Crawfish boils are one of our favorite ways to celebrate Lent. Stock photo.

No meat, no problem: Places to eat during the Lenten season

With Mardi Gras behind us, the next 40 days offer a time for prayer, reflection and fasting for those who participate in Lent. During Lent, many Christians give up certain luxuries they utilize in their daily lives, while others make a decision to add something new and meaningful to their routine. However you decide to spend your Lenten season, each Friday brings the struggle of where and what to eat in order to avoid meat. Luckily, Baton Rouge has access to plenty of fresh seafood and vegetarian dishes to give us the Lent-friendly options we need. Keep reading to find out which restaurants are Lent-approved this season.


Superior Grill

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Superior Grill is offering a Lent menu that will be available every day throughout Lent during business hours, as well as a special lunch Lent menu available every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The menu incorporates seafood, vegetables, beans and more in Superior’s classic Mexican dishes to make them suitable for the Lenten season. Read the full Lent menu here.


BRQ Seafood & Barbecue

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Focusing the seafood side of the restaurant, BRQ Seafood & Barbecue is offering a special Lent menu with appetizers, salads, entrees and sandwiches. Read the menu here.


St. James Episcopal Church

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Each Friday during Lent, St. James Episcopal Church workers will serve lunches of chicken and sausage or shrimp gumbo, along with salad, bread and dessert at Bishops Hall on the corner of Florida and North 4th streets. Lunch will be served between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and pick-up orders can be placed on Friday mornings between 8 and 10 a.m. Click here to see the menu options and learn more about the church’s mission.


Magpie Café 

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Magpie Café is offering a special Lent menu for you to enjoy during your lunch break. With added seafood options for entrees and small plates, the café also has a long list of vegetarian items and, of course, delicious sweets and lattes.


City Pork Brasserie & Bar

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While City Pork Brasserie & Bar is best known for its delicious pulled pork and brisket, the restaurant will serve a special Lent menu throughout the Lenten season. Along with the limited-time menu, it will also be serving seafood lunch specials on Friday like fried catfish po-boys.


Serop’s Cafe

Tilapia Lafitte. Photo courtesy Serop’s Cafe.

For those who love Greek and Lebanese food, you can satisfy your Friday cravings at Serop’s Cafe on Corporate Boulevard. Added to its daily specials are seafood options for Lent, such as a gumbo for an appetizer and soft-shell crab as an entree. Check out the full menu here.


TJ Ribs

TJ Rib’s Shrimp & Crab Salad. Photo courtesy TJ Ribs.

TJ Ribs is offering a selection of seafood entrees for the remainder of the season. Among these is the shrimp and crab salad with jumbo lump crabmeat and wine-poached prawns tossed with citrus aioli and stacked in a tower with tomatoes, avocado, a boiled egg and scallions. Visit the restaurant’s Facebook page here to stay up to date on the menu.


Zea Rotisserie & Bar

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Zea Rotisserie & Bar will be serving all new seafood dishes during Lent. Its crawfish maque choux is served over a griddled grit cake with a roasted red pepper rouille, and the bronzed catfish pecan is a catfish filet that’s pepper crusted and topped with roasted pecan butter. Check out the full menu here.


The Overpass Merchant

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As part of its ever-changing menu, The Overpass Merchant will be serving unique seafood specials during Lent. Pair one of them with the classic Merchant Mule and an order of cheese curds for an appetizer and you have a delicious Lent-approved lunch or dinner.


Parrain’s Seafood Restaurant

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Parrain’s Seafood Restaurant has a menu filled with over-the-top and unique seafood dishes to keep you satisfied during Lent. Along with its nightly dinner specials, Parrain’s always has crawfish étouffée and catfish perdu, as well as shrimp, catfish and oyster poboys. Click here to read the full menu.


Roux 61

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Roux 61 has dozens of seafood appetizers and entrees to fill your Lenten Fridays. The fried alligator bites taste just like chicken, and the chargrilled oysters are drenched in butter and cooked to perfection. Click here to check out the full menu.


Sammy’s Grill

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If you’re from Louisiana, odds are you love crawfish. But if you’re from Louisiana and participate in Lent, then odds are you also appreciate crawfish on Fridays on a whole different level. Sammy’s Grill on Highland has batches of perfectly sized crawfish with just the right amount of seasoning. If you’re not giving up carbs for Lent, go ahead and order the mozzarella sticks while you’re at it; you won’t regret it!


Where is your favorite place to grab a bite during Lent? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram and Facebook.