Top 5 Places To Get Cocktails In Ruston Louisiana
Ruston Louisiana may be a college town, but when it comes to adult beverages, it's much more than cheap beer specials. Many of the great restaurants in town are home to some seriously upscale cocktails. We recently visited and did a tour around the city to find the best places to stop in for a drink. Here's what we found.
1. Marriott Bistro Bar
You might not expect the best place to drink in Ruston to be in the lobby of a Marriott, but it is. The Marriott Bistro Bar is serving some incredibly inventive cocktails. Pop in, and you'll find mostly locals who have started to call this place home. The drinks are unique, and the staff also shows real attention to detail. Our favorites were the Coconut Collins and their take on a whiskey sour called the Whiskey Smash. You can't go wrong with any of the drinks though, and the bartenders make them all with fresh fruits and herbs. If you can only get one drink in town, go to the Bistro Bar.
The Whiskey Buck
Peach Martini with local Ruston peaches
Coconut Collins
Black Cherry Old Fashioned
2. Utility Brewery
Utility Brewing is known for their craft beer and pizzas, both of which we love. But they also do a great job of mixing drinks. The Blackberry Basil Twist was refreshing and perfect for summer. Their Old Fashioned, which is my favorite drink, was classic. Whether you order beer or cocktails, Utility is an excellent place to spend some time.
Utility is known for their beer and pizza.
But they make delicious cocktails like the Blackberry Basil Twist…
and the Old Fashioned.
3. Raw
Our favorite restaurant in Ruston also makes some of the best martinis in town. Usually, we order Dirty Martinis with our sushi at Raw. But we decided to mix it up and order a couple of their sweeter martinis. The Lemon Drop and Mango Martinis were light and crisp. Just what we needed considering we had been walking around downtown in the summer heat. The bar downstairs gets crowded fast, so order your drinks and then head upstairs to overlook the entire restaurant.
Lemon Drop Martini
Mango Martini
If it gets too crowded take your dink upstairs.
4. Beau Vines
Nestled inside Beau Vines Steakhouse is a cozy bar with great drinks. We sampled several of their creations and liked the Railroad Rita, and the Blueberry Gin Smash the best. The Bananas Foster Martini was also good and not something we had tried before. Beau Vines is a relaxing and friendly place to have a drink.
Bananas Foster Martini
Railroad Rita
Blueberry Gin Smash
5. Roma
An Italian place that specializes in margaritas? It's weird, but it works. Cozy up to the vintage wooden bar inside Roma for a huge margarita that could easily be shared. The menu also has several other drink creations you'll want to sample. But be warned, if you spend too much time there, you'll end up ordering bread and a massive plate of pasta. The food is just as good as the cocktails.
Bonus - Sundown Tavern
As a bonus, we wanted to add Sundown Tavern to the list. It's more burgers and beers than high-end cocktails, but we had fun there. They have a cool outdoor courtyard where you can enjoy your drinks. Or you can step up to a bar that looks like it's straight out of a Stranger Things episode. Plus Sundown was right by our Airbnb. Check it out!
Conclusion
Ruston does a fantastic job of crafting unique cocktails. We enjoyed touring the town and trying them all. Surely we missed something, though. Where is your favorite place in Ruston to get a drink? What spot did we leave off our list? Let us know below in the comments.