Food was pretty bland considering all the hype it gets. I'll never go back. I had Angel Hair Pasta with red sauce.

To be honest I was hesitant in trying this place but it truly exceeded my expectations. I went for a work event with a preset menu so I'm automatically thinking the worse. But the service was great and the staff was attentive. And every dish that was on the events menu was phenomenal. I'd definitely recommend having and event there. read more

Wonderous food, and they give you cotton candy at the end as a nice treat.

I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. From the outside, it doesn't look like a nice place, but inside it's really spacious and beautiful! The food was very good and the service was even better. I would definitely return. read more

We went for dinner on Mother's Day. We first ordered the Crawfish Cakes. Like a Crab cake, but with small crawfish. Excellent. The bread is soft and tender! I ordered the Petite Sensation salad; The right size and the sensation dressing was delicious. My wife ordered the Petite Wedge salad was excellent with plenty of blue cheese. I ordered my entree, the meatballs and spaghetti. The red sauce is very smooth and great tasting with 2 large meatballs(have eaten before and would order again!) My wife's entree was the Surf & Turf. The 16 oz rib-eye was cooked to medium; delicious and tender. The 3 shrimp on top were good size and tender. (She ate the shrimp and half the steak; brought the rest home). We then ordered the Creme Brulee and we split it and the blueberries. Our waiter Peter, our waiter, was excellent and so was the other staff! And the prices are reasonable too. One of my best restaurants in Baton Rouge. read more

Class Act.. nothing but goods things to say about Staff,service , and environment. Will return.

I have been here on a few occasions. I really enjoy the salads here. They are a nice portion size and have great flavor. The food is a little hit or miss, but not too far off. The service is always impeccable because there are about three that rotate to make sure your visit is pleasant. I've tried several dishes, and I'll provide more details on each one below: BBQ shrimp - they are served in a nice sauce that compliments the shrimp very well. You receive a decent number of shrimp. Nice appetizer. Shrimp corn dogs - I definitely did not enjoy these. They were on the greasy side, and there was nothing special about the batter or the idea of making them with shrimp instead of wieners. Maybe if they would have wrapped it in bacon that would have sealed the deal. Bacon makes everything better, unfortunately! Lol Celebration salad - my all time favorite! The flavors of the ingredients go well together and they are always fresh! Shrimp Alfredo - it could have used a little more flavor, but it still had a light cheese sauce. It was served with nice size shrimp and about 6/7 of them. Suprema pizza - the pizza was loaded with toppings! But, it didn't have a strong cheese flavor nor did the crust enhance the flavor of the pizza. Of course I would return to try other menu items and because the service is top end. read more

See all

Not much to say except wow. Started with crabmeat cheesecake and seafood arancini apps. Absolutely Wonderful to say the least. The lunch menu was good, had salmon on creamed spinach with fried oysters, coworker had steak with asparagus, finished with bread pudding. This has always been one of my favorite places, great customer service and food always. The only problem is I wish I could afford daily. Certainly recommend read more

Ruffino's - Salmon on creamed spinach - Italian Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

See all

I wouldn't say this place is fine dine by any means, however, dressy casual attire would be ideal. For whatever reason, when we first walked in, a party of 7.. we were gawked and being judged. Assuming because we are a bigger group than normal? Not too sure, but the staff may want to put on a better poker face or just learn to smile. The restaurant itself seemed outdated. The decor needs to be retouched and changed up a bit. The 4 stars is solely the food, it was delicious. My fiancé is Italian, so finding a place that serves good authentic Italian isn't the easiest. What I liked most was that they also offer kids' dishes (smaller, yet shareable portions) as well. I ordered the lasagna and I must say, it's one of the best I've ever had. The perfect amount of cheese, pasta, meat and sauce ratio. My fiancé had the fish of the day (triple tail) and it was so flavorful. A definite must try. We tried other dishes as well, but those stood out to me the most. The veal was good and so was the pork tchoupitoulas. The drink waiter also asked if we were there for any occasion and then surprised us with a birthday dessert, a very nice sweet personal touch to our experience. They also serve a complimentary cotton candy treat after your meal. My first time and I'd definitely consider returning. read more

See all

Having been to this establishment on a number of occasions, I have no reason to doubt its high quality and commitment to good service. Ruffino's did not disappoint on my most recent visit either. From the amuse bouche to classic salad, arancine, corn and crab bisque, or the blackened prime rib served with traditional au jus and horseradish sauce, the presentation, service, and attention to detail was high-level. We were celebrating our eldest (adult) son's birthday and had a blast. Even the fanciful celebratory cotton candy and birthday dessert was presented with no sacrifice to detail. I've yet to have anything but a premier experience. read more

I love Ruffino's. It's best to make a reservation because they stay pretty busy here. The atmosphere is very romantic and pretty. Each table is assigned three waiters. One for drinks, one for taking things away and one for your food. So we always had someone checking on us. I ordered the chicken Parmesan. I do believe it was the best chicken Parmesan I've ever eaten. The chicken was fried wonderful with a crunchy coating and smothered in cheese. The pasta sauce had a sweet taste to it and the pasta practically melted in my mouth. I enjoyed every bite of that pasta and even though I was full, I continued eating! Then for dessert I had the sinful chocolate cake. This cake was heaven! If you love chocolate, try this cake!! Then at the end, they gave us Cotten candy! I was so full when we left, I could hardly walk out the door. I will definitely be going back here soon! read more

Great find in BTR. Such a vibrant scene at the bar tonight. Delicious looking Food getting passed right n left. Even a bit overwhelming I'd say. Seems like so many repeat locals happen to be there. Lots of groups dining. The staff was pleasant. A bit occupied but still able to fulfill std rounds w friendliness. The wine list looked great! The menu was ample. I had a glass of Toscano; reasonably priced at $10. And ordered the "Veal Michael" for dinner. It was real good in taste, presentation and texture. The veal entree came w a side of capellini in vodka sauce. Vodka sauce was creamy making the whole entree feel like "comfort food". The desserts looked delicious but had to pass up since I was too full. I totally dove into that entree. I really enjoyed my dinner at Ruffino's as an out of towner dining solo and will definitely be back for future biz trips to BTR. read more

See all

We went last night to ruffinos and it was wonderful. Definitely a place to go for celebration or special occasions or just if you are a foodie. -I ordered the wagyu (sp?) beef med rare with cauliflower purée and creamed spinach... out of this world. -My husband ordered the ribeye med rare and it came out med, the Mgr said "I want your experience to be perfect" he had a new one out in under 5 mins (probably 3) and it was PERFECT. -my step daughter had the veal something and both my husband and her loved it - we also ordered the bbq shrimp appetizer which comes in 5, they put 6 so we could divide it easier - brought out cotton candy for bday - then brought out a plate that said happy birthday Rachel with part of a chocolate flourless cake -we had also ordered the lemon box pie Truly the staff and manager went above and beyond to make this a great dinner...don't question going just go, it is yummy read more

Dropping rating to 1 as the attempt to deflect my negative review by indicating someone would reach out to me. I provided the information as you requested, but as I expected the response from you is non-existent. read more

We love this place. The staff are very attentive and helpful and the atmosphere is very good. The food is excellent and we have never had a bad experience. Felix is the best server who is also very creative with our birthday desserts! read more

Ruffino's - Italian Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

See all

Here to review the cooking classes offered. I attended one last night and was underwhelmed, to say the least. My husband and I attended one over ten years ago and loved it so much that we decided to do it again. This time the "chefs" seemed like they didn't want to be there. The "chef de cuisine" seemed genuinely uninterested in anything anyone else had to say--from the guests, to the sommelier, to the assistant chef. He even made faces and rolled his eyes when the sommelier was talking to us. Oddly enough he was the best part of the class--seemed interested in being there and explaining the wines to us. The chefs lacked personality and the ability to interact with the guests. It seemed like such a burden for them to even be there. Very disappointing. read more

We had reservations for Friday Lunch to celebrate my birthday. The service was great and food was fantastic! We ordered the Shrimp Corn Dogs for an appetizer, they were amazing! My husband had the Chicken Parmesan and I ordered Short Ribs Ronnie both were delicious! The atmosphere was very nice. We can't wait to go back. read more

This wasn't my first visit and ONLY because it's so close to the house, and my dad likes it....it probably won't be my last. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. My good friend and her family raves about this place, so I decided to try it again. "Ehhhhhh...." is my response. I ordered the crab and corn bisque. My mom ordered the ribeye and Oscar sauce to top. My dad tried the steakhouse burger. We had 3 servers, 2 were in training. I don't know if it was because we went on a Monday night around 5, 5:30pm but we were the only African-Americans dining. Wait. That's being nice. We were the only ones in the building that I saw, including the wait staff. Is this the norm? Normally this wouldn't bother me, but this day, it did. But, I guess that's not anything the restaurant can control right? My bisque was okay, I wish it were warmer. I tasted my parent's food as well. I will probably try the burger next time. The bread and garlic sauce was really yummy. read more

See all

Great food and atmosphere!! Me and the wife came here to escape the kids. Did not disappoint.

Good food. Slow slow slow on a week night. Not very updated. Decent experience at best.

Based upon the reviews, I was pleasantly surprised by my visit. The crabmeat cheesecake was a great start. I tasted both the ribeye and the dry-aged ribeye (medium-rare plus) and both were super. Not sure if the dry-aged ribeye was worth $12 more, but both were great. Our server, Eric, was very personable and enjoyable. The atmosphere was fun, but I agree with many of other reviews--it's a little below the price tag. But it is what it is, and I look forward to coming back. I can't vouch for the pizza or the veal or whatever, but the steaks were very good. read more

I only update my reviews when I feel the need to share something significant. I came here about two nights ago. It was a Sunday I recall because they were closing at 9 and we walked in around 8:35. Our servers name was Shane. Very nice, cool and polite young man. I was with Jack and our friend Q. Yes, his name is Q. Anyways we ordered appetizers drinks and entrees. Long story short we waited over30 min and our appetizer never came. Our entrees arrived. I asked for my sauce on the side and so did Jack. They got my order right, but they messed up Jacks order. His iced tea never came either. Once our entrees got there and we were almost done I got up to tell a manager that he could cancel our appetizer order because we were almost done with our entrees. He looked at me and looked annoyed. Hey, I didn't do anything. He actually had the appetizer in his hand and was about to bring it over. He said, "I still want you to enjoy it. I'll take it off your tab." Well, that was kind. But it felt very forced. I'm good at reading people. We assumed our server forgot to put in the appetizer order, just how he forgot Jacks iced tea and didn't put his sauce on the side. It just wasn't as nice of an experience as it usually is. And we're regulars. As a matter of fact, according to my Yelp check-ins I am the duchess of Ruffinos which means I have the most check ins comped to any other Yelper. Anyways this was one bad experience out of 5 or 6. The odds of having a bad experience here is probably slim. However if Shane is your server either as for another one or just be prepared. Because I've warned you. Im not sure who's fault this was but I'm mor likely to blame it on the server than the chef. The food is always spectacular. I'll just keep in the back of my mind that there's going to be a slim chance of a mess up. read more

Ruffino's thinks it's an upscale restaurant with fancy flairs. Really, it's loud, overpriced, and tacky with lots of cream, sugar, and butter in everything. If it cost half as much as it does, I might still eat there. To be sure, the crab cheesecake appetizer is massively delicious. Everything else was substandard but priced like you're eating high-end in a big city. When the waiter was setting tables near us with his fingers stuck inside the wine glasses, my wife swore never to return. read more

BEST STEAK!!! The atmosphere is romantic...great place to go on a date or celebrate a special occasion....or if you're just craving a great steak! The service is on point! The Veal Michael is scrumptious too! read more

We are always happy when leaving this place. Food is GREAT! People are GREAT! Excellent wine list. I really like to sit in the bar area even to eat. It has a good atmosphere with a large selection of drinks. Staff always ask if you need anything. I love it. read more

Before I get to the critical part, I will say that every time we have dined here, the food has been excellent. My negativity stems from the service. I'm not sure if it's because my husband and I look young, or if it's because we're not part of the "Good ol' Boys" club, but every time we've dined here, we are treated rudely by the front of house. Now, I'm sorry I don't feel the need to slip the host a twenty so I'm not treated like garbage, but last time I checked, it is his/her job to greet customers warmly and welcome them to a dining experience, regardless of how he/she perceives the customers. What I don't expect is to be blatantly ignored when I step up to the host stand (in favor of a conversation with a coworker), or to be told (verbatim), "Just come back when they get here." (in response to my husband letting the host know that the rest of his party is parking the car). We make a reservation every time, are polite, on time, and have no special requests. We don't just dine out for special occasions, so this is not a case of "country bumpkin comes to the big city", and I do not appreciate being treated as such. We've not had any problems with any other higher end restaurants (Juban's, Ruth's Chris, August, etc.), so I have to assume this is an issue solely with Ruffino's. The wait staff is better than the front, but in general, I still find them to be a bit inattentive and mildly unprofessional (sitting down at tables to chat and complain about other customers, scraping crumbs straight onto the floor near our feet). We've given this restaurant more than enough chances, and even used to recommend it to others, but no longer. The food is good, but the service and attitude is just too haughty, and unecessarily so. My money is just as green as Old Mr. So and So, and it's a shame that Ruffino's won't be getting any more of it. read more

The steak is the best in town. The service is to die for. My server Mason was a delight. Couldn't ask for a better anniversary dinner. I had the 8oz filet with imperial crab and roasted potatoes. Hubby had dry aged ribeye and it was the best steak we had ever tasted read more

See all

This is my favorite steak house in town. My ribeye was cook just right and came out piping hot! Excellent job Ruffino's!

So this has been our favorite restaurant for years!! It's still great but the service has been lacking the last few times we've been. The steaks, especially the filet are always the besst!! That being said, the cedar plank fish, the veal parmesean, and the other cuts of meat have been "okay" at best and we feel the overall experience is less than it once was. I pray the family and staff are able to get it back to what is was, because it is still our favorite. read more

This place is AWESOME! It's a must stop every time I'm in Baton Rouge. Forget all the chain and greasy Italian restaurants. This is the place to go for well made Italian food. Ruffino's has an excellent selection of all the Italian classics and great specials with a hint of Cajun influence. I've had prime rib, fish on a cedar plank, fish with lumped crab meat, and a couple others. Everything has always been delicious. I'd recommend the Tomato Vodka sauce on a side portion of pasta if it comes with your meal. The Mozzarella alla Caprese appetizer is excellent and the portion is enough for 3-4. The Berry Tiramisu (seasonal) is one of the best deserts I've ever had. I highly recommend Ruffino's for a nice dinner out or a special occasion. If going you can always grab a table with a reasonable wait, but I'd make reservations. read more

I've been to this place twice and I absolutely love it. My favorite place of all time and the food and drinks are to DIE for!!!

We had the Sunday Brunch at Ruffino's with family to celebrate our granddaughter's birthday. They had made the reservations and the table was ready when we arrived. I started off with a Bloody Mary while I looked over the lunch options. Several at the table had the bottomless Mimosas. We opted for the Lobster Mac and cheese as an appetizer. I ordered the crabmeat omelet while my wife ordered the grillades and grits. Fresh bread came out while we were waiting. The Sensation salad (a very different Caesar salad) apparently came with each order. Lite and tasty. Finally the main courses came out. The portions were generous. And the food was great. Since the waiter knew it was a birthday celebration, he brought her a complementary birthday tiramisu dessert. The final touch was when both children received cotton candy to eat on the way home. The wait staff is very attentive and service was great. read more

Ruffino's - Crabmeat omelet - Italian Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

One of the best places I've ever been and trust me I'm picky and I eat all over! We live to eat and travel and travel to eat. This place is all around top notch and the place to be! Anything and everything that's going on is there! What high end 5 star Resturant have u heard of with top notch service but without stuffy atmosphere and tv's everywhere! Great to go as a couple, take family, go with friends and celebrate something! Ok the sensation salad is a Louisiana classic native to the area and a must try. It's a lite version kinda tangy version of a Ceasar. Addicting! Then the arincini ( think I butchered that) it's a fried rice ball with cheese and crab and craw fish with herbs all in this ball of goodness placed on a place of half creamy fettecine sauce and half this creamy vodka sauce. The filet with lump crab on top and herb and butter sautéed potato with hollandaise sauce dripping over everything is the way toooo go! Omg I'm making myself hungry, god bless the south! read more

Ruffino's - That's all I have to say about that.... - Italian Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

See all

If you can embrace the LSU memorabilia on the wall while in a dimly lit, traditional dining room you can easily get on board with the charm of Ruffino's. The service is solid, even thought it's a bit confusing; 4 people visited our table before I got a sense of who the sever was. There is a server for food, beverage, bread, and someone else who's purpose was unclear. I started seeing the same friendly face, Felix, and it was revealed that he was our main guy. The food is certainly good, but not great. Calamari was a featured appetizer so we ordered without hesitation; perhaps we should've hesitated. It was heavily breaded, really salty and served with a watery sweet chili sauce you'd get at a cheap Thai joint. A let down after the super fluffy loaf of bread with a really tasty olive oil dip. A ribeye and redfish were up next; both proteins were home runs (or touchdowns at Ruffino's) we ate them all in their entirety. Spectacular. They were both served with roasted potatoes which were nothing special. We both left most of them on the plate. Our server asked if we were celebrating anything, and when we said my birthday, after the meal a slice of really rich, flourless chocolate cake drizzled with raspberry sauce with a nicely decorated plate saying "Happy Birthday" in addition to the complementary cotton candy served to every table. For two people who aren't big dessert eaters, we received a lot of sweets. It seemed that most people were celebrating some sort of occasion around us so while Felix was running free pieces of cake and schmoozing each guest, we waited a long time for the check; and we weren't the only ones. It was a slight inconvenience, but something I can overlook. Overall, it's a wonderful BR institution that I would be glad to return with a few changes to my order. read more

I used to not really enjoy going to Ruffinos. It was a long drive got an okay meal. My thoughts changed last night. I ordered off the nightly special and was thoroughly impressed. I'm wishing I would've got thee appetizer special. We got the seafood cocktail and it was okay. The shrimp were overlooked. I love the bread and dipping sauce they bring out. I ate waaayyyy too much of it. My mangrove snapper was topped with lobster and mango with some sort of buerre blancc sauce. It was perfectly cooked and was awesome. My sorbet special was good as well. It was a little tart tasting but still good. The service was on point! read more

See all

My husband took me to Ruffino's for Valentines. The fixed menu was a wide variety of their best selections. While their food is great, their service what makes the experience outstanding! Our sommelier was wonderful. His direction to the perfect wine made our night and perfectly complimented our meal. His restaurant will remain one of our go to place and definitely our most recommend. read more

Exceptional service. We had three wait staff to assist our table, each of whom were very attentive. The bartenders make a fabulous French martini. You must try the Taste of Ruffinos! Amazing!! Braised pork cheeks were stunning. It was my first time eating this cut of meat and I was impressed. The entire meal was splendid. We will be returning!! read more

I went here for an event recently and the service was okay considering it was a large group. I had the chicken Parmesan with spaghetti because many of my friends told me how great it was. I was sadly disappointed. The chicken was not crispy at all and there was a lot of fat surrounding the chicken. Additionally, I thought the sauce was watery and presentation was bad as you can see in my picture. I definitely did not think the food was worth the amount of money I was spending. Overall, would probably not be back unless with a group of friends who wanted to go here. read more

Ruffino's - chicken parmesan - Italian Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

It's a little difficult to decide where to start. Why they get two stars and not one: The waitress was very sincere in her manner and cheerfulness. It was clean. The food was edible. Why they ONLY get two stars: Out front it is advertised an Itailan restaurant and has an electric scrolling marquee to go with their traditional sign. There is absolutely nothing about the front that says, "This is fine dining". That being said, we went in wearing jeans and t-shirts with windbreakers (which ended up being necessary because it was fairly chilly). The menu is ridiculously small. Four entrees does not make you an Italian restaurant, especially when two of them are spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna and the other two are ______________ Parmesan. Granted, the MENU describes Ruffino's as Italian, steak, and seafood, but you don't know that going in. Again, NOTHING about the outside suggests what to expect on the inside. The prices are STEEP, but I've had a better filet at other restaurants in Baton Rouge for a third of the price. Yes, a third. Salads are a la carte and also not worth what they cost, though the dressings were interesting and different. That doesn't mean you get to charge that much. The desserts were average in size and quality with above average pricing. The initial atmosphere is really nice, BUT about halfway through our meal, the easy listening was replaced with loud music from the bar area (on the opposite side of the restaurant) that was completely different in genre. It went from a quiet dinner to just shy of Applebees. There was also a big screen TV in the dinning room with a football game on. As soon as you add that to your dining room, you can no longer claim fine dining status and you certainly can't price as one. Seriously. Overall, as well traveled individuals who have lived in a variety of places, we know excellent food and what it should cost. What we experienced was decent food at "excellent" prices. If I am going to pay that much, which I am happy to do for a quality dining experience, my dinner had better be amazing. It should make me want to run home and write a great Yelp review, not spend 5 days trying to talk myself out of writing a negative one (note I lost that argument). In the way of constructive criticism, if the management/ownership does nothing else, change the outward appearance so that people driving by (tourists or new to town) know what to expect when visiting your restaurant. And if you want to pass yourself off as fine dining, lose the TV and the scrolling marquee. read more

Sweet staff but I feel as if they can condense the role of the server to one person instead of 3! The food has also gone downhill for the price. read more