While there are lots of unique truck stops in Louisiana, the Tiger Mart in Grosse Tete might just take the cake. Of course, there are lots of places that proclaim the tiger as their mascot in this area in honor of the great LSU Tigers, but Tiger Mart took it to a whole other level – by keeping their own tigers on the property!

2018 editor’s note: it’s come to our attention that the resident tiger has passed away and the owner will not be getting a new feline friend to take its place.

Driving up to the Tiger Mart, you wouldn't necessarily guess there's a major cat living there.
Kezia Kamenetz
There's plenty of parking, a full restaurant and lots of amenities.
I pulled up on a typical Louisiana afternoon---storm clouds gathering.
Kezia Kamenetz
The humidity was really high!
Inside the mart, you could tell the restaurant serves up Louisiana favorites and is a community hang out.
facebook.com/TIGERTRUCKSTOPCAFE
It seemed like everyone knew each other's name and it was a friendly atmosphere!
But this place has not been without controversy...
There have been numerous fights over the big attraction here at the mart: the tigers!

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That's right---there is a live tiger here at the truck stop!
facebook.com/TIGERTRUCKSTOPCAFE
His cage is at least 70-80 feet wide and has couple different areas for him to hang out.
On the day I visited, the tiger was pretty tired since it was a hot day.
There were lots of adults and children gathered around checking him out.
There's also a little cajun display around the tiger, and a small museum to check out.
Kezia Kamenetz
The sign says "Your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers, or you can grow weeds." Some nice cajun wisdom!
So that's what I saw when I visited the infamous Tiger Mart that's been so controversial.
Kezia Kamenetz

What do you think of this truck stop that keeps a live tiger? Do you think it’s wrong to keep a tiger near the highway like this? Or do you think the owner does a good job of taking care of him? Have you ever visited before? Let us know what you think in the comments below! We love to hear your feedback!

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