The Drunken Fish is a corny name for a restaurant, but as I searched for a decent Vietnamese place in the heart of Baton Rouge, I found this place and thought that it would be a neat place to eat. After reading a few reviews on yelp, I was more or less confident in my decision instead of flying blind. I was here on a balmy Thursday early evening, in between a day of sightseeing in Lafayette and hanging around Baton Rouge. A small bowl of Pho would do this time around, as I had ventured onwards eventually later in the evening to Coyote Blues for a burger, fries, and a beer. I was on track to have a bowl of Pho in each of the 50 US states and this one is for Louisiana.
With that said, the Drunken Fish is located on Highland Road in Baton Rouge. It is off I-12. The restaurant itself was semi busy when I came in around 5pm and it was pretty good. Nice to kick off the vacation with a bowl of Pho. The Drunken Fish serves up sushi and other Japanese delicacies, as well as Vietnamese foods - including Pho. There is a private parking lot that services The Drunken Fish and accepts major credit cards, so that's always a plus. The service here was so so, but adequate. Just like a lot of Vietnamese places, it's just that way, although Chinese restaurants can cut corners as well. The ambiance was part Vietnamese and part Japanese. The noise level was not too quiet, but it was palatable for the experience. The restaurant itself was clean for the most part and the staff was friendly. The part that I liked was that it was fast from ordering to bringing it out to the table.
I had the small meatball & beef brisket Pho, along with summer rolls, to be boxed out if necessary. It's quite a fast paced environment here, with people in and out like you wouldn't believe. But as with life, it's like that. The Pho itself was pretty good and filled up my stomach to the point of satisfaction. I liked the broth, but for me, it felt like it was typical broth, not deep in flavor. Still it was tasty and delicious. Prices here are fair to decent, so it was nice to come here for a short visit. I ended up boxing the summer rolls and had it for breakfast the next morning on the way to Jackson, MS. Those road trips are a killer sometimes, but necessary. The experience here wasn't memorable, yet it wasn't forgettable either.
Although it was just for a quick bowl of Pho, it was an adventure for sure. If you are in the neighborhood for Pho and or Japanese cuisine, you can check this place out. While I haven't checked out their sushi, previous reviews have said that they're pretty off the hook. That sounds like something you can dream about and sink your teeth into! Recommended if you are a Pho junkie and want to try something new in the Baton Rouge area.
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