Judice Inn — Restaurant in Lafayette

Ah, the infamous Judice Inn. A staple of Lafayette that has been around longer than my father has been alive on this earth. "A Lafayette tradition", the sign out front boasts. Well, guess what? Some traditions are outdated to the point of mediocrity, as is the case for Judice Inn. I lived in Lafayette for thirty years and to be brutally honest, the fact this place is still in business a testament to the stubborn nature of Lafayette's "keep it local" mentality and unwillingness to evolve with the ever changing times around them. There, I said it. Going through all these other reviews, it seems that nobody else will. Also, if you'll notice, most of the three star or lower reviews are from out-of-towners that simply wanted a good burger and got taken to Judice Inn by locals and were mortified.

There's a point in life where you bite the bullet and give in to your hard headedness and bow down to the wave of reality rushing your way. Judice Inn claims it will never do that. Cool, that's just what I want from a business: an unwavering entity that sticks to its guns, no matter how inane and pointless those guns have become. Not really, I'd like a business, that like me and every other entity on the planet, evolves. To not serve fries was probably a really cute and innovative thing to do back in 1947, but to point your nose up to people asking for things that should be in every hamburger shop in the year 2024 makes YOU look silly, not the patron asking for them.

Also, I'm no fire chief, but the place looks like a hazard just waiting to happen. We get that you and your family built it with your own bare hands with flashlights in the dark of night and stuff, yada yada yada. Much respect; but now that you've obviously turned a pretty sweet profit over the last 70+ years, how about upgrading the joint so that people coming in from out of town don't think they may be about to get assassinated in such a dilapidated building when people take them to eat there? Is that an out of line request? What's that you say? About as out of line as asking for french fries? Ah, okay, nevermind then. Please, then by all means continue to perpetuate and be a part of the single biggest retail consumer eyesore in the city of Lafayette.

All that idiocrasy I mentioned above aside Brock, how are the burgers? Well folks, the burgers, they're um, well, they're...okay. That's it. They're just OKAY. They are the reason for the two star review instead of one, so take that for whatever it may be worth. Oh, you can put an egg on the burgers, that's sorta interesting, but pales in comparison to not being able to get fries for 70 years. There are just far too many other places in Lafayette to get a burger just as good, if not much better, AND still have a rational choice of sides, as we all should, what with it being the year 2024 and all. Now that I think about it, the Zapp's chips they have may be the best thing going for Judice Inn.

But hey, if after all this, you're still in the mood for that "old-timey, during racial segregation, set-in-my-backwards-ways diner style meal" experience, then look no further than Judice Inn - a...

Off the top...The taste of hamburgers get 5 stars...Its fantastic. The sauce...perfect. the product sells itself...and thats probably a good thing...

Having said that, I was initially put off because they absolutely do not look as big as they do in the pictures....(guys remember that).. If you order the single thinking the double might be too much, you are going to leave hungry...If you are super hungry order two. (I thought I had taken pictures of the burgers unwrapped near an object to show scale but aparently I didn't). If you are local sure this is not a problem but we drove nearly two hours...and ate a small breakfast anticipating this meal...My significant other was full but she isn't an overweight gluton like me I guess..lol.

Also...and especially if you bring your S/O or elderly loved ones...stop to use the bathroom 1st. The bathroom is outside and it reminds me of those old outdoor gas station bathrooms we used to stop at when I was a kid riding through east Texas on old Hwy 80. Bring a bag of wipes to clean up if you have kids.

For lunch, its absolutely packed with standing room only...The line often extends out the door so...get used to being observed if you plan on sitting down to eat.

If you sit to order there they are generally good natured and accommodating. Paying was a bit confusing. I took the ticket to the register...there was really only one guy who seemed to have the big picture up at all time but the rest of the younger staff behind the counter weren't so adept at multitasking...but they were young.... no big deal really.

If I had it to do over i would just pay up front so I didn't have to wait a third time. You wait to be seated, you wait to eat, and sometimes wait longer to pay...trust me...the product is consistently delicious...just pay in advance and get your order to go.

Final verdict: definitely worth it. Just know what to expect.

Remember, the burgers arent huge at all...even the bacon double.

They offer basic sodas ( diet coke/coke ) and various bagged chips ( lays/zapps..yes, they have...

I had heard that this place had the "best burgers in Lafayette" for a long time now, so I decided to finally try them for myself recently. I will say that the service was excellent, the restaurant was very clean, and had a cozy atmosphere.

I can appreciate that this business has been a staple in Lafayette for several decades now, but unfortunately I found the food itself to be severely lacking. Not only is it not the "best burger in Lafayette", I don't think it's even the best burger on Johnston Street. The burgers are tiny and your options are limited. Want toppings? You get cheese and onions, no tomatoes or pickles. Want fries? Go somewhere else, all they have are boring chips. The menu has only a handful of things to choose from, and they're all decent items, but a far cry from being as great as people proclaim. I also really don't get why they still don't have fries. Chips are not half as satisfying as fries and I still needed something to eat after I finished my tiny burger.

I really wished I liked this place more. The service was excellent, the atmosphere was nice, and the fact that it's been around so long is highly commendable. But unfortunately, I go to restaurants for food more than anything else and the food there just doesn't cut it. They may have been the best at one point, but now there are a ton of places in Lafayette that have...