Two great items tonight--hush puppies and duck poppers. Everything else, including the service, was sub par unfortunately. The upside, our waiter may have scored a date with the hostess...he spent enough time chatting her up in any case. We left hungry and had to make a second stop. Little Village to the rescue.
(2)
Alex K.
Bought a groupon - had $50 dollars to spend on food. We decided to get tapas. We split - Abita beer shrimp - Bacon wrapped dates - southern egg rolls - fried quail -brocolini The southern eggs rolls and friend quail were both good, but nothing special. The abita beer shrimp was very good, but a bit pricey for what you got. The sauce was a bit too sweet for me. The bacon wrapped dates were the best thing we had by a mile. The brocolini was way too small for the amount we paid - and it just tasted like garlic. Overall, it was a good meal, and a good price with the groupon. I would probably not go again unless I got a discount.
(4)
Jesse T.
Nice, clean place to eat. Nice ambiance. Bar. TV above the bar. Dark wood. Tapas menu. Lots to choose from here. Here's what we had (three grown men): Lobster Mac & Cheese Muffaletta Pie Duck Pappardelle LA Crab Cakes Plus, one guy ate the Wedge Salad. Beer selection - just okay. Nothing to write home about. Everything was good, but that Pappardelle was my favorite. Dee-Licious!
(4)
Christine W.
We bought a groupon for $50 and were excited to try the place out, after reading so many positive reviews on the food. We went at 8:30 on a Wednesday night. There were several tables already seated, but it was not crowded. Our server was friendly, attentive and knowledge about the menu. We ordered a glass of wine each and several tapas: duck poppers, duck and oyster gumbo, KFC Korean chicken, and crab and shrimp casserole. The gumbo was flavorless and lacking both duck and oysters. It was just a bowl of thick dark gravy with rice. The chicken was well cooked. The Korean sauce was thin and did not stick to the chicken. Good flavor, but it was just fried chicken. The poppers were tasty, but small portion. The bacon was undercooked, making it chewy. Could not taste the duck at all. The casserole was slightly undercooked, leaving the crumb topping hard and the casserole warm, but not hot. Flavor was good and there was a lot of shrimp and crab. The food was not bad, but we had higher expectations for the place. We were glad we had the Groupon.
(3)
Sara R.
Loved this place!!! The food has absolutely amazing flavor and is very filling. We went out on a limb and tried the soft shell crab sliders to find out we aren't huge fans of soft shell crab. The manager rounded on us a couple of times throughout our meal and when he found out we didn't love the soft shell crab he offered us a substitution of our choice. Great service from our server. Great drinks from the bartender. Great experience overall and we'd recommend it to anyone! Definitely try the Duck Poppers, Bon Temp Shrimp, and Strawberry Mojito.
(5)
Priscell E.
I celebrated my 32nd birthday here with my friends. The food is fun! Its nor your typical dinner date style food. We enjoyed cocktails and delicious complimentary popcorn while we waited for our delicious entrees. They even accommodated my Berries Chantilly cake in the freezer. The location is in the heart of the downtown. Perfect for dinner and dancing! Come with an open mind and prepare to be amazed!
(5)
Jesse T.
Nice, clean place to eat. Nice ambiance. Bar. TV above the bar. Dark wood. Tapas menu. Lots to choose from here. Here's what we had (three grown men): Lobster Mac & Cheese Muffaletta Pie Duck Pappardelle LA Crab Cakes Plus, one guy ate the Wedge Salad. Beer selection - just okay. Nothing to write home about. Everything was good, but that Pappardelle was my favorite. Dee-Licious!
(4)
Alex K.
Bought a groupon - had $50 dollars to spend on food. We decided to get tapas. We split - Abita beer shrimp - Bacon wrapped dates - southern egg rolls - fried quail -brocolini The southern eggs rolls and friend quail were both good, but nothing special. The abita beer shrimp was very good, but a bit pricey for what you got. The sauce was a bit too sweet for me. The bacon wrapped dates were the best thing we had by a mile. The brocolini was way too small for the amount we paid - and it just tasted like garlic. Overall, it was a good meal, and a good price with the groupon. I would probably not go again unless I got a discount.
(4)
Lori M.
Two great items tonight--hush puppies and duck poppers. Everything else, including the service, was sub par unfortunately. The upside, our waiter may have scored a date with the hostess...he spent enough time chatting her up in any case. We left hungry and had to make a second stop. Little Village to the rescue.
(2)
Christine W.
We bought a groupon for $50 and were excited to try the place out, after reading so many positive reviews on the food. We went at 8:30 on a Wednesday night. There were several tables already seated, but it was not crowded. Our server was friendly, attentive and knowledge about the menu. We ordered a glass of wine each and several tapas: duck poppers, duck and oyster gumbo, KFC Korean chicken, and crab and shrimp casserole. The gumbo was flavorless and lacking both duck and oysters. It was just a bowl of thick dark gravy with rice. The chicken was well cooked. The Korean sauce was thin and did not stick to the chicken. Good flavor, but it was just fried chicken. The poppers were tasty, but small portion. The bacon was undercooked, making it chewy. Could not taste the duck at all. The casserole was slightly undercooked, leaving the crumb topping hard and the casserole warm, but not hot. Flavor was good and there was a lot of shrimp and crab. The food was not bad, but we had higher expectations for the place. We were glad we had the Groupon.
(3)
Sara R.
Loved this place!!! The food has absolutely amazing flavor and is very filling. We went out on a limb and tried the soft shell crab sliders to find out we aren't huge fans of soft shell crab. The manager rounded on us a couple of times throughout our meal and when he found out we didn't love the soft shell crab he offered us a substitution of our choice. Great service from our server. Great drinks from the bartender. Great experience overall and we'd recommend it to anyone! Definitely try the Duck Poppers, Bon Temp Shrimp, and Strawberry Mojito.
(5)
Priscell E.
I celebrated my 32nd birthday here with my friends. The food is fun! Its nor your typical dinner date style food. We enjoyed cocktails and delicious complimentary popcorn while we waited for our delicious entrees. They even accommodated my Berries Chantilly cake in the freezer. The location is in the heart of the downtown. Perfect for dinner and dancing! Come with an open mind and prepare to be amazed!
(5)
James C.
Ok, so the food was excellent, the service left much to be desired. I ordered an appetizer, salad, and main course. My salad and main course came together and appetizer came well after my meal was complete. There were three items on the menu that were no longer available. Again, everything was delicious, so don't write it off.
(3)
Jason L.
2 buddies and I came to eat at IPO tonight and I wanted to share my experience. Let's start with the food: My friends and I decided to share all the food so we ordered a McDow burger, BBQ shrimp, and duck poppers. The burger was great, the bbq shrimp and grits were okay, and the duck poppers were pretty awesome. Overall we enjoyed the food. The drinks: we ordered a few speciality cocktails can't remember off the top of my head which ones but they were prepared nicely and quickly. The service: The restaurant seemed pretty busy initially. Although the food took quite a while to come out, our waiter (Ricky) made sure he kept us updated. He also suggested food and drinks to us as this was our first time ever at IPO, which really helped. The only thing I would have to complain about is the music, it was a bit loud. I also think the bathrooms could have been a bit cleaner. However, overall I would recommend IPO. The food, drinks, and service were all worth the price.
(4)
Vyoracious K.
I have been at this restaurant twice. The first time I excused the experience for being fairly new restaurant but the second time around will most likely be my last. Upon arrival, we walked into an extremely loud dining room. I think the way the restaurant was constructed enabled sound to bounce off the walls and ceiling because I found myself having to yell to be heard.....by the person sitting directly next to me. Secondly, the menu font was extremely small and hard to read that we felt like old farts holding the menu literally 2 inches from our faces to read it. My friend finally had to take pictures with her phone to blow it up to a readable size. The menu is divided with tapas/appetizers, soups/salads, and then the entrees. We each opted for a tapa each and a salad since we weren't that hungry. I got the 3 mini fish tacos. These were the tiniest tacos ever about two inches long and the entire thing was $9! I don't think the food justified the outrageous price of $3 for a two inch long taco no matter how good it was. The purpose of tapas is that you have small plates for sharing or where you can order a few to make it a meal, not charge close to the price of an entree for one plate at such a measly portion. My friends salad, the size of a small salad was also $9, I have gotten salads that lasted me for days for much less. All in all another disappointing experience. The only thing it has going for it is its location downtown near all the bars.
(2)
Shelly C.
Baton Rouge on a Monday night. Hard to get a sense of the town, but Restaurant IPO was a great intro to BR. Loved the natural woods and brick inside and what could be better than bacon Cajun popcorn instead of bread! Go for the Southern Tapas--Bayou Eggs and Bon Temp Shrimp were flavor explosions well executed. Excellent service from Joe. The old South has never been tastier!
(5)
Emily S.
Service was awful and seating is cramped. We made reservations and then waited almost 10 minutes at the hostess-less hostess station while restaurant was nearly empty without being greeted by staff. Once hostess returned from her liquor run for the bar she seated us 8 inches away from another couple in a restaurant that had maybe 15 guests eating at the time. After another 10 minutes of our server never coming to greet us we left. I've heard great things about their chef, and loved when he was at Stroubes, but I'm not going to wait through the horrible service to see if his food at IPO is as good as it was at Stroubes. We won't be back.
(1)
Leslie M.
Absolutely terrible service! Waiting for over an hour to get our food (group of 6). The place was not even half way full. The server brought some of the food out and the final plate didn't come out until everyone was done. Then when we complained they took the food away. Very disappointed!
(1)
Jessica E.
I've been to IPO a few times now in the short time that it has been open and overall I think it is good. I love the exposed brick and wood decor and think it is a great addition to the downtown lunch and dinner scene. IPO has several items that really push the envelope when it comes to fusion food, at least in Baton Rouge. But I think my favorite (and the best!) items on the menu are the ones that are a bit more basic, like the tuna steak, steak and frites, grits and grillads, heirloom tomato salad, grilled Caesar salad, caprese salad, and duck crepe. Hopefully they will one day bring back the curried mussels-- my favorite! However, some items miss the mark a bit. For example, the last time I was there for lunch, I had the bahn mi style French dip sandwich which is supposed to come with pho for dipping. Now, I didn't expect much since it isn't a Vietnamese place, but I definitely didn't expect the "pho" to basically be au jus sauce. So if you are like me, hoping to have a side of soup with the sandwich, may want to gravitate elsewhere. The sandwich is okay, but calling it pho is really misleading. One other tip-- their blue cheese frites with the truffle gravy are pretty good, but get the cheese and gravy on the side. That way, your fries stay crisp the entire time you are eating. Else then get a little soggy midway through. There have been some comments on the service-- yeah, it can be kind of slow some days. I think they are understaffed. But I have always found the servers to be very polite and accommodating, so I don't mind the wait. But if you are in a rush, might want to go elsewhere. But if you are not, kick back with one of their yummy cocktails and give IPO a try!
(4)
Nicole C.
Delicious food with a great ambiance. So glad this restaurant is in downtown Baton Rouge - great place to have dinner with friends.
(5)
Jonathan S.
I have to say I'm glad restaurant week featured this location because otherwise I probably wouldn't have looked at this place. It was great! The atmosphere is chic and modern. This is more of a foodies paradise with new twists on conventional items. The bayou eggs which are simply a deviled egg with bacon and an oyster on top coated with caramelized onions had a flavor combination that will leave you expecting. The gumbo is as good as you could expect coming out of the heart of Louisiana. However, the char grilled oysters were nothing special, but good none the less. I don't see it conforming with the way the rest of the menu seems to knock it out of the park. The steak was great, but you might get a bad cut. Mine was full of flavor but fat as well, and my buddies was missing some size. My girlfriends was good but over cooked for a rare that was more of a medium. I honestly think they switched our steaks as I ordered a rare plus. ...She got the short end of the stick because I wasn't giving up that deliciousness. The desserts are phenomenal. They really went the extra mile in the creation and execution of them. They are plated and thought out very well. The bread pudding had pop rocks in it and really put a smile on my face. The chocolate pate was amazing and served with roasted marshmallows making it only that much better. We can't forget the great drinks they had as well. I had a ginger margarita which I couldn't get enough of, and my girlfriend had something that was fruity with a heck of a kick. All in all, I can't wait to go back to this place.
(4)
Rebecca W.
Great food. Great atmosphere. Spot-on service. Awesome wine list. I love the deviled egg thing, duck crepe, and scallops. My husband had the steak on our last visit and devoured it. Just try all the tapas, you can't go wrong! A bit loud and crowded on Friday night, but we found if you go earlier or on a week day (they have really sweet deals at happy hour) it's more chill.
(5)
Amanda H.
This is a great place to go with friends in the downtown area. The small plates allow you to order lots of different things and share bites of each. I especially like the "poutine" made with blue cheese crumbles, the grits and grillades, and the crawfish pot pie.
(3)
D T.
I wrote a largely positive review of IPO over a year ago and have come back several times since and enjoyed the food. However, I feel the need to revisit that review after an extremely negative experience at the upstairs bar owned by the same people. Last night, A white guy who is way too drunk on the balcony starts making overtly racist comments at two people of color. They try to diffuse things but he keeps escalating. A fight breaks out. Some bouncers come and break up the fight. We assume that the bouncers are escorting all of those involved in the fight out of the bar, but they only escort out the people of color. The white dude is left behind and proceeds to throw a chair over the balcony. A man whom we presume to be another bouncer comes and escorts the angry dude away, we presume out of the bar. As we prepare to leave ourselves we realize that the white guy who instigated the fight and threw a chair over the balcony is not only still in the bar but has been given a drink by the man who we thought was a bouncer but is in fact, the bartender tells us, the OWNER of the bar. One of us confronts the owner about why this man is still there, threatening violence, when the other folks have been kicked out. He says "I went to high school with that guy, get out of my face" When another bouncer does finally come to escort the instigator of the fight away he yells "white power" as he makes his way down third street. I wish I were making any part of this up, but I'm not. Hard to blame a rogue employee when the OWNER is engaging is such discrimination and supporting a racist ass hole over keeping the patrons of his bar safe and defending the most basic of civil rights. This disgusting display made it clear to me that the owner of IPO and The Office values his relationship with his racist high school classmate over the safety and dignity of his customers. Eat their over priced tapas at your own risk.
(1)
Rebecca W.
"A downtown treasure". The flourishing downtown Baton Rouge has become quite the spot for hip, swanky and posh restaurants that have a variety of crowds flocking to them. Restaurant IPO is one of my newest downtown favorites. The look of the restaurant is sleek and modern, perfect for post-work get-togethers or cozy date nights. A date night was in order for my and my husband, so this was the ideal spot for us! We came in on a very busy Saturday night and sat at the bar. Thankfully, the bar was not crowded, so there were 2 spots waiting just for me and my lovely date - my hubby. The bartender was super sweet and was very attentive! There were so many sumptuous choices on the menu, so it was very hard to decide. I turned to the Yelp reviews and found that the duck crepe & bayou eggs were a crowd favorite, so we ordered those 2 items in addition to the IPO salad! As we waited, we were given a small bucket of their "Bacon Cajun Caramel Popcorn"... boy was that deliciously decadent... WOWZA!! It took a hot minute for our dishes to arrive, but completely understood because they were extremely busy and I was thrilled that they were busy... always a great sign! For those that have read my previous reviews know that I am a lover of duck dishes! The duck crepe was an absolute delight... it was light and filled with a perfect amount of duck meat! My husband and I were ready to lick the plate! The bayou eggs were different and quite tasty... a very posh deviled egg! The egg was topped with deep fried oysters... yummmm!! I have also read that this dish comes in another variation - crawfish instead of oysters. The IPO salad was a refreshing finish to our meal and helped. This place had such lovely ambiance and I will definitely be returning!
Foodies will appreciate! I would say that some items are lower on fat that I would have expected. The bisque was not as thick as most I've had, but it had all the same flavor and deliciousness! The duck crepe with goat cheese and mushrooms was delectable but I didn't see any skin or fat pieces or much meat... The flavor was fabulous don't get me wrong, but don't expect Asian Market amounts of duck in that particular dish. Maybe the duck Entree' is more of what I was looking for. I'm definitely coming back to IPO with friends to try out as many tapas as possible!
(5)
Steele B.
What's going on here lately?? I have been here about 15 times over the last 2 years. Last few trips were mediocre and the last was not good. Chips were cold. Duck egg rolls were bad. I usually like them. They were out of 3 items ordered. We only ordered 6... "New bartender" excuse for slow drink service. We closed out before we were done eating and finished our night at another restaurant. I must say our waitress was very nice and attentive though. It's the only reason for the third star. Other 2 stars are for atmosphere and location. Cool spot. I will wait a few months to work out these problems and give it one more shot. I want to like it! I hope to edit my review for the better down the road.
(3)
Jermainne B.
I had a lovely evening at IPO the other tonight. Jessica, our server was attentive, friendly, and accommodating. She was outstanding with both timeliness and accuracy of orders. The food was excellent! We did tapas and shared bites. From what I tasted, the winners were the flatbread, gnocchi, duck poppers, and the bayou eggs. The only thing that was missing was the scallop and mushroom soup which was thick and creamy, but lacked texture and was only slightly warm. Overall, I have an excellent experience and meal! I will try again.
(3)
Susan K.
So happy to have this inventive and delicious tapas restaurant downtown. Great for lunch and dinner. The dishes bring Cajun flare to tapas. LOVE the Bayou Eggs
(4)
Grant M.
So I flew into Baton Rouge to do some work. I stayed downtown and nearby my hotel was Restaurant IPO. It is really good. It was a Monday night so the staff outnumbered the customers which was cool because you could all just chat. I sat at the bar, and ordered the Bayou Eggs and Shrimp and Grits. It was just perfect. The Shrimp and Grits was awesome, not sure what is in that sauce, but it was great. The staff was great too. Will definitely recommend and go back to this place!
(4)
Zeb G.
Food was generally good. Our server was quite green and could use some help. But we had a good time overall Ordered; Duck Poppers, Charcuterie, caprese board, asparagus, bacon wrapped dates. Duck poppers were good, Not sure if you could tell it was duck or not over the bacon and jalapeno. Charcuterie board, had many selections or meats, but was kind of mono-tone on the sausages. I would suggest a pate or headcheese in place of some of them. The cheese selection was a joke, cheddar, colby-jack, a mild white cheese (provolone). The one cheese we really liked was a white cheese studded with dark flecks, we asked waiter what it was, he asked the kitchen, they replied 'English Cheddar', not quite.... Caprese board; Tomatoes, basil and dark balsamic were on point. The cheese itself was a huge miss. It was a firm mozzarella, reminded very much of the big block of Kraft in my grandma's fridge. Caprese should only be made with fresh mozzarella. Asparagus, the fried egg on top was cooked to fast, bottom was dark and chewy, eggs should be fried slow enough to not take collor. The asparagus itself was not trimmed or pealed, so the bottom half of it was very stringy. They were also over cooked and kind of mushy. I tried to cut through it, saw how stringy and mushy it was and didn't eat a bite. Bacon wrapped dates were the delicious nuggets of love i was hopping for. So over all a better showing than I was expecting in Baton Rouge, but still room to improve.
(3)
Angela R.
My husband and I came in for dinner last night and had a mediocre experience. Almost half of their beers on tap were out and there were no IPA options in bottle. Our waiter was nice but was obviously new and knew very little about the menu. The food was good and it's definitely a place we want to try again after management gets things together a bit better.
(3)
Brittany B.
Went there for my 21st birthday. Service was awful and it wasn't even packed. Everyone's dinner dish came out separately. Portions aren't that great especially for the price. I love the atmosphere but they didn't even know how to make a blueberry lemon drop martini. Won't go back.
(2)
Paul N.
Very cool vibe. Reminds me of Brooklyn NY. The food consists mainly of tapas. This place is always packed so you may have to wait a little longer for food and service. So glad this concept is here in Baton Rouge.
(5)
Stacy P.
Love this place! The chef(s) take ordinary foods and bump them up to extraordinary. For example, the Bayou Eggs. Just deviled eggs, right? Wrong! My mom's deviled eggs never had crawfish and tassi mixed in with fried oysters on top. I love you, mom, but these are the best deviled eggs I've ever had! There's something for every taste and the one time I had room for dessert, the white chocolate bread pudding was to die for!
(4)
Pacience S.
I've been here 3 or 4 times and I've been a bit more underwhelmed with each visit. My husband sticks with the Ribeye Burger which I find to be somewhat greasy and doesn't have a good balance of richness and acid though the pickled red onions are good they just aren't enough. On my most recent visit I had the daily lunch special which I had high hopes for as it was described as buttermilk brined wings and thighs, however upon ordering I was informed that the chicken was actually chicken tenders. Bummer to say the least as if wanted chicken tenders I would have headed over to Cane's which really no one can beat when it comes to tenders but I decided to keep an open mind. The tenders were breaded nicely but the breading came off easily and what was left were kinda blah chicken tenders with what the menu described as a light sweet potato donut. Donut i'm not so sure about it tasted a bit scorched and more like pumpkin than sweet potato and added nothing to dish which in essence was soggy tenders with a weird donut, a few micro greens and some possibly reduced Steen's syrup. In all a big disappointment even the house salad was full of wilted black and slimy lettuce and a cucumber slice that tasted as if it had been stored cut next to raw fish, not a good way to start a meal though it didn't really get any better.
(3)
Robert M.
I always appreciate when someone is trying to do something new in Baton Rouge, and IPO does that. The location is great and the atmosphere is really cool. IT's a fun place to go on a date or double date before drinks downtown. I would advise picking out a bunch of their small plates and digging in. Their entrees are always interesting and sound great, but to me don't quite measure up. Either the execution just isn't there or they are sometimes just trying to do a BIT too much with the ingredients themselves, like the food is just overthought it a little too much and the ingredients get weighed down. But again, I enjoy eating here and the location and ambience is great.
(3)
Lucy W.
Delicious tapas- my favorites were the flatbread and the summer corn gnocchi. I would stick to beer...the cocktails were overly sweet. Great casual atmosphere...we sat at a tall table in the middle of the restaurant. Service was a little spotty from a young server.
(4)
Doughty V.
A top restaurant in Baton Rouge, especially in downtown area. Love the atmosphere and tapas seating. Upstairs bar is a cool environment and love the decor. Fun games and availability for private parties in separate room. I've only ever been for dinner. Menu is fantastic from very popular chef. Small plate style for much of the menu but still nice portion size. The grilled Caesar and bayou eggs are two of my faves. Also love duck poppers and gnocchi. That sea scallop bisque is to die for. Plenty to choose from on menu. Not that many seats so if it's busy, there may be a wait. Go upstairs and have a drink! Or make a reservation. This is a must do!
(5)
Latrina R.
I met my friend here for dinner and drinks after work. I'll say that they got 3 stars on the location and dessert only. Let's start with the wait staff..... Umm sub par! When you get their attention it works, if you don't have their attention then that sucks for you. So the food: the free popcorn is really good. It was the highlight of my night. My friend ordered turtle soup that was less than appetizing. It was so salty I think my blood pressure tripled with each spoon full. Then I got the steak frites and she had the lamb frites. My steak was ordered medium and it was delivered medium rare. It was salty as well. Once I got past the salt, the taste wasn't that bad. The frites could have done without the gravy, and the meal would have been much better. Her lamb was just ok. For $30 I would want it to be better than ok. For dessert we had bread pudding. Now it was delish! I had the sazerac to drink, I'm not sure why, but it tasted flat. But with the bread pudding it was nice. Needless to say.... I probably won't be back
(3)
Elizabeth H.
Had our Christmas party catered here.. food was very sub par. Bread pudding was about the only good thing on the menu. Atmosphere was nice but bar tenders were definitely few and far between and not really good. Don't think I'd try again.
(3)
Sabrina V.
Well we attempted to dine at IPO today for lunch but once we sat ourselves ( no hostess at 11 am for opening) and was brought the wrong menu, the waiter informed us that they were out of the fish, shrimp, muscles, burger, and portabellos among other menu items. Apparently they had a packed Saturday night and all the food had been consumed and the truck that was supposed to arrive at 10:30 was late. Why is a food truck delivering at 10:30 when you open at 11?!!! They should have closed today for no XXX food. Anyway, this wasn't the first time this has happened to me here.....so my friend and I excused ourselves and went next door for lunch.
(2)
Blaze N.
Just put food on a fancy plate and charge 30 bucks. Service was bad, we all ordered waters but they only brought 2. And we asked later but they didn't bring it. I ordered a medium stake and it was well to medium well. If I pay $30 for a stake I would like to taste it. Wouldn't go again, if made 100 k I guess I would conciter eating again.
(2)
Laine W.
My husband and I went here for a date night and really enjoyed the ambience and the food. It has a warm, modern decor and feels very inviting. I had the sweet fashion (a citrus infused take on an old fashion). It was strong and well balanced, always a great start to the evening. We split a few tapas-- the gnocchi, tacos, and egg rolls. All had interesting flavor combinations and tasted sophisticated and fresh. The only reason I haven't given it 5 stars is because our first order of gnocchi came out cold and although they did refire the dish, no one from management came over to speak with us and no offers were made to go above and beyond to rectify the situation. That, to me, is a service that really sets a restaurant apart. But other than that, we were very pleased with the food and drinks, and would definitely come back!
(4)
Lynette L.
Confession. I love Chef Varnedoe. I loved him at Stroubes (not worth going to since he left, imo), so much so that we had our wedding dinner there and I was excited to go to IPO when my husband made reservations for our anniversary dinner. If I weren't married to the sexiest man on the planet I would consider stalking the poor man in the hopes that duck cracklins would fall from his chef's coat. I was a bit worried by some of the reviews on here, but I should have known better. It was just the two of us, so we didn't have that much off the menu, but everything was excellent. The service was very pleasant as well and the location was good for walking around downtown. Here's what we had: Cocktails: Ramos Gin Fizz. This was good, didn't knock my socks off, but nice. The cocktail menu is the only thing I could find to improve (bit more variety). The drinks on the menu very much suited my taste, but my husband didn't see anything that he found appealing and he stuck to water. The bar seemed well stocked and the bartenders knowledgeable, so I would imagine they could make just about whatever you liked. App: Duck Poppers. Serious yum. It was small, even for an app (four small pieces, would think 5-6 for the size), but it was so good I wouldn't mind ordering another plate. Or 4. Entrees: Hubby had the Asian Cajun (tuna) and he very much enjoyed it. I had the Downtown Duck and I would very nearly classify it as life changing. How had I never had duck cracklin before? It was so good I was bouncing up and down on the seat and got a little misty eyed. Hubby started to fuss, but I shoved my fork in his mouth and he piped down. Despite many other reviews commenting on small servings, we both felt that the entrees were the perfect size. I did not even finish mine. Dessert: Cheesecake ( if I recall correctly, with a sunflower crust and Grand Marnier soaked raisins). Some people would find this small to share (the size of a small ramekin), but we thought it was perfect. Yes, I would have eaten more if it had been there, but I like to leave the restaurant without feeling overdone. I know it was just cheesecake, but this had an incredibly lovely flavor and we really enjoyed it. Verdict? I went to bed thinking of my next visit and wondering if Amazon would ship me duck cracklin by the case load. I absolutely cannot wait to go back. ---edited to raise from 4 stars to 5, because, honestly it was one of my favorite meals ever and that means going up against some amazing restaurants in places like New Orleans and Boston. It gets the extra star for being in Baton Rouge but not letting the location set the standard.
(5)
Jennifer M.
Ive been to many tapas style restaurants and I was expecting a lot more from this place. I would give the food 2.5 stars and the service ( at least this particular server 1 star) I think people may be fooled by the hip decor and lavish menu, but when it came down to the inspection of the food it was mediocre at best. I would like to try the place again as the menu changes per season. I may come back and edit my review if I do so in a few months. Chances are I will see how the next 5 reviews go and then decide if I will give it a second chance with a new menu. Overall, looks can be deceiving. Your not that hip.
(2)
Swatee G.
Walking into this super chic restaurant, the first thing that caught my eye (after the nice, rustic decor that is) was the server tees - All of them were imprinted with 'Eat Drink Stay' at the back. It made me laugh out loud really, it sounded so cheesy - but let me assure you, the place makes you want to do just that... Eat good food, Drink some super yummy concoctions from the bar and just Stay and hang out a bit longer! :) As part of our 'Bi-weekly Outing' (Yes, I work with an awesome group of people who insist on having regular fun sessions!), we ended up at this brand new place - Thanks Kevin, for making it happen! I am super happy to be the first one reviewing this place! In my opinion, this is the perfect place for an after work Happy Hour, a casual date or a fun meeting with friends in Baton Rouge! The place is decently sized, with a great bar (and an awesome bartender), and perfect seating. The decor is hip/ trendy mixed with rustic - very bohemian! Since we were a rowdy bunch of over 20 people, we ended up being seated at this long Family Style table in the middle of the restaurant. Chef Chris came out to greet us and give us a rundown on who things worked at the restaurant. He promised to keep the assorted Tapas coming till we wanted, with 3-4 plates of each dish. Our only request was to make sure each round came with a couple of vegetarian options, give the makeup of our group. I let the bartender surprise me, and she hooked me up with the awesome Strawberry-Basil Martini with Malibu as the base... Was my drink straight from Malibu/ strawberry heaven? Yes! Did my server make sure I got my share of refills? Yes, yes! Did other people enjoy their drinks? Yes, Yes, YES! So now that I have taken the alcohol off of my mind :), let me go on to the food! Be prepared to be stunned by the variety that is about to follow yelpers, this is going to be a long review!! Bayou Eggs - We got 2 versions of this dish - one with flash fried oysters on top (I don't like oysters, so I wasn't a fan), and the other with fried crawfish on top - the eggs were smooth and the crawfish perfectly sized bites! Absolutely loved it! Strawberry Spinach Salad - Candied pecans and the super yummy warm sugar cane vinegarette made this dish a great hit! Bon Temp Shrimp - Perfect breading, nicely fried in a rich creamy sauce. Another excellent dish Heirloom Salad - The fried okra threw me off a bit, I was not really impressed. Curried Mussels - Sweet and spicy is perfect for a description here! I could not taste the curry flavor at all for some reason (maybe my taste buds are too Indian! :p ), but this dish definitely lived up to its name and the hype created by our server. The sauce was so yummy, we all made a deep dive into the bowl with pieces of bread to soup up the curried sauce, lol..! Blue Cheese Frites - The flavor of the blue cheese was a bit too strong for me, and there was a certain nutty bitterness to the dish, may have been from the truffle. Judging from out half eaten dishes strewn across our long table, I can safely say the dish was not really a popular one with anyone. Buffalo Bruschetta - Tomato and Mozzarella make an excellent combination and add basil to the mix, it's my personal bruschetta heaven! This dish was great. I can't say I have never had better bruschetta, but it was pretty decent. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay long enough for dessert, but I heard everyone loved whatever desserts they have (I personally plan to be back to get try them for myself) Check out their menu online, they have some great stuff going for them. Given that it was their first week in when we visited them, the service was a little jittery and chaotic, but I really feel (and hope) it will improve as the days progress! Will love to be back to try some more entrees and their desserts! Good job, IPO!
(4)
Katelyn S.
My type of restaurant! I love putting random ingredients together to come up with crazy food combinations, and that's exactly what Restaurant IPO does. As an appetizer my boyfriend and I ordered the grits and grillades along with the pequeno tacos. For the main dish, we split the individual flatbread and fried yard bird (which was like a gourmet chicken and waffles). Warning: the portions are small, but the food is rich and packed with flavor! The environment is upscale yet comfortable - absolutely perfect for a birthday meal with friends. The only disappointing thing was the hour and a half time limit we had to eat because the restaurant was booked with reservations at 7. I suggest you either get there early like we did for a quick meal, or make a reservation!
(5)
Shane M.
The food is very good if your willing to wait. Servers seemed nice but undertrained and understaffed. Expect to seat yourself, get your own menu and ask for refills. There is zero initiative at this restaurant. The two stars are only because I really enjoyed the blue on black burger.
(2)
Barry K.
I love this type of restaraunt. It has a true downtown type of feel and a modern menu. The menu changes seasonally and usually every thing is usually pretty good. On my most recent visit I got the fried yard bird entree. I really wasn't overly impressed. It was just fried chicken with cane syrup (too sweet for me). So i would recommend that you try the tapas. I can't pick a favorite so I recommend you try them all!
(4)
Christine S.
Really am awesome find our first trip to Baton Rouge. After a long day of travel in hot and humid weather the inviting cool entry beckoned with a lovely Sauvignon Blanc. Carmel bacon popcorn brought to the table is tasty. Best tapas so far: gnocci and the gumbo was Louisiana perfect - dark and smokey - Amazing! Need to come back to try more...
(5)
Natasha G.
I came on an off night (LSU game) so there was only one other party in the restaurant and the food hadn't been prepared too thoughtfully. I ordered the Bayou Eggs, Pequeno Tacos, and Truffle Spaghetti (this works for one hungry person or two grazers). The Tacos and Spaghetti were disappointments. Tacos were cold, tasteless, and pretty uninspired -- I couldn't even figure out where the fish was in them. The three tacos each sat in a fat mound of sour cream, which is nice if you like sour cream but seemed to contribute to the blandness of the dish overall. The Spaghetti, while conceptually solid, lacked a bit in execution. The pasta was cooked a bit past al dente and the sauce didn't wow me. I did like the truffle oil-drizzled bread on top, but I was confused by the four grape tomatoes haphazardly hanging out on the plate, and the meatballs were tasteless. Tomatoes were past their sell-by date, it seemed. Finally, the Bayou Eggs -- these were pretty good, but also lukewarm. Your deviled eggs can be cold, or they can be warm, but these were neither. I did like the fried oyster on top and the crunchy bits inside, though I think the seasoning was a little lacking. Perhaps this meal lacked flavor because LSU was losing as the chefs were cooking in the kitchen, but I can't really recommend this place based on my experience there.
(3)
Naveed B.
There is a lot to like about Restaurant IPO. The location is great and the ambience is excellent. They have really good music in the background. The bar is nice and the drink list is large for a restaurant this small(though the beer list leaves much to be desired). The presentation of the food is beautiful. This place has a lot of style. My biggest complaint about this place is the food. I'm not sure what is off about it, but it tastes off. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but the food isn't that good. It looks beautiful, it smells great, but the taste isn't there. I really it's just that I'm ordering the wrong menu items, because I really want to like this place. The food is just way too expensive for expensive for what you get though. If IPO fixes whatever it is that is wrong with the food, as I could easily see myself bumping this place up a star or two. That being said, this is a great place to bring a date for a drink and maybe an item or two off of the tapas menu.
(3)
Lisa S.
This restauarant has great decor, a great vibe and very interesting menu, so I wanted to really, really like it! But unfortunately, only about half the things we ordered I really enjoyed and the rest really under-delivered. I came here with some people from work and since we had the corporate card in hand, we ordered quite a bit. We got the free popcorn to start which was sooooo great! Seriously that stuff is crack. Can't. stop. eating. it. So that was good. Also the pork and grits and crispy gulf shrimp tapas plates were excellent! I ordered just the house burger and it was nottttt good. Really bland and dry and the fries were TERRIBLE. Seriously they were not good. As if they'd been sitting out for awhile just waiting to be served. I barely at half of the burger. Also the blue cheese fries and ceviche-type tapas were not great either. Just did not taste how they should. So others in my group got the duck entree and the tacos and they seemed to enjoy them. Oh, also we got the pecan pie and it was GREAT! I do not even like pecan pie, but this was awesome, definitely recommend to save room for it! Lastly, the service was ok...took a little long to get our food but overall not a deal breaker. I would give it another shot to try some of the other dishes, but also would not run back to it.
(3)
Aj O.
Young crowd. We had duck poppers, Rockefeller risoto on the half shell, grits and grillades, and the saltwater martini. I loved the duck poppers - they're essentially seared meat wrapped in bacon and delicious. The rockefeller risoto was pretty meh, but the oysters on top were some of the best of my life. The grits and grillades were better than most and the portioning on that item was excellent. But the saltwater martini... God, it was disgusting. Do not order it, it has fried rice noodles that greet you at the bottom of the happy tuna-salmon topping and I thought they were bones. They taste exactly like uncooked pasta and are impossible to get out of the fish. Service was polite but, ah, not there. We filled our own drinks and had a wait even though we made a reservation. Also very, very loud. 4 tapas ended up being 50 dollars so you're looking at $60 for dinner for two, which would totally be worth it if everything was as good as those damn duck poppers. Those are the only things that would bring me back.
(2)
N L.
The food was great- I had strawberry salad and the crab gnocchi. The service, way under par.. And my order was only takeout.
(4)
Autumn H.
My husband and I were here last night to celebrate his birthday. This was our third time dining at Restaurant IPO and I highly recommend it! Last night we started with duck rolls and the seafood martini thing. While the seafood martini thing was good I probably wouldn't get it again. The duck rolls were great, though! We didn't get the bayou eggs this time but we have before and they're awesome; too. We each got a cocktail with our appetizers. I tried a pomegranate cucumber basil martini. It was bright pink and sweeter than what I'd normally prefer; but it was very good. My husband said it tasted like a watermelon jolly rancher. He got what our server described as IPO's take on an old fashioned. It was great! For dinner I ordered the steak frites and my husband had the wall street burger. My dinner was good but his burger was amazing. He struggled to finish it and he made a mess of this giant, drippy burger; but he thoroughly enjoyed it. And it comes with wine!
(5)
Rita V.
We ditched another place to come here, and I am SO GLAD WE DID! I reserve 5 stars for establishments that do well what they do. and this is one of these places... Clean with a superstar staff - our server James is a darling who loves people and the food he serves. BEWARE THE TAPAS ARE HUGE for tapas. We tried the curried mussels, mini tacos (ceviche stuffed), grits and grilliades, duck crepe... Delicious! Of course Mr. Im happy to serve you told us that the menu is about to change, and that they will be serving DUCK AND WAFFLES... Sweet potato waffles! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! I WANT some and they aren't on the menu! Creative menu, beautiful decor, and beautiful southern charm staff - every single one of them! A gem to come back to!
(5)
Marchand W.
Enjoyed a lunch special of pork chops and cornbread dressing. Flavorful. Being a sweet tooth, the highlight of my visit was a serving of warm breadpudding. All I can say is WOW!!! Service was attentive and courteous. Planning my next visit.
(4)
Jackie D.
Favorite new restaurant in Baton Rouge. Reasonably priced tapas, delicious cocktails, great bartenders, and a wonderful downtown location! The inside is very intimate, not too loud, and perfect for a date or hanging out with a group of friends. For the drinks, I suggest either a mint julep (an off menu gem) or the sugar cane mojito. On the menu, you MUST get the Bayou eggs with oysters or crawfish - both options are delicious. Its a flavor explosion in your mouth and you will not regret it. Also, the charbroiled oysters are WONDERFUL and super cheap at around $9 a dozen. This is a welcome addition to a downtown dining scene that tends to be more pricey (a la Little Village and Stroube's), here's hoping for more places popping up like this in Baton Rouge!
(4)
Chris S.
Overall, I think it's a good place to eat. I always get a tapas and a side. The menu item that stuck out to me was their roasted duck crepe. Duck is very difficult to cook, but when it's done properly, it's quite nice. I have also had their risotto, which was nice. I had their char broiled oysters, which were good, but I have had better. Their daily soup was decent as well. As for the service it was good. I like the atmosphere there. It's worth giving it a go yourself.
(4)
Lance R.
Nice atmosphere.
(3)
Burt P.
Great food and atmosphere in downtown BR. Had dinner there last night and was completely impressed. There were only 2 other tables seated but I chalked that up to the rainy weather we had. The overall decor of the place is vaguely industrial and all the tables, chairs and the ceiling element were made by a craftsman in NOLA. We started off with cocktails and kept them coming throughout the meal. No short pours here. We finally decided on 3 tapas to start. The Bon Temp Shrimp, Roasted Duck Crepe and Loco Portobello. All were delicious but it would be a toss up as to whether I enjoyed the crepe or portobello more. They were delicious. We tried to order the Scallops but they had run out . For dinner, my partner had the filet and I had the ribeye. Both were cooked perfectly medium rare and served with boursin potatoes and broccolini. Lastly we followed all this with a dessert of Chocoate Duo and the Sweet Potato Bread Pudding. Overall, a great first impression and we'll definitely be going back for more. I think next time we may just stick with ordering more of the tapas to sample instead of ordering a full entree. Service was quick and efficient and the food came out relatively quickly. I do wish they had a few more cordial/liqueur options at the bar but that's a minor issue. (I wanted Campari but settled for Bullet Rye instead)
(5)
Jason T.
I came into this place with high expectations, based on the menu and reviews. In fact of all the restaurants that I've been to in Baton Rouge this was the one I was looking forward to the most. And yet here I sit a few weeks after going, trying to remember anything about it. None of the dishes was terribly well executed or overly exciting. That I can't remember single dish a few weeks later is not a good sign, considering that I can remember almost everything I've ever had at Bin 77...
(2)
Craig J.
Hit this place after watching LSU destroy A&M. Service was not the best and they don't have bread? But the Downtown Duck and their twist on the Moscow Mule (in a copper cup) were solid!
(3)
Justin C.
We had the pimiento cheese plate, the gumbo and the redfish tacos. All were excellent and surprisingly filling, plus free caramel bacon popcorn! Great selection of local beers and extremely friendly staff. We were there during the LSU game so we had the place to ourselves and walking distance to our hotel was a bonus. Highly recommend.
(5)
Xavier W.
The food was amazing. Some friends and myself had shrimp and grits, sweet potato tuna salad and their gumbo. I had no complaints what so ever the service was great. We had a waitress name Jessica, she needs to enlighten some other waitress around the world cause that how service need to always be. I really wish I could take this restaurant with back home.
(5)
Phillip A.
We visited for the first time for a New Year's Eve dinner last night. Menu was set for the evening but many of the items are on the regular menu. We sampled the wild mushroom and scallop bisque, a lobster bisque - both soups were excellent (we liked the wild mushroom the best). My only wish was that both soups came a little warmer. Caesar salad was crisp and not drowning in dressing. Entrees sampled were the duck (fabulous) and a scallop / grits dish that was delicious though I wasn't quite as fond of the presentation of this dish (came in a rectangular bowl and was a little awkward). The bread pudding beignets were the best dessert I've had in Baton Rouge. Decor is contemporary and very inviting, staff was very friendly and service was excellent. I usually hesitate to rank 5 stars but, based on our experience...they deserve it! Try it out!
(5)
Ashley B.
We went out for a girls' night for our most recent visit to IPO. I ordered the Crab & Brie Soup, the Redfish Tacos, & an order of the Cheese Grits (which I had previously devoured on my last visit with my hubs.) So, I was excited about the food that was to come. However, I received my soup in a bowl along with a giant piece of French Bread right smack in the middle. The bread absorbed nearly all of my soup and there was little remaining for me to eat. My tacos left much to be desired. The flavors from the avocado mousse and sour cream were good, but there was so little fish on there that I could barely tell I was eating any fish at all. And lastly, the greatest disappointment was my long-awaited cheese grits which were rock solid and dry from the moment our waiter set them on the table. I took one bite in hopes my eyes were deceiving me and the waiter could immediately tell I was disappointed. He offered me some mashed potatoes in place of the grits, which I accepted; but to be honest, it wasn't much of an improvement. We ordered bread pudding for dessert, which we all split, and it was the best thing I ate all night. I secretly wished I had it all to myself. I didn't leave full or completely satisfied and was sad to be so disappointed by a place I had previously enjoyed. Hoping it was just an off night.
(2)
Linda H.
Loved this place. Great decor and very tasty food!
(5)
Cherin C.
You cant miss w the strawberry mojito (I ordered w Vodka no Rum). Foodies beware youll want to order one of everything. We tried the Bayou Eggs, Loco portobello, curried mussels, Truffle Spaghetti....all to die for... Stop and go.there now
(5)
Christopher P.
The food was excellent. I had the corn and crab bisque and the red snapper which was fish du jour. The wine list sucks. They were out of the two or three (?) listed chardonnay offerings and suggested Turning Leaf instead, yuck! Also $6.75 for a draft Tin Roof? That's absurd and off putting, why not an $8 Miller Light? Like at a Saints game?
(4)
Jeremy W.
My wife and I went here the other night. Overall, I would say this place is ok, but nothing special. The staff seemed friendly, although our waiter was a litlte slow and uninspired. We split several of the tapas, which were mostly fine, but nothing beyond that. The scallops - I prefer both sides of my scallop seared, not just one. They were a little heavy with the salt on this one. Duck crepe - it was good, but I found it a bit heavy on the red peppers. Not sure what "accented with red pepper candy" means, but they seemed to be a bit heavier handed than just an accent. Deviled eggs - my wife really enjoyed these, and they were fine. But for me, how good does a devlied egg really get anyway? Truffled spaghetti - I found no hint of truffles. The meatballs, while seared very nicely were very bland. Beyond the sear, there was no flavor. Crawfish pie and the loco portobella were defintely my favorites and quite tasty. I didn't have a bad meal here, but I guess it didn't live up to my expectations either after hearing friends talk about this place.
(3)
Andrea C.
We were excited to hear there was a new tapas bar in town so we were anxious to try it. Valentine's weekend proved to be the right time for us so we stopped by for an early dinner. For our drinks, we requested two different wines and they were out of both. I guess because we came on Saturday after Valentine's Day they had run out of a lot more than they expected. We ordered a soup, salad and a few small plates. The crab bisque was good-but it wasn't hot. It came out very close to room temperature. Our spinach salad was wilted, and I don't think it was because it was cooked. The special for the night was candied pork ribs-these were delicious and we've actually tried to recreate them at home since. We also ordered the grits that come with a fried egg on top-again, delicious. The grits were just the right consistency and the fried egg on top was a great idea. The blue cheese fries left much to be desired-they were soggy and had a very bitter truffle sauce (too much bitter on one plate). Another thing we noticed was that even though we arrived early for dinner and there were very few guests in the restaurant, they seated people close together. I prefer when there are few diners that they space people out. The seating is close together and it makes it much more uncomfortable for the diner in my opinion when you only have 6 people in the whole restaurant, you are with your significant other, and they seat another two people right next to you. Since there isn't much conversation to generate background noise, it's inevitable that your conversation will be heard by your neighbors when seated so closely making for an uncomfortable experience.
(3)
R C.
Great restaurant for lunch or business lunch. The burger with fried avocado is really good, with the sweet potato fries
(4)
Beth B.
So good when we had lunch, that we came back with more in our party for dinner -- the same day!! Lunch -- I had the salad with spinach, goat cheese, strawberries, pecans, and sugar vinaigrette (added chicken). Perfect size meal. Cornbread was great too. Dinner -- took advantage of happy hour and had a half price glass of wine, salad, and 2 tapas (which were 25% off). The pequeno tacos (with ceviche) were good, but the stuffed portobello (subbed as a stuffed bell pepper for the night) was unreal. The filling had chorizo, smoked chicken, and manchego. I could have eaten 3 and called it a day. If you only get one meal in Baton Rouge -- make it here.
(5)
Thomas S.
While in Baton Rouge for a couple of days, an employee at the LSU Museum of Art said to be sure to have some authentic Louisiana food while I was there. I replied that I would like to but preferably something more than the really well known dishes. He said that he was from a small town in the country and that people there like to have shrimp and grits. I thought that was an odd combination, perhaps because I'm not from the South, but he said just try it, they serve it at a restaurant not too far from the museum. I really love shrimp, so I went. I can only say that it is the best shrimp dish I've had in my life. Period. End of story. The grits are amazing - they are very creamy, and have a complex, subtly cheesy flavor. I had no idea grits could be like that. The Abita beer-infused beurre noir is incredible, I think it's really that good. But the shrimp themselves are like nothing I've experienced before. They were as tender as they could be while still being cooked, and their flavor made all the other shrimp I've had seem in hindsight like styrofoam. Now I know what shrimp should be like. The California chardonnay I had with my meal, although the least expensive wine on the menu, was perfect with this dish. I was completely blown away by my meal. When I regained my composure enough to rave about it to my server, she beamed and explained that everything is made fresh from local ingredients obtained that day. That may be, but it doesn't in itself explain how my meal could have been this good. I think there is true artistry involved here.
(5)
Monica V.
I tried Restaurant IPO for the first time during Restaurant Week Baton Rouge, and I was extremely impressed. We all ordered something different from the fixed menu, and even a few tapas as well. All in all, everything was delicious, but I think the Charbroiled Oysters and Gulf Andouille were my favorites. The restaurant was chic, service was perfect, the drink list was extensive and tasty, the food presentation was gorgeous, and the food was delicious. Even the dessert was unique and yummy! My friends and I will definitely be back soon!
(4)
Amy A.
Great food and atmosphere. A unique dining experience in Baton Rouge. Too bad the service is far below average. Waiters not knowing beer selections, dropping off food and running off without asking if we needed anything else, cold coffee, overcooked dessert. With a place this hip, I expected better service. I felt like I had to flag people down the entire time we were there and the restaurant wasn't even half full on a weekday lunch. PLEASE step up the service to match the fine food!
(2)
Kelly G.
Gave them a shot and was wowed this time. Firstly, the baretender DJ was amazingly professional and attentive. It was a Monday night and actually quite busy for a downtown establishment. I ordered the Duck confit and it was really delicious. Really no complaints but lots of praises this time. So glad the new chef along with staff and management have been able make it a success. I will definitely go back.
(4)
Ericka P.
Great ambiance...sub-par service. My party and I felt like we should have gotten more of a rounded experience than what we left with for the amount of $ we invested. The food was good. Just good. It was served up nicely. We had a reservation and were seated promptly, as there was only 2 other tables in the restaurant, yet they chose to sit us right next to another table to where we could hear each others conversations. Anyhow, we had been there until over an hour and literally just finished dessert when the waiter told us that we needed to get going because there was a reservation waiting behind us. There were other tables open. This left me with a bitter taste. We couldn't have time to sit, relax and let our food settle before you were moving us on out. For a meal that I spent a couple of hundred dollars on, I would expect more tactfulness and respect for a guest of your restaurant. I am not sure that we will go back, being that the food was good but definitely not the best that I've have in BR. When you go out for a good time or a celebration, it's the whole experience that really matters. While the food was good, the service and last part of the evening trumped that for sure.
(2)
D T.
I wrote a largely positive review of IPO over a year ago and have come back several times since and enjoyed the food. However, I feel the need to revisit that review after an extremely negative experience at the upstairs bar owned by the same people. Last night, A white guy who is way too drunk on the balcony starts making overtly racist comments at two people of color. They try to diffuse things but he keeps escalating. A fight breaks out. Some bouncers come and break up the fight. We assume that the bouncers are escorting all of those involved in the fight out of the bar, but they only escort out the people of color. The white dude is left behind and proceeds to throw a chair over the balcony. A man whom we presume to be another bouncer comes and escorts the angry dude away, we presume out of the bar. As we prepare to leave ourselves we realize that the white guy who instigated the fight and threw a chair over the balcony is not only still in the bar but has been given a drink by the man who we thought was a bouncer but is in fact, the bartender tells us, the OWNER of the bar. One of us confronts the owner about why this man is still there, threatening violence, when the other folks have been kicked out. He says "I went to high school with that guy, get out of my face" When another bouncer does finally come to escort the instigator of the fight away he yells "white power" as he makes his way down third street. I wish I were making any part of this up, but I'm not. Hard to blame a rogue employee when the OWNER is engaging is such discrimination and supporting a racist ass hole over keeping the patrons of his bar safe and defending the most basic of civil rights. This disgusting display made it clear to me that the owner of IPO and The Office values his relationship with his racist high school classmate over the safety and dignity of his customers. Eat their over priced tapas at your own risk.
(1)
Rebecca W.
"A downtown treasure". The flourishing downtown Baton Rouge has become quite the spot for hip, swanky and posh restaurants that have a variety of crowds flocking to them. Restaurant IPO is one of my newest downtown favorites. The look of the restaurant is sleek and modern, perfect for post-work get-togethers or cozy date nights. A date night was in order for my and my husband, so this was the ideal spot for us! We came in on a very busy Saturday night and sat at the bar. Thankfully, the bar was not crowded, so there were 2 spots waiting just for me and my lovely date - my hubby. The bartender was super sweet and was very attentive! There were so many sumptuous choices on the menu, so it was very hard to decide. I turned to the Yelp reviews and found that the duck crepe & bayou eggs were a crowd favorite, so we ordered those 2 items in addition to the IPO salad! As we waited, we were given a small bucket of their "Bacon Cajun Caramel Popcorn"... boy was that deliciously decadent... WOWZA!! It took a hot minute for our dishes to arrive, but completely understood because they were extremely busy and I was thrilled that they were busy... always a great sign! For those that have read my previous reviews know that I am a lover of duck dishes! The duck crepe was an absolute delight... it was light and filled with a perfect amount of duck meat! My husband and I were ready to lick the plate! The bayou eggs were different and quite tasty... a very posh deviled egg! The egg was topped with deep fried oysters... yummmm!! I have also read that this dish comes in another variation - crawfish instead of oysters. The IPO salad was a refreshing finish to our meal and helped. This place had such lovely ambiance and I will definitely be returning!
(4)
Jessica E.
I've been to IPO a few times now in the short time that it has been open and overall I think it is good. I love the exposed brick and wood decor and think it is a great addition to the downtown lunch and dinner scene. IPO has several items that really push the envelope when it comes to fusion food, at least in Baton Rouge. But I think my favorite (and the best!) items on the menu are the ones that are a bit more basic, like the tuna steak, steak and frites, grits and grillads, heirloom tomato salad, grilled Caesar salad, caprese salad, and duck crepe. Hopefully they will one day bring back the curried mussels-- my favorite! However, some items miss the mark a bit. For example, the last time I was there for lunch, I had the bahn mi style French dip sandwich which is supposed to come with pho for dipping. Now, I didn't expect much since it isn't a Vietnamese place, but I definitely didn't expect the "pho" to basically be au jus sauce. So if you are like me, hoping to have a side of soup with the sandwich, may want to gravitate elsewhere. The sandwich is okay, but calling it pho is really misleading. One other tip-- their blue cheese frites with the truffle gravy are pretty good, but get the cheese and gravy on the side. That way, your fries stay crisp the entire time you are eating. Else then get a little soggy midway through. There have been some comments on the service-- yeah, it can be kind of slow some days. I think they are understaffed. But I have always found the servers to be very polite and accommodating, so I don't mind the wait. But if you are in a rush, might want to go elsewhere. But if you are not, kick back with one of their yummy cocktails and give IPO a try!
(4)
Jonathan S.
I have to say I'm glad restaurant week featured this location because otherwise I probably wouldn't have looked at this place. It was great! The atmosphere is chic and modern. This is more of a foodies paradise with new twists on conventional items. The bayou eggs which are simply a deviled egg with bacon and an oyster on top coated with caramelized onions had a flavor combination that will leave you expecting. The gumbo is as good as you could expect coming out of the heart of Louisiana. However, the char grilled oysters were nothing special, but good none the less. I don't see it conforming with the way the rest of the menu seems to knock it out of the park. The steak was great, but you might get a bad cut. Mine was full of flavor but fat as well, and my buddies was missing some size. My girlfriends was good but over cooked for a rare that was more of a medium. I honestly think they switched our steaks as I ordered a rare plus. ...She got the short end of the stick because I wasn't giving up that deliciousness. The desserts are phenomenal. They really went the extra mile in the creation and execution of them. They are plated and thought out very well. The bread pudding had pop rocks in it and really put a smile on my face. The chocolate pate was amazing and served with roasted marshmallows making it only that much better. We can't forget the great drinks they had as well. I had a ginger margarita which I couldn't get enough of, and my girlfriend had something that was fruity with a heck of a kick. All in all, I can't wait to go back to this place.
(4)
James C.
Ok, so the food was excellent, the service left much to be desired. I ordered an appetizer, salad, and main course. My salad and main course came together and appetizer came well after my meal was complete. There were three items on the menu that were no longer available. Again, everything was delicious, so don't write it off.
2 buddies and I came to eat at IPO tonight and I wanted to share my experience. Let's start with the food: My friends and I decided to share all the food so we ordered a McDow burger, BBQ shrimp, and duck poppers. The burger was great, the bbq shrimp and grits were okay, and the duck poppers were pretty awesome. Overall we enjoyed the food. The drinks: we ordered a few speciality cocktails can't remember off the top of my head which ones but they were prepared nicely and quickly. The service: The restaurant seemed pretty busy initially. Although the food took quite a while to come out, our waiter (Ricky) made sure he kept us updated. He also suggested food and drinks to us as this was our first time ever at IPO, which really helped. The only thing I would have to complain about is the music, it was a bit loud. I also think the bathrooms could have been a bit cleaner. However, overall I would recommend IPO. The food, drinks, and service were all worth the price.
(4)
Steele B.
What's going on here lately?? I have been here about 15 times over the last 2 years. Last few trips were mediocre and the last was not good. Chips were cold. Duck egg rolls were bad. I usually like them. They were out of 3 items ordered. We only ordered 6... "New bartender" excuse for slow drink service. We closed out before we were done eating and finished our night at another restaurant. I must say our waitress was very nice and attentive though. It's the only reason for the third star. Other 2 stars are for atmosphere and location. Cool spot. I will wait a few months to work out these problems and give it one more shot. I want to like it! I hope to edit my review for the better down the road.
(3)
Jermainne B.
I had a lovely evening at IPO the other tonight. Jessica, our server was attentive, friendly, and accommodating. She was outstanding with both timeliness and accuracy of orders. The food was excellent! We did tapas and shared bites. From what I tasted, the winners were the flatbread, gnocchi, duck poppers, and the bayou eggs. The only thing that was missing was the scallop and mushroom soup which was thick and creamy, but lacked texture and was only slightly warm. Overall, I have an excellent experience and meal! I will try again.
(3)
Zeb G.
Food was generally good. Our server was quite green and could use some help. But we had a good time overall Ordered; Duck Poppers, Charcuterie, caprese board, asparagus, bacon wrapped dates. Duck poppers were good, Not sure if you could tell it was duck or not over the bacon and jalapeno. Charcuterie board, had many selections or meats, but was kind of mono-tone on the sausages. I would suggest a pate or headcheese in place of some of them. The cheese selection was a joke, cheddar, colby-jack, a mild white cheese (provolone). The one cheese we really liked was a white cheese studded with dark flecks, we asked waiter what it was, he asked the kitchen, they replied 'English Cheddar', not quite.... Caprese board; Tomatoes, basil and dark balsamic were on point. The cheese itself was a huge miss. It was a firm mozzarella, reminded very much of the big block of Kraft in my grandma's fridge. Caprese should only be made with fresh mozzarella. Asparagus, the fried egg on top was cooked to fast, bottom was dark and chewy, eggs should be fried slow enough to not take collor. The asparagus itself was not trimmed or pealed, so the bottom half of it was very stringy. They were also over cooked and kind of mushy. I tried to cut through it, saw how stringy and mushy it was and didn't eat a bite. Bacon wrapped dates were the delicious nuggets of love i was hopping for. So over all a better showing than I was expecting in Baton Rouge, but still room to improve.
(3)
Angela R.
My husband and I came in for dinner last night and had a mediocre experience. Almost half of their beers on tap were out and there were no IPA options in bottle. Our waiter was nice but was obviously new and knew very little about the menu. The food was good and it's definitely a place we want to try again after management gets things together a bit better.
(3)
Brittany B.
Went there for my 21st birthday. Service was awful and it wasn't even packed. Everyone's dinner dish came out separately. Portions aren't that great especially for the price. I love the atmosphere but they didn't even know how to make a blueberry lemon drop martini. Won't go back.
(2)
Paul N.
Very cool vibe. Reminds me of Brooklyn NY. The food consists mainly of tapas. This place is always packed so you may have to wait a little longer for food and service. So glad this concept is here in Baton Rouge.
(5)
Stacy P.
Love this place! The chef(s) take ordinary foods and bump them up to extraordinary. For example, the Bayou Eggs. Just deviled eggs, right? Wrong! My mom's deviled eggs never had crawfish and tassi mixed in with fried oysters on top. I love you, mom, but these are the best deviled eggs I've ever had! There's something for every taste and the one time I had room for dessert, the white chocolate bread pudding was to die for!
(4)
Vyoracious K.
I have been at this restaurant twice. The first time I excused the experience for being fairly new restaurant but the second time around will most likely be my last. Upon arrival, we walked into an extremely loud dining room. I think the way the restaurant was constructed enabled sound to bounce off the walls and ceiling because I found myself having to yell to be heard.....by the person sitting directly next to me. Secondly, the menu font was extremely small and hard to read that we felt like old farts holding the menu literally 2 inches from our faces to read it. My friend finally had to take pictures with her phone to blow it up to a readable size. The menu is divided with tapas/appetizers, soups/salads, and then the entrees. We each opted for a tapa each and a salad since we weren't that hungry. I got the 3 mini fish tacos. These were the tiniest tacos ever about two inches long and the entire thing was $9! I don't think the food justified the outrageous price of $3 for a two inch long taco no matter how good it was. The purpose of tapas is that you have small plates for sharing or where you can order a few to make it a meal, not charge close to the price of an entree for one plate at such a measly portion. My friends salad, the size of a small salad was also $9, I have gotten salads that lasted me for days for much less. All in all another disappointing experience. The only thing it has going for it is its location downtown near all the bars.
(2)
Shelly C.
Baton Rouge on a Monday night. Hard to get a sense of the town, but Restaurant IPO was a great intro to BR. Loved the natural woods and brick inside and what could be better than bacon Cajun popcorn instead of bread! Go for the Southern Tapas--Bayou Eggs and Bon Temp Shrimp were flavor explosions well executed. Excellent service from Joe. The old South has never been tastier!
(5)
Emily S.
Service was awful and seating is cramped. We made reservations and then waited almost 10 minutes at the hostess-less hostess station while restaurant was nearly empty without being greeted by staff. Once hostess returned from her liquor run for the bar she seated us 8 inches away from another couple in a restaurant that had maybe 15 guests eating at the time. After another 10 minutes of our server never coming to greet us we left. I've heard great things about their chef, and loved when he was at Stroubes, but I'm not going to wait through the horrible service to see if his food at IPO is as good as it was at Stroubes. We won't be back.
(1)
Pacience S.
I've been here 3 or 4 times and I've been a bit more underwhelmed with each visit. My husband sticks with the Ribeye Burger which I find to be somewhat greasy and doesn't have a good balance of richness and acid though the pickled red onions are good they just aren't enough. On my most recent visit I had the daily lunch special which I had high hopes for as it was described as buttermilk brined wings and thighs, however upon ordering I was informed that the chicken was actually chicken tenders. Bummer to say the least as if wanted chicken tenders I would have headed over to Cane's which really no one can beat when it comes to tenders but I decided to keep an open mind. The tenders were breaded nicely but the breading came off easily and what was left were kinda blah chicken tenders with what the menu described as a light sweet potato donut. Donut i'm not so sure about it tasted a bit scorched and more like pumpkin than sweet potato and added nothing to dish which in essence was soggy tenders with a weird donut, a few micro greens and some possibly reduced Steen's syrup. In all a big disappointment even the house salad was full of wilted black and slimy lettuce and a cucumber slice that tasted as if it had been stored cut next to raw fish, not a good way to start a meal though it didn't really get any better.
(3)
Robert M.
I always appreciate when someone is trying to do something new in Baton Rouge, and IPO does that. The location is great and the atmosphere is really cool. IT's a fun place to go on a date or double date before drinks downtown. I would advise picking out a bunch of their small plates and digging in. Their entrees are always interesting and sound great, but to me don't quite measure up. Either the execution just isn't there or they are sometimes just trying to do a BIT too much with the ingredients themselves, like the food is just overthought it a little too much and the ingredients get weighed down. But again, I enjoy eating here and the location and ambience is great.
(3)
Lucy W.
Delicious tapas- my favorites were the flatbread and the summer corn gnocchi. I would stick to beer...the cocktails were overly sweet. Great casual atmosphere...we sat at a tall table in the middle of the restaurant. Service was a little spotty from a young server.
(4)
Doughty V.
A top restaurant in Baton Rouge, especially in downtown area. Love the atmosphere and tapas seating. Upstairs bar is a cool environment and love the decor. Fun games and availability for private parties in separate room. I've only ever been for dinner. Menu is fantastic from very popular chef. Small plate style for much of the menu but still nice portion size. The grilled Caesar and bayou eggs are two of my faves. Also love duck poppers and gnocchi. That sea scallop bisque is to die for. Plenty to choose from on menu. Not that many seats so if it's busy, there may be a wait. Go upstairs and have a drink! Or make a reservation. This is a must do!
(5)
Latrina R.
I met my friend here for dinner and drinks after work. I'll say that they got 3 stars on the location and dessert only. Let's start with the wait staff..... Umm sub par! When you get their attention it works, if you don't have their attention then that sucks for you. So the food: the free popcorn is really good. It was the highlight of my night. My friend ordered turtle soup that was less than appetizing. It was so salty I think my blood pressure tripled with each spoon full. Then I got the steak frites and she had the lamb frites. My steak was ordered medium and it was delivered medium rare. It was salty as well. Once I got past the salt, the taste wasn't that bad. The frites could have done without the gravy, and the meal would have been much better. Her lamb was just ok. For $30 I would want it to be better than ok. For dessert we had bread pudding. Now it was delish! I had the sazerac to drink, I'm not sure why, but it tasted flat. But with the bread pudding it was nice. Needless to say.... I probably won't be back
(3)
Elizabeth H.
Had our Christmas party catered here.. food was very sub par. Bread pudding was about the only good thing on the menu. Atmosphere was nice but bar tenders were definitely few and far between and not really good. Don't think I'd try again.
(3)
Sabrina V.
Well we attempted to dine at IPO today for lunch but once we sat ourselves ( no hostess at 11 am for opening) and was brought the wrong menu, the waiter informed us that they were out of the fish, shrimp, muscles, burger, and portabellos among other menu items. Apparently they had a packed Saturday night and all the food had been consumed and the truck that was supposed to arrive at 10:30 was late. Why is a food truck delivering at 10:30 when you open at 11?!!! They should have closed today for no XXX food. Anyway, this wasn't the first time this has happened to me here.....so my friend and I excused ourselves and went next door for lunch.
(2)
Blaze N.
Just put food on a fancy plate and charge 30 bucks. Service was bad, we all ordered waters but they only brought 2. And we asked later but they didn't bring it. I ordered a medium stake and it was well to medium well. If I pay $30 for a stake I would like to taste it. Wouldn't go again, if made 100 k I guess I would conciter eating again.
(2)
Laine W.
My husband and I went here for a date night and really enjoyed the ambience and the food. It has a warm, modern decor and feels very inviting. I had the sweet fashion (a citrus infused take on an old fashion). It was strong and well balanced, always a great start to the evening. We split a few tapas-- the gnocchi, tacos, and egg rolls. All had interesting flavor combinations and tasted sophisticated and fresh. The only reason I haven't given it 5 stars is because our first order of gnocchi came out cold and although they did refire the dish, no one from management came over to speak with us and no offers were made to go above and beyond to rectify the situation. That, to me, is a service that really sets a restaurant apart. But other than that, we were very pleased with the food and drinks, and would definitely come back!
(4)
Leslie M.
Absolutely terrible service! Waiting for over an hour to get our food (group of 6). The place was not even half way full. The server brought some of the food out and the final plate didn't come out until everyone was done. Then when we complained they took the food away. Very disappointed!
(1)
Jackie D.
Favorite new restaurant in Baton Rouge. Reasonably priced tapas, delicious cocktails, great bartenders, and a wonderful downtown location! The inside is very intimate, not too loud, and perfect for a date or hanging out with a group of friends. For the drinks, I suggest either a mint julep (an off menu gem) or the sugar cane mojito. On the menu, you MUST get the Bayou eggs with oysters or crawfish - both options are delicious. Its a flavor explosion in your mouth and you will not regret it. Also, the charbroiled oysters are WONDERFUL and super cheap at around $9 a dozen. This is a welcome addition to a downtown dining scene that tends to be more pricey (a la Little Village and Stroube's), here's hoping for more places popping up like this in Baton Rouge!
(4)
Chris S.
Overall, I think it's a good place to eat. I always get a tapas and a side. The menu item that stuck out to me was their roasted duck crepe. Duck is very difficult to cook, but when it's done properly, it's quite nice. I have also had their risotto, which was nice. I had their char broiled oysters, which were good, but I have had better. Their daily soup was decent as well. As for the service it was good. I like the atmosphere there. It's worth giving it a go yourself.
(4)
Lance R.
Nice atmosphere.
(3)
Lynette L.
Confession. I love Chef Varnedoe. I loved him at Stroubes (not worth going to since he left, imo), so much so that we had our wedding dinner there and I was excited to go to IPO when my husband made reservations for our anniversary dinner. If I weren't married to the sexiest man on the planet I would consider stalking the poor man in the hopes that duck cracklins would fall from his chef's coat. I was a bit worried by some of the reviews on here, but I should have known better. It was just the two of us, so we didn't have that much off the menu, but everything was excellent. The service was very pleasant as well and the location was good for walking around downtown. Here's what we had: Cocktails: Ramos Gin Fizz. This was good, didn't knock my socks off, but nice. The cocktail menu is the only thing I could find to improve (bit more variety). The drinks on the menu very much suited my taste, but my husband didn't see anything that he found appealing and he stuck to water. The bar seemed well stocked and the bartenders knowledgeable, so I would imagine they could make just about whatever you liked. App: Duck Poppers. Serious yum. It was small, even for an app (four small pieces, would think 5-6 for the size), but it was so good I wouldn't mind ordering another plate. Or 4. Entrees: Hubby had the Asian Cajun (tuna) and he very much enjoyed it. I had the Downtown Duck and I would very nearly classify it as life changing. How had I never had duck cracklin before? It was so good I was bouncing up and down on the seat and got a little misty eyed. Hubby started to fuss, but I shoved my fork in his mouth and he piped down. Despite many other reviews commenting on small servings, we both felt that the entrees were the perfect size. I did not even finish mine. Dessert: Cheesecake ( if I recall correctly, with a sunflower crust and Grand Marnier soaked raisins). Some people would find this small to share (the size of a small ramekin), but we thought it was perfect. Yes, I would have eaten more if it had been there, but I like to leave the restaurant without feeling overdone. I know it was just cheesecake, but this had an incredibly lovely flavor and we really enjoyed it. Verdict? I went to bed thinking of my next visit and wondering if Amazon would ship me duck cracklin by the case load. I absolutely cannot wait to go back. ---edited to raise from 4 stars to 5, because, honestly it was one of my favorite meals ever and that means going up against some amazing restaurants in places like New Orleans and Boston. It gets the extra star for being in Baton Rouge but not letting the location set the standard.
(5)
Jennifer M.
Ive been to many tapas style restaurants and I was expecting a lot more from this place. I would give the food 2.5 stars and the service ( at least this particular server 1 star) I think people may be fooled by the hip decor and lavish menu, but when it came down to the inspection of the food it was mediocre at best. I would like to try the place again as the menu changes per season. I may come back and edit my review if I do so in a few months. Chances are I will see how the next 5 reviews go and then decide if I will give it a second chance with a new menu. Overall, looks can be deceiving. Your not that hip.
(2)
Swatee G.
Walking into this super chic restaurant, the first thing that caught my eye (after the nice, rustic decor that is) was the server tees - All of them were imprinted with 'Eat Drink Stay' at the back. It made me laugh out loud really, it sounded so cheesy - but let me assure you, the place makes you want to do just that... Eat good food, Drink some super yummy concoctions from the bar and just Stay and hang out a bit longer! :) As part of our 'Bi-weekly Outing' (Yes, I work with an awesome group of people who insist on having regular fun sessions!), we ended up at this brand new place - Thanks Kevin, for making it happen! I am super happy to be the first one reviewing this place! In my opinion, this is the perfect place for an after work Happy Hour, a casual date or a fun meeting with friends in Baton Rouge! The place is decently sized, with a great bar (and an awesome bartender), and perfect seating. The decor is hip/ trendy mixed with rustic - very bohemian! Since we were a rowdy bunch of over 20 people, we ended up being seated at this long Family Style table in the middle of the restaurant. Chef Chris came out to greet us and give us a rundown on who things worked at the restaurant. He promised to keep the assorted Tapas coming till we wanted, with 3-4 plates of each dish. Our only request was to make sure each round came with a couple of vegetarian options, give the makeup of our group. I let the bartender surprise me, and she hooked me up with the awesome Strawberry-Basil Martini with Malibu as the base... Was my drink straight from Malibu/ strawberry heaven? Yes! Did my server make sure I got my share of refills? Yes, yes! Did other people enjoy their drinks? Yes, Yes, YES! So now that I have taken the alcohol off of my mind :), let me go on to the food! Be prepared to be stunned by the variety that is about to follow yelpers, this is going to be a long review!! Bayou Eggs - We got 2 versions of this dish - one with flash fried oysters on top (I don't like oysters, so I wasn't a fan), and the other with fried crawfish on top - the eggs were smooth and the crawfish perfectly sized bites! Absolutely loved it! Strawberry Spinach Salad - Candied pecans and the super yummy warm sugar cane vinegarette made this dish a great hit! Bon Temp Shrimp - Perfect breading, nicely fried in a rich creamy sauce. Another excellent dish Heirloom Salad - The fried okra threw me off a bit, I was not really impressed. Curried Mussels - Sweet and spicy is perfect for a description here! I could not taste the curry flavor at all for some reason (maybe my taste buds are too Indian! :p ), but this dish definitely lived up to its name and the hype created by our server. The sauce was so yummy, we all made a deep dive into the bowl with pieces of bread to soup up the curried sauce, lol..! Blue Cheese Frites - The flavor of the blue cheese was a bit too strong for me, and there was a certain nutty bitterness to the dish, may have been from the truffle. Judging from out half eaten dishes strewn across our long table, I can safely say the dish was not really a popular one with anyone. Buffalo Bruschetta - Tomato and Mozzarella make an excellent combination and add basil to the mix, it's my personal bruschetta heaven! This dish was great. I can't say I have never had better bruschetta, but it was pretty decent. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay long enough for dessert, but I heard everyone loved whatever desserts they have (I personally plan to be back to get try them for myself) Check out their menu online, they have some great stuff going for them. Given that it was their first week in when we visited them, the service was a little jittery and chaotic, but I really feel (and hope) it will improve as the days progress! Will love to be back to try some more entrees and their desserts! Good job, IPO!
(4)
Katelyn S.
My type of restaurant! I love putting random ingredients together to come up with crazy food combinations, and that's exactly what Restaurant IPO does. As an appetizer my boyfriend and I ordered the grits and grillades along with the pequeno tacos. For the main dish, we split the individual flatbread and fried yard bird (which was like a gourmet chicken and waffles). Warning: the portions are small, but the food is rich and packed with flavor! The environment is upscale yet comfortable - absolutely perfect for a birthday meal with friends. The only disappointing thing was the hour and a half time limit we had to eat because the restaurant was booked with reservations at 7. I suggest you either get there early like we did for a quick meal, or make a reservation!
(5)
Shane M.
The food is very good if your willing to wait. Servers seemed nice but undertrained and understaffed. Expect to seat yourself, get your own menu and ask for refills. There is zero initiative at this restaurant. The two stars are only because I really enjoyed the blue on black burger.
(2)
Barry K.
I love this type of restaraunt. It has a true downtown type of feel and a modern menu. The menu changes seasonally and usually every thing is usually pretty good. On my most recent visit I got the fried yard bird entree. I really wasn't overly impressed. It was just fried chicken with cane syrup (too sweet for me). So i would recommend that you try the tapas. I can't pick a favorite so I recommend you try them all!
(4)
Christine S.
Really am awesome find our first trip to Baton Rouge. After a long day of travel in hot and humid weather the inviting cool entry beckoned with a lovely Sauvignon Blanc. Carmel bacon popcorn brought to the table is tasty. Best tapas so far: gnocci and the gumbo was Louisiana perfect - dark and smokey - Amazing! Need to come back to try more...
(5)
Natasha G.
I came on an off night (LSU game) so there was only one other party in the restaurant and the food hadn't been prepared too thoughtfully. I ordered the Bayou Eggs, Pequeno Tacos, and Truffle Spaghetti (this works for one hungry person or two grazers). The Tacos and Spaghetti were disappointments. Tacos were cold, tasteless, and pretty uninspired -- I couldn't even figure out where the fish was in them. The three tacos each sat in a fat mound of sour cream, which is nice if you like sour cream but seemed to contribute to the blandness of the dish overall. The Spaghetti, while conceptually solid, lacked a bit in execution. The pasta was cooked a bit past al dente and the sauce didn't wow me. I did like the truffle oil-drizzled bread on top, but I was confused by the four grape tomatoes haphazardly hanging out on the plate, and the meatballs were tasteless. Tomatoes were past their sell-by date, it seemed. Finally, the Bayou Eggs -- these were pretty good, but also lukewarm. Your deviled eggs can be cold, or they can be warm, but these were neither. I did like the fried oyster on top and the crunchy bits inside, though I think the seasoning was a little lacking. Perhaps this meal lacked flavor because LSU was losing as the chefs were cooking in the kitchen, but I can't really recommend this place based on my experience there.
(3)
Naveed B.
There is a lot to like about Restaurant IPO. The location is great and the ambience is excellent. They have really good music in the background. The bar is nice and the drink list is large for a restaurant this small(though the beer list leaves much to be desired). The presentation of the food is beautiful. This place has a lot of style. My biggest complaint about this place is the food. I'm not sure what is off about it, but it tastes off. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but the food isn't that good. It looks beautiful, it smells great, but the taste isn't there. I really it's just that I'm ordering the wrong menu items, because I really want to like this place. The food is just way too expensive for expensive for what you get though. If IPO fixes whatever it is that is wrong with the food, as I could easily see myself bumping this place up a star or two. That being said, this is a great place to bring a date for a drink and maybe an item or two off of the tapas menu.
(3)
Lisa S.
This restauarant has great decor, a great vibe and very interesting menu, so I wanted to really, really like it! But unfortunately, only about half the things we ordered I really enjoyed and the rest really under-delivered. I came here with some people from work and since we had the corporate card in hand, we ordered quite a bit. We got the free popcorn to start which was sooooo great! Seriously that stuff is crack. Can't. stop. eating. it. So that was good. Also the pork and grits and crispy gulf shrimp tapas plates were excellent! I ordered just the house burger and it was nottttt good. Really bland and dry and the fries were TERRIBLE. Seriously they were not good. As if they'd been sitting out for awhile just waiting to be served. I barely at half of the burger. Also the blue cheese fries and ceviche-type tapas were not great either. Just did not taste how they should. So others in my group got the duck entree and the tacos and they seemed to enjoy them. Oh, also we got the pecan pie and it was GREAT! I do not even like pecan pie, but this was awesome, definitely recommend to save room for it! Lastly, the service was ok...took a little long to get our food but overall not a deal breaker. I would give it another shot to try some of the other dishes, but also would not run back to it.
(3)
Craig J.
Hit this place after watching LSU destroy A&M. Service was not the best and they don't have bread? But the Downtown Duck and their twist on the Moscow Mule (in a copper cup) were solid!
(3)
Justin C.
We had the pimiento cheese plate, the gumbo and the redfish tacos. All were excellent and surprisingly filling, plus free caramel bacon popcorn! Great selection of local beers and extremely friendly staff. We were there during the LSU game so we had the place to ourselves and walking distance to our hotel was a bonus. Highly recommend.
(5)
Aj O.
Young crowd. We had duck poppers, Rockefeller risoto on the half shell, grits and grillades, and the saltwater martini. I loved the duck poppers - they're essentially seared meat wrapped in bacon and delicious. The rockefeller risoto was pretty meh, but the oysters on top were some of the best of my life. The grits and grillades were better than most and the portioning on that item was excellent. But the saltwater martini... God, it was disgusting. Do not order it, it has fried rice noodles that greet you at the bottom of the happy tuna-salmon topping and I thought they were bones. They taste exactly like uncooked pasta and are impossible to get out of the fish. Service was polite but, ah, not there. We filled our own drinks and had a wait even though we made a reservation. Also very, very loud. 4 tapas ended up being 50 dollars so you're looking at $60 for dinner for two, which would totally be worth it if everything was as good as those damn duck poppers. Those are the only things that would bring me back.
(2)
N L.
The food was great- I had strawberry salad and the crab gnocchi. The service, way under par.. And my order was only takeout.
(4)
Autumn H.
My husband and I were here last night to celebrate his birthday. This was our third time dining at Restaurant IPO and I highly recommend it! Last night we started with duck rolls and the seafood martini thing. While the seafood martini thing was good I probably wouldn't get it again. The duck rolls were great, though! We didn't get the bayou eggs this time but we have before and they're awesome; too. We each got a cocktail with our appetizers. I tried a pomegranate cucumber basil martini. It was bright pink and sweeter than what I'd normally prefer; but it was very good. My husband said it tasted like a watermelon jolly rancher. He got what our server described as IPO's take on an old fashioned. It was great! For dinner I ordered the steak frites and my husband had the wall street burger. My dinner was good but his burger was amazing. He struggled to finish it and he made a mess of this giant, drippy burger; but he thoroughly enjoyed it. And it comes with wine!
(5)
Rita V.
We ditched another place to come here, and I am SO GLAD WE DID! I reserve 5 stars for establishments that do well what they do. and this is one of these places... Clean with a superstar staff - our server James is a darling who loves people and the food he serves. BEWARE THE TAPAS ARE HUGE for tapas. We tried the curried mussels, mini tacos (ceviche stuffed), grits and grilliades, duck crepe... Delicious! Of course Mr. Im happy to serve you told us that the menu is about to change, and that they will be serving DUCK AND WAFFLES... Sweet potato waffles! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! I WANT some and they aren't on the menu! Creative menu, beautiful decor, and beautiful southern charm staff - every single one of them! A gem to come back to!
(5)
Marchand W.
Enjoyed a lunch special of pork chops and cornbread dressing. Flavorful. Being a sweet tooth, the highlight of my visit was a serving of warm breadpudding. All I can say is WOW!!! Service was attentive and courteous. Planning my next visit.
(4)
Burt P.
Great food and atmosphere in downtown BR. Had dinner there last night and was completely impressed. There were only 2 other tables seated but I chalked that up to the rainy weather we had. The overall decor of the place is vaguely industrial and all the tables, chairs and the ceiling element were made by a craftsman in NOLA. We started off with cocktails and kept them coming throughout the meal. No short pours here. We finally decided on 3 tapas to start. The Bon Temp Shrimp, Roasted Duck Crepe and Loco Portobello. All were delicious but it would be a toss up as to whether I enjoyed the crepe or portobello more. They were delicious. We tried to order the Scallops but they had run out . For dinner, my partner had the filet and I had the ribeye. Both were cooked perfectly medium rare and served with boursin potatoes and broccolini. Lastly we followed all this with a dessert of Chocoate Duo and the Sweet Potato Bread Pudding. Overall, a great first impression and we'll definitely be going back for more. I think next time we may just stick with ordering more of the tapas to sample instead of ordering a full entree. Service was quick and efficient and the food came out relatively quickly. I do wish they had a few more cordial/liqueur options at the bar but that's a minor issue. (I wanted Campari but settled for Bullet Rye instead)
(5)
Jason T.
I came into this place with high expectations, based on the menu and reviews. In fact of all the restaurants that I've been to in Baton Rouge this was the one I was looking forward to the most. And yet here I sit a few weeks after going, trying to remember anything about it. None of the dishes was terribly well executed or overly exciting. That I can't remember single dish a few weeks later is not a good sign, considering that I can remember almost everything I've ever had at Bin 77...
(2)
Xavier W.
The food was amazing. Some friends and myself had shrimp and grits, sweet potato tuna salad and their gumbo. I had no complaints what so ever the service was great. We had a waitress name Jessica, she needs to enlighten some other waitress around the world cause that how service need to always be. I really wish I could take this restaurant with back home.
(5)
Michelle C.
Foodies will appreciate! I would say that some items are lower on fat that I would have expected. The bisque was not as thick as most I've had, but it had all the same flavor and deliciousness! The duck crepe with goat cheese and mushrooms was delectable but I didn't see any skin or fat pieces or much meat... The flavor was fabulous don't get me wrong, but don't expect Asian Market amounts of duck in that particular dish. Maybe the duck Entree' is more of what I was looking for. I'm definitely coming back to IPO with friends to try out as many tapas as possible!
(5)
Phillip A.
We visited for the first time for a New Year's Eve dinner last night. Menu was set for the evening but many of the items are on the regular menu. We sampled the wild mushroom and scallop bisque, a lobster bisque - both soups were excellent (we liked the wild mushroom the best). My only wish was that both soups came a little warmer. Caesar salad was crisp and not drowning in dressing. Entrees sampled were the duck (fabulous) and a scallop / grits dish that was delicious though I wasn't quite as fond of the presentation of this dish (came in a rectangular bowl and was a little awkward). The bread pudding beignets were the best dessert I've had in Baton Rouge. Decor is contemporary and very inviting, staff was very friendly and service was excellent. I usually hesitate to rank 5 stars but, based on our experience...they deserve it! Try it out!
(5)
Ashley B.
We went out for a girls' night for our most recent visit to IPO. I ordered the Crab & Brie Soup, the Redfish Tacos, & an order of the Cheese Grits (which I had previously devoured on my last visit with my hubs.) So, I was excited about the food that was to come. However, I received my soup in a bowl along with a giant piece of French Bread right smack in the middle. The bread absorbed nearly all of my soup and there was little remaining for me to eat. My tacos left much to be desired. The flavors from the avocado mousse and sour cream were good, but there was so little fish on there that I could barely tell I was eating any fish at all. And lastly, the greatest disappointment was my long-awaited cheese grits which were rock solid and dry from the moment our waiter set them on the table. I took one bite in hopes my eyes were deceiving me and the waiter could immediately tell I was disappointed. He offered me some mashed potatoes in place of the grits, which I accepted; but to be honest, it wasn't much of an improvement. We ordered bread pudding for dessert, which we all split, and it was the best thing I ate all night. I secretly wished I had it all to myself. I didn't leave full or completely satisfied and was sad to be so disappointed by a place I had previously enjoyed. Hoping it was just an off night.
(2)
Linda H.
Loved this place. Great decor and very tasty food!
(5)
Cherin C.
You cant miss w the strawberry mojito (I ordered w Vodka no Rum). Foodies beware youll want to order one of everything. We tried the Bayou Eggs, Loco portobello, curried mussels, Truffle Spaghetti....all to die for... Stop and go.there now
(5)
Christopher P.
The food was excellent. I had the corn and crab bisque and the red snapper which was fish du jour. The wine list sucks. They were out of the two or three (?) listed chardonnay offerings and suggested Turning Leaf instead, yuck! Also $6.75 for a draft Tin Roof? That's absurd and off putting, why not an $8 Miller Light? Like at a Saints game?
(4)
Nicole C.
Delicious food with a great ambiance. So glad this restaurant is in downtown Baton Rouge - great place to have dinner with friends.
(5)
Jeremy W.
My wife and I went here the other night. Overall, I would say this place is ok, but nothing special. The staff seemed friendly, although our waiter was a litlte slow and uninspired. We split several of the tapas, which were mostly fine, but nothing beyond that. The scallops - I prefer both sides of my scallop seared, not just one. They were a little heavy with the salt on this one. Duck crepe - it was good, but I found it a bit heavy on the red peppers. Not sure what "accented with red pepper candy" means, but they seemed to be a bit heavier handed than just an accent. Deviled eggs - my wife really enjoyed these, and they were fine. But for me, how good does a devlied egg really get anyway? Truffled spaghetti - I found no hint of truffles. The meatballs, while seared very nicely were very bland. Beyond the sear, there was no flavor. Crawfish pie and the loco portobella were defintely my favorites and quite tasty. I didn't have a bad meal here, but I guess it didn't live up to my expectations either after hearing friends talk about this place.
(3)
Andrea C.
We were excited to hear there was a new tapas bar in town so we were anxious to try it. Valentine's weekend proved to be the right time for us so we stopped by for an early dinner. For our drinks, we requested two different wines and they were out of both. I guess because we came on Saturday after Valentine's Day they had run out of a lot more than they expected. We ordered a soup, salad and a few small plates. The crab bisque was good-but it wasn't hot. It came out very close to room temperature. Our spinach salad was wilted, and I don't think it was because it was cooked. The special for the night was candied pork ribs-these were delicious and we've actually tried to recreate them at home since. We also ordered the grits that come with a fried egg on top-again, delicious. The grits were just the right consistency and the fried egg on top was a great idea. The blue cheese fries left much to be desired-they were soggy and had a very bitter truffle sauce (too much bitter on one plate). Another thing we noticed was that even though we arrived early for dinner and there were very few guests in the restaurant, they seated people close together. I prefer when there are few diners that they space people out. The seating is close together and it makes it much more uncomfortable for the diner in my opinion when you only have 6 people in the whole restaurant, you are with your significant other, and they seat another two people right next to you. Since there isn't much conversation to generate background noise, it's inevitable that your conversation will be heard by your neighbors when seated so closely making for an uncomfortable experience.
(3)
R C.
Great restaurant for lunch or business lunch. The burger with fried avocado is really good, with the sweet potato fries
(4)
Beth B.
So good when we had lunch, that we came back with more in our party for dinner -- the same day!! Lunch -- I had the salad with spinach, goat cheese, strawberries, pecans, and sugar vinaigrette (added chicken). Perfect size meal. Cornbread was great too. Dinner -- took advantage of happy hour and had a half price glass of wine, salad, and 2 tapas (which were 25% off). The pequeno tacos (with ceviche) were good, but the stuffed portobello (subbed as a stuffed bell pepper for the night) was unreal. The filling had chorizo, smoked chicken, and manchego. I could have eaten 3 and called it a day. If you only get one meal in Baton Rouge -- make it here.
(5)
Susan K.
So happy to have this inventive and delicious tapas restaurant downtown. Great for lunch and dinner. The dishes bring Cajun flare to tapas. LOVE the Bayou Eggs
(4)
Thomas S.
While in Baton Rouge for a couple of days, an employee at the LSU Museum of Art said to be sure to have some authentic Louisiana food while I was there. I replied that I would like to but preferably something more than the really well known dishes. He said that he was from a small town in the country and that people there like to have shrimp and grits. I thought that was an odd combination, perhaps because I'm not from the South, but he said just try it, they serve it at a restaurant not too far from the museum. I really love shrimp, so I went. I can only say that it is the best shrimp dish I've had in my life. Period. End of story. The grits are amazing - they are very creamy, and have a complex, subtly cheesy flavor. I had no idea grits could be like that. The Abita beer-infused beurre noir is incredible, I think it's really that good. But the shrimp themselves are like nothing I've experienced before. They were as tender as they could be while still being cooked, and their flavor made all the other shrimp I've had seem in hindsight like styrofoam. Now I know what shrimp should be like. The California chardonnay I had with my meal, although the least expensive wine on the menu, was perfect with this dish. I was completely blown away by my meal. When I regained my composure enough to rave about it to my server, she beamed and explained that everything is made fresh from local ingredients obtained that day. That may be, but it doesn't in itself explain how my meal could have been this good. I think there is true artistry involved here.
(5)
Monica V.
I tried Restaurant IPO for the first time during Restaurant Week Baton Rouge, and I was extremely impressed. We all ordered something different from the fixed menu, and even a few tapas as well. All in all, everything was delicious, but I think the Charbroiled Oysters and Gulf Andouille were my favorites. The restaurant was chic, service was perfect, the drink list was extensive and tasty, the food presentation was gorgeous, and the food was delicious. Even the dessert was unique and yummy! My friends and I will definitely be back soon!
(4)
Amy A.
Great food and atmosphere. A unique dining experience in Baton Rouge. Too bad the service is far below average. Waiters not knowing beer selections, dropping off food and running off without asking if we needed anything else, cold coffee, overcooked dessert. With a place this hip, I expected better service. I felt like I had to flag people down the entire time we were there and the restaurant wasn't even half full on a weekday lunch. PLEASE step up the service to match the fine food!
(2)
Kelly G.
Gave them a shot and was wowed this time. Firstly, the baretender DJ was amazingly professional and attentive. It was a Monday night and actually quite busy for a downtown establishment. I ordered the Duck confit and it was really delicious. Really no complaints but lots of praises this time. So glad the new chef along with staff and management have been able make it a success. I will definitely go back.
(4)
Grant M.
So I flew into Baton Rouge to do some work. I stayed downtown and nearby my hotel was Restaurant IPO. It is really good. It was a Monday night so the staff outnumbered the customers which was cool because you could all just chat. I sat at the bar, and ordered the Bayou Eggs and Shrimp and Grits. It was just perfect. The Shrimp and Grits was awesome, not sure what is in that sauce, but it was great. The staff was great too. Will definitely recommend and go back to this place!
(4)
Ericka P.
Great ambiance...sub-par service. My party and I felt like we should have gotten more of a rounded experience than what we left with for the amount of $ we invested. The food was good. Just good. It was served up nicely. We had a reservation and were seated promptly, as there was only 2 other tables in the restaurant, yet they chose to sit us right next to another table to where we could hear each others conversations. Anyhow, we had been there until over an hour and literally just finished dessert when the waiter told us that we needed to get going because there was a reservation waiting behind us. There were other tables open. This left me with a bitter taste. We couldn't have time to sit, relax and let our food settle before you were moving us on out. For a meal that I spent a couple of hundred dollars on, I would expect more tactfulness and respect for a guest of your restaurant. I am not sure that we will go back, being that the food was good but definitely not the best that I've have in BR. When you go out for a good time or a celebration, it's the whole experience that really matters. While the food was good, the service and last part of the evening trumped that for sure.
(2)
Rebecca W.
Great food. Great atmosphere. Spot-on service. Awesome wine list. I love the deviled egg thing, duck crepe, and scallops. My husband had the steak on our last visit and devoured it. Just try all the tapas, you can't go wrong! A bit loud and crowded on Friday night, but we found if you go earlier or on a week day (they have really sweet deals at happy hour) it's more chill.
(5)
Amanda H.
This is a great place to go with friends in the downtown area. The small plates allow you to order lots of different things and share bites of each. I especially like the "poutine" made with blue cheese crumbles, the grits and grillades, and the crawfish pot pie.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Lori M.
Two great items tonight--hush puppies and duck poppers. Everything else, including the service, was sub par unfortunately. The upside, our waiter may have scored a date with the hostess...he spent enough time chatting her up in any case. We left hungry and had to make a second stop. Little Village to the rescue.
(2)Alex K.
Bought a groupon - had $50 dollars to spend on food. We decided to get tapas. We split - Abita beer shrimp - Bacon wrapped dates - southern egg rolls - fried quail -brocolini The southern eggs rolls and friend quail were both good, but nothing special. The abita beer shrimp was very good, but a bit pricey for what you got. The sauce was a bit too sweet for me. The bacon wrapped dates were the best thing we had by a mile. The brocolini was way too small for the amount we paid - and it just tasted like garlic. Overall, it was a good meal, and a good price with the groupon. I would probably not go again unless I got a discount.
(4)Jesse T.
Nice, clean place to eat. Nice ambiance. Bar. TV above the bar. Dark wood. Tapas menu. Lots to choose from here. Here's what we had (three grown men): Lobster Mac & Cheese Muffaletta Pie Duck Pappardelle LA Crab Cakes Plus, one guy ate the Wedge Salad. Beer selection - just okay. Nothing to write home about. Everything was good, but that Pappardelle was my favorite. Dee-Licious!
(4)Christine W.
We bought a groupon for $50 and were excited to try the place out, after reading so many positive reviews on the food. We went at 8:30 on a Wednesday night. There were several tables already seated, but it was not crowded. Our server was friendly, attentive and knowledge about the menu. We ordered a glass of wine each and several tapas: duck poppers, duck and oyster gumbo, KFC Korean chicken, and crab and shrimp casserole. The gumbo was flavorless and lacking both duck and oysters. It was just a bowl of thick dark gravy with rice. The chicken was well cooked. The Korean sauce was thin and did not stick to the chicken. Good flavor, but it was just fried chicken. The poppers were tasty, but small portion. The bacon was undercooked, making it chewy. Could not taste the duck at all. The casserole was slightly undercooked, leaving the crumb topping hard and the casserole warm, but not hot. Flavor was good and there was a lot of shrimp and crab. The food was not bad, but we had higher expectations for the place. We were glad we had the Groupon.
(3)Sara R.
Loved this place!!! The food has absolutely amazing flavor and is very filling. We went out on a limb and tried the soft shell crab sliders to find out we aren't huge fans of soft shell crab. The manager rounded on us a couple of times throughout our meal and when he found out we didn't love the soft shell crab he offered us a substitution of our choice. Great service from our server. Great drinks from the bartender. Great experience overall and we'd recommend it to anyone! Definitely try the Duck Poppers, Bon Temp Shrimp, and Strawberry Mojito.
(5)Priscell E.
I celebrated my 32nd birthday here with my friends. The food is fun! Its nor your typical dinner date style food. We enjoyed cocktails and delicious complimentary popcorn while we waited for our delicious entrees. They even accommodated my Berries Chantilly cake in the freezer. The location is in the heart of the downtown. Perfect for dinner and dancing! Come with an open mind and prepare to be amazed!
(5)Jesse T.
Nice, clean place to eat. Nice ambiance. Bar. TV above the bar. Dark wood. Tapas menu. Lots to choose from here. Here's what we had (three grown men): Lobster Mac & Cheese Muffaletta Pie Duck Pappardelle LA Crab Cakes Plus, one guy ate the Wedge Salad. Beer selection - just okay. Nothing to write home about. Everything was good, but that Pappardelle was my favorite. Dee-Licious!
(4)Alex K.
Bought a groupon - had $50 dollars to spend on food. We decided to get tapas. We split - Abita beer shrimp - Bacon wrapped dates - southern egg rolls - fried quail -brocolini The southern eggs rolls and friend quail were both good, but nothing special. The abita beer shrimp was very good, but a bit pricey for what you got. The sauce was a bit too sweet for me. The bacon wrapped dates were the best thing we had by a mile. The brocolini was way too small for the amount we paid - and it just tasted like garlic. Overall, it was a good meal, and a good price with the groupon. I would probably not go again unless I got a discount.
(4)Lori M.
Two great items tonight--hush puppies and duck poppers. Everything else, including the service, was sub par unfortunately. The upside, our waiter may have scored a date with the hostess...he spent enough time chatting her up in any case. We left hungry and had to make a second stop. Little Village to the rescue.
(2)Christine W.
We bought a groupon for $50 and were excited to try the place out, after reading so many positive reviews on the food. We went at 8:30 on a Wednesday night. There were several tables already seated, but it was not crowded. Our server was friendly, attentive and knowledge about the menu. We ordered a glass of wine each and several tapas: duck poppers, duck and oyster gumbo, KFC Korean chicken, and crab and shrimp casserole. The gumbo was flavorless and lacking both duck and oysters. It was just a bowl of thick dark gravy with rice. The chicken was well cooked. The Korean sauce was thin and did not stick to the chicken. Good flavor, but it was just fried chicken. The poppers were tasty, but small portion. The bacon was undercooked, making it chewy. Could not taste the duck at all. The casserole was slightly undercooked, leaving the crumb topping hard and the casserole warm, but not hot. Flavor was good and there was a lot of shrimp and crab. The food was not bad, but we had higher expectations for the place. We were glad we had the Groupon.
(3)Sara R.
Loved this place!!! The food has absolutely amazing flavor and is very filling. We went out on a limb and tried the soft shell crab sliders to find out we aren't huge fans of soft shell crab. The manager rounded on us a couple of times throughout our meal and when he found out we didn't love the soft shell crab he offered us a substitution of our choice. Great service from our server. Great drinks from the bartender. Great experience overall and we'd recommend it to anyone! Definitely try the Duck Poppers, Bon Temp Shrimp, and Strawberry Mojito.
(5)Priscell E.
I celebrated my 32nd birthday here with my friends. The food is fun! Its nor your typical dinner date style food. We enjoyed cocktails and delicious complimentary popcorn while we waited for our delicious entrees. They even accommodated my Berries Chantilly cake in the freezer. The location is in the heart of the downtown. Perfect for dinner and dancing! Come with an open mind and prepare to be amazed!
(5)James C.
Ok, so the food was excellent, the service left much to be desired. I ordered an appetizer, salad, and main course. My salad and main course came together and appetizer came well after my meal was complete. There were three items on the menu that were no longer available. Again, everything was delicious, so don't write it off.
(3)Jason L.
2 buddies and I came to eat at IPO tonight and I wanted to share my experience. Let's start with the food: My friends and I decided to share all the food so we ordered a McDow burger, BBQ shrimp, and duck poppers. The burger was great, the bbq shrimp and grits were okay, and the duck poppers were pretty awesome. Overall we enjoyed the food. The drinks: we ordered a few speciality cocktails can't remember off the top of my head which ones but they were prepared nicely and quickly. The service: The restaurant seemed pretty busy initially. Although the food took quite a while to come out, our waiter (Ricky) made sure he kept us updated. He also suggested food and drinks to us as this was our first time ever at IPO, which really helped. The only thing I would have to complain about is the music, it was a bit loud. I also think the bathrooms could have been a bit cleaner. However, overall I would recommend IPO. The food, drinks, and service were all worth the price.
(4)Vyoracious K.
I have been at this restaurant twice. The first time I excused the experience for being fairly new restaurant but the second time around will most likely be my last. Upon arrival, we walked into an extremely loud dining room. I think the way the restaurant was constructed enabled sound to bounce off the walls and ceiling because I found myself having to yell to be heard.....by the person sitting directly next to me. Secondly, the menu font was extremely small and hard to read that we felt like old farts holding the menu literally 2 inches from our faces to read it. My friend finally had to take pictures with her phone to blow it up to a readable size. The menu is divided with tapas/appetizers, soups/salads, and then the entrees. We each opted for a tapa each and a salad since we weren't that hungry. I got the 3 mini fish tacos. These were the tiniest tacos ever about two inches long and the entire thing was $9! I don't think the food justified the outrageous price of $3 for a two inch long taco no matter how good it was. The purpose of tapas is that you have small plates for sharing or where you can order a few to make it a meal, not charge close to the price of an entree for one plate at such a measly portion. My friends salad, the size of a small salad was also $9, I have gotten salads that lasted me for days for much less. All in all another disappointing experience. The only thing it has going for it is its location downtown near all the bars.
(2)Shelly C.
Baton Rouge on a Monday night. Hard to get a sense of the town, but Restaurant IPO was a great intro to BR. Loved the natural woods and brick inside and what could be better than bacon Cajun popcorn instead of bread! Go for the Southern Tapas--Bayou Eggs and Bon Temp Shrimp were flavor explosions well executed. Excellent service from Joe. The old South has never been tastier!
(5)Emily S.
Service was awful and seating is cramped. We made reservations and then waited almost 10 minutes at the hostess-less hostess station while restaurant was nearly empty without being greeted by staff. Once hostess returned from her liquor run for the bar she seated us 8 inches away from another couple in a restaurant that had maybe 15 guests eating at the time. After another 10 minutes of our server never coming to greet us we left. I've heard great things about their chef, and loved when he was at Stroubes, but I'm not going to wait through the horrible service to see if his food at IPO is as good as it was at Stroubes. We won't be back.
(1)Leslie M.
Absolutely terrible service! Waiting for over an hour to get our food (group of 6). The place was not even half way full. The server brought some of the food out and the final plate didn't come out until everyone was done. Then when we complained they took the food away. Very disappointed!
(1)Jessica E.
I've been to IPO a few times now in the short time that it has been open and overall I think it is good. I love the exposed brick and wood decor and think it is a great addition to the downtown lunch and dinner scene. IPO has several items that really push the envelope when it comes to fusion food, at least in Baton Rouge. But I think my favorite (and the best!) items on the menu are the ones that are a bit more basic, like the tuna steak, steak and frites, grits and grillads, heirloom tomato salad, grilled Caesar salad, caprese salad, and duck crepe. Hopefully they will one day bring back the curried mussels-- my favorite! However, some items miss the mark a bit. For example, the last time I was there for lunch, I had the bahn mi style French dip sandwich which is supposed to come with pho for dipping. Now, I didn't expect much since it isn't a Vietnamese place, but I definitely didn't expect the "pho" to basically be au jus sauce. So if you are like me, hoping to have a side of soup with the sandwich, may want to gravitate elsewhere. The sandwich is okay, but calling it pho is really misleading. One other tip-- their blue cheese frites with the truffle gravy are pretty good, but get the cheese and gravy on the side. That way, your fries stay crisp the entire time you are eating. Else then get a little soggy midway through. There have been some comments on the service-- yeah, it can be kind of slow some days. I think they are understaffed. But I have always found the servers to be very polite and accommodating, so I don't mind the wait. But if you are in a rush, might want to go elsewhere. But if you are not, kick back with one of their yummy cocktails and give IPO a try!
(4)Nicole C.
Delicious food with a great ambiance. So glad this restaurant is in downtown Baton Rouge - great place to have dinner with friends.
(5)Jonathan S.
I have to say I'm glad restaurant week featured this location because otherwise I probably wouldn't have looked at this place. It was great! The atmosphere is chic and modern. This is more of a foodies paradise with new twists on conventional items. The bayou eggs which are simply a deviled egg with bacon and an oyster on top coated with caramelized onions had a flavor combination that will leave you expecting. The gumbo is as good as you could expect coming out of the heart of Louisiana. However, the char grilled oysters were nothing special, but good none the less. I don't see it conforming with the way the rest of the menu seems to knock it out of the park. The steak was great, but you might get a bad cut. Mine was full of flavor but fat as well, and my buddies was missing some size. My girlfriends was good but over cooked for a rare that was more of a medium. I honestly think they switched our steaks as I ordered a rare plus. ...She got the short end of the stick because I wasn't giving up that deliciousness. The desserts are phenomenal. They really went the extra mile in the creation and execution of them. They are plated and thought out very well. The bread pudding had pop rocks in it and really put a smile on my face. The chocolate pate was amazing and served with roasted marshmallows making it only that much better. We can't forget the great drinks they had as well. I had a ginger margarita which I couldn't get enough of, and my girlfriend had something that was fruity with a heck of a kick. All in all, I can't wait to go back to this place.
(4)Rebecca W.
Great food. Great atmosphere. Spot-on service. Awesome wine list. I love the deviled egg thing, duck crepe, and scallops. My husband had the steak on our last visit and devoured it. Just try all the tapas, you can't go wrong! A bit loud and crowded on Friday night, but we found if you go earlier or on a week day (they have really sweet deals at happy hour) it's more chill.
(5)Amanda H.
This is a great place to go with friends in the downtown area. The small plates allow you to order lots of different things and share bites of each. I especially like the "poutine" made with blue cheese crumbles, the grits and grillades, and the crawfish pot pie.
(3)D T.
I wrote a largely positive review of IPO over a year ago and have come back several times since and enjoyed the food. However, I feel the need to revisit that review after an extremely negative experience at the upstairs bar owned by the same people. Last night, A white guy who is way too drunk on the balcony starts making overtly racist comments at two people of color. They try to diffuse things but he keeps escalating. A fight breaks out. Some bouncers come and break up the fight. We assume that the bouncers are escorting all of those involved in the fight out of the bar, but they only escort out the people of color. The white dude is left behind and proceeds to throw a chair over the balcony. A man whom we presume to be another bouncer comes and escorts the angry dude away, we presume out of the bar. As we prepare to leave ourselves we realize that the white guy who instigated the fight and threw a chair over the balcony is not only still in the bar but has been given a drink by the man who we thought was a bouncer but is in fact, the bartender tells us, the OWNER of the bar. One of us confronts the owner about why this man is still there, threatening violence, when the other folks have been kicked out. He says "I went to high school with that guy, get out of my face" When another bouncer does finally come to escort the instigator of the fight away he yells "white power" as he makes his way down third street. I wish I were making any part of this up, but I'm not. Hard to blame a rogue employee when the OWNER is engaging is such discrimination and supporting a racist ass hole over keeping the patrons of his bar safe and defending the most basic of civil rights. This disgusting display made it clear to me that the owner of IPO and The Office values his relationship with his racist high school classmate over the safety and dignity of his customers. Eat their over priced tapas at your own risk.
(1)Rebecca W.
"A downtown treasure". The flourishing downtown Baton Rouge has become quite the spot for hip, swanky and posh restaurants that have a variety of crowds flocking to them. Restaurant IPO is one of my newest downtown favorites. The look of the restaurant is sleek and modern, perfect for post-work get-togethers or cozy date nights. A date night was in order for my and my husband, so this was the ideal spot for us! We came in on a very busy Saturday night and sat at the bar. Thankfully, the bar was not crowded, so there were 2 spots waiting just for me and my lovely date - my hubby. The bartender was super sweet and was very attentive! There were so many sumptuous choices on the menu, so it was very hard to decide. I turned to the Yelp reviews and found that the duck crepe & bayou eggs were a crowd favorite, so we ordered those 2 items in addition to the IPO salad! As we waited, we were given a small bucket of their "Bacon Cajun Caramel Popcorn"... boy was that deliciously decadent... WOWZA!! It took a hot minute for our dishes to arrive, but completely understood because they were extremely busy and I was thrilled that they were busy... always a great sign! For those that have read my previous reviews know that I am a lover of duck dishes! The duck crepe was an absolute delight... it was light and filled with a perfect amount of duck meat! My husband and I were ready to lick the plate! The bayou eggs were different and quite tasty... a very posh deviled egg! The egg was topped with deep fried oysters... yummmm!! I have also read that this dish comes in another variation - crawfish instead of oysters. The IPO salad was a refreshing finish to our meal and helped. This place had such lovely ambiance and I will definitely be returning!
(4)Scott H.
Last night a group of us dined at IPO as part of the 3rd Street Grub Crawl. This was probably my 5th trip to IPO over the years, which includes several different leaders in the kitchen. The kindest words I can give about this restaurant is that it "hit or miss" but truly it is mostly miss. The wait staff here, although honestly always nice people, are so grossly undertrained it borders on incompetence. I do believe professionals should take it upon themselves to be better, but I am a realist and with hospitality staff it needs to be a priority for the front of the house to beat the basics into the waiter's heads. For instance, not a single menu question could be answered with 100% confidence. Is the pappardelle handmade? What are the cheeses on the charcuterie board? The bar was clearly run as poorly as the staff training. Our poor waiter was struggling to keep up with drink orders that could not be made due to unavailable ingredients. The most baffling was not being able to make a Manhattan because they were out of vermouth. Vermouth!!! Really?!?! Okay, now on to the food. Here are the serviceable dishes (meaning edible): Southern eggrolls, BBQ shrimp, Stuffed Dates... the end. Now it gets rough: The Charcuterie platter - although the cheeses could not be explained, they were all decent. Store bought salami, stale bread (not sliced), no pickled elements to cut the fatty meats and cheeses, and the coup de grace - old and discolored smoked salmon with pesto made this whole dish a forgettable mess. I could write another paragraph on the salmon alone. Southern Gnocchi with crab - First we can start with the lazy kitchen staffer who did not remove any of the shells from the crab meat. Always fun eating food with shell shards cutting at your gums. Way to go! But even taking that technical detail out, the dish was inedible to me. The dish was completely under seasoned and jammed into a tiny bowl. And unless the Italian changed the definition of gnocchi from "dumpling" to "brick" I think someone needs to re-tune their recipe. These were just a solid mass of potato with no airy, fluffy consistency that is to be expected. Duck Pappardelle - First, while I appreciate this coming out hot, I do not appreciate it coming out 10 minutes after everyone at my table has been served their entrée. But on to the food. In a night filled with bad dishes, this one really stands out as the worst of the worst. Gummy pasta, grainy sauce, no seasoning, and on it goes. There was so much wrong with this dish that is would not even be worth retooling. It needed to be put in the trash and never served again. In an effort to say something nice, I will say I like the décor. And truly I want to like this place. It is something Baton Rouge desperately needs and the potential is there. The execution is just atrocious from start to finish. Hopefully they will get it together, but until then this restaurant will remain on the "Nope" list for me.
(2)Michelle C.
Foodies will appreciate! I would say that some items are lower on fat that I would have expected. The bisque was not as thick as most I've had, but it had all the same flavor and deliciousness! The duck crepe with goat cheese and mushrooms was delectable but I didn't see any skin or fat pieces or much meat... The flavor was fabulous don't get me wrong, but don't expect Asian Market amounts of duck in that particular dish. Maybe the duck Entree' is more of what I was looking for. I'm definitely coming back to IPO with friends to try out as many tapas as possible!
(5)Steele B.
What's going on here lately?? I have been here about 15 times over the last 2 years. Last few trips were mediocre and the last was not good. Chips were cold. Duck egg rolls were bad. I usually like them. They were out of 3 items ordered. We only ordered 6... "New bartender" excuse for slow drink service. We closed out before we were done eating and finished our night at another restaurant. I must say our waitress was very nice and attentive though. It's the only reason for the third star. Other 2 stars are for atmosphere and location. Cool spot. I will wait a few months to work out these problems and give it one more shot. I want to like it! I hope to edit my review for the better down the road.
(3)Jermainne B.
I had a lovely evening at IPO the other tonight. Jessica, our server was attentive, friendly, and accommodating. She was outstanding with both timeliness and accuracy of orders. The food was excellent! We did tapas and shared bites. From what I tasted, the winners were the flatbread, gnocchi, duck poppers, and the bayou eggs. The only thing that was missing was the scallop and mushroom soup which was thick and creamy, but lacked texture and was only slightly warm. Overall, I have an excellent experience and meal! I will try again.
(3)Susan K.
So happy to have this inventive and delicious tapas restaurant downtown. Great for lunch and dinner. The dishes bring Cajun flare to tapas. LOVE the Bayou Eggs
(4)Grant M.
So I flew into Baton Rouge to do some work. I stayed downtown and nearby my hotel was Restaurant IPO. It is really good. It was a Monday night so the staff outnumbered the customers which was cool because you could all just chat. I sat at the bar, and ordered the Bayou Eggs and Shrimp and Grits. It was just perfect. The Shrimp and Grits was awesome, not sure what is in that sauce, but it was great. The staff was great too. Will definitely recommend and go back to this place!
(4)Zeb G.
Food was generally good. Our server was quite green and could use some help. But we had a good time overall Ordered; Duck Poppers, Charcuterie, caprese board, asparagus, bacon wrapped dates. Duck poppers were good, Not sure if you could tell it was duck or not over the bacon and jalapeno. Charcuterie board, had many selections or meats, but was kind of mono-tone on the sausages. I would suggest a pate or headcheese in place of some of them. The cheese selection was a joke, cheddar, colby-jack, a mild white cheese (provolone). The one cheese we really liked was a white cheese studded with dark flecks, we asked waiter what it was, he asked the kitchen, they replied 'English Cheddar', not quite.... Caprese board; Tomatoes, basil and dark balsamic were on point. The cheese itself was a huge miss. It was a firm mozzarella, reminded very much of the big block of Kraft in my grandma's fridge. Caprese should only be made with fresh mozzarella. Asparagus, the fried egg on top was cooked to fast, bottom was dark and chewy, eggs should be fried slow enough to not take collor. The asparagus itself was not trimmed or pealed, so the bottom half of it was very stringy. They were also over cooked and kind of mushy. I tried to cut through it, saw how stringy and mushy it was and didn't eat a bite. Bacon wrapped dates were the delicious nuggets of love i was hopping for. So over all a better showing than I was expecting in Baton Rouge, but still room to improve.
(3)Angela R.
My husband and I came in for dinner last night and had a mediocre experience. Almost half of their beers on tap were out and there were no IPA options in bottle. Our waiter was nice but was obviously new and knew very little about the menu. The food was good and it's definitely a place we want to try again after management gets things together a bit better.
(3)Brittany B.
Went there for my 21st birthday. Service was awful and it wasn't even packed. Everyone's dinner dish came out separately. Portions aren't that great especially for the price. I love the atmosphere but they didn't even know how to make a blueberry lemon drop martini. Won't go back.
(2)Paul N.
Very cool vibe. Reminds me of Brooklyn NY. The food consists mainly of tapas. This place is always packed so you may have to wait a little longer for food and service. So glad this concept is here in Baton Rouge.
(5)Stacy P.
Love this place! The chef(s) take ordinary foods and bump them up to extraordinary. For example, the Bayou Eggs. Just deviled eggs, right? Wrong! My mom's deviled eggs never had crawfish and tassi mixed in with fried oysters on top. I love you, mom, but these are the best deviled eggs I've ever had! There's something for every taste and the one time I had room for dessert, the white chocolate bread pudding was to die for!
(4)Pacience S.
I've been here 3 or 4 times and I've been a bit more underwhelmed with each visit. My husband sticks with the Ribeye Burger which I find to be somewhat greasy and doesn't have a good balance of richness and acid though the pickled red onions are good they just aren't enough. On my most recent visit I had the daily lunch special which I had high hopes for as it was described as buttermilk brined wings and thighs, however upon ordering I was informed that the chicken was actually chicken tenders. Bummer to say the least as if wanted chicken tenders I would have headed over to Cane's which really no one can beat when it comes to tenders but I decided to keep an open mind. The tenders were breaded nicely but the breading came off easily and what was left were kinda blah chicken tenders with what the menu described as a light sweet potato donut. Donut i'm not so sure about it tasted a bit scorched and more like pumpkin than sweet potato and added nothing to dish which in essence was soggy tenders with a weird donut, a few micro greens and some possibly reduced Steen's syrup. In all a big disappointment even the house salad was full of wilted black and slimy lettuce and a cucumber slice that tasted as if it had been stored cut next to raw fish, not a good way to start a meal though it didn't really get any better.
(3)Robert M.
I always appreciate when someone is trying to do something new in Baton Rouge, and IPO does that. The location is great and the atmosphere is really cool. IT's a fun place to go on a date or double date before drinks downtown. I would advise picking out a bunch of their small plates and digging in. Their entrees are always interesting and sound great, but to me don't quite measure up. Either the execution just isn't there or they are sometimes just trying to do a BIT too much with the ingredients themselves, like the food is just overthought it a little too much and the ingredients get weighed down. But again, I enjoy eating here and the location and ambience is great.
(3)Lucy W.
Delicious tapas- my favorites were the flatbread and the summer corn gnocchi. I would stick to beer...the cocktails were overly sweet. Great casual atmosphere...we sat at a tall table in the middle of the restaurant. Service was a little spotty from a young server.
(4)Doughty V.
A top restaurant in Baton Rouge, especially in downtown area. Love the atmosphere and tapas seating. Upstairs bar is a cool environment and love the decor. Fun games and availability for private parties in separate room. I've only ever been for dinner. Menu is fantastic from very popular chef. Small plate style for much of the menu but still nice portion size. The grilled Caesar and bayou eggs are two of my faves. Also love duck poppers and gnocchi. That sea scallop bisque is to die for. Plenty to choose from on menu. Not that many seats so if it's busy, there may be a wait. Go upstairs and have a drink! Or make a reservation. This is a must do!
(5)Latrina R.
I met my friend here for dinner and drinks after work. I'll say that they got 3 stars on the location and dessert only. Let's start with the wait staff..... Umm sub par! When you get their attention it works, if you don't have their attention then that sucks for you. So the food: the free popcorn is really good. It was the highlight of my night. My friend ordered turtle soup that was less than appetizing. It was so salty I think my blood pressure tripled with each spoon full. Then I got the steak frites and she had the lamb frites. My steak was ordered medium and it was delivered medium rare. It was salty as well. Once I got past the salt, the taste wasn't that bad. The frites could have done without the gravy, and the meal would have been much better. Her lamb was just ok. For $30 I would want it to be better than ok. For dessert we had bread pudding. Now it was delish! I had the sazerac to drink, I'm not sure why, but it tasted flat. But with the bread pudding it was nice. Needless to say.... I probably won't be back
(3)Elizabeth H.
Had our Christmas party catered here.. food was very sub par. Bread pudding was about the only good thing on the menu. Atmosphere was nice but bar tenders were definitely few and far between and not really good. Don't think I'd try again.
(3)Sabrina V.
Well we attempted to dine at IPO today for lunch but once we sat ourselves ( no hostess at 11 am for opening) and was brought the wrong menu, the waiter informed us that they were out of the fish, shrimp, muscles, burger, and portabellos among other menu items. Apparently they had a packed Saturday night and all the food had been consumed and the truck that was supposed to arrive at 10:30 was late. Why is a food truck delivering at 10:30 when you open at 11?!!! They should have closed today for no XXX food. Anyway, this wasn't the first time this has happened to me here.....so my friend and I excused ourselves and went next door for lunch.
(2)Blaze N.
Just put food on a fancy plate and charge 30 bucks. Service was bad, we all ordered waters but they only brought 2. And we asked later but they didn't bring it. I ordered a medium stake and it was well to medium well. If I pay $30 for a stake I would like to taste it. Wouldn't go again, if made 100 k I guess I would conciter eating again.
(2)Laine W.
My husband and I went here for a date night and really enjoyed the ambience and the food. It has a warm, modern decor and feels very inviting. I had the sweet fashion (a citrus infused take on an old fashion). It was strong and well balanced, always a great start to the evening. We split a few tapas-- the gnocchi, tacos, and egg rolls. All had interesting flavor combinations and tasted sophisticated and fresh. The only reason I haven't given it 5 stars is because our first order of gnocchi came out cold and although they did refire the dish, no one from management came over to speak with us and no offers were made to go above and beyond to rectify the situation. That, to me, is a service that really sets a restaurant apart. But other than that, we were very pleased with the food and drinks, and would definitely come back!
(4)Lynette L.
Confession. I love Chef Varnedoe. I loved him at Stroubes (not worth going to since he left, imo), so much so that we had our wedding dinner there and I was excited to go to IPO when my husband made reservations for our anniversary dinner. If I weren't married to the sexiest man on the planet I would consider stalking the poor man in the hopes that duck cracklins would fall from his chef's coat. I was a bit worried by some of the reviews on here, but I should have known better. It was just the two of us, so we didn't have that much off the menu, but everything was excellent. The service was very pleasant as well and the location was good for walking around downtown. Here's what we had: Cocktails: Ramos Gin Fizz. This was good, didn't knock my socks off, but nice. The cocktail menu is the only thing I could find to improve (bit more variety). The drinks on the menu very much suited my taste, but my husband didn't see anything that he found appealing and he stuck to water. The bar seemed well stocked and the bartenders knowledgeable, so I would imagine they could make just about whatever you liked. App: Duck Poppers. Serious yum. It was small, even for an app (four small pieces, would think 5-6 for the size), but it was so good I wouldn't mind ordering another plate. Or 4. Entrees: Hubby had the Asian Cajun (tuna) and he very much enjoyed it. I had the Downtown Duck and I would very nearly classify it as life changing. How had I never had duck cracklin before? It was so good I was bouncing up and down on the seat and got a little misty eyed. Hubby started to fuss, but I shoved my fork in his mouth and he piped down. Despite many other reviews commenting on small servings, we both felt that the entrees were the perfect size. I did not even finish mine. Dessert: Cheesecake ( if I recall correctly, with a sunflower crust and Grand Marnier soaked raisins). Some people would find this small to share (the size of a small ramekin), but we thought it was perfect. Yes, I would have eaten more if it had been there, but I like to leave the restaurant without feeling overdone. I know it was just cheesecake, but this had an incredibly lovely flavor and we really enjoyed it. Verdict? I went to bed thinking of my next visit and wondering if Amazon would ship me duck cracklin by the case load. I absolutely cannot wait to go back. ---edited to raise from 4 stars to 5, because, honestly it was one of my favorite meals ever and that means going up against some amazing restaurants in places like New Orleans and Boston. It gets the extra star for being in Baton Rouge but not letting the location set the standard.
(5)Jennifer M.
Ive been to many tapas style restaurants and I was expecting a lot more from this place. I would give the food 2.5 stars and the service ( at least this particular server 1 star) I think people may be fooled by the hip decor and lavish menu, but when it came down to the inspection of the food it was mediocre at best. I would like to try the place again as the menu changes per season. I may come back and edit my review if I do so in a few months. Chances are I will see how the next 5 reviews go and then decide if I will give it a second chance with a new menu. Overall, looks can be deceiving. Your not that hip.
(2)Swatee G.
Walking into this super chic restaurant, the first thing that caught my eye (after the nice, rustic decor that is) was the server tees - All of them were imprinted with 'Eat Drink Stay' at the back. It made me laugh out loud really, it sounded so cheesy - but let me assure you, the place makes you want to do just that... Eat good food, Drink some super yummy concoctions from the bar and just Stay and hang out a bit longer! :) As part of our 'Bi-weekly Outing' (Yes, I work with an awesome group of people who insist on having regular fun sessions!), we ended up at this brand new place - Thanks Kevin, for making it happen! I am super happy to be the first one reviewing this place! In my opinion, this is the perfect place for an after work Happy Hour, a casual date or a fun meeting with friends in Baton Rouge! The place is decently sized, with a great bar (and an awesome bartender), and perfect seating. The decor is hip/ trendy mixed with rustic - very bohemian! Since we were a rowdy bunch of over 20 people, we ended up being seated at this long Family Style table in the middle of the restaurant. Chef Chris came out to greet us and give us a rundown on who things worked at the restaurant. He promised to keep the assorted Tapas coming till we wanted, with 3-4 plates of each dish. Our only request was to make sure each round came with a couple of vegetarian options, give the makeup of our group. I let the bartender surprise me, and she hooked me up with the awesome Strawberry-Basil Martini with Malibu as the base... Was my drink straight from Malibu/ strawberry heaven? Yes! Did my server make sure I got my share of refills? Yes, yes! Did other people enjoy their drinks? Yes, Yes, YES! So now that I have taken the alcohol off of my mind :), let me go on to the food! Be prepared to be stunned by the variety that is about to follow yelpers, this is going to be a long review!! Bayou Eggs - We got 2 versions of this dish - one with flash fried oysters on top (I don't like oysters, so I wasn't a fan), and the other with fried crawfish on top - the eggs were smooth and the crawfish perfectly sized bites! Absolutely loved it! Strawberry Spinach Salad - Candied pecans and the super yummy warm sugar cane vinegarette made this dish a great hit! Bon Temp Shrimp - Perfect breading, nicely fried in a rich creamy sauce. Another excellent dish Heirloom Salad - The fried okra threw me off a bit, I was not really impressed. Curried Mussels - Sweet and spicy is perfect for a description here! I could not taste the curry flavor at all for some reason (maybe my taste buds are too Indian! :p ), but this dish definitely lived up to its name and the hype created by our server. The sauce was so yummy, we all made a deep dive into the bowl with pieces of bread to soup up the curried sauce, lol..! Blue Cheese Frites - The flavor of the blue cheese was a bit too strong for me, and there was a certain nutty bitterness to the dish, may have been from the truffle. Judging from out half eaten dishes strewn across our long table, I can safely say the dish was not really a popular one with anyone. Buffalo Bruschetta - Tomato and Mozzarella make an excellent combination and add basil to the mix, it's my personal bruschetta heaven! This dish was great. I can't say I have never had better bruschetta, but it was pretty decent. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay long enough for dessert, but I heard everyone loved whatever desserts they have (I personally plan to be back to get try them for myself) Check out their menu online, they have some great stuff going for them. Given that it was their first week in when we visited them, the service was a little jittery and chaotic, but I really feel (and hope) it will improve as the days progress! Will love to be back to try some more entrees and their desserts! Good job, IPO!
(4)Katelyn S.
My type of restaurant! I love putting random ingredients together to come up with crazy food combinations, and that's exactly what Restaurant IPO does. As an appetizer my boyfriend and I ordered the grits and grillades along with the pequeno tacos. For the main dish, we split the individual flatbread and fried yard bird (which was like a gourmet chicken and waffles). Warning: the portions are small, but the food is rich and packed with flavor! The environment is upscale yet comfortable - absolutely perfect for a birthday meal with friends. The only disappointing thing was the hour and a half time limit we had to eat because the restaurant was booked with reservations at 7. I suggest you either get there early like we did for a quick meal, or make a reservation!
(5)Shane M.
The food is very good if your willing to wait. Servers seemed nice but undertrained and understaffed. Expect to seat yourself, get your own menu and ask for refills. There is zero initiative at this restaurant. The two stars are only because I really enjoyed the blue on black burger.
(2)Barry K.
I love this type of restaraunt. It has a true downtown type of feel and a modern menu. The menu changes seasonally and usually every thing is usually pretty good. On my most recent visit I got the fried yard bird entree. I really wasn't overly impressed. It was just fried chicken with cane syrup (too sweet for me). So i would recommend that you try the tapas. I can't pick a favorite so I recommend you try them all!
(4)Christine S.
Really am awesome find our first trip to Baton Rouge. After a long day of travel in hot and humid weather the inviting cool entry beckoned with a lovely Sauvignon Blanc. Carmel bacon popcorn brought to the table is tasty. Best tapas so far: gnocci and the gumbo was Louisiana perfect - dark and smokey - Amazing! Need to come back to try more...
(5)Natasha G.
I came on an off night (LSU game) so there was only one other party in the restaurant and the food hadn't been prepared too thoughtfully. I ordered the Bayou Eggs, Pequeno Tacos, and Truffle Spaghetti (this works for one hungry person or two grazers). The Tacos and Spaghetti were disappointments. Tacos were cold, tasteless, and pretty uninspired -- I couldn't even figure out where the fish was in them. The three tacos each sat in a fat mound of sour cream, which is nice if you like sour cream but seemed to contribute to the blandness of the dish overall. The Spaghetti, while conceptually solid, lacked a bit in execution. The pasta was cooked a bit past al dente and the sauce didn't wow me. I did like the truffle oil-drizzled bread on top, but I was confused by the four grape tomatoes haphazardly hanging out on the plate, and the meatballs were tasteless. Tomatoes were past their sell-by date, it seemed. Finally, the Bayou Eggs -- these were pretty good, but also lukewarm. Your deviled eggs can be cold, or they can be warm, but these were neither. I did like the fried oyster on top and the crunchy bits inside, though I think the seasoning was a little lacking. Perhaps this meal lacked flavor because LSU was losing as the chefs were cooking in the kitchen, but I can't really recommend this place based on my experience there.
(3)Naveed B.
There is a lot to like about Restaurant IPO. The location is great and the ambience is excellent. They have really good music in the background. The bar is nice and the drink list is large for a restaurant this small(though the beer list leaves much to be desired). The presentation of the food is beautiful. This place has a lot of style. My biggest complaint about this place is the food. I'm not sure what is off about it, but it tastes off. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but the food isn't that good. It looks beautiful, it smells great, but the taste isn't there. I really it's just that I'm ordering the wrong menu items, because I really want to like this place. The food is just way too expensive for expensive for what you get though. If IPO fixes whatever it is that is wrong with the food, as I could easily see myself bumping this place up a star or two. That being said, this is a great place to bring a date for a drink and maybe an item or two off of the tapas menu.
(3)Lisa S.
This restauarant has great decor, a great vibe and very interesting menu, so I wanted to really, really like it! But unfortunately, only about half the things we ordered I really enjoyed and the rest really under-delivered. I came here with some people from work and since we had the corporate card in hand, we ordered quite a bit. We got the free popcorn to start which was sooooo great! Seriously that stuff is crack. Can't. stop. eating. it. So that was good. Also the pork and grits and crispy gulf shrimp tapas plates were excellent! I ordered just the house burger and it was nottttt good. Really bland and dry and the fries were TERRIBLE. Seriously they were not good. As if they'd been sitting out for awhile just waiting to be served. I barely at half of the burger. Also the blue cheese fries and ceviche-type tapas were not great either. Just did not taste how they should. So others in my group got the duck entree and the tacos and they seemed to enjoy them. Oh, also we got the pecan pie and it was GREAT! I do not even like pecan pie, but this was awesome, definitely recommend to save room for it! Lastly, the service was ok...took a little long to get our food but overall not a deal breaker. I would give it another shot to try some of the other dishes, but also would not run back to it.
(3)Aj O.
Young crowd. We had duck poppers, Rockefeller risoto on the half shell, grits and grillades, and the saltwater martini. I loved the duck poppers - they're essentially seared meat wrapped in bacon and delicious. The rockefeller risoto was pretty meh, but the oysters on top were some of the best of my life. The grits and grillades were better than most and the portioning on that item was excellent. But the saltwater martini... God, it was disgusting. Do not order it, it has fried rice noodles that greet you at the bottom of the happy tuna-salmon topping and I thought they were bones. They taste exactly like uncooked pasta and are impossible to get out of the fish. Service was polite but, ah, not there. We filled our own drinks and had a wait even though we made a reservation. Also very, very loud. 4 tapas ended up being 50 dollars so you're looking at $60 for dinner for two, which would totally be worth it if everything was as good as those damn duck poppers. Those are the only things that would bring me back.
(2)N L.
The food was great- I had strawberry salad and the crab gnocchi. The service, way under par.. And my order was only takeout.
(4)Autumn H.
My husband and I were here last night to celebrate his birthday. This was our third time dining at Restaurant IPO and I highly recommend it! Last night we started with duck rolls and the seafood martini thing. While the seafood martini thing was good I probably wouldn't get it again. The duck rolls were great, though! We didn't get the bayou eggs this time but we have before and they're awesome; too. We each got a cocktail with our appetizers. I tried a pomegranate cucumber basil martini. It was bright pink and sweeter than what I'd normally prefer; but it was very good. My husband said it tasted like a watermelon jolly rancher. He got what our server described as IPO's take on an old fashioned. It was great! For dinner I ordered the steak frites and my husband had the wall street burger. My dinner was good but his burger was amazing. He struggled to finish it and he made a mess of this giant, drippy burger; but he thoroughly enjoyed it. And it comes with wine!
(5)Rita V.
We ditched another place to come here, and I am SO GLAD WE DID! I reserve 5 stars for establishments that do well what they do. and this is one of these places... Clean with a superstar staff - our server James is a darling who loves people and the food he serves. BEWARE THE TAPAS ARE HUGE for tapas. We tried the curried mussels, mini tacos (ceviche stuffed), grits and grilliades, duck crepe... Delicious! Of course Mr. Im happy to serve you told us that the menu is about to change, and that they will be serving DUCK AND WAFFLES... Sweet potato waffles! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! I WANT some and they aren't on the menu! Creative menu, beautiful decor, and beautiful southern charm staff - every single one of them! A gem to come back to!
(5)Marchand W.
Enjoyed a lunch special of pork chops and cornbread dressing. Flavorful. Being a sweet tooth, the highlight of my visit was a serving of warm breadpudding. All I can say is WOW!!! Service was attentive and courteous. Planning my next visit.
(4)Jackie D.
Favorite new restaurant in Baton Rouge. Reasonably priced tapas, delicious cocktails, great bartenders, and a wonderful downtown location! The inside is very intimate, not too loud, and perfect for a date or hanging out with a group of friends. For the drinks, I suggest either a mint julep (an off menu gem) or the sugar cane mojito. On the menu, you MUST get the Bayou eggs with oysters or crawfish - both options are delicious. Its a flavor explosion in your mouth and you will not regret it. Also, the charbroiled oysters are WONDERFUL and super cheap at around $9 a dozen. This is a welcome addition to a downtown dining scene that tends to be more pricey (a la Little Village and Stroube's), here's hoping for more places popping up like this in Baton Rouge!
(4)Chris S.
Overall, I think it's a good place to eat. I always get a tapas and a side. The menu item that stuck out to me was their roasted duck crepe. Duck is very difficult to cook, but when it's done properly, it's quite nice. I have also had their risotto, which was nice. I had their char broiled oysters, which were good, but I have had better. Their daily soup was decent as well. As for the service it was good. I like the atmosphere there. It's worth giving it a go yourself.
(4)Lance R.
Nice atmosphere.
(3)Burt P.
Great food and atmosphere in downtown BR. Had dinner there last night and was completely impressed. There were only 2 other tables seated but I chalked that up to the rainy weather we had. The overall decor of the place is vaguely industrial and all the tables, chairs and the ceiling element were made by a craftsman in NOLA. We started off with cocktails and kept them coming throughout the meal. No short pours here. We finally decided on 3 tapas to start. The Bon Temp Shrimp, Roasted Duck Crepe and Loco Portobello. All were delicious but it would be a toss up as to whether I enjoyed the crepe or portobello more. They were delicious. We tried to order the Scallops but they had run out . For dinner, my partner had the filet and I had the ribeye. Both were cooked perfectly medium rare and served with boursin potatoes and broccolini. Lastly we followed all this with a dessert of Chocoate Duo and the Sweet Potato Bread Pudding. Overall, a great first impression and we'll definitely be going back for more. I think next time we may just stick with ordering more of the tapas to sample instead of ordering a full entree. Service was quick and efficient and the food came out relatively quickly. I do wish they had a few more cordial/liqueur options at the bar but that's a minor issue. (I wanted Campari but settled for Bullet Rye instead)
(5)Jason T.
I came into this place with high expectations, based on the menu and reviews. In fact of all the restaurants that I've been to in Baton Rouge this was the one I was looking forward to the most. And yet here I sit a few weeks after going, trying to remember anything about it. None of the dishes was terribly well executed or overly exciting. That I can't remember single dish a few weeks later is not a good sign, considering that I can remember almost everything I've ever had at Bin 77...
(2)Craig J.
Hit this place after watching LSU destroy A&M. Service was not the best and they don't have bread? But the Downtown Duck and their twist on the Moscow Mule (in a copper cup) were solid!
(3)Justin C.
We had the pimiento cheese plate, the gumbo and the redfish tacos. All were excellent and surprisingly filling, plus free caramel bacon popcorn! Great selection of local beers and extremely friendly staff. We were there during the LSU game so we had the place to ourselves and walking distance to our hotel was a bonus. Highly recommend.
(5)Xavier W.
The food was amazing. Some friends and myself had shrimp and grits, sweet potato tuna salad and their gumbo. I had no complaints what so ever the service was great. We had a waitress name Jessica, she needs to enlighten some other waitress around the world cause that how service need to always be. I really wish I could take this restaurant with back home.
(5)Phillip A.
We visited for the first time for a New Year's Eve dinner last night. Menu was set for the evening but many of the items are on the regular menu. We sampled the wild mushroom and scallop bisque, a lobster bisque - both soups were excellent (we liked the wild mushroom the best). My only wish was that both soups came a little warmer. Caesar salad was crisp and not drowning in dressing. Entrees sampled were the duck (fabulous) and a scallop / grits dish that was delicious though I wasn't quite as fond of the presentation of this dish (came in a rectangular bowl and was a little awkward). The bread pudding beignets were the best dessert I've had in Baton Rouge. Decor is contemporary and very inviting, staff was very friendly and service was excellent. I usually hesitate to rank 5 stars but, based on our experience...they deserve it! Try it out!
(5)Ashley B.
We went out for a girls' night for our most recent visit to IPO. I ordered the Crab & Brie Soup, the Redfish Tacos, & an order of the Cheese Grits (which I had previously devoured on my last visit with my hubs.) So, I was excited about the food that was to come. However, I received my soup in a bowl along with a giant piece of French Bread right smack in the middle. The bread absorbed nearly all of my soup and there was little remaining for me to eat. My tacos left much to be desired. The flavors from the avocado mousse and sour cream were good, but there was so little fish on there that I could barely tell I was eating any fish at all. And lastly, the greatest disappointment was my long-awaited cheese grits which were rock solid and dry from the moment our waiter set them on the table. I took one bite in hopes my eyes were deceiving me and the waiter could immediately tell I was disappointed. He offered me some mashed potatoes in place of the grits, which I accepted; but to be honest, it wasn't much of an improvement. We ordered bread pudding for dessert, which we all split, and it was the best thing I ate all night. I secretly wished I had it all to myself. I didn't leave full or completely satisfied and was sad to be so disappointed by a place I had previously enjoyed. Hoping it was just an off night.
(2)Linda H.
Loved this place. Great decor and very tasty food!
(5)Cherin C.
You cant miss w the strawberry mojito (I ordered w Vodka no Rum). Foodies beware youll want to order one of everything. We tried the Bayou Eggs, Loco portobello, curried mussels, Truffle Spaghetti....all to die for... Stop and go.there now
(5)Christopher P.
The food was excellent. I had the corn and crab bisque and the red snapper which was fish du jour. The wine list sucks. They were out of the two or three (?) listed chardonnay offerings and suggested Turning Leaf instead, yuck! Also $6.75 for a draft Tin Roof? That's absurd and off putting, why not an $8 Miller Light? Like at a Saints game?
(4)Jeremy W.
My wife and I went here the other night. Overall, I would say this place is ok, but nothing special. The staff seemed friendly, although our waiter was a litlte slow and uninspired. We split several of the tapas, which were mostly fine, but nothing beyond that. The scallops - I prefer both sides of my scallop seared, not just one. They were a little heavy with the salt on this one. Duck crepe - it was good, but I found it a bit heavy on the red peppers. Not sure what "accented with red pepper candy" means, but they seemed to be a bit heavier handed than just an accent. Deviled eggs - my wife really enjoyed these, and they were fine. But for me, how good does a devlied egg really get anyway? Truffled spaghetti - I found no hint of truffles. The meatballs, while seared very nicely were very bland. Beyond the sear, there was no flavor. Crawfish pie and the loco portobella were defintely my favorites and quite tasty. I didn't have a bad meal here, but I guess it didn't live up to my expectations either after hearing friends talk about this place.
(3)Andrea C.
We were excited to hear there was a new tapas bar in town so we were anxious to try it. Valentine's weekend proved to be the right time for us so we stopped by for an early dinner. For our drinks, we requested two different wines and they were out of both. I guess because we came on Saturday after Valentine's Day they had run out of a lot more than they expected. We ordered a soup, salad and a few small plates. The crab bisque was good-but it wasn't hot. It came out very close to room temperature. Our spinach salad was wilted, and I don't think it was because it was cooked. The special for the night was candied pork ribs-these were delicious and we've actually tried to recreate them at home since. We also ordered the grits that come with a fried egg on top-again, delicious. The grits were just the right consistency and the fried egg on top was a great idea. The blue cheese fries left much to be desired-they were soggy and had a very bitter truffle sauce (too much bitter on one plate). Another thing we noticed was that even though we arrived early for dinner and there were very few guests in the restaurant, they seated people close together. I prefer when there are few diners that they space people out. The seating is close together and it makes it much more uncomfortable for the diner in my opinion when you only have 6 people in the whole restaurant, you are with your significant other, and they seat another two people right next to you. Since there isn't much conversation to generate background noise, it's inevitable that your conversation will be heard by your neighbors when seated so closely making for an uncomfortable experience.
(3)R C.
Great restaurant for lunch or business lunch. The burger with fried avocado is really good, with the sweet potato fries
(4)Beth B.
So good when we had lunch, that we came back with more in our party for dinner -- the same day!! Lunch -- I had the salad with spinach, goat cheese, strawberries, pecans, and sugar vinaigrette (added chicken). Perfect size meal. Cornbread was great too. Dinner -- took advantage of happy hour and had a half price glass of wine, salad, and 2 tapas (which were 25% off). The pequeno tacos (with ceviche) were good, but the stuffed portobello (subbed as a stuffed bell pepper for the night) was unreal. The filling had chorizo, smoked chicken, and manchego. I could have eaten 3 and called it a day. If you only get one meal in Baton Rouge -- make it here.
(5)Thomas S.
While in Baton Rouge for a couple of days, an employee at the LSU Museum of Art said to be sure to have some authentic Louisiana food while I was there. I replied that I would like to but preferably something more than the really well known dishes. He said that he was from a small town in the country and that people there like to have shrimp and grits. I thought that was an odd combination, perhaps because I'm not from the South, but he said just try it, they serve it at a restaurant not too far from the museum. I really love shrimp, so I went. I can only say that it is the best shrimp dish I've had in my life. Period. End of story. The grits are amazing - they are very creamy, and have a complex, subtly cheesy flavor. I had no idea grits could be like that. The Abita beer-infused beurre noir is incredible, I think it's really that good. But the shrimp themselves are like nothing I've experienced before. They were as tender as they could be while still being cooked, and their flavor made all the other shrimp I've had seem in hindsight like styrofoam. Now I know what shrimp should be like. The California chardonnay I had with my meal, although the least expensive wine on the menu, was perfect with this dish. I was completely blown away by my meal. When I regained my composure enough to rave about it to my server, she beamed and explained that everything is made fresh from local ingredients obtained that day. That may be, but it doesn't in itself explain how my meal could have been this good. I think there is true artistry involved here.
(5)Monica V.
I tried Restaurant IPO for the first time during Restaurant Week Baton Rouge, and I was extremely impressed. We all ordered something different from the fixed menu, and even a few tapas as well. All in all, everything was delicious, but I think the Charbroiled Oysters and Gulf Andouille were my favorites. The restaurant was chic, service was perfect, the drink list was extensive and tasty, the food presentation was gorgeous, and the food was delicious. Even the dessert was unique and yummy! My friends and I will definitely be back soon!
(4)Amy A.
Great food and atmosphere. A unique dining experience in Baton Rouge. Too bad the service is far below average. Waiters not knowing beer selections, dropping off food and running off without asking if we needed anything else, cold coffee, overcooked dessert. With a place this hip, I expected better service. I felt like I had to flag people down the entire time we were there and the restaurant wasn't even half full on a weekday lunch. PLEASE step up the service to match the fine food!
(2)Kelly G.
Gave them a shot and was wowed this time. Firstly, the baretender DJ was amazingly professional and attentive. It was a Monday night and actually quite busy for a downtown establishment. I ordered the Duck confit and it was really delicious. Really no complaints but lots of praises this time. So glad the new chef along with staff and management have been able make it a success. I will definitely go back.
(4)Ericka P.
Great ambiance...sub-par service. My party and I felt like we should have gotten more of a rounded experience than what we left with for the amount of $ we invested. The food was good. Just good. It was served up nicely. We had a reservation and were seated promptly, as there was only 2 other tables in the restaurant, yet they chose to sit us right next to another table to where we could hear each others conversations. Anyhow, we had been there until over an hour and literally just finished dessert when the waiter told us that we needed to get going because there was a reservation waiting behind us. There were other tables open. This left me with a bitter taste. We couldn't have time to sit, relax and let our food settle before you were moving us on out. For a meal that I spent a couple of hundred dollars on, I would expect more tactfulness and respect for a guest of your restaurant. I am not sure that we will go back, being that the food was good but definitely not the best that I've have in BR. When you go out for a good time or a celebration, it's the whole experience that really matters. While the food was good, the service and last part of the evening trumped that for sure.
(2)D T.
I wrote a largely positive review of IPO over a year ago and have come back several times since and enjoyed the food. However, I feel the need to revisit that review after an extremely negative experience at the upstairs bar owned by the same people. Last night, A white guy who is way too drunk on the balcony starts making overtly racist comments at two people of color. They try to diffuse things but he keeps escalating. A fight breaks out. Some bouncers come and break up the fight. We assume that the bouncers are escorting all of those involved in the fight out of the bar, but they only escort out the people of color. The white dude is left behind and proceeds to throw a chair over the balcony. A man whom we presume to be another bouncer comes and escorts the angry dude away, we presume out of the bar. As we prepare to leave ourselves we realize that the white guy who instigated the fight and threw a chair over the balcony is not only still in the bar but has been given a drink by the man who we thought was a bouncer but is in fact, the bartender tells us, the OWNER of the bar. One of us confronts the owner about why this man is still there, threatening violence, when the other folks have been kicked out. He says "I went to high school with that guy, get out of my face" When another bouncer does finally come to escort the instigator of the fight away he yells "white power" as he makes his way down third street. I wish I were making any part of this up, but I'm not. Hard to blame a rogue employee when the OWNER is engaging is such discrimination and supporting a racist ass hole over keeping the patrons of his bar safe and defending the most basic of civil rights. This disgusting display made it clear to me that the owner of IPO and The Office values his relationship with his racist high school classmate over the safety and dignity of his customers. Eat their over priced tapas at your own risk.
(1)Rebecca W.
"A downtown treasure". The flourishing downtown Baton Rouge has become quite the spot for hip, swanky and posh restaurants that have a variety of crowds flocking to them. Restaurant IPO is one of my newest downtown favorites. The look of the restaurant is sleek and modern, perfect for post-work get-togethers or cozy date nights. A date night was in order for my and my husband, so this was the ideal spot for us! We came in on a very busy Saturday night and sat at the bar. Thankfully, the bar was not crowded, so there were 2 spots waiting just for me and my lovely date - my hubby. The bartender was super sweet and was very attentive! There were so many sumptuous choices on the menu, so it was very hard to decide. I turned to the Yelp reviews and found that the duck crepe & bayou eggs were a crowd favorite, so we ordered those 2 items in addition to the IPO salad! As we waited, we were given a small bucket of their "Bacon Cajun Caramel Popcorn"... boy was that deliciously decadent... WOWZA!! It took a hot minute for our dishes to arrive, but completely understood because they were extremely busy and I was thrilled that they were busy... always a great sign! For those that have read my previous reviews know that I am a lover of duck dishes! The duck crepe was an absolute delight... it was light and filled with a perfect amount of duck meat! My husband and I were ready to lick the plate! The bayou eggs were different and quite tasty... a very posh deviled egg! The egg was topped with deep fried oysters... yummmm!! I have also read that this dish comes in another variation - crawfish instead of oysters. The IPO salad was a refreshing finish to our meal and helped. This place had such lovely ambiance and I will definitely be returning!
(4)Jessica E.
I've been to IPO a few times now in the short time that it has been open and overall I think it is good. I love the exposed brick and wood decor and think it is a great addition to the downtown lunch and dinner scene. IPO has several items that really push the envelope when it comes to fusion food, at least in Baton Rouge. But I think my favorite (and the best!) items on the menu are the ones that are a bit more basic, like the tuna steak, steak and frites, grits and grillads, heirloom tomato salad, grilled Caesar salad, caprese salad, and duck crepe. Hopefully they will one day bring back the curried mussels-- my favorite! However, some items miss the mark a bit. For example, the last time I was there for lunch, I had the bahn mi style French dip sandwich which is supposed to come with pho for dipping. Now, I didn't expect much since it isn't a Vietnamese place, but I definitely didn't expect the "pho" to basically be au jus sauce. So if you are like me, hoping to have a side of soup with the sandwich, may want to gravitate elsewhere. The sandwich is okay, but calling it pho is really misleading. One other tip-- their blue cheese frites with the truffle gravy are pretty good, but get the cheese and gravy on the side. That way, your fries stay crisp the entire time you are eating. Else then get a little soggy midway through. There have been some comments on the service-- yeah, it can be kind of slow some days. I think they are understaffed. But I have always found the servers to be very polite and accommodating, so I don't mind the wait. But if you are in a rush, might want to go elsewhere. But if you are not, kick back with one of their yummy cocktails and give IPO a try!
(4)Jonathan S.
I have to say I'm glad restaurant week featured this location because otherwise I probably wouldn't have looked at this place. It was great! The atmosphere is chic and modern. This is more of a foodies paradise with new twists on conventional items. The bayou eggs which are simply a deviled egg with bacon and an oyster on top coated with caramelized onions had a flavor combination that will leave you expecting. The gumbo is as good as you could expect coming out of the heart of Louisiana. However, the char grilled oysters were nothing special, but good none the less. I don't see it conforming with the way the rest of the menu seems to knock it out of the park. The steak was great, but you might get a bad cut. Mine was full of flavor but fat as well, and my buddies was missing some size. My girlfriends was good but over cooked for a rare that was more of a medium. I honestly think they switched our steaks as I ordered a rare plus. ...She got the short end of the stick because I wasn't giving up that deliciousness. The desserts are phenomenal. They really went the extra mile in the creation and execution of them. They are plated and thought out very well. The bread pudding had pop rocks in it and really put a smile on my face. The chocolate pate was amazing and served with roasted marshmallows making it only that much better. We can't forget the great drinks they had as well. I had a ginger margarita which I couldn't get enough of, and my girlfriend had something that was fruity with a heck of a kick. All in all, I can't wait to go back to this place.
(4)James C.
Ok, so the food was excellent, the service left much to be desired. I ordered an appetizer, salad, and main course. My salad and main course came together and appetizer came well after my meal was complete. There were three items on the menu that were no longer available. Again, everything was delicious, so don't write it off.
(3)Scott H.
Last night a group of us dined at IPO as part of the 3rd Street Grub Crawl. This was probably my 5th trip to IPO over the years, which includes several different leaders in the kitchen. The kindest words I can give about this restaurant is that it "hit or miss" but truly it is mostly miss. The wait staff here, although honestly always nice people, are so grossly undertrained it borders on incompetence. I do believe professionals should take it upon themselves to be better, but I am a realist and with hospitality staff it needs to be a priority for the front of the house to beat the basics into the waiter's heads. For instance, not a single menu question could be answered with 100% confidence. Is the pappardelle handmade? What are the cheeses on the charcuterie board? The bar was clearly run as poorly as the staff training. Our poor waiter was struggling to keep up with drink orders that could not be made due to unavailable ingredients. The most baffling was not being able to make a Manhattan because they were out of vermouth. Vermouth!!! Really?!?! Okay, now on to the food. Here are the serviceable dishes (meaning edible): Southern eggrolls, BBQ shrimp, Stuffed Dates... the end. Now it gets rough: The Charcuterie platter - although the cheeses could not be explained, they were all decent. Store bought salami, stale bread (not sliced), no pickled elements to cut the fatty meats and cheeses, and the coup de grace - old and discolored smoked salmon with pesto made this whole dish a forgettable mess. I could write another paragraph on the salmon alone. Southern Gnocchi with crab - First we can start with the lazy kitchen staffer who did not remove any of the shells from the crab meat. Always fun eating food with shell shards cutting at your gums. Way to go! But even taking that technical detail out, the dish was inedible to me. The dish was completely under seasoned and jammed into a tiny bowl. And unless the Italian changed the definition of gnocchi from "dumpling" to "brick" I think someone needs to re-tune their recipe. These were just a solid mass of potato with no airy, fluffy consistency that is to be expected. Duck Pappardelle - First, while I appreciate this coming out hot, I do not appreciate it coming out 10 minutes after everyone at my table has been served their entrée. But on to the food. In a night filled with bad dishes, this one really stands out as the worst of the worst. Gummy pasta, grainy sauce, no seasoning, and on it goes. There was so much wrong with this dish that is would not even be worth retooling. It needed to be put in the trash and never served again. In an effort to say something nice, I will say I like the décor. And truly I want to like this place. It is something Baton Rouge desperately needs and the potential is there. The execution is just atrocious from start to finish. Hopefully they will get it together, but until then this restaurant will remain on the "Nope" list for me.
(2)Jason L.
2 buddies and I came to eat at IPO tonight and I wanted to share my experience. Let's start with the food: My friends and I decided to share all the food so we ordered a McDow burger, BBQ shrimp, and duck poppers. The burger was great, the bbq shrimp and grits were okay, and the duck poppers were pretty awesome. Overall we enjoyed the food. The drinks: we ordered a few speciality cocktails can't remember off the top of my head which ones but they were prepared nicely and quickly. The service: The restaurant seemed pretty busy initially. Although the food took quite a while to come out, our waiter (Ricky) made sure he kept us updated. He also suggested food and drinks to us as this was our first time ever at IPO, which really helped. The only thing I would have to complain about is the music, it was a bit loud. I also think the bathrooms could have been a bit cleaner. However, overall I would recommend IPO. The food, drinks, and service were all worth the price.
(4)Steele B.
What's going on here lately?? I have been here about 15 times over the last 2 years. Last few trips were mediocre and the last was not good. Chips were cold. Duck egg rolls were bad. I usually like them. They were out of 3 items ordered. We only ordered 6... "New bartender" excuse for slow drink service. We closed out before we were done eating and finished our night at another restaurant. I must say our waitress was very nice and attentive though. It's the only reason for the third star. Other 2 stars are for atmosphere and location. Cool spot. I will wait a few months to work out these problems and give it one more shot. I want to like it! I hope to edit my review for the better down the road.
(3)Jermainne B.
I had a lovely evening at IPO the other tonight. Jessica, our server was attentive, friendly, and accommodating. She was outstanding with both timeliness and accuracy of orders. The food was excellent! We did tapas and shared bites. From what I tasted, the winners were the flatbread, gnocchi, duck poppers, and the bayou eggs. The only thing that was missing was the scallop and mushroom soup which was thick and creamy, but lacked texture and was only slightly warm. Overall, I have an excellent experience and meal! I will try again.
(3)Zeb G.
Food was generally good. Our server was quite green and could use some help. But we had a good time overall Ordered; Duck Poppers, Charcuterie, caprese board, asparagus, bacon wrapped dates. Duck poppers were good, Not sure if you could tell it was duck or not over the bacon and jalapeno. Charcuterie board, had many selections or meats, but was kind of mono-tone on the sausages. I would suggest a pate or headcheese in place of some of them. The cheese selection was a joke, cheddar, colby-jack, a mild white cheese (provolone). The one cheese we really liked was a white cheese studded with dark flecks, we asked waiter what it was, he asked the kitchen, they replied 'English Cheddar', not quite.... Caprese board; Tomatoes, basil and dark balsamic were on point. The cheese itself was a huge miss. It was a firm mozzarella, reminded very much of the big block of Kraft in my grandma's fridge. Caprese should only be made with fresh mozzarella. Asparagus, the fried egg on top was cooked to fast, bottom was dark and chewy, eggs should be fried slow enough to not take collor. The asparagus itself was not trimmed or pealed, so the bottom half of it was very stringy. They were also over cooked and kind of mushy. I tried to cut through it, saw how stringy and mushy it was and didn't eat a bite. Bacon wrapped dates were the delicious nuggets of love i was hopping for. So over all a better showing than I was expecting in Baton Rouge, but still room to improve.
(3)Angela R.
My husband and I came in for dinner last night and had a mediocre experience. Almost half of their beers on tap were out and there were no IPA options in bottle. Our waiter was nice but was obviously new and knew very little about the menu. The food was good and it's definitely a place we want to try again after management gets things together a bit better.
(3)Brittany B.
Went there for my 21st birthday. Service was awful and it wasn't even packed. Everyone's dinner dish came out separately. Portions aren't that great especially for the price. I love the atmosphere but they didn't even know how to make a blueberry lemon drop martini. Won't go back.
(2)Paul N.
Very cool vibe. Reminds me of Brooklyn NY. The food consists mainly of tapas. This place is always packed so you may have to wait a little longer for food and service. So glad this concept is here in Baton Rouge.
(5)Stacy P.
Love this place! The chef(s) take ordinary foods and bump them up to extraordinary. For example, the Bayou Eggs. Just deviled eggs, right? Wrong! My mom's deviled eggs never had crawfish and tassi mixed in with fried oysters on top. I love you, mom, but these are the best deviled eggs I've ever had! There's something for every taste and the one time I had room for dessert, the white chocolate bread pudding was to die for!
(4)Vyoracious K.
I have been at this restaurant twice. The first time I excused the experience for being fairly new restaurant but the second time around will most likely be my last. Upon arrival, we walked into an extremely loud dining room. I think the way the restaurant was constructed enabled sound to bounce off the walls and ceiling because I found myself having to yell to be heard.....by the person sitting directly next to me. Secondly, the menu font was extremely small and hard to read that we felt like old farts holding the menu literally 2 inches from our faces to read it. My friend finally had to take pictures with her phone to blow it up to a readable size. The menu is divided with tapas/appetizers, soups/salads, and then the entrees. We each opted for a tapa each and a salad since we weren't that hungry. I got the 3 mini fish tacos. These were the tiniest tacos ever about two inches long and the entire thing was $9! I don't think the food justified the outrageous price of $3 for a two inch long taco no matter how good it was. The purpose of tapas is that you have small plates for sharing or where you can order a few to make it a meal, not charge close to the price of an entree for one plate at such a measly portion. My friends salad, the size of a small salad was also $9, I have gotten salads that lasted me for days for much less. All in all another disappointing experience. The only thing it has going for it is its location downtown near all the bars.
(2)Shelly C.
Baton Rouge on a Monday night. Hard to get a sense of the town, but Restaurant IPO was a great intro to BR. Loved the natural woods and brick inside and what could be better than bacon Cajun popcorn instead of bread! Go for the Southern Tapas--Bayou Eggs and Bon Temp Shrimp were flavor explosions well executed. Excellent service from Joe. The old South has never been tastier!
(5)Emily S.
Service was awful and seating is cramped. We made reservations and then waited almost 10 minutes at the hostess-less hostess station while restaurant was nearly empty without being greeted by staff. Once hostess returned from her liquor run for the bar she seated us 8 inches away from another couple in a restaurant that had maybe 15 guests eating at the time. After another 10 minutes of our server never coming to greet us we left. I've heard great things about their chef, and loved when he was at Stroubes, but I'm not going to wait through the horrible service to see if his food at IPO is as good as it was at Stroubes. We won't be back.
(1)Pacience S.
I've been here 3 or 4 times and I've been a bit more underwhelmed with each visit. My husband sticks with the Ribeye Burger which I find to be somewhat greasy and doesn't have a good balance of richness and acid though the pickled red onions are good they just aren't enough. On my most recent visit I had the daily lunch special which I had high hopes for as it was described as buttermilk brined wings and thighs, however upon ordering I was informed that the chicken was actually chicken tenders. Bummer to say the least as if wanted chicken tenders I would have headed over to Cane's which really no one can beat when it comes to tenders but I decided to keep an open mind. The tenders were breaded nicely but the breading came off easily and what was left were kinda blah chicken tenders with what the menu described as a light sweet potato donut. Donut i'm not so sure about it tasted a bit scorched and more like pumpkin than sweet potato and added nothing to dish which in essence was soggy tenders with a weird donut, a few micro greens and some possibly reduced Steen's syrup. In all a big disappointment even the house salad was full of wilted black and slimy lettuce and a cucumber slice that tasted as if it had been stored cut next to raw fish, not a good way to start a meal though it didn't really get any better.
(3)Robert M.
I always appreciate when someone is trying to do something new in Baton Rouge, and IPO does that. The location is great and the atmosphere is really cool. IT's a fun place to go on a date or double date before drinks downtown. I would advise picking out a bunch of their small plates and digging in. Their entrees are always interesting and sound great, but to me don't quite measure up. Either the execution just isn't there or they are sometimes just trying to do a BIT too much with the ingredients themselves, like the food is just overthought it a little too much and the ingredients get weighed down. But again, I enjoy eating here and the location and ambience is great.
(3)Lucy W.
Delicious tapas- my favorites were the flatbread and the summer corn gnocchi. I would stick to beer...the cocktails were overly sweet. Great casual atmosphere...we sat at a tall table in the middle of the restaurant. Service was a little spotty from a young server.
(4)Doughty V.
A top restaurant in Baton Rouge, especially in downtown area. Love the atmosphere and tapas seating. Upstairs bar is a cool environment and love the decor. Fun games and availability for private parties in separate room. I've only ever been for dinner. Menu is fantastic from very popular chef. Small plate style for much of the menu but still nice portion size. The grilled Caesar and bayou eggs are two of my faves. Also love duck poppers and gnocchi. That sea scallop bisque is to die for. Plenty to choose from on menu. Not that many seats so if it's busy, there may be a wait. Go upstairs and have a drink! Or make a reservation. This is a must do!
(5)Latrina R.
I met my friend here for dinner and drinks after work. I'll say that they got 3 stars on the location and dessert only. Let's start with the wait staff..... Umm sub par! When you get their attention it works, if you don't have their attention then that sucks for you. So the food: the free popcorn is really good. It was the highlight of my night. My friend ordered turtle soup that was less than appetizing. It was so salty I think my blood pressure tripled with each spoon full. Then I got the steak frites and she had the lamb frites. My steak was ordered medium and it was delivered medium rare. It was salty as well. Once I got past the salt, the taste wasn't that bad. The frites could have done without the gravy, and the meal would have been much better. Her lamb was just ok. For $30 I would want it to be better than ok. For dessert we had bread pudding. Now it was delish! I had the sazerac to drink, I'm not sure why, but it tasted flat. But with the bread pudding it was nice. Needless to say.... I probably won't be back
(3)Elizabeth H.
Had our Christmas party catered here.. food was very sub par. Bread pudding was about the only good thing on the menu. Atmosphere was nice but bar tenders were definitely few and far between and not really good. Don't think I'd try again.
(3)Sabrina V.
Well we attempted to dine at IPO today for lunch but once we sat ourselves ( no hostess at 11 am for opening) and was brought the wrong menu, the waiter informed us that they were out of the fish, shrimp, muscles, burger, and portabellos among other menu items. Apparently they had a packed Saturday night and all the food had been consumed and the truck that was supposed to arrive at 10:30 was late. Why is a food truck delivering at 10:30 when you open at 11?!!! They should have closed today for no XXX food. Anyway, this wasn't the first time this has happened to me here.....so my friend and I excused ourselves and went next door for lunch.
(2)Blaze N.
Just put food on a fancy plate and charge 30 bucks. Service was bad, we all ordered waters but they only brought 2. And we asked later but they didn't bring it. I ordered a medium stake and it was well to medium well. If I pay $30 for a stake I would like to taste it. Wouldn't go again, if made 100 k I guess I would conciter eating again.
(2)Laine W.
My husband and I went here for a date night and really enjoyed the ambience and the food. It has a warm, modern decor and feels very inviting. I had the sweet fashion (a citrus infused take on an old fashion). It was strong and well balanced, always a great start to the evening. We split a few tapas-- the gnocchi, tacos, and egg rolls. All had interesting flavor combinations and tasted sophisticated and fresh. The only reason I haven't given it 5 stars is because our first order of gnocchi came out cold and although they did refire the dish, no one from management came over to speak with us and no offers were made to go above and beyond to rectify the situation. That, to me, is a service that really sets a restaurant apart. But other than that, we were very pleased with the food and drinks, and would definitely come back!
(4)Leslie M.
Absolutely terrible service! Waiting for over an hour to get our food (group of 6). The place was not even half way full. The server brought some of the food out and the final plate didn't come out until everyone was done. Then when we complained they took the food away. Very disappointed!
(1)Jackie D.
Favorite new restaurant in Baton Rouge. Reasonably priced tapas, delicious cocktails, great bartenders, and a wonderful downtown location! The inside is very intimate, not too loud, and perfect for a date or hanging out with a group of friends. For the drinks, I suggest either a mint julep (an off menu gem) or the sugar cane mojito. On the menu, you MUST get the Bayou eggs with oysters or crawfish - both options are delicious. Its a flavor explosion in your mouth and you will not regret it. Also, the charbroiled oysters are WONDERFUL and super cheap at around $9 a dozen. This is a welcome addition to a downtown dining scene that tends to be more pricey (a la Little Village and Stroube's), here's hoping for more places popping up like this in Baton Rouge!
(4)Chris S.
Overall, I think it's a good place to eat. I always get a tapas and a side. The menu item that stuck out to me was their roasted duck crepe. Duck is very difficult to cook, but when it's done properly, it's quite nice. I have also had their risotto, which was nice. I had their char broiled oysters, which were good, but I have had better. Their daily soup was decent as well. As for the service it was good. I like the atmosphere there. It's worth giving it a go yourself.
(4)Lance R.
Nice atmosphere.
(3)Lynette L.
Confession. I love Chef Varnedoe. I loved him at Stroubes (not worth going to since he left, imo), so much so that we had our wedding dinner there and I was excited to go to IPO when my husband made reservations for our anniversary dinner. If I weren't married to the sexiest man on the planet I would consider stalking the poor man in the hopes that duck cracklins would fall from his chef's coat. I was a bit worried by some of the reviews on here, but I should have known better. It was just the two of us, so we didn't have that much off the menu, but everything was excellent. The service was very pleasant as well and the location was good for walking around downtown. Here's what we had: Cocktails: Ramos Gin Fizz. This was good, didn't knock my socks off, but nice. The cocktail menu is the only thing I could find to improve (bit more variety). The drinks on the menu very much suited my taste, but my husband didn't see anything that he found appealing and he stuck to water. The bar seemed well stocked and the bartenders knowledgeable, so I would imagine they could make just about whatever you liked. App: Duck Poppers. Serious yum. It was small, even for an app (four small pieces, would think 5-6 for the size), but it was so good I wouldn't mind ordering another plate. Or 4. Entrees: Hubby had the Asian Cajun (tuna) and he very much enjoyed it. I had the Downtown Duck and I would very nearly classify it as life changing. How had I never had duck cracklin before? It was so good I was bouncing up and down on the seat and got a little misty eyed. Hubby started to fuss, but I shoved my fork in his mouth and he piped down. Despite many other reviews commenting on small servings, we both felt that the entrees were the perfect size. I did not even finish mine. Dessert: Cheesecake ( if I recall correctly, with a sunflower crust and Grand Marnier soaked raisins). Some people would find this small to share (the size of a small ramekin), but we thought it was perfect. Yes, I would have eaten more if it had been there, but I like to leave the restaurant without feeling overdone. I know it was just cheesecake, but this had an incredibly lovely flavor and we really enjoyed it. Verdict? I went to bed thinking of my next visit and wondering if Amazon would ship me duck cracklin by the case load. I absolutely cannot wait to go back. ---edited to raise from 4 stars to 5, because, honestly it was one of my favorite meals ever and that means going up against some amazing restaurants in places like New Orleans and Boston. It gets the extra star for being in Baton Rouge but not letting the location set the standard.
(5)Jennifer M.
Ive been to many tapas style restaurants and I was expecting a lot more from this place. I would give the food 2.5 stars and the service ( at least this particular server 1 star) I think people may be fooled by the hip decor and lavish menu, but when it came down to the inspection of the food it was mediocre at best. I would like to try the place again as the menu changes per season. I may come back and edit my review if I do so in a few months. Chances are I will see how the next 5 reviews go and then decide if I will give it a second chance with a new menu. Overall, looks can be deceiving. Your not that hip.
(2)Swatee G.
Walking into this super chic restaurant, the first thing that caught my eye (after the nice, rustic decor that is) was the server tees - All of them were imprinted with 'Eat Drink Stay' at the back. It made me laugh out loud really, it sounded so cheesy - but let me assure you, the place makes you want to do just that... Eat good food, Drink some super yummy concoctions from the bar and just Stay and hang out a bit longer! :) As part of our 'Bi-weekly Outing' (Yes, I work with an awesome group of people who insist on having regular fun sessions!), we ended up at this brand new place - Thanks Kevin, for making it happen! I am super happy to be the first one reviewing this place! In my opinion, this is the perfect place for an after work Happy Hour, a casual date or a fun meeting with friends in Baton Rouge! The place is decently sized, with a great bar (and an awesome bartender), and perfect seating. The decor is hip/ trendy mixed with rustic - very bohemian! Since we were a rowdy bunch of over 20 people, we ended up being seated at this long Family Style table in the middle of the restaurant. Chef Chris came out to greet us and give us a rundown on who things worked at the restaurant. He promised to keep the assorted Tapas coming till we wanted, with 3-4 plates of each dish. Our only request was to make sure each round came with a couple of vegetarian options, give the makeup of our group. I let the bartender surprise me, and she hooked me up with the awesome Strawberry-Basil Martini with Malibu as the base... Was my drink straight from Malibu/ strawberry heaven? Yes! Did my server make sure I got my share of refills? Yes, yes! Did other people enjoy their drinks? Yes, Yes, YES! So now that I have taken the alcohol off of my mind :), let me go on to the food! Be prepared to be stunned by the variety that is about to follow yelpers, this is going to be a long review!! Bayou Eggs - We got 2 versions of this dish - one with flash fried oysters on top (I don't like oysters, so I wasn't a fan), and the other with fried crawfish on top - the eggs were smooth and the crawfish perfectly sized bites! Absolutely loved it! Strawberry Spinach Salad - Candied pecans and the super yummy warm sugar cane vinegarette made this dish a great hit! Bon Temp Shrimp - Perfect breading, nicely fried in a rich creamy sauce. Another excellent dish Heirloom Salad - The fried okra threw me off a bit, I was not really impressed. Curried Mussels - Sweet and spicy is perfect for a description here! I could not taste the curry flavor at all for some reason (maybe my taste buds are too Indian! :p ), but this dish definitely lived up to its name and the hype created by our server. The sauce was so yummy, we all made a deep dive into the bowl with pieces of bread to soup up the curried sauce, lol..! Blue Cheese Frites - The flavor of the blue cheese was a bit too strong for me, and there was a certain nutty bitterness to the dish, may have been from the truffle. Judging from out half eaten dishes strewn across our long table, I can safely say the dish was not really a popular one with anyone. Buffalo Bruschetta - Tomato and Mozzarella make an excellent combination and add basil to the mix, it's my personal bruschetta heaven! This dish was great. I can't say I have never had better bruschetta, but it was pretty decent. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay long enough for dessert, but I heard everyone loved whatever desserts they have (I personally plan to be back to get try them for myself) Check out their menu online, they have some great stuff going for them. Given that it was their first week in when we visited them, the service was a little jittery and chaotic, but I really feel (and hope) it will improve as the days progress! Will love to be back to try some more entrees and their desserts! Good job, IPO!
(4)Katelyn S.
My type of restaurant! I love putting random ingredients together to come up with crazy food combinations, and that's exactly what Restaurant IPO does. As an appetizer my boyfriend and I ordered the grits and grillades along with the pequeno tacos. For the main dish, we split the individual flatbread and fried yard bird (which was like a gourmet chicken and waffles). Warning: the portions are small, but the food is rich and packed with flavor! The environment is upscale yet comfortable - absolutely perfect for a birthday meal with friends. The only disappointing thing was the hour and a half time limit we had to eat because the restaurant was booked with reservations at 7. I suggest you either get there early like we did for a quick meal, or make a reservation!
(5)Shane M.
The food is very good if your willing to wait. Servers seemed nice but undertrained and understaffed. Expect to seat yourself, get your own menu and ask for refills. There is zero initiative at this restaurant. The two stars are only because I really enjoyed the blue on black burger.
(2)Barry K.
I love this type of restaraunt. It has a true downtown type of feel and a modern menu. The menu changes seasonally and usually every thing is usually pretty good. On my most recent visit I got the fried yard bird entree. I really wasn't overly impressed. It was just fried chicken with cane syrup (too sweet for me). So i would recommend that you try the tapas. I can't pick a favorite so I recommend you try them all!
(4)Christine S.
Really am awesome find our first trip to Baton Rouge. After a long day of travel in hot and humid weather the inviting cool entry beckoned with a lovely Sauvignon Blanc. Carmel bacon popcorn brought to the table is tasty. Best tapas so far: gnocci and the gumbo was Louisiana perfect - dark and smokey - Amazing! Need to come back to try more...
(5)Natasha G.
I came on an off night (LSU game) so there was only one other party in the restaurant and the food hadn't been prepared too thoughtfully. I ordered the Bayou Eggs, Pequeno Tacos, and Truffle Spaghetti (this works for one hungry person or two grazers). The Tacos and Spaghetti were disappointments. Tacos were cold, tasteless, and pretty uninspired -- I couldn't even figure out where the fish was in them. The three tacos each sat in a fat mound of sour cream, which is nice if you like sour cream but seemed to contribute to the blandness of the dish overall. The Spaghetti, while conceptually solid, lacked a bit in execution. The pasta was cooked a bit past al dente and the sauce didn't wow me. I did like the truffle oil-drizzled bread on top, but I was confused by the four grape tomatoes haphazardly hanging out on the plate, and the meatballs were tasteless. Tomatoes were past their sell-by date, it seemed. Finally, the Bayou Eggs -- these were pretty good, but also lukewarm. Your deviled eggs can be cold, or they can be warm, but these were neither. I did like the fried oyster on top and the crunchy bits inside, though I think the seasoning was a little lacking. Perhaps this meal lacked flavor because LSU was losing as the chefs were cooking in the kitchen, but I can't really recommend this place based on my experience there.
(3)Naveed B.
There is a lot to like about Restaurant IPO. The location is great and the ambience is excellent. They have really good music in the background. The bar is nice and the drink list is large for a restaurant this small(though the beer list leaves much to be desired). The presentation of the food is beautiful. This place has a lot of style. My biggest complaint about this place is the food. I'm not sure what is off about it, but it tastes off. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but the food isn't that good. It looks beautiful, it smells great, but the taste isn't there. I really it's just that I'm ordering the wrong menu items, because I really want to like this place. The food is just way too expensive for expensive for what you get though. If IPO fixes whatever it is that is wrong with the food, as I could easily see myself bumping this place up a star or two. That being said, this is a great place to bring a date for a drink and maybe an item or two off of the tapas menu.
(3)Lisa S.
This restauarant has great decor, a great vibe and very interesting menu, so I wanted to really, really like it! But unfortunately, only about half the things we ordered I really enjoyed and the rest really under-delivered. I came here with some people from work and since we had the corporate card in hand, we ordered quite a bit. We got the free popcorn to start which was sooooo great! Seriously that stuff is crack. Can't. stop. eating. it. So that was good. Also the pork and grits and crispy gulf shrimp tapas plates were excellent! I ordered just the house burger and it was nottttt good. Really bland and dry and the fries were TERRIBLE. Seriously they were not good. As if they'd been sitting out for awhile just waiting to be served. I barely at half of the burger. Also the blue cheese fries and ceviche-type tapas were not great either. Just did not taste how they should. So others in my group got the duck entree and the tacos and they seemed to enjoy them. Oh, also we got the pecan pie and it was GREAT! I do not even like pecan pie, but this was awesome, definitely recommend to save room for it! Lastly, the service was ok...took a little long to get our food but overall not a deal breaker. I would give it another shot to try some of the other dishes, but also would not run back to it.
(3)Craig J.
Hit this place after watching LSU destroy A&M. Service was not the best and they don't have bread? But the Downtown Duck and their twist on the Moscow Mule (in a copper cup) were solid!
(3)Justin C.
We had the pimiento cheese plate, the gumbo and the redfish tacos. All were excellent and surprisingly filling, plus free caramel bacon popcorn! Great selection of local beers and extremely friendly staff. We were there during the LSU game so we had the place to ourselves and walking distance to our hotel was a bonus. Highly recommend.
(5)Aj O.
Young crowd. We had duck poppers, Rockefeller risoto on the half shell, grits and grillades, and the saltwater martini. I loved the duck poppers - they're essentially seared meat wrapped in bacon and delicious. The rockefeller risoto was pretty meh, but the oysters on top were some of the best of my life. The grits and grillades were better than most and the portioning on that item was excellent. But the saltwater martini... God, it was disgusting. Do not order it, it has fried rice noodles that greet you at the bottom of the happy tuna-salmon topping and I thought they were bones. They taste exactly like uncooked pasta and are impossible to get out of the fish. Service was polite but, ah, not there. We filled our own drinks and had a wait even though we made a reservation. Also very, very loud. 4 tapas ended up being 50 dollars so you're looking at $60 for dinner for two, which would totally be worth it if everything was as good as those damn duck poppers. Those are the only things that would bring me back.
(2)N L.
The food was great- I had strawberry salad and the crab gnocchi. The service, way under par.. And my order was only takeout.
(4)Autumn H.
My husband and I were here last night to celebrate his birthday. This was our third time dining at Restaurant IPO and I highly recommend it! Last night we started with duck rolls and the seafood martini thing. While the seafood martini thing was good I probably wouldn't get it again. The duck rolls were great, though! We didn't get the bayou eggs this time but we have before and they're awesome; too. We each got a cocktail with our appetizers. I tried a pomegranate cucumber basil martini. It was bright pink and sweeter than what I'd normally prefer; but it was very good. My husband said it tasted like a watermelon jolly rancher. He got what our server described as IPO's take on an old fashioned. It was great! For dinner I ordered the steak frites and my husband had the wall street burger. My dinner was good but his burger was amazing. He struggled to finish it and he made a mess of this giant, drippy burger; but he thoroughly enjoyed it. And it comes with wine!
(5)Rita V.
We ditched another place to come here, and I am SO GLAD WE DID! I reserve 5 stars for establishments that do well what they do. and this is one of these places... Clean with a superstar staff - our server James is a darling who loves people and the food he serves. BEWARE THE TAPAS ARE HUGE for tapas. We tried the curried mussels, mini tacos (ceviche stuffed), grits and grilliades, duck crepe... Delicious! Of course Mr. Im happy to serve you told us that the menu is about to change, and that they will be serving DUCK AND WAFFLES... Sweet potato waffles! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!! I WANT some and they aren't on the menu! Creative menu, beautiful decor, and beautiful southern charm staff - every single one of them! A gem to come back to!
(5)Marchand W.
Enjoyed a lunch special of pork chops and cornbread dressing. Flavorful. Being a sweet tooth, the highlight of my visit was a serving of warm breadpudding. All I can say is WOW!!! Service was attentive and courteous. Planning my next visit.
(4)Burt P.
Great food and atmosphere in downtown BR. Had dinner there last night and was completely impressed. There were only 2 other tables seated but I chalked that up to the rainy weather we had. The overall decor of the place is vaguely industrial and all the tables, chairs and the ceiling element were made by a craftsman in NOLA. We started off with cocktails and kept them coming throughout the meal. No short pours here. We finally decided on 3 tapas to start. The Bon Temp Shrimp, Roasted Duck Crepe and Loco Portobello. All were delicious but it would be a toss up as to whether I enjoyed the crepe or portobello more. They were delicious. We tried to order the Scallops but they had run out . For dinner, my partner had the filet and I had the ribeye. Both were cooked perfectly medium rare and served with boursin potatoes and broccolini. Lastly we followed all this with a dessert of Chocoate Duo and the Sweet Potato Bread Pudding. Overall, a great first impression and we'll definitely be going back for more. I think next time we may just stick with ordering more of the tapas to sample instead of ordering a full entree. Service was quick and efficient and the food came out relatively quickly. I do wish they had a few more cordial/liqueur options at the bar but that's a minor issue. (I wanted Campari but settled for Bullet Rye instead)
(5)Jason T.
I came into this place with high expectations, based on the menu and reviews. In fact of all the restaurants that I've been to in Baton Rouge this was the one I was looking forward to the most. And yet here I sit a few weeks after going, trying to remember anything about it. None of the dishes was terribly well executed or overly exciting. That I can't remember single dish a few weeks later is not a good sign, considering that I can remember almost everything I've ever had at Bin 77...
(2)Xavier W.
The food was amazing. Some friends and myself had shrimp and grits, sweet potato tuna salad and their gumbo. I had no complaints what so ever the service was great. We had a waitress name Jessica, she needs to enlighten some other waitress around the world cause that how service need to always be. I really wish I could take this restaurant with back home.
(5)Michelle C.
Foodies will appreciate! I would say that some items are lower on fat that I would have expected. The bisque was not as thick as most I've had, but it had all the same flavor and deliciousness! The duck crepe with goat cheese and mushrooms was delectable but I didn't see any skin or fat pieces or much meat... The flavor was fabulous don't get me wrong, but don't expect Asian Market amounts of duck in that particular dish. Maybe the duck Entree' is more of what I was looking for. I'm definitely coming back to IPO with friends to try out as many tapas as possible!
(5)Phillip A.
We visited for the first time for a New Year's Eve dinner last night. Menu was set for the evening but many of the items are on the regular menu. We sampled the wild mushroom and scallop bisque, a lobster bisque - both soups were excellent (we liked the wild mushroom the best). My only wish was that both soups came a little warmer. Caesar salad was crisp and not drowning in dressing. Entrees sampled were the duck (fabulous) and a scallop / grits dish that was delicious though I wasn't quite as fond of the presentation of this dish (came in a rectangular bowl and was a little awkward). The bread pudding beignets were the best dessert I've had in Baton Rouge. Decor is contemporary and very inviting, staff was very friendly and service was excellent. I usually hesitate to rank 5 stars but, based on our experience...they deserve it! Try it out!
(5)Ashley B.
We went out for a girls' night for our most recent visit to IPO. I ordered the Crab & Brie Soup, the Redfish Tacos, & an order of the Cheese Grits (which I had previously devoured on my last visit with my hubs.) So, I was excited about the food that was to come. However, I received my soup in a bowl along with a giant piece of French Bread right smack in the middle. The bread absorbed nearly all of my soup and there was little remaining for me to eat. My tacos left much to be desired. The flavors from the avocado mousse and sour cream were good, but there was so little fish on there that I could barely tell I was eating any fish at all. And lastly, the greatest disappointment was my long-awaited cheese grits which were rock solid and dry from the moment our waiter set them on the table. I took one bite in hopes my eyes were deceiving me and the waiter could immediately tell I was disappointed. He offered me some mashed potatoes in place of the grits, which I accepted; but to be honest, it wasn't much of an improvement. We ordered bread pudding for dessert, which we all split, and it was the best thing I ate all night. I secretly wished I had it all to myself. I didn't leave full or completely satisfied and was sad to be so disappointed by a place I had previously enjoyed. Hoping it was just an off night.
(2)Linda H.
Loved this place. Great decor and very tasty food!
(5)Cherin C.
You cant miss w the strawberry mojito (I ordered w Vodka no Rum). Foodies beware youll want to order one of everything. We tried the Bayou Eggs, Loco portobello, curried mussels, Truffle Spaghetti....all to die for... Stop and go.there now
(5)Christopher P.
The food was excellent. I had the corn and crab bisque and the red snapper which was fish du jour. The wine list sucks. They were out of the two or three (?) listed chardonnay offerings and suggested Turning Leaf instead, yuck! Also $6.75 for a draft Tin Roof? That's absurd and off putting, why not an $8 Miller Light? Like at a Saints game?
(4)Nicole C.
Delicious food with a great ambiance. So glad this restaurant is in downtown Baton Rouge - great place to have dinner with friends.
(5)Jeremy W.
My wife and I went here the other night. Overall, I would say this place is ok, but nothing special. The staff seemed friendly, although our waiter was a litlte slow and uninspired. We split several of the tapas, which were mostly fine, but nothing beyond that. The scallops - I prefer both sides of my scallop seared, not just one. They were a little heavy with the salt on this one. Duck crepe - it was good, but I found it a bit heavy on the red peppers. Not sure what "accented with red pepper candy" means, but they seemed to be a bit heavier handed than just an accent. Deviled eggs - my wife really enjoyed these, and they were fine. But for me, how good does a devlied egg really get anyway? Truffled spaghetti - I found no hint of truffles. The meatballs, while seared very nicely were very bland. Beyond the sear, there was no flavor. Crawfish pie and the loco portobella were defintely my favorites and quite tasty. I didn't have a bad meal here, but I guess it didn't live up to my expectations either after hearing friends talk about this place.
(3)Andrea C.
We were excited to hear there was a new tapas bar in town so we were anxious to try it. Valentine's weekend proved to be the right time for us so we stopped by for an early dinner. For our drinks, we requested two different wines and they were out of both. I guess because we came on Saturday after Valentine's Day they had run out of a lot more than they expected. We ordered a soup, salad and a few small plates. The crab bisque was good-but it wasn't hot. It came out very close to room temperature. Our spinach salad was wilted, and I don't think it was because it was cooked. The special for the night was candied pork ribs-these were delicious and we've actually tried to recreate them at home since. We also ordered the grits that come with a fried egg on top-again, delicious. The grits were just the right consistency and the fried egg on top was a great idea. The blue cheese fries left much to be desired-they were soggy and had a very bitter truffle sauce (too much bitter on one plate). Another thing we noticed was that even though we arrived early for dinner and there were very few guests in the restaurant, they seated people close together. I prefer when there are few diners that they space people out. The seating is close together and it makes it much more uncomfortable for the diner in my opinion when you only have 6 people in the whole restaurant, you are with your significant other, and they seat another two people right next to you. Since there isn't much conversation to generate background noise, it's inevitable that your conversation will be heard by your neighbors when seated so closely making for an uncomfortable experience.
(3)R C.
Great restaurant for lunch or business lunch. The burger with fried avocado is really good, with the sweet potato fries
(4)Beth B.
So good when we had lunch, that we came back with more in our party for dinner -- the same day!! Lunch -- I had the salad with spinach, goat cheese, strawberries, pecans, and sugar vinaigrette (added chicken). Perfect size meal. Cornbread was great too. Dinner -- took advantage of happy hour and had a half price glass of wine, salad, and 2 tapas (which were 25% off). The pequeno tacos (with ceviche) were good, but the stuffed portobello (subbed as a stuffed bell pepper for the night) was unreal. The filling had chorizo, smoked chicken, and manchego. I could have eaten 3 and called it a day. If you only get one meal in Baton Rouge -- make it here.
(5)Susan K.
So happy to have this inventive and delicious tapas restaurant downtown. Great for lunch and dinner. The dishes bring Cajun flare to tapas. LOVE the Bayou Eggs
(4)Thomas S.
While in Baton Rouge for a couple of days, an employee at the LSU Museum of Art said to be sure to have some authentic Louisiana food while I was there. I replied that I would like to but preferably something more than the really well known dishes. He said that he was from a small town in the country and that people there like to have shrimp and grits. I thought that was an odd combination, perhaps because I'm not from the South, but he said just try it, they serve it at a restaurant not too far from the museum. I really love shrimp, so I went. I can only say that it is the best shrimp dish I've had in my life. Period. End of story. The grits are amazing - they are very creamy, and have a complex, subtly cheesy flavor. I had no idea grits could be like that. The Abita beer-infused beurre noir is incredible, I think it's really that good. But the shrimp themselves are like nothing I've experienced before. They were as tender as they could be while still being cooked, and their flavor made all the other shrimp I've had seem in hindsight like styrofoam. Now I know what shrimp should be like. The California chardonnay I had with my meal, although the least expensive wine on the menu, was perfect with this dish. I was completely blown away by my meal. When I regained my composure enough to rave about it to my server, she beamed and explained that everything is made fresh from local ingredients obtained that day. That may be, but it doesn't in itself explain how my meal could have been this good. I think there is true artistry involved here.
(5)Monica V.
I tried Restaurant IPO for the first time during Restaurant Week Baton Rouge, and I was extremely impressed. We all ordered something different from the fixed menu, and even a few tapas as well. All in all, everything was delicious, but I think the Charbroiled Oysters and Gulf Andouille were my favorites. The restaurant was chic, service was perfect, the drink list was extensive and tasty, the food presentation was gorgeous, and the food was delicious. Even the dessert was unique and yummy! My friends and I will definitely be back soon!
(4)Amy A.
Great food and atmosphere. A unique dining experience in Baton Rouge. Too bad the service is far below average. Waiters not knowing beer selections, dropping off food and running off without asking if we needed anything else, cold coffee, overcooked dessert. With a place this hip, I expected better service. I felt like I had to flag people down the entire time we were there and the restaurant wasn't even half full on a weekday lunch. PLEASE step up the service to match the fine food!
(2)Kelly G.
Gave them a shot and was wowed this time. Firstly, the baretender DJ was amazingly professional and attentive. It was a Monday night and actually quite busy for a downtown establishment. I ordered the Duck confit and it was really delicious. Really no complaints but lots of praises this time. So glad the new chef along with staff and management have been able make it a success. I will definitely go back.
(4)Grant M.
So I flew into Baton Rouge to do some work. I stayed downtown and nearby my hotel was Restaurant IPO. It is really good. It was a Monday night so the staff outnumbered the customers which was cool because you could all just chat. I sat at the bar, and ordered the Bayou Eggs and Shrimp and Grits. It was just perfect. The Shrimp and Grits was awesome, not sure what is in that sauce, but it was great. The staff was great too. Will definitely recommend and go back to this place!
(4)Ericka P.
Great ambiance...sub-par service. My party and I felt like we should have gotten more of a rounded experience than what we left with for the amount of $ we invested. The food was good. Just good. It was served up nicely. We had a reservation and were seated promptly, as there was only 2 other tables in the restaurant, yet they chose to sit us right next to another table to where we could hear each others conversations. Anyhow, we had been there until over an hour and literally just finished dessert when the waiter told us that we needed to get going because there was a reservation waiting behind us. There were other tables open. This left me with a bitter taste. We couldn't have time to sit, relax and let our food settle before you were moving us on out. For a meal that I spent a couple of hundred dollars on, I would expect more tactfulness and respect for a guest of your restaurant. I am not sure that we will go back, being that the food was good but definitely not the best that I've have in BR. When you go out for a good time or a celebration, it's the whole experience that really matters. While the food was good, the service and last part of the evening trumped that for sure.
(2)Rebecca W.
Great food. Great atmosphere. Spot-on service. Awesome wine list. I love the deviled egg thing, duck crepe, and scallops. My husband had the steak on our last visit and devoured it. Just try all the tapas, you can't go wrong! A bit loud and crowded on Friday night, but we found if you go earlier or on a week day (they have really sweet deals at happy hour) it's more chill.
(5)Amanda H.
This is a great place to go with friends in the downtown area. The small plates allow you to order lots of different things and share bites of each. I especially like the "poutine" made with blue cheese crumbles, the grits and grillades, and the crawfish pot pie.
(3)