Food & Drink· 1954· Mid City

Jay's BBQ

The chopped beef po-boy at Jay's BBQ tastes the same as it did in 1954, which is the point. Same slow smoke at 4215 Government Street. Same sliced brisket. Same tangy vinegar-based sauce. Seven decades of barely changing anything that matters. The LeBlanc family bought the Government Street location from the founder in the 1980s and kept running it exactly as it was. They opened a second location on Sherwood Forest Boulevard. Neither is the real one. Both are. This is how things last in Baton Rouge — families buy in, hold the line, don't mess with what works. Open for lunch. There will be a line at peak hours. Stand in it.

Quick facts

·Running the same slow-smoked operation at 4215 Government Street since 1954.
·The chopped beef po-boy, sliced brisket, and tangy vinegar-based sauce have barely changed in seven decades.
·The Government Street location is owned by the LeBlanc family, who bought it from the founder in the 1980s.
·A second family-run location operates on Sherwood Forest Boulevard. Neither is the 'real' one. Both are.
·Open for lunch. Expect a line at peak hours.