First time visitor to Lafayette
Hey guys,
Looking forward to visiting your fair city this weekend. Hoping I can find some tickets but looking to have a good time regardless.
First off, I want to apologize for some of my Bulldog peers on the whole ticket thing, some of them have really been ____s about it. I think it just took us aback as the places we've traveled in the past have generally had plenty of bleacher or standing room tickets.
Looking for some advice. What are the "can't miss" restaurants, bars, etc? We'll probably look for some place to hang out and watch the ULL-JSU game after our game Friday. Maybe have a couple of drinks. Other than that, just looking for the best food and to experience Lafayette.
Is there a particular neighborhood with decent hotels and things in walking distance? Or am I better off just planning to drive everywhere?
Speaking of driving, how is the parking situation on campus. Is it mostly free, pass-only, or pay-when-you-park? I've seen a lot of people mention tailgating, can you give me the scoop on that? Is there one common tailgating area or is it mostly spread out?
You guys seem like a hospitable bunch and I know your town has a lot to offer. Looking forward to coming down and watching some good baseball.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Welcome in advance to Cajun country. Let me help you out here...
HEY GUYS, THIS IS A FOOD THREAD
RaginPagin loves food threads
--
Restaurants:
Olde Tyme Grocery (Poboys) right near campus
Deano's (Pizza) right near the baseball field
Zea (Tai ribs and corn grits, also their fried red beans and rice is stupid good) close to baseball field, near Corner Bar
Blue Dog Cafe (anything)
Bars:
Corner Bar (not far from the baseball field)
Tap Room (large selection of beer on tap, including local brews)
Many bars and restaurants downtown, Legends, Marley's, City Bar (nightlife)
Not a lot of hotels walking distance unfortunately but parking isn't too difficult most places. You'll be driving around mostly but not very far distances. The downtown area or River Ranch has some areas where you can park and walk around.
Athletic campus parking situation isn't bad. Athletic facilities are off separate from the Academic campus. Parking is free and people will most likely be tailgating anywhere as close to the baseball stadium as they can get.
I'll add more as I think about it. Good luck you should enjoy your time here, only issue will be the weather!
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
If you want good food and a place to watch the Cajuns Baseball game while drinking 2 for 1 draft beer....go to "Fat Pat's"...I can recommend the Peanut Butter Bacon Burger or the Three Little Pigs Sandwich
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Lafayette also loves them some breakfast places... you should have Saturday and Sunday morning to try one of the following: T-Coons, The French Press, Another Broken Egg, Blue Dog Cafe Brunch, Edie's Biscuits
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
There's only like 300 restaurants & 150 bars on this town. Be ready to drive because the city is spread out. There are plenty of hotels. The best places are right off I-10. The parking is the best of any college venue you'll ever see. Although the fans here are so spoiled if they have to walk more than 50' they threaten to get legal council. Just kidding guys. But the parking is easy. And most importantly, when you come be prepared to go home defeated. Because this team is good. they're not Sunbelt good they're the best in college baseball good. And don't look for them to have a letdown this weekend, because it ain't gonna happen. Just giving you fair warning to send to your brethren. SEC or no SEC, you come over here you're leaving disappointed. Have a good weekend.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
For seafood (Crawfish) - Dons downtown for Crawfish Bisque never disappoints. (Hurry crawfish season is almost over)
For a somewhat eclectic menu go to the French Press across the street from Dons downtown.
For sushi Tsunami downtown
For Mexican - LaPaqua on Johnston or Aztecas on Ambassador Caffery (Avoid LaFondas no matter what anybody says)
For Italian - I Monelli or Alesi's both on Johston street.
For smoked meats Johnstons Boucaniere (you will not be disappointed) If you really want to get down with cajun go to Poches north of Breaux Bridge.
For a somewhat more elegant setting Cafe Vermilionville on Pinhook or Jollies also on Pinhook.
For Tapas - Pamplona Tapas on Jefferson.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Food thread....here we geaux.
You will have plenty of options. This may sound crazy and I mention it because others will cover the basic "Cajun" fare but will probably leave this one off the list. If you want incredible Sushi visit Tsunami's downtown. My wife doesn't like sushi and loves going here.
For Pizza try Deano's not far from the park. Named one of the top five pizza restaurants in the U.S. Legends bar next door is a small hangout for UL fans and probably a good spot to catch the JSU vs. UL game. You could also go to WalkOn's which was voted one of the top five sports bars in the U.S. but is probably a fifteen minute drive from the stadium.
Upscale....Ruffino's on the River.
Tailgating will be in the parking lot adjacent to the ball park. There is a fair at the Cajundome which will take up some parking on the far side of the football stadium but should not interfere with baseball. Parking is free for baseball but not for the fair. So if they try to charge you then you know you are at the wrong entrance. Enter the athletic facility off Bertrand drive and you should be good.
Only one hotel that is really within walking distance so you will need to plan on driving.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
I heard there's nothing to do in Lafayette.
So good luck.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
According to espn women softball commentators there is nothing to do in Lafayette hence we just pack our softball and baseball stadiums. Truth is you will not find any better food in the country. There are a number of places where you can go have great cajun food AND live cajun music... Maybe even shake a leg with some locals... Out on I 49 you will fin Prejeans that fits that description and I forget the name of the place on the Breaux Bridge Hwy that a lot of tour buses go to... I'm sure my friends on here can provide the name... Of course since there is nothing to do and all we offer is a motel 6 I guess you can find a Burger King and hope the tv is working... Joking of course. You will love your stay. Stop by a tailgating spot.. You WILL be welcomed... This is NOT Baton Rouge
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DoubleDawg
Hey guys,
Looking forward to visiting your fair city this weekend. Hoping I can find some tickets but looking to have a good time regardless.
First off, I want to apologize for some of my Bulldog peers on the whole ticket thing, some of them have really been ____s about it. I think it just took us aback as the places we've traveled in the past have generally had plenty of bleacher or standing room tickets.
Looking for some advice. What are the "can't miss" restaurants, bars, etc? We'll probably look for some place to hang out and watch the ULL-JSU game after our game Friday. Maybe have a couple of drinks. Other than that, just looking for the best food and to experience Lafayette.
Is there a particular neighborhood with decent hotels and things in walking distance? Or am I better off just planning to drive everywhere?
Speaking of driving, how is the parking situation on campus. Is it mostly free, pass-only, or pay-when-you-park? I've seen a lot of people mention tailgating, can you give me the scoop on that? Is there one common tailgating area or is it mostly spread out?
You guys seem like a hospitable bunch and I know your town has a lot to offer. Looking forward to coming down and watching some good baseball.
Some of your fans are frankly unbearable and acting very arrogant (which apparently can get people banned for saying that). Anyway, you'll enjoy Lafayette a lot. If you want some good seafood go to Dons Seafood on Johnson Street, if you want a great poboy, go down to Olde Tyme Grocery, I just moved away and I miss their poboys tremendously. Legends is a great bar to go to that is a cajun flair, or you can go down to the strip which is full of bars and clubs and most people can find something they'll enjoy. My personal favorite bar was Bisbanos, it's a pizza place upstairs and in the "cellar" they have a bar and usually have bands playing on the weekends. If you can get a room at the Hilton Garden Inn, that is your best bet for hotel, it is walking distance to the ballpark.
All in all, I hope your trip to Lafayette is nice. Like I said, I've been disappointed with some of the MSU fans because of the fact I myself have an Grandfather, Aunt, Uncle, and 3 cousins who are State alum, and the way some have portrayed themselves online is vastly different than the State fans I know in person and it's incredibly disheartening.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Dwyers Cafe in Jefferson st is good for any meal. Jefferson St has lot of bars. Other than Dwyers, eat at the other suggested places.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
I had posted this when we were hosting the softball regionals/super-regionals, so I'll just cut/paste without worrying about duplicates maybe listed above.
We love our food in Lafayette Louisiana (as our waistlines can attest). I'll cover just the places in Lafayette rather than the whole surrounding area which would be too large a list to provide. I tried to stay with places fairly close to the park. I also try to avoid chain type places as you can eat there at home.
Breakfast -Dwyer's (old style diner downtown) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dwyer...15495858476468
-The French Press (Breakfast/Brunch downtown) http://www.thefrenchpresslafayette.com/
-Meche's Donut King (have great unique donuts as well
as King Cakes, 402 Guilbeau Road location is closest)
-Another Broken Egg (chain) River Ranch area of town
Poboy's -Old Tyme Grocery (short drive from the park) http://www.oldetymegrocery.com/
-Johnson's Boucaniere (plate lunches/sandwiches) http://www.johnsonsboucaniere.com/
Burger's -Judice Inn (hamburgers – try the fried egg on top) http://www.judiceinn.com/
-Fat Pat's (two locations in town) http://www.fatpatsbarandgrill.com/
-There's a Five Guys for those who don't have one
Pizza -Deano's (short drive from park) http://www.deanospizza.com/index.php?id=120
Sushi -Tsunami Sushi (downtown) http://www.servingsushi.com/
-Fuji Sushi https://www.facebook.com/FujiSushiHouse
Thai -Bangkok Thai https://www.facebook.com/BangkokThaiLafayette
Mexican Agave Grill (one near park, one downtown) http://agavelafayette.com/
Taco's -Taco Sisters (close to park – limited hours) http://tacosisters.com/
Tapas -Pamplona Tapas Bar (downtown) http://www.pamplonatapas.com/
Cuban Café Hanana City (Bertrand Dr. close to park) no website available
Cajun -Blue Dog Café http://www.bluedogcafe.com/
-Café Vermilionville http://www.cafev.com/
Cajun (A couple of spots with a little drive involved)
-Prejean's (Cajun music with food, nice for tourists, http://prejeans.com/
some very good food (duck/Andouille gumbo, pepper
jack shrimp, catfish enchiladas & Catahoula)
-Poboy's Riverside Inn http://www.poorboysriversideinn.com/
-Charley-G's http://charleygs.com
Boiled Crawfish
-Dwight's http://www.dwights.us/
Ice Cream -Borden's Ice Cream (old time parlor – it's worth the stop)\
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Borde...59213304093786
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Don't forget about Charlie G's. Olde Tyme is flat out the best po-boy you'll ever get. Get the whole shrimp or any other. A bit off the beaten path is Nash's in Broussard. Cafe Vermilion Ville for white table cloth dinning. Ruffino's on the River. Oh...and Jolie's....seriously if you can't find good food in Lafayette you just aren't trying. You could easily spend four days here and eat all three meals at a different places each day and never get a bad meal.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Boiled CrawFish
Dwights.us
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
If you are looking for a place to stay with plenty of shops/restaurants in walking distance I would suggest looking at the Carriage House Hotel... http://www.cityclubatriverranch.com/...d=280254&vnf=1 or http://www.cityclubatriverranch.com and follow the links. I think you get included use of the City Club fitness area with your stay. There area also plenty of good restaurants/bars and coffee shops within walking distance or very short drive. There is also a nearby Marriott SpringHill Suites Lafayette South at River Ranch at 321 Settlers Trace Boulevard which might be worth checking out. This area would be about a 10 minute drive from "The Tigue."
You've got to try a poboy (preferably fried shrimp or oyster) from Olde Tyme Grocery on the UL campus.
Deano's Pizza is unique and has a location near the ballpark as well as on Kaliste Saloom near River Ranch.
Judice Inn on Johnston St. has GREAT Burgers - (but no fries and they pride themselves in that)...
Parking around the baseball field is free and plenty. Not an issue. More parking than seats - unfortunately.
FWIW: There are many Cajun fans who will not be able to get tickets because all tickets will be scooped up by season ticket holders and RCAF. I'm not even sure all RCAF gets tickets. The stadium is almost sold out - just on season tickets.
As far as a place to watch the Louisiana games and get good food/drinks - I like Walk-Ons (a short drive from River Ranch).
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bandwagon King
There's only like 300 restaurants & 150 bars on this town. Be ready to drive because the city is spread out.
The parking is the best of any college venue you'll ever see.
Have a good weekend.
You can USUALLY park for free right outside of the Stadium (if you look on google earth, it is to the West of the Football Stadium and North of the Baseball Stadium). I emphasize the word USUALLY, because the Cajun Heartland State Fair is going on in the Cajundome parking lot as well. Parking might be slightly modified this weekend.
Your best bet for Restaurants or Bars is to ask around while tailgating. People love to give their opinion on the best place to eat or drink around Lafayette, and the Great part is very few of them are wrong. You won't find many bad places to eat or drink.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Petes on johnson or lebanese on pinhook vwry near campus
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Maybe a point to be made. When people visit Lafayette they expect all the food to be "Cajun". In reality the food offerings are extremely varied. People in this area know good food no matter the culinary region it originates from and you won't last long serving bad food.
CajunAmos has a good list noted above. I will add that the FrenchPress mentioned by many is a restaurant that was nominated for a James Beard award last year.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Ruffino's is located in River Ranch and there is also a new (very good) Agave Mexican just across Kaliste Saloom from River Ranch...
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TuffGuy84
Some of your fans are frankly unbearable and acting very arrogant (which apparently can get people banned for saying that). ...
Like I said, I've been disappointed with some of the MSU fans because of the fact I myself have an Grandfather, Aunt, Uncle, and 3 cousins who are State alum, and the way some have portrayed themselves online is vastly different than the State fans I know in person and it's incredibly disheartening.
I agree with all this. Honestly, the frequenters of the two main "free" boards, Sixpackspeak and EliteDawgs, are basically daily competitions to see who can be the biggest a-hole. I guess that's how you get your point across and become "six pack cool."
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
Olde Tyme's poboys virtues have been covered by several, but one thing that may not have been mentioned is its proximty to the academic campus, only one block away.
Re: First time visitor to Lafayette
All these places and no one has even touched on the best places for plate lunches! Geez I love Lafayette!
But seriously, IF y'all make it to Sunday, depending on game-time, go get a BBQ plate lunch from Dwight's. Just make sure you call in or be there at 11 to stand in line.
