Behemoth burgers, a well-known brunch menu and nationally lauded bloody marys have made Mason’s Grill one of Baton Rouge’s most popular restaurants. Now, a recently completed $500,000 renovation is leveling up the 26-year-old eatery’s vibe with a fresh, modern look.
Owners Rober and Christina Alamirie, who bought Mason’s in 2022, decided it was time for an interior update that would still appeal to the eatery’s many regulars and help draw new customers—not just at brunch and lunch, but also at dinner.
“You’ve got to keep up with what’s going on in town. Baton Rouge has a lot of competition, with new restaurants popping up all the time,” Rober says. “You’ve got to keep that freshness.”
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Response has been strong among Mason’s “five-day-a-week regulars,” Rober says, as well as newcomers who had yet to experience the comfort-food hangout and Baton Rouge’s brunch bellwether. Weekend brunch, served Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., helped put the establishment on the map.
Buying Mason’s gave the Alamiries a chance to put their personal stamp on the mom-and-pop, where they were regular diners.
The couple met several years ago while waiting tables at Ninfa’s Mexican Restaurant (now Tio Javi’s Mexican Grill). They married, and Rober went on to a career in restaurant management in Baton Rouge and around the country with brands like Bonefish Grill and Outback Steakhouse.
Christina became an interior designer. They’ve each brought their expertise to Mason’s, finding a way to keep what’s always worked, they say, while making needed improvements.
“We waited about a year before doing anything to just listen to our customers,” Rober says.
Christina designed the restaurant’s updates, introducing a crisp neutral palette, modern lighting and pecky cypress features that evoke a sense of classic Louisiana. Art by regional artists, including a tiger mural, are sprinkled throughout. The idea was to keep the theme consistent with Louisiana itself by using reclaimed wood, softer lighting and rustic signage sprinkled with “leauxcal” references.
One of the biggest complaints the Alamiries heard from customers was the restaurant’s sound level. The building is about 90% concrete, Rober says, and it can get loud when crowded.
The couple addressed the issue by adding floor tile and some carpet, and installing new acoustical panels in the ceiling that act as sound baffles.
“It’s made a huge reduction in the extra noise,” Rober says.
While lunch and brunch have been mainstays at Mason’s, the Alamiries saw the renovation as a way to encourage more people to drop by for drinks or dinner.
“We know people love our chicken and waffles and quesadillas, but we wanted to give them something else to order at dinner,” Rober says. “We wanted this to be the kind of place a group of ladies could come sit down and have a martini.”
It’s worked, while increasing business during lunch and brunch, too, Rober says.
Newer menu items include a Black Angus choice filet, grilled salmon over rice, grilled sushi-grade tuna and grilled fresh redfish. Longtime fans of the restaurant will still find its expansive menu with a deep bench of burgers, po-boys, Benedicts, omelettes and more.
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Other changes to the restaurant include a new logo and signage, and improvements to the bar and covered patio.
Additional Louisiana artwork in the space is forthcoming, along with an Instagram wall, Rober says.
Mason’s Grill is at 13556 Jefferson Highway. For more information, visit masonsgrill.com.