Aaahhh Pastime. The place is a veritable Baton Rouge and LSU institution. Tucked in a small corner underneath the Mississippi River bridge, the Pastime Restaurant and Lounge has served up great food for years. There are several methods by which you could tell you were in the Pastime even in your eyes were closed:
1. you have to write your order on little pieces of paper waiting on the counter,
2. you get your food when your name is called loudly but barely intelligibly over a PA system,
3. you move the plate on which your roast beef poboy sits and you feel the trail otherwise known as “the smear.”
When you walk into Pastime for the first time, it can be kind of confusing. Several rooms contain dining areas, the bars, and the ordering area/kitchen. If you can’t see the ordering counter when you first walk in, just keep going and your path will lead you to it at some point (assuming that is you don’t get stuck in the time warp that is known as the bar…more on that later).
There is no one at the Pastime “taking orders.” You are responsible for writing down whatever you want on a scrap of paper and I am lucky if someone comes up to verify that the little square of chicken scratch does indeed mean “roast beef poboy with no tomatoes or pickles” and the thing that is hardly more identifiable than a black “X” is indeed my name They’re good people here though, so they’ll work with you. They even supply you with a line of sharpened pencils and pads in case you break the lead in excitement (or fear of being called out as a first timer).
Put in your order and take a seat at the bar. Look around and you’ll notice that Pastime is one of the best places to see people of all types, ages, and professions drinking beer and chatting away. There is no surer way to make friends quickly here than to say you’re an LSU fan; the buzz is electric in Pastime before an LSU game (whether it is football, basketball, or baseball).
Okay, I hear you grumbling “where’s the talk about the food man?”
Hopefully, you ordered yourself a roast beef poboy. Pastime has often been voted as having the best roast beef poboy in town and I think it is well deserved. As mentioned by miniditkas in his Parasol’s review, the preparation of the beef is key. Some places do the sliced version, topping the slices of roast beef in a thin layer of au jus or in a viscous brown gravy. I love those things, don’t get me wrong, but if imroperly prepared, it is a landslide (a bad thing, not like victory). There is little I hate more than biting into a poboy and the whole meat middle slides off on the gravy train.
You won’t have that problem at Pastime. Much like the famed Mother’s “Debris” poboy in New Orleans, Pastime puts tender finely chopped roast beef that is akin to pot roast and has been soaking in a thin au jus. For what it’s worth, I think Pastime does it better than Mother’s too. The roast is flavorful; perfectly salted and not masked by some unknown powdered spice.
The other thing I love about Pastime is that they are not afraid to manhandle the bread a little. Crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, they know that to cut this beauty you have to do “the squish” by pressing down on the whole poboy while cutting it. If you look at the picture you can see that the outside crust of the bread is crinkled and cracked, a sure sign that the kitchen knows how to to “the squish.”
The "smear"
However, as I mentioned before, the true test of a Pastime roast beef poboy is if you get “the smear.” Take your plate and move it a foot or so, dragging it along the table as you do so. At Pastime, that action produces a trail of au jus that marks the beginning and the end of the trail for that poboy as it makes its way from the tray on which it came to be closer to your mouth. Come here boy!
Contact info: 252 South Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA (225)343-5940
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#1 by Beefy on March 5th, 2009
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I’m starving! Pastime is such a great place. Thanks for the awesome write-up. I’ve heard their pizza is pretty good but have never tried it. Any thoughts?
#2 by miniditkas on March 5th, 2009
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It has been a while since I have eaten at Pastime, but from what I remember, the pizza was pretty good. I wouldn’t go out of my way to have get a slice of their pie but it is worth having if you are there. As for pizza in B.R., my favorites would be Rotolo’s and Mellow Mushroom.
#3 by Tommy on March 7th, 2009
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You can’t forget about Fleur de Lis when you talk about Pizza in Baton Rouge. The Around the World with no anchovies is one of the tastiest pies in Louisiana in my opinion.
#4 by Beth on March 9th, 2009
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I’m so glad you gave some love to the Pastime…that was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had!
#5 by Ross on March 15th, 2009
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PastTime is great, never tried the roast beef though. However, the “smear” (or as we call it, the “taint”) of the Looter Philly at Cooter Brown’s in New Orleans is tough to beat. Or go with Cooter’s best sandwich, the Bayou Philly, a bar-b-qued shrimp po-boy that does exactly what the name implies. Blends the best of the Philly (cheese and bread) with the best of the bayou (shrimp and spice).
#6 by Tommy on March 15th, 2009
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I’ve had the Looter but never the Bayou Philly. That sounds awesome. Funny you should bring it up though, I actually made a recommendation for Cooter’s Browns earlier today on Chowhound to a guy looking for a fun place to take his daughter (who is a Tulane student) and 7 friends out for a fun dinner. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/603644
#7 by Smesono on April 9th, 2009
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emm.. attractive..
#8 by Temperature Time Spank on September 28th, 2009
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hmm.. good one ))
#9 by Marylouise on April 16th, 2011
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THX that\’s a great asnewr!
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