‘Good food, good music, good vibes’: The R&B Cocktail Lounge sets mood for city’s mature crowd

“It’s also nice to just go to a place where you can tell people care about their customers,” the 53-year-old added.

The smoke-free lounge is where guests can expect weekly food specials like chicken and sausage gumbo for $10 on Wednesdays and taco plates for $6.75 on Tuesdays, Perkins said. Its daily menu contains boudin egg rolls for $9, shrimp and corn soup with breadsticks for $13.75 and classic bar food staples like wings and cheeseburgers with fries.

The lounge does not exclude brunch lovers, as mimosas, chicken and waffles and more are available on weekends. In addition, guests can choose from a variety of affordable cocktails, shooters and signature drinks.

However, good food and drinks can’t steal the spotlight from the lounge’s main attraction and social influencer: old-school music. The songs encourage R&B lovers to connect and socialize. Visitors can enjoy local live bands like Essential Groove playing R&B instrumentals or own the mic at karaoke nights on Wednesdays.

The lounge’s playlist ranges from gentle crooners to powerhouse vocalists. It only plays older R&B songs, specifically from the late ’80s to the early 2000s, Perkins said. If you want to add your take to the lounge’s heart-wrenching and body-shaking playlist, then you can request a song. It’s likely that your tune will already be on the list, but it has to be approved first to ensure it fits the lounge’s music theme, she added.

“People have been telling me, ‘This is exactly what we needed,’” Perkins said.

Perkins thoughtfully described her first business as “good food, good music and good vibes.” 

Most lounges only have one or two of the three, according to Perkins. She wants something where everything falls under one roof.

“It’s something that’s worth a try,” Perkins added. “Some people like to stick to one thing and what they’re used to, but this is something where they can come in just to relax and rejuvenate.”