What to experience in Baton Rouge & New Orleans?

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What to experience in Baton Rouge & New Orleans?

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First of all, before I answer, I have a question to ask. Are you a deeply religious man?



New Orleans is kind of self-explanatory. Enjoy the French Quarter, do the tourist thing, eat beignets, watch the street performers, listen to some jazz, etc. There are excellent restaurants everywhere.

The key is getting to Baton Rouge early enough on game day to enjoy the tailgating. It's a beautiful campus, shaded with Oak trees and there will be tents with food and drink everywhere. Wear your colors proudly and you will be invited to tailgate by everybody. I suggest asking where the Indian Mounds are and tailgating in that area, watching the team arrive and walk down the hill , the band playing before hand etc. Then make sure to get to your seats about one hour prior to kickoff to enjoy the incredibly cool pregame stuff. Then once the game starts you just endure the pain and take the L with a smile.

Check LSU website later this month, they put individual parking passes on a game by game basis for sale if you are worried about parking.

The game will be at night so not quite as bad heat wise but definitely get on campus early enough to experience the tailgating and pre game festivities.

Saints play Tampa in New Orleans that Sunday so it ought to be hopping that day with the Saints game going on.

There is a swamp tour right outside of New Orleans at Laplace exit if that's something you want to do, Cajun Pride Swamp Tours. I would say you could find enough to do in New Orleans itself though. DDay Museum is impressive. Mardi Gras world is a neat tour if that interests you. Take a trolley ride down St. Charles

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DDay Museum is impressive. Mardi Gras world is a neat tour if that interests you.

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Agree on both of these.

WW2 museum can take a whole day to really see and appreciate.

Mardi Gras World is cool, and neat to see how the props from the floats up close. I would also recommended the museum on the St. Ann side of St. Louis Cathedral. The downstairs covers Katrina, and the upstairs covers Mardi Gras. It is really well done.

For better answers, I’d suggest posting how long you plan to be in town (two days, a week, ten days?), where you are coming from (flying into BTR, MSY or driving in) and things you like to do (visit breweries, see museums, live music, etc.).


As for game day, you can probably get to campus by 11:30 or so and find a decent free spot to park. Probably 2:30 if you want to pay to park. Go see Mike the Tigers habitat early, check out the Indian Mounds and walk around campus. You will get heckled then people will give you food and beer as long as you are friendly.

As for things to see in BR, Chimes is the local place next to campus. Bulldog is a good bar to visit. Roberto’s on River Road is kind of out of town, but a good hole in the wall restaurant. It’s near a casino if that’s your thing. You can also check out Elize’s Plate & Pie, Overpass Merchant, Provisions, City Pork, Rouj Creole, Jed’s Po-Boys & Pinnettas food-wise. Tin Roof is a brewery in town with a cool place and okay beer. Gnarley Barley is in Hammond and has great beer. The 13th Gate is a haunted house that should be open by then. Check out The Varsity Theater for live music events.

As for New Orleans, you can find a ton of things. Depends on what you like. Go see the French Quarter, but go see Frenchman Street, the Warehouse District and Magazine Street too. And yes, Saints game will be the day after, so plenty of people will be downtown drinking and watching the game. You can try to score some cheap tickets or watch it at a bar. Bourbon Street is okay. Just don’t underestimate hurricanes or hand grenades. They sneak up on you. Too many restaurants to name and a handful of breweries as well.

Like I said, give some more info and the advice can be tailored a little.

The Ww2 museum has a ton of stuff, you can’t see it all in a day. Are you a ww2 buff? By visiting this you will miss a lot of New Orleans

Don’t waste a day at the WW2 museum or the Mardi Gras museum for goodness sake. You have 2 days you don’t want to waste a chunk on that

Are you staying in New Orleans? If so where?

With Halloween around the corner a cemetery tour may be more applicable if you want something structured like that.

Foodie level 1-10, give me your rating. Let’s start with the basics and set you up with 4-5 outstanding meals while in New Orleans. We can piece a day around that

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How do you score cheap tickets to the Saints game?

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Stand right outside of Champion’s Square a couple of hours before game time. Ticket sales will be in abundance.

I can’t imagine going to New Orleans and wasting time on those museums/tours, but I guess it’s totally different since you’re not from the area. If your crew appreciates good food and drinks, I would certainly try to build my itinerary around that.

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Does anyone know of a small family run restaurant that's out of the city? Smaller the better

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Out of the city? Maybe Middendorf's would be a good choice for a meal. Not small, though. On the way to Baton Rouge, if you go the long way.

In New Orleans I would eat at a place like R&O's or Parkway for poboys.
Pascal Manale's is good to - get the BBQ shrimp, they invented it.
Beignets at Café Du Monde
More fancy, try Emeril's in warehouse district or Commander's or within quarter - Antoine's or Palace Café.
Port O Call has good burgers and is close to French Quarter or Café Mespara right next to Jackson Square.

Agree with Middendorf's as an outlier and you can eat outside on the patio

Desert New Orleans - Go get a snowball at Hansen's - line will be out the door. Or Italian deserts at Brocato's

Chimes or Pasttime not a bad option Fri night before game or early lunch before game in Baton Rouge. Elzie's Plate and Pie is good too and then you could go grab drinks at Radio Bar.

Our foodie level is definitely a 10 so the food item advice is much appreciated. We'll be staying in the French Quarter the first 2 nights, Baton Rouge the 3rd, and we haven't decided on the last night yet.