Pastime Restaurant & Lounge

The Pastime Restaurant started out as a grocery store on the Corner of South Blvd and a gravel road that later became Nicholson Drive, in the early 1920s. It operated as Alesce's Grocery on the south side of downtown Baton Rouge in an area designated as Beauguard town. Surrounded by a rice mill, a brickyard, a lumberyard and a furrier, the Pastime eventually grew into a restaurant and lounge in 1945. Due to the one-mile exclusion law from the LSU campus for any business selling alcohol, the Pastime, being one of the closest places to celebrate LSU sports, became a familiar and popular hangout for students, faculty and fans alike. As the times changed, the laws were lifted, but the tradition was started and remains today. Many generations later, those students from LSU have now become our community leaders, with children and grandchildren of their own. All these generations, and those to follow, make up a big part of our clientele. As these previous generations grow and move away, they carry with them the memories made at the Pastime and often return to relive them. As a result, the Pastime, through word of mouth has become known throughout the country. Almost every day someone will come into the restaurant and mention the good ole days. A big part of our job is to make sure the restaurant and more importantly the food is exactly as they remembered. In October of 2007, the Pastime was officially declared a Historical Landmark based upon the cultural contribution to the area.