Like a bastion of civility in an expansive strip mall, Juban’s has been serving Baton Rouge expertly since 1983. Known for its unique take on Creole cuisine, the restaurant is equally famous for its elegant interior divided into several intimate dining spaces. The lounge area features a long, well-stocked bar, cozy fireplace with couch seating, ficus trees and secluded banquettes—all of which create a great space for conversation and mingling. On the Sunday we dined, the sun was streaming in from the lounge’s skylights, giving the dining space a pleasant, friendly glow.
Brunch starters run the gamut from salmon to pain perdu along with soups and salads (including one you’ll rarely see elsewhere: fried chicken livers and arugula). But since each entree came with salad and biscuits, we all decided to forego the extravagance of appetizers.
Plus, instead of bread, the table received a plate of addictive sweet potato chips, made more decadent with a dusting of powdered sugar. When I requested more, two overflowing plates of the chips appeared and then just as swiftly were devoured at our table.
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For a taste of something different I requested gumbo instead of the Sensation Salad. The Sensation at Juban’s is sprightly and refreshing with loads of nutty Parmesan, but the gumbo, with a rich, dark and not-too-thick gravy, contained a bounty of chicken and andouille sausage and abundant flavor.
An off-menu special of the day, the Short Ribs were served with grits and a perfectly over-medium egg. The thinly sliced short ribs were grilled Korean style with a subtle sweetness from a ponzu sauce. The healthy portion size seemingly left no room for hunger or dessert.
The Boudin and Grits with poached eggs was a rustic yet artfully executed dish. Authentic, deftly seasoned boudin is a reason to live, and this example made my life worth living. The rice-to-meat ratio was perfect, with a toothsome snap to the casing. The garlic goat cheese grits coalesced with the runny yolk of the poached egg, making this already-opulent side dish even more so. This was brunch, after all, and would have been incomplete without at least one golden egg yolk.
Additional table favorites that were anything but ordinary included Eggs Louie served with both a crab cake and a fried softshell crab (a la Juban’s famous Hallelujah Crab) with poached eggs and béarnaise sauce, Alligator Sausage with a delectable link and grits, and Poisson Meunière of Gulf fish in a luscious Creole meunière sauce.
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As full as we all were, dessert still beckoned. Everyone appreciated the Crème Brûlée and declared it to be one of the best they’d had. But nothing could hold a candle to the Bananas Foster Cheesecake. A chocolate wafer/pecan crust surrounded inches-high succulent cheesecake with a brûléed topping, all drowning in sugary banana sauce. It was a clear favorite of the dessert course that none of us needed after the indulgent meal—yet we all clamored to devour it.
It turns out that brunch has only been available at Juban’s for about two years, meaning there was a gap in the brunching universe for nearly 30 years. When dining out, there seems little that is more opulent than a leisurely brunch at a fine dining establishment. With Juban’s brunch now firmly ensconced, there’s no worthy excuse not to extend your weekend by one more luxurious meal. After all, Monday is still a day away.
Juban’s
3739 Perkins Road
346-8422
Brunch Sundays, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; lunch Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Mondays-Saturdays starting at 5:30 p.m.
jubans.com