The Tunnel — Restaurant in Baton Rouge

Our visit with The Tunnel was cool. I was very excited and hopeful about something new and fun to do in the BR area. Unfortunately, when I left I thought just that. This was cool, but it did not leave me feeling like I would want to return. A few things I did love was the initial task of finding the lady with the green glass for your next clue. The whole idea of a speak easy was very exciting. Find the bookshelf, get the code to get in, very fun and interactive. Once we got down the staircase, the blonde hostess greeted us with a chip on her shoulder. She informed us there were clues that unlock secret shots at the bar, but did not hesitate to add in there, “if your friends haven’t already told you all of them.” I can understand how you take the time to come up with cute riddles and then people ruin the fun by telling their friends. I would suggest letting guests know, “please keep the clues and drink names a secret so everyone can enjoy the fun.” But assuming people already know and are ruining the fun is a little accusatory. The first ten minutes or so it was just me and my husband and maybe 4 other people. We walked around and looked for clues, found 2 out of 6, but once the room started packing in, it became much more difficult to look around for clues that were not obvious. Maybe if there are easier clues, some hints in that location as to where you could find a harder clue would be helpful when you’re trying to work around so many people. The tunnel portion of the experience gets 4 stars. It was very fun. It would have gotten 5 stars, but it’s so dark in there you may as well walk around blindfolded. The activities in the hall are spoiled by the fact that I need my cell phone flash light to be able to see even the easiest things. Next, I know we went on the Thursday evening during football season, but we know when we scheduled our visit. If we wanted 2023 football, we would have scheduled to visit a different day. Not to mention they couldn’t get the internet to connect. So the large tv in the main room said “unable to connect” on the screen the entire visit. So every single picture we tried to take, we had to adjust ourselves so the tv screen wasn’t in our shots as it would ruin the whole feel. It messed up the immersive vibe we thought we were going into. Next the drinks/bar. The listed cocktails that we tried were amazing. The two secret shots we figured out were also very tasty. However, the history book about Huey mentions and highlights many times that one of Huey’s favorite drinks was a gin fizz. So my second trip to the bar was for a gin fizz. The bartender was visibly annoyed by that request. Kind of a buzz kill. The pick 3 appetizer for $35 seems like a pretty good deal. The mushroom sandwich was excellent. The devils on horseback were cold and hard. Three apps at over $10 a piece for cold devils on horseback and FOUR cocktail shrimp. That’s almost $3 per cold shrimp. The saying goes quality over quantity, but we didn’t get quality or quantity. Such a disappointment. Lastly, it was a bit of a shock when at the end of the night we had gotten a total of 6 cocktails, two $5 shots, and one disappointing appetizer tray. Our bill was over $220. That comes to somewhere around $25 per small cocktail which was not listed on the menu if I’m not mistaken. Overall, I had high hopes and left feeling a little bummed. For the lack of immersion, somewhat rude staff, and below par quality in more places than one, $220 was not worth our experience. Unless there are some changes, I don’t think we will be returning visitors.

Also, I wanted to add that my husband and myself were the only people there dressed up. It made the experience lackluster. Definitely didn’t feel like we went back in time to the 1920’s. More like, we went to a costume party where we were the only ones who got the memo...

TLDR: This place is a total ripoff and scam, and my husband and I were embarrassed that we invited another couple to come here for a double date because it was so unreasonably expensive.

The first and most egregious act of dishonesty is that they don't tell you that 21% gratuity is already charged... that is important to remember when everything here is so unbelievably overpriced!! They mention that gratuity is added on their website, but I don't think it's fair or honest to expect people to both find that information and remember it. It should be noted on the bill. But no, they ask for another tip. The service was ok. It did not warrant an accidental extra tip. Cocktails were $18, which is the most expensive I have yet seen at a bar in Baton Rouge...and the drinks were only ok.

The speakeasy itself is very small and pretty generic and hipster looking. It does not feel historical at all like they advertise. Hayride scandal has a much better atmosphere. The "tunnel" is a 20 foot dead-end hallway where they have some random items hung on one side which they called "clues". If you solve one, you get to pay $5 for a little shot in a plastic cup at the bar. Yippie.

They really hype up this place online with the whole dress code and "secret entrance", but we saw people in the bar dressed informally and the secret door was broken. The hostess gave us these keys to wear around your neck so that they "know you belong here," but obviously nobody cares or pays attention. The whole ordeal is just to wear you out so that by the time you see how overpriced and unspecial the menu is, you are too embarrassed to turn around and...

My partner and I participated in the Harry Potter night at the tunnel, as this was also our first time there and our anniversary weekend. As someone who enjoys speakeasies and is a fellow bartender I was hoping for a way better experience. It was pricey and lack luster. We maybe spent 60$ for a single cocktail and the choose 3 for $35 app that wasn’t even worth it, plus the fee we paid online for our “reservation” where you’re not even guaranteed a place to sit. The drink I had was good but nothing special. I would’ve liked if they had taken time to curate a unique cocktail list instead of pulling from traditional drinks. It would’ve added a bit more individuality to their brand.

For me, I feel like the hidden aspect of the tunnel was also missed. As we got a text with a code and instructions with no actual mystery. You walk down the stairs behind the bookcase and greeted by the host who checks you in, and again, I’m a huge fan of speakeasy’s and the host is normally there to paint an image of what you’re about to step into and that wasn’t the case. The “tunnel” portion of the bar is a huge miss for me and lost opportunity to be a bit more interactive and engaging than what it was, in reality it was just an empty hallway. And yes I know there’s meant to be clues hidden around but I feel like there should be more to it. I definitely could’ve gotten the same experience from any other bar and didn’t bother to stay for the entire hour and a half as there felt no purpose to. On a positive note the lounge area was furnished beautifully and the drink I had was good. I don’t think I’ll be back unless there’s major creative...