The state of Louisiana has become a symbol for serving great food. Millions of tourists come to the state every year to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Louisiana consistently offers great Cajun food all over the state. One of the top attractions in Louisiana is Lafayette.
Lafayette is known for serving spiced pork, rice, gumbo, Jambalaya and other exciting, delicious meals. Good food is always around the corner.
If you are planning to visit Lafayette in the near future, and you would like some advice on where to eat, here’s an in depth look at the best restaurants in Lafayette. The list was compiled using thorough research of customer reviews and other data.
1. Olde Tyme Grocery
$ | 337-235-8165 | WEBSITE
Olde Tyme Grocery specializes in introducing tourists to Cajun and Creole. For over 40 years, Olde Tyme Grocery has offered the best poor boys in Lafayette. Poor boys are classic Louisiana sandwiches that include po’boy bread, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise, hot sauce, or Creole mustard.
Customers have the option to round out their sandwich with ham, roast beef, corn beef, turkey, sausage, shrimp, or meatballs.
Olde Tyme Grocery is considered a classic old-fashioned restaurant that brings everyone together to have a good time while enjoying good food. Olde Tyme Grocery also partners with other small businesses in the community.
2. Zea Rotisserie & Bar
$$ | 337-406-0013 | WEBSITE
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Zea Rotisserie & Bar strives to put a unique spin on classic comfort foods. The restaurant is known for adding bold flavors to their delicious rotisserie meats.
Zea Rotisserie & Bar opened in 1997 with the intention of introducing people to a European style of cooking. Popular menu items include the classic rotisserie dishes, Thai ribs, and roasted corn grits.
Customers have overwhelmingly positive reviews at Zea’s bar program, which features over 20 different wine and beer selections, handcrafted cocktails, and frozen drinks. In addition to serving great food, many customers note that Zea has an excellent atmosphere with a polite and friendly staff, as well as overall cleanliness.
3. Half Shell Oyster House Of Lafayette
$$$ | 337-484-1120 | WEBSITE
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Half Shell Oyster House has established a commitment to excellent that is basically unmatched in the Lafayette community. The restaurant strives to exhibit Southern hospitality, and they have developed a reputation for offering high level customer service.
The staff is known for offering great advice to tourists and first time visitors on which dishes to try. While serving delicious oysters may be their signature, their shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, ribeye, and filet mignon have all received high marks from customers.
4. Ben Temps Grill
$$$ | 337-706-8850 | WEBSITE
Bon Temps Grill was created by Steven and Patrick O’Bryan. The brothers have been passionate about food since their childhood, and they’re living out a childhood dream every day.
The O’Bryan’s strive to promote Bon Temps Grill as a place where people can come to relax with their loved ones. One of the grill’s primary features is a relaxed atmosphere.
There are new musical performances at the restaurant every day. The opportunity to hear great music while enjoying delicious Cajun cuisine is simply too good an offer for most people to turn down.
Featured dishes include chicken Alfredo, baby back ribs, and the crawfish & jalapeño hush puppies. Bon Temps Grill also serves different types of beer, seltzers, wine, martinis, and mojitos. Bon Temps Grill also earns high grades regarding customer service.
5. Pamplona Tapas Bar & Grill
$$ | 337-232-0070 | WEBSITE
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Pamplona Tapas Bar & Grill is located in the heart of downtown Lafayette. Pamplona stands out in the local community for promoting the elegance of Pamplona, Spain. All the dishes are served with French, Spanish, Italian, and North African influences.
Customers note that the staff is friendly, and the overall atmosphere is pleasant. Featured menu items include duck breast, Jamon croquettes, Escargot, and watermelon gazpacho. Pamplona also receives high customer marks for their dessert menu.
In addition to the special churros and chocolate dish, the cheesecake and bread pudding are also considered stand out dishes. Pamplona also serves unique dessert cocktails. The Spanish Egg cream, grasshopper, nuts and berries, and conquistador’s coffee are popular options.
6. Don’s Seafood
$$ | 337-981-1141 | WEBSITE
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Don’s Seafood has mastered the art of serving authentic Cajun food. The restaurant has been a staple in the Lafayette community for over 70 years. Founder Don Landry opened the restaurant at the ripe age of 24.
Residents from all over the state are drawn to Don’s classic appetizers like hush puppies, as well as zydeco shrimp. Don’s Seafood has unique menus for lunch, and dinner. Featured items on the lunch menu include catfish Acadian, hamburger steak, seafood gumbo and crawfish quesadillas.
Boudin balls, fried alligator, and fried catfish are popular dinner menu items. Don’s Seafood also serves popular cocktails including the bottomless mimosa, voodoo Marie and bloody Mary.
7. Deano’s Pizza
$$ | 337-233-5446 | WEBSITE
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Deano’s Pizza is the premier Italian restaurant in the city. Customers have been impressed by the sauce and flavor of the crust. Deano’s Pizza also receives high grades for having a friendly staff. It’s a great opportunity for people to spend time with their loved ones while enjoying great food.
Deano’s servers the Marie Leveaux, one of the region’s most iconic pizzas. The Marie Leveaux combines traditional pizza ingredients with mushrooms, onions, and spices. The Cajun Executioner is another of the restaurant’s top sellers. The toppings include pepperoni, hot sausage, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, and shrimp.
8. Johnson’s Boucaniere
$$$ | 337-269-8878 | WEBSITE
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The party never stops at Johnson’s Boucaniere. The restaurant strives to show that good food and good music are always connected. Many local musical artists were discovered through their music being played at Johnson’s Boucaniere.
The restaurant is influenced by Johnson’s Grocery, which opened in 1937. Johnson’s Boucaniere serves boudin, pork sausage, pork tasso, the best BBQ around. The briskets and pulled pork are often cooked to perfection.
9. Charley G’s
$$$ | 337-981-0108 | WEBSITE
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Charley G’s offers customers the opportunity to dine in an intimate setting. Soothing piano music is often heard in the background. Featured appetizers include crab cakes, lobster frites, and pan seared foie gras. Featured entrées include smoked duck, king salmon, pan seared sea bass, and market pasta.
Other popular menu items include surf & turf and the 8 OZ filet mignon. Charley G’s also features over 150 special wives. The restaurant hosts wine tasting events periodically. Many customers opt for Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.
10. Louisiana Crawfish Time
$$$ | 337-988-2645 | WEBSITE
Many local residents believe that Louisiana Crawfish Time serves the best oysters. Come for the crawfish and stay for the shrimp and oysters. Louisiana Crawfish Time also serves catfish and shrimp po’boys.
The shrimp and crawfish are perfectly seasoned, according to most customers. Louisiana Crawford Time also receives high marks for their Cajun battered fries and bread pudding.
11. Antoni’s Italian Café
$$ | 337-232-8384 | WEBSITE
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Antoni’s Italian Café has served Italian cuisine to the Lafayette community for more than 20 years. The restaurant strives to showcase how classy Italian comfort foods are. Antoni has developed a reputation for providing outstanding customer service.
There are several types of pizzas and calzones on the menu. The chicken Parmesan and Bolognese pasta are featured menu items as well. If you are interested in trying in Italian food, seared tenderloin is the highest rated alternative on the menu according to most customers.
12. Prejean’s
$$ | 337-896-3247 | WEBSITE
Prejean’s offers tasty Cajun dishes in a family friendly setting. Whether you are in the mood for chicken and sausage gumbo, seafood boils, catfish, po’boys or BBQ, Prejean’s has you covered.
Prejean’s has served the community for over 40 years. Another key feature of Prejean’s is live music. Prejean’s hosts live music concerts every month to give local bands more exposure.
13. T-Coon’s
$ | 337-233-0422 | WEBSITE
Founder David Billeaud is a French American. He created T-Coon’s to help customers experience dishes that blend French, Cajun, and Creole influences together into every dish. The restaurant has received high customer marks for their breakfast menu.
The featured item is a crawfish omelette. T-Coon’s also serves high quality surf and turf dishes. The okra stew and Jambalaya are other standouts. As a small business, T-Coon’s has received high grades for customer service. The staff is friendly, and the overall atmosphere is pleasant.
14. Masala Indian Kitchen
$$$ | 337-981-6373 | WEBSITE
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Masala Indian Kitchen is the premier destination in the city to enjoy high level Indian cuisine. Many customers rave about the seasoning on their dishes. The staff uses multiple spices including paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, and cloves.
Some featured dishes include goan shrimp, pakoras, Hakaa noodles, tandoori chicken, basmati rice, and Matar Paneer. For many local residents and tourists, Masala Indian Kitchen is their first exposure to Indian food, and the restaurant leaves a great first impression.
Final Thoughts
The best restaurants in Lafayette are a great mix of different cultures. Louisiana is considered one of the top tourist attractions in the United States to sample great food and Lafayette is one of the major cities.
If you’re a local resident, there are a lot of delicious options to try. If you’re planning a trip to Lafayette, hopefully this guide will help you find a restaurant that you’ll fall in love with.
Hayden has been a digital director for years. He has five years of experience editing and writing about food, restaurant, and recipe review content. At Birch Restaurant, he’s in charge of scouting, showing up unannounced in different restaurants, and writing a thorough food guide!
