What Are The Five Oldest Restaurants in Lafayette?
I was chatting with some co-workers recently about some of the historically great restaurants in Lafayette and one of the surprising things we discovered was how old some of these establishments actually were.
A quick search revealed that the Hub City has quite a few eateries that date back well over 50 years.
Here are the five oldest Lafayette restaurants that we are aware of.
(If you know of a restaurant that you think qualifies for this list, then email that info to jude@973thedawg.com and we'll tighten this up.)
- 1
Antler's Restaurant & Bar (1921)
It has the distinction of being the oldest bar in Lafayette but it's the authentic Cajun food that people have been coming back for years and years. Antler's has changed owners over the years but has been owned by Raymond Walters Sr., and now his son Johnny is carrying on the tradition his father and grandfather started many years ago.
- 2
Dwyer's Cafe (1927)
They've been in business since 1927 when Mr. and Mrs. William Stinson moved to Lafayette to open Mom and Pop Stinson's Cafe in the Garden Hotel. Mr. Stanley Dwyer went to work for the Stinson's in 1942 as their head cook. He would purchase the Cafe in 1965, bringing Acadiana the best home cooking at an affordable price.
- 3
Poor Boy's Riverside Inn (1932)
Technically this restaurant is in Broussard but we've got to include it on the list because it's really close to Lafayette and spent many years in the Hub City. It actually was started in 1932 by Richard Hurst as a snowball stand. In 1939 it moved to St John Street overlooking the Vermilion River. The restaurant stayed in Lafayette until moving to its current location in 1977.
- 4
Don's Seafood & Steakhouse (1934)
Founded by Don Landry and originally called Don's Beer Parlor, this was one of the hot spots back in the day. In 1939, Don was joined by his brother Ashby and they changed the name to Don's Seafood Inn. And in 1952, brother Willie combined his corner store with the restaurant, establishing the first Don's Seafood & Steakhouse.
- 5
Judice Inn (1947)
Over 70 years and still no fries. The popular burger joint was opened on April 5, 1947 by two brothers, Alcide and Marc Judice. It is long been known as having the best burgers in Lafayette seasoned to the tastes of south Louisianians.