By Daniel Hembree
Long have I been a fan of food, but only recently was that love reignited with a fresh take on it. Newly opened in July of 2010 Niche Restaurant has found a place in my heart and stomach.

I decided to order their special for our appetizer, homemade pepper jack cheese sticks. For our entrees, my wife ordered a bowl of Crab and Corn Bisque and for myself the grilled mahi - mahi with mango salsa and garlic mashed redskin potatoes.

When our appetizers first arrived we could not believe the size of the sticks! 5 overgrown fried cheese logs sat in front of us extremely hot from only moments before being lifted from the fryer. While we started to enjoy them we did notice 1 was missing the best part, THE CHEESE! However, after making our server aware, a manager came out and replaced the entire appetizer without the slightest hesitation. Shortly before the second appetizer order of cheese sticks arrived our entrees were brought out. I was not thrilled. If this was to be my only complaint, I am sure our readers would have some witty comments on my maturity and the size of utensil protruding from my mouth.

If it had not been for the remake of the appetizer, entrees would have been timed perfectly. My wife’s bisque was truly amazing. Creamy, chunky, and the best part of all is that it did not feel as though it had been sitting in a steamer all day waiting on some poor sap to order it. The Fish was fantastic and light; fell right apart in a flaky efficient fashion. Topped with an amazing mango based salsa that screamed go ahead you know I am just too pretty to not eat.  

Bring on the desert. A trio of red velvet, peanut butter chocolate, and key lime ice cream based cakes. The red velvet was light and creamy, while the peanut butter chocolate was thick and rich. In the end the key lime pie was the perfect follow up to the transition on desert leaving a very pleasant feeling in your mouth and stomach.
 
Food Rating:

Service
The staff is very knowledgeable of the food since they make sure to have all staff sample the food which is always an A+ in my book. Regularly prompt on refilling of drinks, checking on us after service of food, and outlining of specials and events for the restaurant mixed with a collage of information and personal thoughts made a very warm experience. Minus the overall mishap of our appetizer, the service was friendly, generally attentive, and experienced.

Service Rating:

Atmosphere
With a light hearted environment, lively music (without drowning out idle conversation), a patio out front for the cool breezy days, wide beer selection, and over all ambience; there is much to be desired with this truly Cajun Experience. Bring your family and friends, for, in this humble critic’s eyes, I have finally found my Niche and you can too.

Atmosphere Rating:

Niche Bar & Grill
6606 Siegen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
(225) 300-4916
www.nichebarandgrill.com