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Baton Rouge knows barbeque, and for over a half century it has ranked Jay's Bar-B-Q as one of the very best.

Everybody knows Jay's. And with only a handful of family owned and operated restaurants that have been around as long, Jay's is one of the first places former residents visit when they return to Baton Rouge.

With two locations, one at 4215 Government, the other at 5734 Sherwood Forest Boulevard, Jay's continues its tradition as a family business with consistency, freshness, and friendly service as its hallmarks.

"Taking care of your customers is always the biggest thing, says Connie Newton, who owns, with her husband Rick, the Sherwood Forest location of Jay's. "It's the personal service."

Then there's the sauce, a secret family recipe.

Connie Prothro is the daughter of the man who started it all, Jay Prothro. It was Prothro who remodeled a small hot dog stand on Government Street on April 1, 1954 and opened the doors for the first Jay's Bar-B-Q, offering eat-in dining, take-out service, and curb service with carhops.

"Dad put in the blood, sweat, tears, and time," Connie says. "Mom, too."

The Government Street location is now owned by Milton LeBlanc, son of the late Floyd LeBlanc, a longtime faithful employee who bought it when Jay retired in 1983. "My Dad worked for Jay for 27 years," says Milton, "and I worked for Jay as well as for my father. Altogether I have been here 30 years and have owned it since 1991 with my wife Rose."

The satisfactions are many for Milton LeBlanc at his Government Street location. "You get to meet people, you get to talk to people, you get to hear interesting stories," says Milton, who is also the pastor of a local church. "It's just a joy. The long tradition, the good service, the famous barbeque, all make my job worthwhile."

Over the years there have been other sites for Jay's, including Perkins Road, Staring Lane, Greenwell Springs, and even one in Slidell. In March of 1978, Connie and Rick opened the Sherwood Forest location, which is still carrying on the Jay's tradition. But the menu has expanded. "Eventually we brought in hamburgers and grilled chicken," says Connie, "and became more versatile and accommodating with our po-boys and sandwiches. We also make chicken strips and grilled cheese sandwiches."

Jay retired from the restaurant business in 1983 but remains active. "He loves people," says daughter Connie. "He loves to stay busy. He took a few months off, then got his real estate license and continues today as a commercial realtor."

"I think barbeque is a big part of the South," says Rich Newton, the son of Rick and Connie, who intends to take over the mantle one day at Jay's. "We take care of our customers, and they in turn take care of us. This store opened in March of 1978, a month before I was born. My parents were told the store would never make it, because it seemed too far from Florida Boulevard. But of course over the years everything has shifted South; now it's a great location."

"Our customer base goes back generations," says Connie. "Now we have children and grandchildren, people who have moved away and were introduced to Jay's when they were young, all come to visit when they return to Baton Rouge. Jay's is on their list of places to visit. It's fun to chat with them and share stories. They like to tell us what age they were when they first ate at Jay's."

"We've had people who left Baton Rouge for California and come back for a visit fifteen years later," says Rick. "They said the best thing about Jay's was the fact that it was exactly how they remembered it. The same quality of the food, the same taste."

Contact Us!
Phone: (225) 293-3922
Cell: (225) 892-6528
E-mail: richfeld1@excite.com