Before the pizza ovens, there was a grocery counter. Long before downtown workers lined up for lunch on South Boulevard, the corner where Pastime Restaurant sits was a neighborhood grocery store, opened in the early 1920s.

A corner with a story

According to Pastime's own history, the grocery stood where South Boulevard met a gravel road that would later become Nicholson Drive. The surrounding blocks near Beauregard Town were working territory, home to a rice mill, a brickyard, a lumberyard and a furrier.

In 1945, the grocery became a restaurant and lounge. Timing and geography helped it find a crowd. A law at the time kept alcohol sales at least a mile from LSU, which made the spot a natural gathering place for students, faculty and Tiger fans heading to and from campus.

The building also survived the arrival of the Mississippi River bridge, which took part of the original structure, according to the city-parish landmark report. New owners in the following decades broadened the menu with po'boys, home-cooked plates and pizza, the dishes that would define the place.

Official landmark status

In October 2007, Pastime was declared a historical landmark, putting the restaurant on the city's list of places worth protecting.

What to order now

Today Pastime calls itself A Baton Rouge Tradition, and the menu still leans on the classics: pizza, calzones and po'boys, with plenty more beyond. Generations of families, students, government employees, downtown workers and visitors have all taken a seat at its tables.

Plan your visit

Pastime Restaurant is at 252 South Boulevard, just south of downtown. Check its website for current hours before you go. It makes an easy stop before a downtown event, after a long week at the office, or anytime you want a slice with eighty years of Baton Rouge history baked in.

Some places change with every trend. Pastime has stayed busy by staying itself.