Ruby Slipper — Restaurant in Lafayette

First things first: let’s talk about the butter. Whatever cow is behind this glorious creation must be living its best life—probably on a lush, stress-free pasture where the grass is greener and the sun shines a little brighter. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came from an Amish farm where the cows are serenaded daily and churn their own butter. Whatever the secret is, it works —this butter elevated every bite to divine status.

I ordered “The Peacemaker,” which lets indecisive brunchers like me have their cake and eat it too. You get to pick two half-orders of their signature benedicts. I went with the Eggs Cochon and the Chicken St. Charles—because why not pair pork with more pork and fried chicken? It’s brunch, not a wellness retreat.

Now, let’s dive into the sauces—aka the holy grail of the dish. One had Ruby Slipper’s hollandaise, the other was drenched in a pork tasso cream sauce, both unapologetically rich with butter and heavy cream (bless them). The flavors? Bold, balanced, and unforgettable.

Confession time: I had never tried tasso before and worried it might blow my taste buds away with heat. Spoiler alert—it didn’t. What it did do was add a smoky, savory kick that turned the cream sauce into something magical. Tasso, for the uninitiated, is a highly seasoned, smoked cut of pork—usually shoulder or butt—used in Cajun and Creole dishes. It’s not a solo act, more of a background singer that steals the show. I loved it so much I’m now on a mission to find some locally and experiment like a mad brunch scientist.

Let’s not ignore the chicken in the Chicken St. Charles. This wasn’t some sad, overcooked afterthought. No, this was a golden, deep-fried boneless breast of greatness that practically did a mic drop on top of my biscuit. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside—exactly what chicken dreams are made of.

Speaking of biscuits... wow. These buttery, fluffy, in-house beauties were made with what must be luxury buttermilk. They were the perfect foundation—light, tender, and strong enough to hold up the towers of flavor piled on top.

The Eggs Cochon? Melt-in-your-mouth tender shredded pork, perfectly seasoned and roasted, lounging under a rich hollandaise so creamy it practically whispered “you’re welcome” with every bite. And yes I said, “yummy”—fight me.

Each element on my plate was thoughtfully portioned and artfully arranged on a fresh bed of baby spinach. And the eggs? The yolks popped like a brunchy little surprise party. I didn’t need to reach for the salt or pepper once—when a chef seasons this well, it’s a clear sign they actually care. You can feel the love in every bite. Honestly, this ranks in my top three dishes ever.

Mimosa Flight What's brunch without one? If brunch is your love language, the mimosa flight at The Ruby Slipper is pure poetry in bubbles. This colorful quartet delivers a playful twist on the classic, each glass packing a flavorful punch without overwhelming the senses. Blueberry Lavender – Floral and subtly sweet, this one feels like sipping a garden. The lavender isn’t overpowering, and the blueberry adds just the right amount of depth. Very soothing, almost spa-like. My favorite. Watermelon Pomegranate – Bright, bold, and refreshing. The watermelon dominates, with the pomegranate adding a slight tart kick. Summer in a glass. Pineapple Peach Bellini – The sweetest of the bunch, this mimosa leans more toward a tropical cocktail. The peach smooths out the pineapple’s tang, making it feel like a beach day no matter the season. Blue Orange Last but definitely not least: a massive shout-out to Katye, the server. Her smile lit up the room, and despite juggling several tables, she made me feel like her only guest. As a first-timer, I appreciated how she walked me through the local ingredients and menu highlights with genuine enthusiasm. Sadly Google maps limited my words, to see the entire review find me at the Substack App...

Food was really good. I could think of maybe two other brunch SPots that I liked more than this one in lafayette, which is high praise, because I have eaten brunch at almost every place you can eat brunch at in lafayette and surrounding area. So the food was pretty good. I had both the cinnamon pancakes and the biscuit gravy. I split them with someone else. It's just too much sweet pancakes for me. The biscuits and the pancakes were amazing. The gravy wasn't my favorite, but my cousin thoroughly enjoyed them.She said she prefers hers like that. I prefer mine with more breakfast sausage. So that's for sure, more of a preference. I did taste the banana faster toast. It was really good, but I think I preferred the cinnamon pancakes. The service was topped here. We got checked on many times the workers were all very nice. Now, here is the only thing I didn't like Sundays are so packed, and we're used to eating brunch on Sundays and it being packed, But the music was loud, so everyone in there was trying to talk over the music. I felt like I was going to of hoarse by the time I left. One of my friends with us said she's came on a weekday, and it's not as bad. So I don't know if it was just the day they had the music up a bit too much, and it had everyone trying to talk over. If it was just so packed, she said it wasn't that packed when she was there on a week day morning. It gave me a headache. So I don't know if we're gonna do a sunday Girls brunch there again, but I definitely would do a week morning brunch with my husband. Side note we had about eleven of us. And you can only hold tables for 6 on google. So my cousin and i held two tables of six and hopes that we could get them to combine together. And they were able to get us two booth across from each other which wasn't too bad. They told us for future reference In the note area to put that both reservations...

Bathroom odor, drink mix-ups, and missing food — all in one visit.

I was excited to try this Lafayette location after loving the NOLA Marigny one, but this visit was a letdown: strong bathroom odor, a martini that arrived as “shake it yourself” vodka with a lemon wedge, and a to-go Buddha bowl missing nearly half its ingredients. In a city full of great restaurants, there’s no reason to settle for this.

We were seated next to the bathroom, and an unpleasant odor carried through the meal. I ordered a simple vodka martini with olives and a twist of lemon rind, but was told they didn’t have olives. (?!?) I ordered a Bloody Mary instead — which arrived with a large olive right on top. I asked for the martini again, repeating my request for a lemon twist (rind). What I received was a glass of vodka with olives, a lemon wedge, and a separate glass of ice — essentially “shake it yourself.” When I asked, “Am I supposed to shake it myself?” the waiter replied, “I just work here.” At that point, I finished preparing it at the table.

My to-go Buddha bowl was also missing nearly half its ingredients (no greens, cucumber, or avocado). The waiter, who was friendly throughout, apologized and said the kitchen had been “messing up all day,” then fixed it himself. Once corrected, the Buddha bowl was fresh, flavorful, and delicious — but the initial oversight was hard to overlook. Had I not opened it before leaving, I would’ve arrived home with half of what I paid for.

Lafayette has no shortage of excellent restaurants, and diners don’t need to settle for poor execution when there are so many good options. This location will need to step up its game if it wants to compete — it can’t rely on the New Orleans reputation alone. I hope management addresses these issues so it can live up to the quality and consistency that many of us have come to expect...