Rocco's New Orleans Style Po-Boys and Cafe
Rocco's New Orleans Style Po-boys and Cafe's Capone Cheeseburger, shown here with sides of fries and fried pickles.
3358 Drusilla Lane
Robin Miller, features writer
Rocco's New Orleans Style Po-boys and Cafe cuts its half-pound Capone's Cheeseburger in two pieces for a reason: You can make two meals out of it.
If you can eat the entire burger in one sitting, that's great. But half of this rich-tasting burger is likely to more than fill you up.
Now, if you're not a fan of cheeseburgers, you can always order the Luca Brasi Hamburger, which also comes with a half-pound patty. Both burgers are topped with lettuce and tomatoes and served on toasted sesame buns.
And if you're curious about the Italian mobster-themed names, they're a humorous nod to owner Rocco Moreau's Italian heritage.
The Luca Brasi Burger, referencing the feared henchman in "The Godfather," is priced at $8. The Capone Cheeseburger, named for the infamous Chicago mobster, is $8.75. While you're placing your order, why not add a side of fries or Rocco's scrumptious fried dill pickles? Or maybe both?
Still, any Rocco's burger, alone, is enough to sate your taste buds.
Curbside Burgers
4158 Government St., Baton Rouge
Jack Barlow, features writer
A vibrant presence on Government Street since 2016, Curbside Burgers is one of the hippest spots in town to grab a burger. While its recent renovation has given it a face-lift, and it's a great spot to catch live music, the main attraction remains its burgers.
I went for the $10.99 John Denver, partly for the presence of Hatch chiles and partly, I'm not ashamed to say, for its name. Picking things on a novelty basis is always a risky proposition, but in this case, it came off reasonably sized, the John Denver's patties were juicy, the chiles flavorful, the buns soft. The bacon was a nice touch, adding a bit of textural firmness to something that was otherwise pretty messy — which, when it comes to a burger like that, is always a good sign.
The Chimes
The Chimes' steak burger comes with grilled mushrooms and onions. The burger with its ground ribeye patty and spicy garlic mayo comes with a plate full of fries.
Baton Rouge locations at 3357 Highland Road, 10870 Coursey Blvd.
Jan Risher, features editor
Several months have passed since I ate a whole burger in one setting. That changed Friday when I went to The Chimes.
I heard from a trusted source that the burgers there are top-notch — I was not misled. The Chimes has options with their burgers. I chose the steak burger — which is a patty of ground rib-eye, grilled mushrooms/onions, spicy garlic mayo, cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese. I asked them to hold the cheddar because I prefer white cheese with mushrooms on a burger — a solid decision that I stand behind. The meat was tasty and cooked to perfection.
The pre-tax cost of the burger and a full plate of fries is $14.
The truth is that I've eaten a lot of burgers lately. This one was impressive. My husband and I watched a basketball game while we ate. The waiter was fun, engaging and cheering with us. I've been to The Chimes several times before, but sitting there, eating a burger beside my husband, watching a fun basketball game and cheering with the staff, made me understand better than before why the place is such an institution. 10 out of 10 recommend.
Veganish Vibes
The Veganish Vibe burger comes with some of the best fries around — and the burger itself is as tasty and satisfying as a burger ought to be.
4608 Bennington Ave, Suite A, Baton Rouge
Jan Risher, features editor
I ordered the Vibe Burger to go on my first visit to Veganish Vibes, a tucked away spot on Bennington Avenue, not far from Interstate 10 and College Drive. The burger came in a box with some of the best fries I've had in a long, long time. They were crinkly fries and cooked just the way I like them — crispy. I wasn't sure what to expect with the 100%-plant-based burger, but it was beautiful and as tasty as it could be. Overall, the burger was satisfying in the way I expect it to be.
Nothing about this burger's vegan-ness took anything away from flavor. It was a messy burger in the best way a good burger should be messy. Had I not known it was vegan, I'm not sure I would have connected the dots.
Riverside Patty
Cheeseburger from Riverside Patty.
10933 Cloverland Ave., Baton Rouge
Lauren Cheramie, features writer
You know how they say, "Phone eats first?" That almost happened here.
As pictured, the bacon burger from Riverside Patty is big enough to have leftovers. Dressed with pickles, onions, tomatoes, mayo and mustard, both the patty and the bun were crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. Though, a "dressed" burger was optional. The ambience of Riverside Patty is a quintessential hole-in-the-wall, with leather booths and counter service.
Inside the restaurant, all the customers seem to be in on the old-school reliability of the almost-secret spot on Cloverland Avenue.
Luckily enough, they invite new people to the club.