So many king cakes, so little time. And this weekend, there’ll be a chance for Baton Rougeans to try some famous New Orleans-style versions closer to home—from experimental combinations to flavors that spark childhood memories.
Greater New Orleans’ King Cake Drive-Thru will pop-up for the first time in Baton Rouge this Saturday, Jan. 25, at Rally Cap Brewing Company for one-day-only, one-stop-shop king cake distribution.
The drive-thru will run from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. until supplies last.
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The King Cake Drive-Thru was brought to life by New Orleans resident Mike Graves and his wife, Tiffany Langlinais, in 2023. It sells various cakes from sought-after New Orleans businesses like Brennan’s, Hi-Do Bakery, District Donuts, Bywater Bakery and others around the Southeast.
“We wanted to make sure that we can get king cakes to people the most convenient way possible,” Graves says. “We know how big of a pain it can be to get the kids out of the car when you’re shopping, and so we basically were like, ‘We wanna go find just the best and coolest king cakes in New Orleans and then make it as convenient as possible for people to get them.’”
Rally Cap founder Kevin Whalen met Graves through a mutual friend, Dr. Corey Falcon, with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research, and agreed to bring the popular pop-up to Baton Rouge.
“We’re happy to host events like that. … It also helps us if there’s some people who come get king cakes who didn’t know what Rally Cap was before—that’s cool, too. Any way we can get our name out there and be attached to another event, that’s a good thing for us,” Whalen says.
The drive-thru has traveled to Mississippi, Texas and now Baton Rouge to spread the flavors of Mardi Gras over the years. Graves says patrons have ranged from former New Orleans residents to those who’ve never had a traditional king cake before.
“We just saw how happy it made people who were formerly from New Orleans or have family in New Orleans and they get a taste of home, and so we wanted to bring the same thing to Baton Rouge,” Graves says.
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Due to the winter storm, Graves has not finalized this weekend’s lineup but says diners can expect a diverse menu from traditional New Orleans bakeries and fun new flavors.
“It’s a mix of bigger bakeries that people know from when they were kids and, you know, that they miss—and then also a lot of really cool smaller bakeries that are doing some inventive things and pushing the boundaries,” Graves says.
The King Cake Drive-Thru pop-up is from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. or until sell out Saturday, Jan. 25. Rally Cap Brewing Company is at 11212 Pennywood Ave. The drive-thru accepts cards only. Find menu updates and more information here.