8 Best Restaurants in Lafayette, Side Trips from New Orleans

This 19th-century inn with crisp white linens and old brick fireplaces serves French and Cajun dishes to a well-dressed crowd. Among the specialties are Gulf fish Acadian and grilled duck breast. This is a favorite spot for special occasions among Lafayette residents—and with good reason.

This outstanding boucaniere (Cajun French for smokehouse) is run by the next generation of the family that once operated the iconic Johnson's Grocery in Eunice, Louisiana. Music from young local bands plays over the sound system and is available for purchase; customers sit on the covered porch and dig into boudin sausages, sandwiches, and the heartily recommended barbecue—smoked in-house and rubbed with Cajun-style seasonings. It's a laid-back, friendly place with a refreshing blend of tradition and modern style.

An authentic interior (one wall is covered with bullfighting posters) creates just the right mood for chef Kris Allen's wide array of sophisticated small plates and one of the best wine lists in the area. The bacon-wrapped dates, the lamb sliders, and the foie gras are especially delicious.

People jam into this diner as early as 6 am for hot biscuits and grits. Dwyer's also serves red beans and rice, jambalaya, pot roast, burgers, and omelets. If you're famished by midday, try the hearty plate lunch specials, which include an entrée and three sides.

From roughly December through June, when Louisiana crawfish are in season, local families pack in to partake in the outrageous abundance. Order from the menu—including crawfish, oysters, and a few sides like sausage links and boiled potatoes, plus cold beer—in the simple, stripped-down dining room filled with big tables. Or roll up to the drive-through window and pick up supplies for your own crawfish picnic.

In this cypress house decorated with swamp trees and a large stuffed alligator at the entrance, people gather over red-and-white-check tablecloths to chow down on some local classics: crawfish and alligator sausage cheesecake, Cajun duckling, or any of the kitchen's four distinctive gumbos. Grilled seafood provides some lighter options. At breakfast, try the house rendition of eggs Benedict, made here with boudin patties, poached eggs, and crawfish étouffée over a biscuit. There's live Cajun music (and usually dancing) nightly.

This often-busy diner serves a hearty Cajun breakfast and lunch, which feature daily specials such as smothered rabbit, catfish court boulion, or crawfish omelets. The Southern fare also includes fried chicken and seafood dishes.

A stylish contemporary restaurant as chic as the crowd it attracts delivers fresh and innovative sushi and Japanese cuisine. Entrées include a sumo rib eye, Chilean sea bass, and various tempura dishes. For a nightcap, go next door to the lounge—managed by the same owners—which has an L.A. vibe.