It’s rare to pass by Red Stick Social and see an empty parking lot.
Since opening on Government Street this spring, the venue has kept busy.
And that’s as it should be. After all, it has a ton of space to fill: 30,000 square feet, five stories, two floors of bowling, a rooftop terrace, a sports bar, space for live music … wait, what doesn’t it have?
A $6 million project, Red Stick Social was the first opening and anchor tenant of Electric Depot.
The rest of the former Entergy site is an ongoing revamp, being converted into a mixed-use development with restaurants, shops, offices and apartments.
When it’s all finished, it will continue to shake up the way we do date night.
In Baton Rouge, we’ll often go to dinner and hope to be treated to occasional live music or maybe a trivia night every now and then. But Red Stick Social follows a growing business model: an entertainment space that also happens to house a full-service restaurant. Forget dinner and a show—now it’s a show, and maybe you’ll feel like staying for dinner.
Food has traditionally been an afterthought at bowling alleys. It was about as easy to get excited about sad, reheated pizza as it was about wearing old bowling shoes. Red Stick Social’s menu is more ambitious. Charcuterie boards, fish tacos, a vegan burger and crawfish mac ‘n’ cheese make appearances.
The buzz about Red Stick Social hasn’t stopped. All year, residents have traded stories about everything from the food to a controversial dress code policy it briefly implemented this summer—which owners quickly reversed and apologized for—to the venue’s show-stopping private parties.
And with the holidays here, it’s likely those party stories will continue. It seems Red Stick Social has already achieved what it set out to do: keep Baton Rouge entertained.
Opened April 2019
1503 Government St.
redsticksocial.com
Opened January 2019
The nets beckon from the highway. Those towering white poles seem to remind drivers to schedule their next sports outing at one of Topgolf’s 72 golf bays. The grub is as fun as the golf: brisket grilled cheese, chicken and waffle sliders and “injectable” doughnut holes that turn lunch into a sport in itself. topgolf.com
Opened August 2019
It’s kind of like Chuck E. Cheese, but grown up—with 50,000 square feet of arcade games, laser tag, bowling and even an obstacle course with zip lining. And since you’ll probably be pretty active during your visit, maybe you can justify ordering from the indulgent food menu: build-your-own queso, lots of burgers and fried things, and a massive candy-topped gelato sundae. mainevent.com
Click here to head back to our Hot New Restaurants cover story from the December 2019 issue of 225 Magazine.
