Coming Soon
Shane’s Famous Quesadilla Burgers
New location! A comprehensive sports bar with a unique game-day twist is tentatively set to open in early December.
Isis Snowballs
Locally owned, serving its famous creative snowball creations and food, including boiled seafood.
Sarrica’s Little Italy
Pop up turned full service restaurant will continue to serve pizzas, pastas, and paninis as well as special seasonal menus.
Le Sucré Orleans
New Orleans-inspired restaurant & cocktail bar.
2024
Njoy Curry Masala
Njoy Curry Masala, opened its doors in February of 2024! It is located at the corner of 1012 Jefferson Street and Johnston Street in Downtown Lafayette. This new family-owned Indian restaurant will have you craving signature dishes like butter chicken. It’s the perfect spot to try something new and expand your taste buds with a spicer dish like the Sultan Bhai Chicken Biryani.
Empanada Guy
Pop up turned brick and mortar specializing in gourmet empanadas.
The Hangar
Jet coffe's new roasting facility serving premium lattes, coffee flights, iced drinks, and avocado toast featuring locally sourced bread from Straw Cove and macarons from Fancy’s French Macarons.
Swamp Dog Café
Locally owned cafe with diverse menu featuring coffee, pastries, and customizable breakfast and lunch options.
Playa Bowls
Serving fresh and customizable acai, pitaya, coconut bowls, and smoothies.
Blazin’ Hot Chicken
Lake Charles-based Nashville Hot Hot Chicken chain.
Kasai Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi
Traditional Japanese culinary art meets modern innovation with sizzling hibachi dishes to delicate sashimi.
Main Squeeze Juice Co.
New Orleans based fast casual juice and smoothie bar concept.
BJ’s Pizza House
Former patrons reopened the longstanding pizza house under the guidance of the previous owners.
Superior Grill Mexican Restaurant
Baton Rouge-based Mexican restaurant known for sizzling fajitas and Superior margaritas.
Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery
Pineville-based restaurant serves brick oven pizzas and beer brewed in-house.
Rocket 87
Asian-American quick service restaurant specializing in rice bowls, boiled or fried seafood, and wings.
2023
Lucia Bakehouse
The newest addition to the Lafayette bakery scene, Lucia specializes in Viennoiseries Pastries - the love child of French bread and a classic pastry. This style is popular on the streets of Paris. Go early because the new spot is so popular they sell out quickly. Be sure to try the classic croissant or a daily special doughnut.
Chimes Restaurant & Tap Room
The Chimes Restaurant & Tap Room has been a Baton Rouge and LSU tradition serving patrons for over 25 years. They have continued to grow and have brought this tradition to Lafayette. They provide a relaxed, family-friendly experience while serving the best made-from-scratch menu possible. They plan to have a large outdoor patio seating area. The Chimes offers a variety of delicious fare, including gumbos, a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, and seafood to go along with its popular spinach and artichoke dip with fried bowtie pasta.
Parish Biscuit Co
Whether you find yourself in need of a quick bite on the move or prefer to indulge in a leisurely brunch surrounded by loved ones, Parish Biscuit Co. caters to all preferences and desires. Expect small classics like biscuits with honey butter or Steen’s, biscuit breakfast sandwiches, or full-blown breakfast entrees like french toast and omelets. Stop by for lunch for salads, burgers, or shrimp and grits. Parish also has an extensive gluten-free menu.
Coffeeweed Cottage
If you ever wished to stare at plants while sipping coffee and sitting on beautiful furniture, look no further. Coffeeweed Cottage is a coffee shop/ plant store/ boutique shop/ book store. Stop in for house-made frozen beverages, pastries, and, of course, lattes. This spot is perfect for laptop work with more of a grown-up coffee shop vibe.
Smalls Sliders
Smalls Sliders is a Baton Rouge-based company that is rapidly growing across Louisiana. They have multiple locations in the capital city and have landed in Acadiana. The concept is fast casual, made-to-order tiny burgers. Don’t be fooled by the size, though; you can upgrade to add waffle fries, double meat, and queso or bacon.
Parc de Oaks Food Truck Park
Lafayette’s first food truck park, Parc de Oaks hosts some of Lafayette’s favorite mobile eateries. Favorites include Nina Creole, Lana’s Empanadas, and Bayou Barista. The lineup is constantly changing, so be sure to check the Facebook page for updates. The space offers plenty of shade and picnic tables for your family to sample the food truck treats. They will host weekend events such as free fitness classes as the weather cools.
Five Mile Eatery & Co-Op
Five Mile Eatery offers fresh, locally sourced ingredients and partners with local artisans for a retail space. Chef Kelsey Leger has decades of experience creating dishes in acclaimed restaurants and working on farms. Expect to find thoughtfully crafted breakfast sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Five Mile Eatery also claims to be a sober-friendly space, offering plenty of interesting non-alcoholic beverages beyond just coffee, such as mushroom lattes and Kefir Soda.
2022
Whiskey & Vine
The drink menu at Whiskey & Vine allows people to taste whiskeys, wines, aperitifs, or liquors they may otherwise not get a chance to taste. Many are available in 2 oz tasting pours. The food menu also offers different dining options, with cheese and charcuterie boards, small plates, and entrees. Growing favorites among locals are the fig flatbread, the monte cristo sandwich, and the duck entree. Whiskey & Vine also does brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am - 3 pm with live music.
Park Bistro
Setting up shop in the old location of the Saint Street Inn, Park Bistro still has that neighborhood cafe feel. From New York City, Chef/Owner Peter Cook is excited to bring his big city dishes to an intimate neighborhood jaunt. They offer interesting cocktails and simple, seasonal dishes. A favorite is the Ahi tuna crudo paired with A La Antigua, a smoky, complex cocktail with mezcal, bitters, and agave.
Palmyre
Brought to you by the same owners as kitsch-filled Mercy Kitchen, Palmyre is a lively cocktail-focused European-inspired lounge. Perfect for a girl's night or small celebration, Palmyre offers small plates such as beef tartar and pesto hummus, but the focus is definitely on wine and cocktails. It's hard not to look at every corner - the space is filled with patterns, textures, artwork, and trinkets.
Sunday's Soda Fountain
Stepping into Sunday's is like stepping back in time to the days of ice cream and homemade soda. Bring the kids for an after-school treat or a first date for a casual but classy approach. Sunday's focuses on sweet treats like ice cream sundays, milkshakes, and floats. They didn't forget about the adults either. They have beer on tap and a selection of aperitifs and liqueurs. The renovation unveiled beautiful, historic architecture, which was kept in place and highlighted to bring home further the old-school feel.
Soul Haus Kitchen
There's a new plate lunch place in town! Soul Haus focuses on soul food and cajun dishes to feed your soul. Red beans and rice is a staple all week, but there are rotating specials throughout the week, with Sunday offering BBQ. Favorites are meatloaf, smothered pork chops, and fried catfish topped with etouffee. The sides can be customized with many options, giving you endless plate lunch combinations.
Destination India
Indian food lovers rejoiced when Destination India opened near Todd's Carwash. This full-service restaurant and bar offer a buffet during lunch hours and a full menu of beer, wine, cocktails, and dinner entrees. They offer the classics such as chicken tikka masala, palak paneer, and vindaloo. They have an extensive vegetarian menu and tandoori specials.
Spicy House
There are so many Chinese restaurants in town, and opening a new one, you need to stand out. Spicy House is doing just that with authentic Chinese dishes, all served in various spicy sauces to set themselves apart. You won't find sticky orange, msg heavy chicken here - try the dry fried string beans, cumin beef, or the scallion pancakes. Most dishes have some heat, but you can adjust up or down per request depending on your spice tolerance.
2022
Mercy Kitchen
Walking into Mercy Kitchen is like walking into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for adults. The concept was born out of the pandemic and meant as a haven similar to your friend’s kitchen. (None of my friends have kitchens that look like the interior of Mercy, but ok.) Fancy cocktails, boozy “sno cones” and sharable plates make Mercy Kitchen an excellent spot for gathering with friends.
Catalon Legacy Food Truck Park
Larger cities have hosted food truck parks for several years now, but this area is seeing its first. Located just outside of Lafayette is Catalon Legacy Food Truck Park. The trucks rotate out regularly, so there’s always a new surprise to try! The park has covered picnic tables and five food truck spots to choose from. Regular trucks are black-owned and include Nina Creole, Aww Shucks, Mo’s La Seafood and Cajun Cuisine, and G&G Catering.
Heavenly Taste
Comfort food, soul food, breakfast - you name it, they got it. Heavenly Taste is a black-owned, down-home breakfast and lunch joint with biscuits to die for and some of the best fried chicken in town! Stop by for a BBQ rib plate lunch or live music on the weekends.
Caroline’s Cookies
At the ripe young age of only 19, Caroline Marryman grew her love of cookies from social media to a brick-and-mortar shop. You can order dozens of her handmade cookies or just a few. Caroline rotates out seasonal flavors monthly and has a few regular options as well. With cookies like gingerbread and peppermint hot cocoa, it’s hard not to want to try everyone!
Sweet Envie
The second women-led bakeshop on our list is also black-owned! Sweet Envie offers sweet treats as well as baking supplies. So if you’d rather whip up your own cupcakes, you can still support this locally owned business. Choose from carrot cake, pralines, cheesecake, or petit fours. Sweet Envie offers her baked goods in larger quantities, so it’s perfect for feeding a crowd or hosting a party.
Huya Craft Coffee
If you’re looking for a spot to swing by in the morning for a quick cup of locally roasted coffee, pastries, macaroons or other sweets, Huya is a one stop shop. Huya serves up Reve Coffee paired with Bonne Vie Macaroons, house-made pop tarts, or gourmet toasts. Try the avo caprese toast: garlic cheese sourdough topped with avocado, tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese.
Vestal Restaurant
The hottest new restaurant on the scene is Vestal, the brainchild of chef Ryan Trahan. Vestal is offering an upscale dining experience in a historic building in the heart of downtown Lafayette. It features American cuisine with a Southern flare: steak, seafood, and handcrafted cocktails. The bar incorporates the smoky, woodfire theme with many of their drinks such as charred garnishes and smoked syrups. Grab a seat at the bar to watch the magic happen in the open concept kitchen.
Hideaway on Lee
This newly renovated house-turned-music venue opened in the summer of 2020 and offers a spacious outdoor patio (perfect for social distancing), live music, a casual food menu, and specialty cocktails. Go for brunch or trivia night with friends.
Priya's J&J Indian Foods
Priya's, formerly known as J&J Indian Foods, gained her following at the Lafayette Farmer's Market and has opened a brick and mortar location on Johnston St. Priya's specializes in authentic Indian dishes, including curries with lots of vegetarian options.
Tchoup's MidCity Restaurant & Bar
If you're craving Sunday BBQ, this place smokes all their meats in-house from brisket to pulled pork and down-home comfort food sides. Try the mac and cheese and wash it down with a smoked old-fashioned.
Shawarma Guys
A small, regional chain in New Iberia opened a third location next to Albertsons on Johnston Street in Lafayette. This fast-casual restaurant concept serves up Mediterranean eats.
Jane's French Cuisine
Can't travel to Paris this year? A visit to Jane's may cure your French craving. They serve contemporary Parisian cuisine right in Lafayette. The menu uses high-quality, seasonal ingredients that focus on French classics with a modern twist. Perfect for a romantic dinner.
Taqueria El Mexicano
Another new brick and mortar, Taqueria El Mexicano, started as a local food truck and has recently expanded. They serve up traditional street tacos, tortas, and tostadas. Cool off in the summer heat with a Michelada or margarita.
2020
Hawaii Grill
Another recent addition to the Caffery Center, Hawaii Grill opened up and is serving up lunch and dinner influenced by Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine. From soups and salads to rice dishes and kid-friendly plates, Hawaii Grill offers an approachable and affordable place to grab a quick bite.
Mimi’s Asian Cuisine & Thai Buffet
Mimi’s offers Asian cuisine and regular specials as well as a Thai buffet that lunch-goers can rely on to get them through the workweek.
The Brown Skillet
Offering diners a new place to grab a good plate of bacon and eggs, The Brown Skillet serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a side of Southern hospitality. From po-boys and plate lunches to weekly specials and a killer breakfast sandwich, it’s the perfect place for nursing your hangover or grabbing a quick lunch during work or before class.