Drago's opens at the former Kona Grill location in Perkins Rowe

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Drago’s, 10111 Perkins Rowe, Baton Rouge. Open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday

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The building was formerly Kona Grill, which closed about six years ago in 2019, and locals may remember its massive fish tanks. One got knocked out for the Drago’s takeover, a spot now housing the iconic open-concept oyster station.

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“It took everything in me not to make it a lobster tank,” he said.

The other fish tank, which still stands, is located beside the host stand.

“I wanted to put trout and redfish in here,” he said. “Wildlife and Fisheries won’t allow it, but I did get part of what I wanted. I do have oyster shells in here. I really wanted it to be indigenous to this area.”

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Cvitanovich said Drago’s may have the best patio area in all of Baton Rouge.

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“This is going to be as close to having a restaurant in the French Quarter without being in the French Quarter,” he said.

There’s one big thing Cvitanovich will debut in Baton Rouge: He’s adding a grab-and-go breakfast section in partnership with PJ’s Coffee. It’ll open about a week after the grand opening, likely Sept. 8.

The menu is a mix of PJ’s Coffee drinks (about 15-20 options) and three PJ’s Coffee breakfast sandwiches: sausage, egg and cheese on a biscuit; bacon, egg and cheese on a biscuit; and turkey sausage, egg and cheese on an English muffin. They will also offer croissants, strawberry croissants, beignets and homemade quiche.

The grab-and-go is separate from the regular breakfast menu for those dining in. That menu includes dishes like salmon toast, chicken and waffles and king cake pancakes.

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The restaurant will have the same menu as the Metairie location, including staples like charbroiled oysters, gumbo, lobster and barbecue shrimp.

Cvitanovich has a few favorite dishes: the Fleur Des Lis shrimp, which is made with fried shrimp, roasted red pepper aioli and horseradish.

Steak is among his favorites, too.

“For a seafood restaurant, we do a really good job with steaks,” he said. “Our bone-in rib-eye is outstanding.”

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Every steak is sous vide’d, a French cooking method where meat is sealed in a bag, placed in a circulating water bath and slow-cooked at a low temperature of 130 degrees.

There’s also the Shrimp Ruth, a dish with cooked tomatoes, lightly seared shrimp, buttered risotto and sautéed spinach. It was named after its inventor, an employee at the original location in Metairie named Ruth Jenkins, but people called her Mama Ruth.

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The restaurant will be dinner-only for the first few days, but by the end of September, Cvitanovich hopes to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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