Photo by Colin Richie, courtesy of Bally's Corporation.
The Baton Rouge riverfront has been busy these past few years. Since the early 1990s, the Belle and the Casino Rouge have floated proudly on the Mississippi—two of the state’s fifteen riverboat casinos authorized to operate in 1991. These floating casinos were required to always have a maritime crew on board, to feature a paddlewheel for aesthetic reasons, and to periodically leave the dock a few times a day for a quick float up and back down the river.
Photo by Colin Richie, courtesy of Bally's Corporation.
Now, things are going landside. In 2018, as other states started legalizing gambling and posing competition, Louisiana legislators passed a law that allows waterbound casinos to build on land. Just three years later, The Queen Casino & Entertainment acquired both of the Baton Rouge riverboats and their adjacent properties and began the massive undertaking of moving them to shore. The former Hollywood Casino (formerly Casino Rouge) reopened in August of 2023 as The Queen Baton Rouge—a 30,000 square foot state of the art facility on land, featuring over 700 Vegas-style games, plus eighteen table games, sports betting, and more. Then, in February 2025, The Queen Casino & Entertainment merged with Bally's Corporation—which owns nineteen casinos across the United States. Though The Queen will retain its name, The Belle, which is set to re-open its fully remodeled hotel in April, will be rebranded as Bally's Baton Rouge. Later this fall, the new on-land Bally's casino will open with over 25,000 square feet of gaming, a sports lounge, and its own collection of restaurants.
[Read this: Did Bernard de Marigny Really Bring the game of Craps to the New World?]
Inside The Queen
If gambling’s your thing, you’ll appreciate the flashy, sleek (and clean) gaming spaces—which, while expansive in offerings, retain an intimacy and manageability that sets them apart from larger operations like Harrah’s or those in Vegas. Smokers, while kept off the main floor, are not booted outside, but designated to a special, highly appointed room with table games just off to the side. And according to The Queen’s team, in 2024 the casino distributed fifty-two jackpots over $20,000.
Jordan LaHaye Fontenot
The Queen's onsite Dealer School, where aspiring dealers without any experience can learn (while getting paid) the intricate and particular art of dealing games like Blackjack, Cajun Stud, Texas Hold ‘Em, and more.
Not open to the public, but worth knowing about, is the onsite Dealer School, where aspiring dealers without any experience can learn (while getting paid) the intricate and particular art of dealing games like Blackjack, Cajun Stud, Texas Hold ‘Em, and more—offering valuable skills training and employment opportunities to members of the Baton Rouge community.
Casino Eats
But even if you’re not into gambling, the best kept secret of downtown Baton Rouge is that some of the neighborhood’s most interesting food is found at The Queen. The casino’s four restaurants, as well as those at Bally's, are overseen by Executive Chef Kevin Foil, a Louisiana native who learned his best kitchen tricks from his grandmother and was named one of Louisiana’s Best Chefs last year by the American Culinary Federation New Orleans Chapter. In addition to quick, pick-me-up comfort food at Capitol Coffee and the pan-Asian delights of the 3 Wok Noodle Bar, there is Louisiana’s only location of Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken restaurant—which served one of the best Nashville Hot chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had, as well as a tempting selection of shakes (and an option to make them spirited!).
Jordan LaHaye Fontenot
Executive Chef Kevin Foil's pork belly, with a side of garlic parmesan gnocchi and green beans, at 1717 Kitchen + Cocktails
Jordan LaHaye Fontenot
“Purple Reign” with gin, lavender, and lemonade, served at 1717 Kitchen + Cocktails
But the real star of the show is Foil’s 1717 Kitchen + Cocktails, where the chef gets to flex his menu development talents and experiment with Louisiana twists on classic dishes. The spacious dining area is casino-chic, accented in brick and stone with dozens of high-definition televisions, high ceilings, a bar at the center of everything, and a stage for live entertainment. Great for a casual date or a gathering with friends—the cocktails are fun and creative: think smoked Old Fashioneds, martini specials, and concoctions like the “Purple Reign” with gin, lavender, and lemonade. Shareables are hearty plates of Cajun Swamp Wings (fried frog legs), alligator fritters, and sliders with bacon jam on a pretzel bun. But the star of the plating and flavor experience are the entrées—I enjoyed the melt-in-your-mouth roasted pork belly, with a side of garlic parmesan gnocchi whose texture I can only describe as a crispy pillow. The barbecue shrimp and grits were buttery and decadent, with a hint of gouda and a sauce made with beer. Though the menu doesn’t flaunt it like many other restaurants, Foil shared that he makes it a priority to source as many of his ingredients locally as he can—especially delicacies like Gulf shrimp, gator, and frog legs.
Learn more at thequeengaming.com.
