Radio Bar

Radio Bar has a lot of things you want from a bar - good beer list, specialty cocktails, indoor and outdoor seating, and extra outdoor bar open on busy night - but every time I'm there I always just wish I would have driven down to NOLA for the weekend.  With so many Baton Rouge uber hipster with nothing to really be proud of packed into one bar, I'm always slightly annoyed with the crowd.  If I see one more dork with neon sunglasses (at night) wearing a shirt they bought from Urban Outfitter that says "Brooklyn" on it, I might just have to slap them.  This place really just manages to make me homesick for New Orleans, or make me want to jump on a plane to hang out with my friends who actually live in Brooklyn, not Baton Rouge wannabes.

But, where else are you going to go in Baton Rouge?  All the bars around campus only cater to undergrads, so that rules them out.  If they city had a smoking ban, I'd be going to neighborhood dive bars more than I'd be going to Radio Bar.  Also, they allow dogs, so that's cool.  However, seeing hipsters give their dogs beer instead of water also drives me crazy.  Most weekend nights, it's too packed to bring a dog.

I really want to like Radio Bar, but the crowd is just so obnoxious I'm never really enjoying myself when I'm here.  If you're not a Baton Rouge native and come from a city with a good bar scene, I recommend going on a weekday evening when the crowd is a little older and more chill to avoid going insane.

First of all, I think it's important for me to state:  I've never been a 'bar' person.  What's the point in over-paying to drink in a crowded, smelly, smoky bar when I can drink for much cheaper in the comfort of my own living room with only people (and entertainment) that I like?

But the Radio Bar has finally given this homebody a place to "go out" to.  There's no smoking in the bar itself, which is a BIG plus for me.  The atmosphere is relaxed, comfortable, but not divey.  The staff is super friendly!  And the crowd is (generally) refreshingly bro-free.  I can go in at 7ish with a group of close friends, grab a booth, and hang out - we've even brought in food and games before, it's all cool at the Radio Bar!  The signature trait of the Radio Bar is the smartphone radio app that allows you to tap into their music selection (for free!) and vote for your favorite songs.  The music selection is limited, but for the most part, very good!  Even the music I don't like is at least ignorable, which can't be said for a lot of public spaces these days :/

Drink-wise, I would say their selection is average to good....but then again, I tend to only order my same two or three favorite regardless of where I go, so I can't say I have the greatest frame of reference there.  But if you're looking for great atmosphere, Radio is the place to go!

Oh, and I whole-heartedly agree with a previous reviewer - they have the CLEANEST bar bathrooms I have EVER seen!

Great neighborhood bar. The building used to be a car garage, and the owners managed to make that charming--huge garage doors that open to the patio, industrial style lighting, etc. There's almost always a food truck or cart in the parking lot. This bar quickly turned into my Old Faithful.

Go when the weather is nice and sit on the patio. Download the remote app on your smartphone and vote for what songs you want to hear (mostly indie music). There's a ping-pong table on the patio and a shuffle board inside. The cocktail specialties aren't always great, but they're fun to try if you have some extra dollars. If you can manage drinking a bloody mary after 4:00 in the afternoon, order one from Olga--she deserves an award for those masterpieces.