Looking for recommendations in Lafayette, LA

[Squint]

Hi all. I posted this on the South board and it was suggested that I post here as well.

I will be in Lafayette next week on business. Actually I will be working in Crowley but I am flying into and staying in Lafayette. I am looking for recommendations for dinners on Wednesday and Thursday nights and may have the opportunity to have lunch on Friday before flying out. I will most likely eating breakfast at the hotel unless there is a breakfast place that shouldn't be missed.

I have read that this is prime Cajun country and I would love to dine at an authentic Cajun restaurant. I also read on Yelp that the Olde Tyme Grocery's shrimp po boys are the best in town. Yay or nay?

Thanks for your help!

[speyerer]

A good place for boudin is Janise's Supermarket in Sunset, LA..

http://boudinlink.com/Janises_Superma...

[Squint]

Hi all, the original poster here. I had every intention of posting after my trip but constant work and life in general got in the way. Thanks to you, I had wonderful food in Lafayette and in a stoke of good luck, I am returning to Lafayette tomorrow for work. My last trip I had an outstanding meal at The Blue Dog Cafe (I believe it was mentioned on another thread about Lafayette), excellent breakfast at Prejeans and another great dinner at The Riverside Inn. Also had lunch from Feezo's brought in by the plant. I do have to say though the one thing I can't forget the taste of is the shrimp po boy at Olde Tyme Grocery. The best po boy I have ever had! And reading some of the later suggestions I know now to get Abita rootbeer and a sno-ball! On the last day I was at the plant, the manager had stopped at his favorite gas station and brought in boudin, boudin balls and cracklins. All were very good but I really liked the boudin balls.

Thanks again to everyone's suggestions. I promise I will be prompter on reporting back on this trip. I am just so excited to have another chance to try some other restaurants!

[Hungry Celeste]

I tried Janise's boudin for the first time this weekend at the Boudin Cookoff in Lafayette...it was excellent, with just enough liver & loaded with fresh green onions. Here's an oral history with the Janise's folks from the Southern Foodways Alliance "Boudin Trail": http://www.southernboudintrail.com/ja...

[jolieblonde]

Next time you're in Lafayette try Fezzo's for real local food and Pizza Village (this is the best thin crust pizza you will ever taste...Lafayette's well-kept secret...they even bring out new frozen mugs as you drink down your pitcher of beer!). Skip Prejean's...I grew up a couple miles down the road and can tell you that you aren't missing anything there. I hope you were able to make it to Olde Tyme Grocery for a real poboy and a sno-ball. Def. try the burgers at either Southside Bakery or Judice Inn. Also, the brunch at Cafe des Amis is really special and Catahoula's is usually pretty good.

[mrsfury]

I'll second Cafe Des Amis.

[onrushpam]

We just spent two nights in Lafayette... on the way to and from TX.
Prejean's was fun and food was okay. Service great.

On the way back, we drove down to New Iberia and wound up at the original Landry's. Food and service were so-so, but the band was great and we had fun visiting with some local folks. We had planned to go to Catahoula and discovered it has closed.

Zydeco breakfast at Cafe des Amis in Breaux Bridge was the highlight of our trip! We had SO much fun and the food was great.

[J.R.]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the suggestions I pirated . Just" returned from driving to the Florida beaches from Dallas. Stopped at the Old Tyme Grocery for PO Boys. We had the half and half and I'd give the nod to the shrimp as it was the best I've had. I'm usually an oyster guy. Chased it with an Abita Rootbeer. Yum. I found a website that two college kids from Boulder produced call "BoudinLink" (We love boudin and these boys have done and exaustive search and graded the places.

We stopped at Don's specialty meats in Carancro on the way to pick up 5lls of Boudin for the trip and it was indeed tremendous. We also picked up boned chickens stuffed with differnt things such as shrimp Jambalya, Pork and Rice, Crawfish Etoufee. These thing were a huge suprise. We cooked them up at the beach and they were a hit. Lightly spicy with great flavor. The were so good we picked up 5 more to share on the way back plus another 5lbs of boudin.

We ate a Prejeans for Dinner due to time constraints and it was pretty good, not great. We had kids in tow, and it was a good place for them. The seafood gumbo was great. Etoufee was a little cold, but was better heated up the next day. Thanks again for all the suggestions!

[ScarlettNola]

Try Pamplona Tapas or Prejeans. I also like Southside Bakery for burgers.

[imacajunba]

Catahoulas....the best food around, though not for "cajun"
www.catahoulasrest.com
overlooks oak trees at jesuit college, grand coteau is a cool town

Dont know why anyone would recommend Dwyers (its a plain ol dinner) and if you want to feel like a sheep, go to prejeans

charley g's is on point these days btw

[BayouTeche]

I guess someone would suggest Dwyer's if the OP wrote:

"may have the opportunity to have lunch on Friday before flying out. I will most likely eating breakfast at the hotel unless there is a breakfast place that shouldn't be missed".

Dwyer's is not fine dining, but they have great plate lunches and breakfast, generous portions and pretty cheap to boot. Friday is also "seafood" day. Get a plate of crawfish etoufee, shrimp stew or fried fish with "two more choices" and a drink for under $10.

[mimadeli]

I agree with you imacajun on Prejean's but only in regards to lunch and dinner - breakfast at Prejean's is not crowded at all, and very reasonable - they do various seafood omlettes and cajun style benedicts that one would pay $40 for in New Orleans

[Squint]

Thank you all for the great suggestions! I love Chowhounders! And, as usual, I have so many recommendations and so little time.

I will have a car so I will have the opportunity to check out some of the suggestions not in Lafayette. Mimadeli, thank you for the suggestion for breakfast at Prejeans! That will add 2 more meals I can try...sure will beat the Hampton breakfast!

And rockbound, thanks for the tip about the boudin. I will be on the lookout for it. I have not had it before and am looking forward to trying it.

Thanks again to all of you. I will report back on where I ate. And if any of you are ever in the Denver area, please don't hesitate to ask for recs on the Southwest board!

[BayouTeche]

I'd suggest trying Dwyer's for breakfast or lunch.

[rockbound]

Lafayette?With a car?I'd recommend these:D.I.s Restaurant 6561 Evangeline Hwy.W Basile,LA [phone].Good Cajun.Music too.Crawfish may be out of season.If not-Hawk's Restaurant Rte.1110 (about 5 mi.off I-10 Exit 83) Rayne,LA [phone] W-Sun 5-10.IMHO the best boiled crawfish in LA (again-season may be over). Soop's Restaurant Rte.167 (stay on Johnston St. going W out of Lafayette about 1/2 hour) Maurice,LA [phone] .Real solid Cajun food.Others:Cafe des Amis in Breaux Bridge.Prejean's in Carencro.Poche's in Breaux Bridge.R&M Boiling Point in New Iberia.Brenda's Diner in downtown New Iberia.Many,many more.Don't forget to sample boudin at any of dozens of gas stations,markets or meat specialty stores in Acadiana.Enjoy.

[edible complex]

so true about the boudin. I did not miss any opportunity on my driving tour of SW LA to eat boudin, a perfect car food!

[mimadeli]

Prejean's serves a wonderful breakfast that is inexpensive

Crawfishtown USA in Breaux Bridge is pretty good and you still might be able to get crawfish this late in the season

http://www.crawfishtown.com/

Pat's Fisherman's Wharf in Henderson is pretty good, it has a great view of the Atchafalaya basin, and they serve alligator shaped french fries hehehe!

http://patsfishermanswharf.com/

[kukubura]

My only experience in the area is at Chez Jaqueline in Breaux Bridge. They have a pretty interesting menu that mixes French dishes with Cajun dishes. Might be worth a look. A nice down-home restaurant on a very cute little small-town main street.

[Rich on Bourbon]

Charley G's is still a favorite

[ddavis]

I got some good suggestions here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/613331

We had lunch at Riverside Inn a couple of months ago. It was outstanding. Service, food, ambience -- all great. It's actually a few miles south of Lafayette in Broussard but well worth the trip.

[jamy]

Consider Catahoula's in Grand Coteau, 15 minutes north of Lafayette.

And yes, Olde Tyme is the king of po boys in Lafayette.