, but light, along with bacon and scrambled eggs. The food was delightful, as is most food that is prepared in the South, and the portion sizes were large.
I recommend it highly.

Classic diner grease food to please ur appetite. Great place to expense after late night of bar hopping or cramming for exams. Use to come here during undergrad years. Post grad, still stop by stomping grounds to enjoy either the country fried steAk or anything w the famous hash browns. After decades, Louie’s has made its mark on the college campus. So glad they’re still open and going strong

I highly recommend you stop here and have breakfast. I had the Louie Omelet and it was great. Full of fresh vegetables, fresh shrimp and tasty crawfish and topped with cheese. The bacon was thick and crunchy and it wasn’t some small Strips either. Toast is toast. My wife had a waffle and it wasn’t good for us. I’m sure a lot of people like it the way it is. It’s made with half wheat and half regular batter.
The place was packed, but the staff handled it perfectly. I’ll definitely visit next time I’m in town.

I’ve been eating at this restaurant since my early 20’s but it’s always in the late night hours lol. This is the kinda diner where the staff looks like they would slit your throat but the food is great. I’m not sure if I’m over intoxicated at the time but I’ve never had a bad experience with the food or the staff. I recommend the loaded hash browns!

I think I’ve already reviewed this place, but this needs to be said.
Try the Supreme Nachos.
Seriously. I was blown away. I didn’t think Louie’s was capable of delivering Mexican food like this. Granted, it’s Mexican food «diner style,» but it was enough to quench my thirst for nachos and leave me begging for more. It comes with homemade queso and chili drizzled on top of a plate of chips and a separate plate full of toppings. I’m not a huge fan of the salsa (it’s oddly sweet) but the rest of the plate makes up for it.
Try it.

Just had breakfast here. It was over-​priced and sucked! To begin with, our waiter forgot our coffees until he looked over from cleaning tables. We both had the #1 combo. We asked for our eggs medium, patty sausage and hash-​brown. The eggs were crispy around the edges. We each got only one 2″ sausage paddy about 1/​8″ thick that was tough to cut with a knife. Our hash-​Browns were over cooked and had no seasoning. All this for $ 9.50! Our breads and coffee was the only adequate food we received. I’m sorry we traveled across town to try this place. Should have stuck with Frank’s.

I had no idea about this place. I’m from Baton Rouge. I never heard of this place, and boy was I judged for it. So, I decided to give this local landmark a try. Our waitress was nice. It didn’t take long for the food to come out although it was pretty packed. I just knew the food was about to be awesome, but I was proved wrong. We had the shrimp and crawfish omelette, which did not have any flavor and they should make it with pepper jack cheese or any cheese other than Swiss. I’m not sure what’s up with the grits, but they were not good at all. I can’t even describe the texture. The potatoes and biscuit were decent, but I had high expectations for all of the food to be yummy based on the reviews. When I heard they were catering for the President’s visit, I was like NOOOOOO! But I’m sure they brought their «A» game for him.

Best omelette in Baton Rouge! I had a veggie omelette the first time I was there and loved it. I went back multiple times and tried several different omelettes. They never disappoint.

If you live in Baton Rouge and do not know about Louie’s then you must have been living under a rock! a Baton Rouge institution that has been Located just off of LSU campus since the 40’s, Louie’s is a 24 Hour diner style Divey type restaurant. Originally located on Chimes then moved to state st. now moved just a few feet down the road in the old Wendy’s building.
Food is pretty much all awesome. My all time Fav thing to order is the «Big cheesy Lou» which is a Huge hand made Burger on a toasted bun and you get your choice of Lettuce or sprouts and choice of 3 cheeses (or all 3) of course I get all 3 with extra Mustard and add Bacon and Jalapenos! I always get a side of their famous Cajun Hash browns to go on the side.
This last visit I had the Steak an eggs with Grits. I love their stone ground yellow grits as opposed to the standard quick grits most places use. Steak was cooked perfect. Needed some salt and pepper for my taste but that was easily corrected at the table.
My Brother Almost always gets the «Mitchel» Omelette. Which had Hash browns, sausage, mushrooms, and cheese folded inside of fluffy eggs. the regular size fills up an entire plate!
So the Next time you find yourself craving good food during the midnight hour head over to State Street and satisfy your cravings at Louie’s!

This is a place made not out of its specialty in food but ‘moments’. One of the oldest in Baton Rouge, and converted from a small dingy shack to a grand expansive place; our own Louie’s Café has grown and withstood times of change. Yet it sticks to what it essentially stands for. This is no glorification of ordinary food but it actually is an aspect of being in old Baton Rouge neighborhood which makes this place, this resource and this café one of the best.
# On top of that they have enormous serving sizes — you would not want to think about ordering more and then get a to-​go box later
# They have the usual eggs (made in a variety of manner and to your liking), they have nice sumptuous omlettes; and egg with all kinds of combinations (with bacon, biscuit, gravy etc
# They have nice coffee and Refills (which always kinda satisfies my coffee cravings! Some place where youre up satisfying your Grad school essentiality in coffee.
# They also have decent seating. I remember the earlier one. It was always crowded and always short of space. Now this is more like café and you wont have to feel guilty about sitting extra and not allowing others to enjoy this place.
# Parking — nice!
Then Louie’s café is LOUIE’s CAFE. It may be over-​rated but then it slowly gets to you. Plus its always OPEN!

Over-​medium eggs and a buttered bagel are beyond the capabilities of their «chef». We ordered breakfast in the nearly empty restaurant at 8:10 am. It took nearly THIRTY MINUTES to bring out the food. They brought me on my bagel toasted but dry and I asked the waitress to take my bagel back to the kitchen and see if they could put butter on it AS I HAD ORDERED IT figuring they would give it a swipe with the paintbrush in the container of melted butter in the back that every RESTAURANT has and bring it right back to me. INSTEAD they redid one on the grill and brought it back it and told me they couldn’t butter it any other way. Are you KIDDING ME? What kind of «chef» doesn’t know how to put butter on an already toasted bagel (with a knife if you don’t have a paintbrush and melted butter)? All they had to do was smear butter on the toasted bagel I sent back to the kitchen and send it back out OR PUT BUTTER ON THE TABLE but NOOOOOO. 20 minutes later they bring me a grilled bagel that isn’t even brown and tell me that’s the only way they can put butter on a bagel is if they do it on the grill. Who is so stupid they can’t cut a slice of butter and smear it on a toasted bagel? This guy is a chef? REALLY??? SERIOUSLY??? My sister’s over medium eggs were over rock hard and they brought her bacon she didn’t order and totally forgot to bring the banana she DID order. My potatoes were overcooked to the point of fossilized-​rock hard and almost black. REALLY Louie? I asked the manager if HE would eat the potatoes his staff put on our plates and he said «No» but they sure didn’t mind serving it. This was pretty close to the WORST breakfast I have ever had in my life. The waitress needs to find a different line of work as well. It’s hard to determine which of the two-​the cook or the waitress-​was LESS competent because it was almost like they were having a CONTEST to see who could screw up MORE. The place was empty too, it wasn’t like they were slamming busy. My sister and mother-​in-​law also didn’t get a correct order and Mom’s potatoes were just as petrified as mine. I waited AN HOUR AN TEN MINUTES FOR A TOASTED BAGEL WITH BUTTER. Then to top it all off, 10 minutes after I complained about all this the idiot manager cooked ONLY ME a new breakfast. My sister’s breakfast was also totally screwed up as was my mother-​in-​laws but he brings ME an entirely new breakfast I didn’t ask for, didn’t want and by this time WAY too mad to eat. The upshot of the total DISASTER of a breakfast was that he took half off the check for a breakfast NONE OF US COULD EAT, cooked a new breakfast I DIDN’T WANT OR ASK FOR WHILE DOING NOTHING FOR MY SISTER OR MOTHER IN LAW whose food was just as badly ruined as mine. All this drama when THE ONLY THING I ASKED FOR OR WANTED WAS SOME GODDAM BUTTER FOR MY BAGEL!!! THAT WAS ALL I ASKED FOR OR WANTED! How do you run a RESTAURANT when you comp 50% of a check and cook 3 bagels plus another unwanted and wasted full $ 11 breakfast for a customer THAT ONLY ASKED FOR BUTTER ON A BAGEL THAT WASN’T BUTTERED (AS I REQUESTED WHEN I ORDERED IT) FROM THE INCOMPETENT WAITRESS??? An hour and forty minutes later after paying the check we left to go to a place where we could get EDIBLE food properly cooked. Louie’s is an exercise in futility. Terrible food incompetent waitstaff and it definitely needs a new manager. The empty restaurant at prime breakfast hours tells you everything you need to know about this pitiful excuse of a restaurant.

This was the first diner that I went to when I went to LSU. They’re good for breakfast. My main go to is the three pancakes and country fried steak. Their burgers are on point as well. I had their seafood dish-​blackened catfish topped with a creamy crawfish and shrimp sauce on a bed of rice. I was somewhat saddened when they moved the location, but it worked well. I don’t have to wait for a seat for a long time. This place is special. Louie’s is where my boyfriend and I had one of our first date.

Breakfast here is a must, but go early because it’s very popular with students and local workers.
The eggs, hash brown potatoes and coffee are great. My wife says the Mimosa is wonderful.

When I think of breakfast in Baton Rouge, I think Louie’s.
Louie’s is a 24 hour diner located just a few blocks off of LSU’s campus. This location is the newest location and was once a Wendy’s. For those that have been to the old location, I think it had more character, but this location has more parking which is a humongous plus.
The food is somewhat typical diner fare which is to say that it’s simple, but in my experience, very good. My first visit to the new location was somewhat underwhelming, but my last was really great.
The breakfast food at Louie’s is great, but I rarely order that. Many many years ago I came up to BR for the weekend to hang out with my best friend who was in vet school at LSU. He took me to Louie’s and introduced me to The Big Cheesy Lou. This awesomely named burger is 8oz of meat, cheese and goodness. It has always been juicy, cooked to order and the perfect breakfast, late night or anytime meal. As a side for that grand burger I always get the pepper jack hash browns. Even though that isn’t a typical side for a burger, trust me on this. The hash browns are of the home fry variety and the addition of pepper jack cheese and jalapenos elevate this meal to the next level. It is greasy diner awesomeness.
For kids meals you have the option of something called an animal cake. This is where your kid gets to decide what type of animal they want their pancake to resemble. Mine went for a snake and they did a pretty good job. I’d like to challenge them to make a zebra or unicorn on my next trip.
If you are in BR and want breakfast, a good burger or an incredibly filling fourth meal, get to Louie’s ASAP.

Stopped in for breakfast on our way home from New Orleans. The service was AMAZING! The food was yummy (veggie omelet) and the coffee was divine. Can’t say enough about our waiter… he was friendly and conscientious.
The staff works well to keep all customers happy

Service here has been so so good everytime, since they moved to their new bigger and nicer sized location. Nothing special about their food in particular but helllllllo, it’s breakfast food which is wonderful as it is already. Unfortunately I didn’t have a good first experience at the old location down the street, but my second and third and many more visits to come at the new Louie’s spot were and I’m sure will be great!
Friendly waitress recommended ways to order that would actually be cheaper for us and we would get more too. Less for more?! Heck yes

Yesssss, I know Louie’s is legendary! So, of course I had to drop by here when I was in between appointments. This was my first time ever at Louie’s; never even been to the old location either. The reviews were just not screaming «get over here, fast». Truthfully, nothing excited me about this place. Perhaps it was because I did not dine there during their peak times (breakfast or late night/​early morning) that I did not have a the stellar experience, which some have had. I was barely blown away. In fact, I walked in to a pretty bored-​looking bunch of employees that did not seem entirely too thrilled to be there. We were in somewhat of a rush and waited a fairly long time for a bowl of chili, when there was a pretty empty diner. When my husband felt like we weren’t going to have enough time to finish it, we asked them to take it to-​go and the cook did not seem thrilled about having to do that. We then quickly changed our minds and opted to eat-​in quickly. The chili (that had no beans as stated on menu), I have to say was quite tasty and the melted cheese on it was an added bonus. I had seen the pancakes and they definitely looked like they were worth trying, so when I need to have carb overload, I’ll be back for those! I will have to go back during peak times, so I can experience the true essence of Louie’s Café. ‘Til next time!

Louie’s is in a new location! Woah! I’ve spent a few years away from LSU and between graduation and now they have moved from their small location into what used to be the Wendy’s. This location serves a better purpose as the home to Louie’s. I love the larger open space with many more table tops and a patio dining area. The food is awesome like it always has been. My personal favorites are the burgers, omelettes, gumbo, and catfish po’boy. After leaving I was happy to find I no longer had that old familiar smell of «Louie’s,» probably due to the fact that there’s more ventilation and open space. You must visit Louie’s at least once during your time at LSU.

Had breakfast at the new location today with a friend. Same great food with better parking and a fresh look. The menu is the same. 24 hour dining focusing mostly on breakfast food but they also serve burgers, chicken fried steaks and such as well. Great place for late nights or breakfast any time with a diner feel. They went with the same color scheme in the new place: aqua walls, checkerboard floor and red dining stool seats. If you loved the old Louie’s Café (and who wouldn’t), you’ll love this one. Now you can enjoy your meal without having to worry that one of the neighboring businesses will have your car towed!

Came here before working the LSU game, wanted something that would keep me full so I ordered the catfish louisianne. Unfortunately it was nothing like i had hoped. On the menu it says that it comes with steamed veggies, I asked if there was something i could sub for; the waitress matter of factly answered, «no.» Upon receiving my plate it looked fantastic, just as the menu described, but upon tasting it the story was completely different.
The gravy that topped the fish was not a cream sauce, but a biscuit gravy; It was very thick and greasy. The shrimp and crawfish were cooked on the flat top and were very crispy on one side. The fish was cooked nicely, but its flavor was masked by the gravy. I was very disappointed that I paid $ 16.99 for the dish, but do not believe in sending food back.

The reincarnation of Louie’s is a welcome sight for the BR faithful; it’s bigger and bolder without losing much of its former self. The new location is just around the corner from State St, featuring a more spacious parking lot, a drive thru (?) and a menu with all of the original classics. More importantly, it’s one of the only 24 hour spots in the entire city.
The diner décor (checkered floor, 50s style bar swivel seats, etc.) is still very much alive to a point where I’m sure old timers revisiting might still believe they’re in the original Louie’s. The iconic counter setup is more minimal; but the tables /​booths are rockin’ hard. They actually have a waiting area now for take out customers and they’re finally accepting credit cards. Cash only is now a thing of the past.
On a food front, not much has changed. The menu is still dominated by breakfast and sandwiches /​burgers and I am sense is consistent with the old location. My breakfast platter of an omelette ($ 11) and cheesy sausage hashbrowns ($ 7.50) feels admittedly pricey, but the food was as heart attack worthy as ever. These hashbrowns are more like home fries (a la east coast) and the omelette was shaped like a square. Atraditional execution aside, the food was good enough for a late night meal /​early bird breakfast.
There are more staff than ever, which I suppose is a good thing for the crowds they see night in and night out. I didn’t have the best waitress during my time here, she as forgetful and rushed to take care of other covers. I didn’t particularly appreciate the auto-​gratuity (no no!), but I suppose this is their way of combating cheap-​o students and credit card fees.
I’ll still return of course, but the rating stays at 4 stars for now. See you at 3am, Louie.

Nicer atmosphere, same great food, same great service. Always get those lovely hashbrowns!

Seemingly, the only diner of its kind in Baton Rouge, Louie’s is a gem. Perfectly greasy and might I add, a touch more refined since the upgrade from the roach motel the restaurant once occupied, to the transformed Wendy’s that it currently resides. Perfectly wedged off of Chimes street and open ²⁴⁄₇. I truly feel for the staff at 2am on any given Sunday morning during spring and fall semesters.
Now that I’ve dissected the location, the food is
Basic, but done right. Your coffee cup will stay full and your eggs will come out over easy, if you so choose. You can’t really ask for much more in a breakfast diner, in my opinion. But Louie’s offers omelettes, pancakes and lunch items as well. I can’t say I remember much about those items, but I also can’t say I’ve seen the building from the inside with the Sun shining either. Coincidence? Maybe. You’ll have to ask my friend Jack.

Our service here started out really… interestingly. The lady who was seating people didn’t seem to know what to do at all. Upon entering she was telling people there was a 45 minute wait, causing some to leave. There were clearly 4 – 5 tables open and bar seats. Waiters and bussers were walking around telling her there were open tables and how many to seat there… needless to say, the wait was more like 5 minutes (telling her your name and waiting for a waiter or busser to yell, point, and show her how many people a table could fit).
Once we were seated, the waiter was pleasant. I have to admit, he was the type to take an order without writing it down and I was worried he would get it wrong because… well…he seemed stoned. But, my judgmental self, was proved wrong when everything came out correctly; I had placed an order with some substitutions, then changed one in the middle so I was sure it was going to be wrong… but I was shown not to judge a book by its cover. Not only was my complicated order correct, but the waiter constantly made sure we had everything we needed and kept the coffee cup filled. I was pleased to be wrong.
On to the food… it was just ok. I ordered the Chops and Eggs — scrambled w/​cheese and subbed buttermilk pancakes for the toast. The dish came with hash brown/​potatoes also. The pork chops were thin and overcooked (dried out). The eggs were more fried and less scrambled. The pancakes were DENSE… like biscuit batter cooked in the shape of a pancake. The hash brown/​potatoes were delicious though… but one out of four isn’t awesome.
3-​stars for the stellar service, great potatoes, and strong coffee.

As others have mentioned the parking is a mess. When we got inside the lady working the front was not the most observant. She was clearly missing places for people to sit. Then after a while the helpful guy bussing the tables would tell her, and then she would seem surprised then tell people to sit there. We watched happen the entire time we were there. We were told it was a 45 minute wait and then it was 10. The food was decent but very greasy and salty. I enjoyed the potatoes with cheese and jalapenos. You get a lot of food here. Our waiter was great and kept the coffee flowing. I would probably come back.