Votes
2012 Best Small Towns in America
- 4 votes - Best For Food
Description
Lafayette is famous for its representation of Cajun and Creole culture. The town is primarily responsible for establishing Cajun cuisine as a regional trademark and evangelizes the balance between spicy and sweet in their local fare. Favorite staples include Blue Dog Café, Jolie’s Bistro, French Press, and The Shed BBQ.
Proclaimed as the heart of Cajun Country, Lafayette honors the French, Spanish, and Caribbean influences on their food, art, music, and architecture both historically and today. The town offers cultural education and entertainment from 2nd Saturday Art Walks to weekend Fresh Markets to free weekly Cajun Acoustic Jam Session’s. You can visit both Acadian Village and Vermilionville to learn more about the origins of Cajun life. Chretien Point Plantation in Sunset offers a French plantation home with a rich history encompassing the pirate Jean Lafitte, buried treasure, ghosts, and the Civil War.
Visitors can explore the Lafayette Natural History Museum or choose from four variations of swamp tours. Also indulge in any of the town’s frequent festivals, live music, and local events. Just inland of the bayou, Lafayette celebrates Mardi Gras hosting its own Friday afternoon street dance called the fair-do-do.
Lafayette’s hosted an annual Crawfish Festival for over 40 years. True Cajun food lovers can bring the whole family to try world famous crawfish cooked every way possible in addition to cultural musical performances, contests, dancing, demonstrations, and exhibitions. The town is also home to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Traveler Reviews
Lafayette has the best eating in the world. It is a wonderful place.
Lafayette has the best Cajun food around. And it's a great town to live in and visit!
I go to college at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. I have never had so good of a time than in this city! The people are as nice as can be and are a faithful people, as well. The city of Lafayette is nearly 80% Catholic, so they mean business when they pop out their rosaries. But, by far, their most famous feature is their food! No one comes even close to Lafayette's seafood! I've been to New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana, Seattle, DC, Richmond, Boston, Baltimore, New York, and all around Florida and the rest of the Gulf region. So, when I say their seafood is the best, I'm saying it with experience! Their seafood gumbo is to die for! Their jambalaya is tres bien! They know how to cook their crayfish, too! I've been challenged to find a place that has better seafood than this city, but only New Orleans and Baltimore have come even close (not very close, though). This place has the best seafood. Period!
I can't think of a better place to visit than Lafayette. The people are friendly & the music is only surpassed by the food. I came for a visit over 8 years ago & liked it so much that I moved here. Now, I am almost a Cajun.
The attraction behind Lafayette southern appeal is linked into the culture of the cuisine and our passion for eating. Most everywhere you go, on almost every menu you'll see; many chefs try to spin their interpretation into "Cajun Cuisine". In Lafayette we define that culture of cuisine by using all of the indigenous ingredients and preparing them as only Cajuns do. This is what is often attempted at duplicating, but only one source is where you'll taste the original....that's Lafayette. If your not full....your not in Lafayette!