My favorite cheap place to eat… Raising Canes Chicken Fingers!  The menu is very simple to remember: fresh, never frozen chicken fingers.  And fresh is no lie… the chicken fingers are always so fresh that I would swear the cook went out to the backyard, picked out the best looking chicken, wrung its neck and tossed it right into the grease.  The absolute best chicken finger’s ever… their one love!

For dipping the fingers… there is the delicious, mystery Canic sauce.  Other menu options… fresh cut crinkle fries, coleslaw, and Texas toast.  To wash it all down… fresh squeezed lemonade or brewed ice tea.

Besides the great food, the staff is wonderful.  I have never been in a restaurant where everyone is happy, smiling, bubbly and cheerful.  Honestly, I do not know where they find all those happy people.  Being that happy at work is unnatural… but not at Raising Cane’s.  The employees seem to love their jobs and it shows.

The great food and the wonderful atmosphere make for a pleasurable dining experience.

Visit Raising Cane’s sometime –  5757 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70808, (225) 383-7400

Number 2 is a tie… it just depends on which type of ethnic cuisine my palate desires at the moment. For the best in Lebanase… Arzi’s. For the best in Chinese… the Great Wall.

Arzi’s… my favorite dish is the combination plate.  It combines chicken shawoorma and gyros (lamb and beef).    The meat is roasted, tender and full of flavor.  They slice the meat off of the rotisserie and place it right onto the plate. It comes with two freshly baked pita breads, hummus, rice pilaf and the best feta cheese salad I’ve ever eaten.  To drink… I always get the Lebanese tea.  I am not sure what is in it… but it’s a unique flavor… and it tastes really good.

If you are in the mood for something different… try Arzi’s – 5219 Government St.,
Baton Rouge LA, (225) 927 – 2111

My second number two… the Great Wall.  It is a buffet style Chinese restaurant.  Calorie counters, this is not the restaurant for you.  Everybody else, please listen to me… absolute best Chinese buffet for under $10 bucks.  But if you are going for lunch… you’d better get there early.  It is a huge restaurant, but they run out of seats really quick.  A  line begins to form outside around half past noon.  I have heard of people standing in line for free food, but it is rare that folks stand in line (outside of a restaurant) to pay for food.  It is an amazing thing to see.  But once you have dined there, you will soon realize why people wait in line for this food. My favorite menu item is the shrimp toast.  The simplest way to describe it… grilled cheese sandwich, minus the cheese, add shrimp.

If you are ever in the area, do your belly a favor… eat at the Great Wall – 3132 College Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70808, (225) 928-3213

Finally, number 3… a New Orleans original creation right here in Baton Rouge at Rocco’s New Orleans Style Po Boys & Café.  Rocco’s offers a large selection of menu choices… but my two favorites are the shrimp poboy – battered, fried shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, cheese, hot sauce and ketchup stuffed overstuffed into the middle of a loaf of French bread.   My other favorite is the hot roast beef poboy.  Steaming hot sliced roast beef, dressings (lettuce, tomatoes…), topped with homemade gravy… all sandwiched between French bread. It is sloppy… don’t forget your bib… and it tastes oh so good!

You gotta go to Rocco’s- 3358 Drusilla Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, (225) 248-1999