restaurants like this make me wish there was an option for 0/5 stars. my friends and i previewed the menu and thought this would be a good place to eat after a day at the mall. wrong. we walked in to dirty looks, and we were asked for reservations when the place was empty. we were wearing jeans and cardigans and nice shoes, but apparently we werent welcome since we werent wearing suits and dresses like the rest of the customers. we didnt think a place that sold $10 pasta would have such a strict dresscode. we were then mocked by the waiter who "joked" about us (sarcastically) "classing up the place", and then went on to mock our british friend from England when she tried to order water. we have been to pricier restaurants wearing the same outfits and were treated kindly. we left immediately after this without even ordering food and will NEVER return. very disrespectful. read more

When the manager asked how everything was, I told him we'd waited more than an hour for our dinner to be served. He apologized and said he would comp me HIS favorite dessert (not sure why he didn't ask me to pick out something). It was flan (they call it Creme Brûlée). Bland flan, to be exact. He didn't ask me if I like flan (I don't, but tried it to be a good sport, hoping it would have a rich vanilla flavor). Then, when he asked how it was, I told him it had no flavor at all. He was visibly disappointed. At that point we asked for the check. Not only did they not comp all or part of the meal, but they charged me for the salad I ordered but never got. The meal wasn't bad, but honestly, I can't even remember what I ordered and it was less than a month ago. So obviously it was not an impressive or memorable dish that would make me want to try them again. When we were leaving I asked one of the staff members if there'd been a problem with service that evening. She said they were short staffed. Really? The restaurant wasn't that crowded! If they were really stretched thin, they should have told us that when we walked in. And surely anyone who's in the restaurant business, especially during flu season, should expect some staff shortages and have a plan for dealing with that. Fortunately, we were not in a hurry, but what if we had been? Allowing a customer to wait more than an hour for an entree, not bringing the salad the customer ordered along with the entree, and not giving any sort of compensation for the trouble and the wait is not a good way to run a restaurant. I will not be giving them a second chance. read more

Just did lunch, quick and great tasting, nice conversation with Mr. Christian while dinning...I will be back with my wife.

Advertised the fettuccini Alfredo as "thick sauce with butter and parmesan". It was like eating a bowl of noodles with warm milk. Terrible. And their "grilled" chicken. Looks more like bland microwaved boiled chicken. Super disappointed. read more

This place was great! Nice atmosphere, quiet Italian music playing in the background. Service was prompt and courteous. Food came out piping hot (which is important to me, I can't stand lukewarm food). We had the lobster ravioli and grouper with crabmeat. Both were delicious! It was early so we basically had the run of the place but I will definitely be back! We also had the calamari and stuffed mushrooms. Very good! read more

We order from here for my job, individual to go orders, the food was praised to be some of the best new Italian , Sorry it is not. The food was not seasoned well, nor was anything special I ordered spaghetti-lunch special, meat and noodles. The flavor profile is just not there. I can go into a corner store and get better flavor would not let me add cheese to my dish either. My friend ordered Lasagna she said she cant finish the bland dish and she still is hungry with a whole plate of food. the rolls were greasy ,The salad was just leaves. I would not order from here again read more

Beautiful restaurant, delicious Italian dishes, hand tossed pizza, great wine list and super service.

Our favorite Italian restaurant! Well priced and an excellent variety of dishes and wine. The wait staff is attentive and courteous. We love the pianist and the atmosphere. read more

Excellent food, attentive waiters. My friend and I come here on nearly a weekly basis for happy hour, it's our favorite place for an after work dinner. Don't skip the garlic knots! I've ever had anything but a great experience here for either lunch or dinner. read more

Absolutely awesome restaurant! We have been several times and it never disappoints. The food is delicious and very authentic Italian. The staff is fantastic and the manager Rick is always outstanding! Perfect place for any outing! read more

Simply amazing!! The shrimp scampi and lasagna was delicious. The bread they serve was very good. Great ambiance and great service

Sunday Italian Saints Sunday so the crowd was sparse for our late lunch. It was my wife's mother's 87th birthday and she had an envie (as she likes to say) for Italian. Originally selected Palermo but it was closed on Sunday. Very clean and sparsely decorated restaurant with appropriate light classical music (Mostly Italian, go figure). Food was excellent all around. A hearty minestrone soup, unusual Caesar Salad (slightly sweeter dressing that usual), and great breads. Each main course was elegantly presented and all were absolutely delicious. Pollo Milanese was my choice, and it was a wonderful combination of chicken, eggplant and cheese over a bed of spinach. Just perfect for someone who wants to limit the pasta intake. My wife had Pollo La Contea which she loved mostly for the flavorful sun-dried tomatoes but noted that the chicken was a bit bland. The selection was rounded out with the Tour of Italy and the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo. Service was good and I think all had a relaxing afternoon with good food and conversation. Will definitely be back. read more

Had a family gathering- 20 of us- set up in a separate room. Wait staff and manager were great- attentive and patient with the chaos. Would definitely go back. Good variety available on menu. The two soups were delicious. The fish specials were excellent. read more

Based on the positive ratings here, my husband and I decided to check it out. We were very underwhelmed. The food lacked flavor, and our Caesar salads seemed watery. Most disappointing was that we asked the server while ordering what the sauce was on the Chicken Primavera, as no sauce is listed on the menu. She looked at my menu and then said she didn't think there really was a sauce. Then my dish came out swimming in tomato cream sauce (I'm not a huge fan of cream sauce and that was specifically what I was trying to avoid by asking my sauce question). We had already waited a while for the food and I didn't feel like sending it back, so I ate it anyway. As I was eating it, I heard a lady at a neighboring table ask her (different) server about the dish and he was describing it to her as a pink sauce, so this was clearly an instance of our particular server not having appropriate menu knowledge. I will say that, on a positive note, my pasta was perfectly cooked, as were the vegetables and chicken. I think I would've liked it except for the sauce, which was quite bland. My husband had Chicken Marsala, which was okay but also seemed a little under-seasoned. Overall, I don't recommend; there are too many better Italian restaurants (think Ninos!) to choose La Contea. read more

Amazing!!! Wonderful atmosphere, great service, incredible food. We had crab cakes that were absolutely delicious!! Ordered the Supreme Pizza & LOVED it!!! Can't wait to come back for dinner to try a steak or seafood dish!! read more

Let me start by saying the service is 4.5 stars. If only their food matched their service, sigh. We were excited to try this place because the reviews were amazing and every picture posted made our mouths water. I ordered the chicken carciofi, which came with a lot of chicken but was lacking a lot of flavor. I ordered mine with penne pasta, but it was still served with spaghetti noodles. I didn't send it back and opted to eat it as is. I took a couple of bites and was done. My husband ordered the tour of Italy. To be honest, other than the lasagna having meat, everything tasted the same. Good flavor though. The bread knots look better than they taste. They can use more garlic than the butter flavor. The side Caesar salad had no flavor either. They also served the wrong entrees to the table beside us and dropped a tray of food near their table. None of the dishes had an amazing/authentic Italian flavor. The food experience was very mediocre. The only thing that saved them was their service. I will return to order two other menu items that caught my attention, and to give them another chance. I'll let you know how that goes. read more

La Contea - Chicken carciofi and tour of Italy. Everything tasted the same on tour of Italy. I would not order the carciofi. - Italian Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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Excellent lunch menu. Eggplant Parmigiana and pasta very fresh and seasoned very well. Pasta combo of lasagna, ziti and manicotti also a great choice. Looking forward to next visit. read more

Meh. Went at 6:45 on a Saturday night. Even though we made a reservation on Open Table, and the restaurant was far from full, we were seated at a table in the font with a view of the parking lot. My husband ordered a sazerac & the waitress came back to tell him the bartender didn't know how to make it. I noticed on the menu that there was a $3.95 charge for extra marinara, garlic knots, etc. This is the first clue that a restaurant is on the mediocre side. I ordered the meat Stromboli with a side of marinara, my husband had the veal parm. I also ordered a Caesar salad. My salad was less than spectacular. A small bowl of romaine (including the core), a couple shavings of slightly dried out parm, and a tasteless dressing. While we were waiting for our entrees, we overheard the conversation at the table next to us. They had finished their complementary garlic knots, and were negotiating with the waitress for more ... for free. She agreed to bring them - probably embarrassed about the extra charge. It's pizza dough or pete's sake - how much can it cost to pony up free bread? But we were not offered more. My Stromboli was ok. Nothing more. My husband's veal parm was tasty. They had a piano player who provided a nice ambience- however, from our table we had a view of the hostess stroking the chest of a waiter as they flirted with each other. Could have done without that. For the price, there are much better Italian restaurants in the area. Will not return. read more

Great service, food and atmosphere! We had the stuffed mushroom appetizer, lobster ravioli and shrimp modo mio. Both pasta dishes were delicious. They also had live music that set a great mood for our date night. read more

My boyfriend and I visited after reading some of the Yelp reviews and we loved it! Both the food and service were great. We had the fried cheese appetizer and each had a salad and entree, and our bill was just under $50. For that price, you can't beat it. We will definitely be back! read more

It was hot in there, the food was sub par, it was a little too quiet, prices not that great. I was underwhelmed.

We had of party of 10 for 11:30 am lunch event. I called several days ahead to advise them that this would be a large group. One waiter was assigned to take drink and meal orders. From there on it was one disaster after another. Guests were given wrong dessert orders an there was some confusion on on salad items. How a restaurant stays in business with this irresponsible client service is beyond me. Other than this, the food was excellent. My advise is if you have large party of guests avoid this restaurant at lunch time. read more

First time dining at La Contea, and I have to say that the food really does live up to all the hype. My favorite food is Italian, so I've tried just about every Italian restaurant in the Baton Rouge area, and Ive found that this places food is right up their with another local favorite, Gino's. We started with the calamari, which is seasoned very well. If you're ordering an appetizer and are a fan of calamari, definitely try theirs out. I got the house side salad with creamy Italian, and was a bit worried after reading some of the salad yelp reviews, but my spring mix looked and tasted great, not wilted at all. Next I got the house spaghetti with meat sauce and it was phenomenal. Some of the best spaghetti I've ever had from a restaurant. The only downfall of the entire experience is that the server rushed the dining experience and courses were not timed appropriately. He was a phenomenal server in the sense that he was constantly checking on us and the kitchen got our food out within minutes of ordering; that being said we got our appetizer and ordered salad and entrees at the same time. We assumed the server would time the courses. However, that didn't happen. My salad hit the table while we were still eating the appetizer, like literally 3 minutes after ordering it. The entrees were out maybe 10 minutes later, thus I didn't get to finish the calamari or salad before I got my entree. If you're looking for a drawn out dining experience with actual courses, I suggest not ordering anything else until you've finished with whatever food is in front of you, because the servers have not gotten this down yet; this is something other reviews have mentioned as well. Overall, I highly recommend this place. Side note: attire says casual on yelp but I suggest a step above casual. It's white linen with servers in button downs and bow ties so jeans and a casual shirt will leave you feeling a bit under dressed. read more

Best shrimp scampi I've ever tasted. The calamari appetizer was so tender and filling on its own. Not to mention the complimentary bread rolls were delish too. Would love to eat here again soon. read more

This place is great. My wife and I had never heard of it, I actually saw it on yelp. the menu looked more interesting than other places we knew about. So we decided to try it. We were very happy. I don't think I have seem my wife smile that much, that consistently, and for that long, in quite a while. The food was extremely good, it was not too expensive, very nice atmosphere, and there was live music. And the singer was very good, and not too loud. It was perfect. Good entertainment, we could still talk, the food was timely, and great tasting. We will definitely be back again, and likely fairly often. It is now one of our new favorites. read more

For the money, this is probably the best place in Baton Rouge right now. The food is excellent and prices are more than reasonable.

Nice relaxed atmosphere. Food was very good quality and brought fresh and hot. Reasonably priced. Service was attentive and non intrusive. Bread comes with the meal (entrees) but you have to wait for your entree or order an appetizer if you are very hungry when you first arrive. Salads come with the meals at a small charge. Some olive oil to go with the bread would be nice as it is slightly dry in my opinion. Starting off with some bread would also be nice as is the custom in some Italian Restaurants. read more

After some online research, my wife and I went to this restaurant looking for traditional italian food. Or at least as close to it as we can get in Baton Rouge. The service was excellent. Our waiter was friendy and professional. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated. There was outdoor seating for those looking for that experience. (Don't let the fact that it is in a strip mall turn you away). First thing to come out was the bread. It was warm, buttery and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Served with seasoned olive oil for dipping. The bruschetta antipasta was as good as any I have had in Italy. Missing only the common arugula garnishment. I had the carbonara which came topped with prosciutto. It was tossed in butter and cheese and was not too creamy. My wife had the fettuccine alfredo with added shrimp and it too was perfect. The lemon mascorpone cake was the perfect ending to the meal. The price of the meal was a very resonable $50 which included a glass of wine. We will definately be back to explore the rest of the menu. read more

I was looking for a place to host a business luncheon on a short notice. The staff worked with me to provide a menu at a reasonable price and were so pleasant to work with me to ready our visit. Our members enjoyed their meals and many told me they want us to come back (which we will). The management was focused on people enjoying a good meal and experience. Loved it. read more

I love this place, mostly for the ambiance, especially the music. Today is Thursday and there was a singer playing classics like we go sailing, color my world, various Sinatra and Michael Bublé style music. And a few couples danced. Even though the pasta Alfredo and tortellini a la roma were bland, the food was hot and good enough to eat with extra salt and Parmesan cheese and the waitress treated us with respect which I appreciated because we didn't order the most pricey meal. Since other reviews noted that the chicken is not so great we avoided the chicken and I had ham which was a little on the hard side. It wasn't that bad though. The house Italian dressing was good on the salad that only costed a dollar extra to add and the bread was hot and fresh; we added parmesan. When I return I will probably try something with beef and a red sauce. Overall beautiful place great service and worth the atmosphere. Though I will mention that not our waitress but another one came in talking about the end of her shift and how she had to wait for the other waitress or something and it made us feel rushed to leave which made me feel bad since it isn't often we go to a place like this and I wanted to savor it. Our waitress was very patient though. read more

Just OK for my first visit. Salad looked like bagged lettuce and house dressing was disgusting. Fish wasn't terrible.

My friend and I met for a leisurely weekday lunch to catch up. The wine list had a nice selection and our server started us off with a basket of warm garlic knots. I had the margarita pizza which was perfect - thick slices of tomato, enough basil, lots of cheese and a generous garlic/ Parmesan sprinkle. The pizza dough was light and crispy. My friend ordered her favorite appetizer, calamari, which were tender, lightly seasoned, and cautiously fried. She remarked that there were "no tentacles". The portion was large, easily enough for a table of four to share. Her entree was Pollo Piccata (her personal specialty). She said the chicken breast was moist and the flavor was delicious. We spoke to the manager, Chance, about the opening of this new restaurant and its initial startup adjustments. We decided that this light, airy, easy daytime atmosphere would be perfect for its happy hour half-price wine and appetizers from 3-6. I'll be back for the house chard and crab cakes soon. read more