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AMERICAS COFFEE HOUSE
403B S. Buchanan St., Lafayette (Map) - 456-4806
Monday-Saturday: Breakfast and Lunch
America’s Coffee House is a departure from downtown in a spacious and all-white hideaway one block off Jefferson Street. Owner Floyd Willis is almost always the one to make your coffee, and it’s a great place to get some work done or visit with friends. With new menu items including sandwiches and soups, it’s easy to stop while downtown for work or play.
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BORDEN’S Ice Cream Shoppe
1103 Jefferson St., Lafayette (Map) - 235-9291
Daily: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Standing as the only retail Borden’s left in the U.S., this old-fashioned ice creamery transplants one into the 1940s. Kackie Lerille has a classic take on the way she makes milkshakes, too — thick, rich and creamy in a silver contraption. Cups, cones, banana splits, shakes and all the Borden’s flavors are still on hand, as well as Community Coffee for the java junkies. Grab a pastry to go along with your morning coffee, or stop by for lunch for an all-beef hot dog or Frito pie topped with homemade chili.
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CARPE DIEM! GELATO-ESPRESSO BAR
www.carpediemgelato.com
812 Jefferson St., Lafayette (Map) - 534-4155
Tuesday-Friday: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner; Saturday-Sunday: Lunch and Dinner
Owned by Erik Graveson and Silvia Bertolazzi, the latter handles the gelato while the former is the coffee expert. Bertolazzi grew up in Merano, Italy, and bases Carpe Diem’s gelato on what is offered in her hometown. Gelato is a lighter form of ice cream made with milk, not cream. Check out the dozens of flavors inspired by seasonal herbs and fruits. The coffee is made using the Kyoto method for a clean and powerful taste with less acidity. Local bakers offer their wares as well.
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CC’S COMMUNITY COFFEE HOUSE
130 N. College, Lafayette (Map) - 269-9281
Daily: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
1315 Camellia Blvd., Suite 100, River Ranch (Map) - 406-2052
Daily: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
2825 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy., Lafayette (Map) - 981-3556
Daily: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
4600 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy., (Map) - 983-2386
Daily: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
100 Rex St., ULL Campus (Map) - 235-7686
Monday-Friday: Breakfast and Lunch
The first Community Coffee opened in 1919 outside of Baton Rouge in a country store and began roasting its own beans shorting thereafter. The Saurage family has owned it this whole time and now has cafes far and wide. The coffee itself is delicious, and the Mochasippis are an icy treat. The pastry case is never empty — try those peanut butter cookies.
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INDULGE
www.indulgesweetspot.com
1921 Kaliste Saloom Road Suite 111, Lafayette (Map) - 534-8700
Monday–Saturday: Lunch and Dinner
Lafayette’s first dessert restaurant offers gourmet coffee as well as cakes, brownies, gourmet truffles, breakfast pastries and virtually every sweet treat your taste buds love. Indulge recently started serving dessert wines, as well as wine bottles covered in chocolate, which you snack on while drinking the wine inside. It’s a great atmosphere for children as well as adults.
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JOHNSTON STREET JAVA
3123 1/2 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 534-4065
Sunday-Saturday: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
With foam on every cappuccino and an outlet to plug in every laptop, Johnson Street Java is filled with everyone from college students to the self-employed who come for the great selection of coffee as well as sandwiches, muffins and even fruit bowls. Stop in and relax at the coffee bar, or zip through the drive-thru.
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KATIE BAKES
www.katiebakesla.com
1042 Camellia Blvd., Suite 5, River Ranch (Map) - 704-2287
Tuesday-Thursday: Breakfast and Lunch
Katie Meaux bakes up a storm in her River Ranch shop, with cake pops, whoopie pies, cupcakes and bouquet cakes. The cake pops are a dense cake dipped in some sort of coating — chocolate or vanilla or even butter rum — and the whoopie pies are basically cake sandwiches with icing in the middle. Katie serves up Community Coffee with her treats for an indulgent snack.
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MECHE’S DONUT KING
www.mechesdonutking.com
402 Guilbeau Road, Lafayette (Map) - 981-4918
306 E. Willow St., Lafayette (Map) - 232-3782
205 Rue Louis XIV, Lafayette (Map) - 993-1058
Daily: Breakfast and Lunch
Serving up the most famous circular, sugary dough in Lafayette, Meche’s Donut King is no doubt a Lafayette mainstay. Whether ordering the kolaches with a cup of Joe or the donut holes with Borden’s milk, your stomach will be comforted in the warm embrace of Meche’s. Come Mardi Gras, there’s a run on Meche’s famous king cakes made with their fried deliciousness that perfectly accompanies a cup of coffee.
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SOPHI P. CAKES
www.sophipcakes.com
3209 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 456-5582
Tuesday-Friday: Lunch and Dinner; Saturday: Lunch and Early Dinner
Sophi P. was the first to bring attention to gourmet cupcakes in Lafayette, and executive chef Jennifer Melancon has crafted unique cupcakes that no one in town has been able to duplicate. Each season and holiday brings specialty flavors, along with the famous Red Velvet Deluxe and Atomic Chocolate. Stop in for a dozen or just a single, sit down with a cup of coffee or a glass of Borden’s milk for a pick-me-up.
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THE LAB HANDCRAFTED COFFEE & COMFORTS
1042 Camellia Blvd., Suite 6, Lafayette (Map) - 889-5782
Daily: hours vary
The Lab’s owner Thomas Peters lives by the unwritten “rule of 15:” roast 15 months from harvest, grind 15 days from roasting and serve 15 minutes from grinding. The result is an incredibly smooth coffee free of bitterness. Instead of adding sugar or cream to the cup, try one of The Lab’s cold sweet creams, which fall somewhere between gelato and ice cream. For the best of both worlds, an affogato is the way to go: espresso poured over cold sweet creams for a delicious jolt that will keep you going the rest of the day.
