About 225’s food critic: Benjamin Leger previously served as managing editor for 225 and was the editor of its Taste section from 2012 to 2021, editing, writing and steering the direction of its food coverage in print and online. He is passionate about all things food and food journalism, and has written about the greater Baton Rouge area’s cuisine and culture for nearly two decades.
THE BASICS: Zee Zee’s opened in the former George’s in the Perkins Road Overpass area in December 2022, nodding to the original Zee Zee Gardens that’s now Overpass Merchant across the street. Adding another crowd-pleasing hangout to the neighborhood, this spot offers a sizable menu and a back patio perfect for a long evening of drinks with the regulars.
WHAT’S A MUST: The Pizza Eggrolls replaced the menu’s Pizza Beignets, but are just as tasty, with a thick marinara dipping sauce on the side. The Fried Crawfish salad is a heaping plate of seasoned, crunchy crawfish tails and enough veggies to make you feel somewhat healthy. And the Nashville Hot Fried Chicken sandwich is a tender and spicy choice to wash down with a cold beer.
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When my friends and I want to meet up for drinks, there’s always some back and forth in the group chat about where to try next. Naturally, I try to steer the conversation toward a bar with a food menu.
I always want a snack—especially when drinks are involved. That’s how we landed on Zee Zee’s Kitchen + Cocktails.
The bar and eatery opened in the former cave-like George’s in the Perkins Road Overpass area nearly two years ago. I had been once for a quick late-night drink with friends after dinner nearby and was surprised to see a). how boisterous the place was on a Thursday night; and b). the fairly substantial food menu of more than the usual bar snacks.
This time we stopped by on a Wednesday night, early enough to beat the young professional crowd that has made this their hangout.
It was a nice surprise to find many of the tables occupied with families with young children. I’m guessing the changeover in atmosphere and age range doesn’t happen until later. The space is still mostly devoid of natural light, but the warm wood walls, Christmas lights and upholstered booths give it a locals-only pub vibe.
After we ordered some drinks of our own, our friendly server suggested the Pizza Eggrolls for an appetizer. Stuffed with pepperoni, sausage and mozzarella, these were thankfully not as greasy as I thought they might be. The crispy exterior was airy, and a sweet and chunky marinara dipping sauce created the perfect pizza-like bite each time.
I was floored by the variety of sandwiches, burgers and salads on the menu. My friends and I decided we would leave any healthy diets behind us for the night as we placed our orders.
First up was the Fried Crawfish salad with thick slices of cucumber and tomatoes, a sprinkling of bacon and plenty of shredded cheddar over lettuce. The fried crawfish were nice and salty, though not as plentiful as we would have liked. Served with a honey mustard dressing, this was still a hefty meal in itself.
Next came a Zee Zee’s signature, the Zee-Monlina pasta, which is a callback to the beloved Pasta Roban at the now-closed Baton Rouge locations of New Orleans-born Semolina’s Restaurant. A giant bowl of shells were covered in a cream sauce and lots of parsley and green onions. You can order with a protein, so we added chicken. The menu said the sauce was “spicy,” but we found ourselves adding salt and pepper because the seasoning was lacking.
However, the pasta had a nice chew, the slices of chicken were tender and the sauce was not overly thick.
Finally, I found myself drawn to the Nashville Hot Fried Chicken sandwich. Ever since the spicy chicken craze caught on, I’ve been interested to see who does it best around Baton Rouge. Zee Zee’s also has a Nashville Hot Curds appetizer if you’re not up for a full meal of the spiced goodness.
My sandwich came fully dressed on a sesame bun with plenty of pickles. I was already a little carbed out, so I gave myself one or two bites of the sandwich before deconstructing it to get to the juicy fried chicken.
The saucy seasoning had a good level of heat to it that lingered. I’d consider it a worthy take on the Nashville-born dish.
Not to be forgotten was the side of crinkly sweet potato fries. Our server recommended them, and she was right on the money. Nicely seasoned and crispy, they had everyone at my table reaching over for a handful throughout the night.
During that first visit to Zee Zee’s months ago, I had wrongly assumed this was just a divey Overpass-area joint. But my table agreed the tasty options put its menu a step above typical bar fare.
Our server was also top notch—friendly, attentive, unobtrusive and led us in the right direction with her suggestions.
For those of you who have already made Zee Zee’s a destination on your bar crawl route, consider stopping by a little earlier in the evening to fill up on some great food before the partying commences.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with stopping in “just for one drink” and in the end getting a delicious meal out of it, too.
2943 Perkins Road
Tuesday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-2 a.m.
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
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Sunday, 11 a.m.-midnight
Closed Mondays
This article was originally published in the September 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.