“Who killed the buffalo that’s hanging on the wall over there?”

“Mr Randy, but I forgot where he was when he killed it”

Randy Montegut opened Bon Creole as a crawfish processing plant in 1982. As the business evolved it grew into one of the most famous restaurants in Acadiana. It’s storied, beloved, and regularly the locus of fevered roadtrips from all across the South.

But we’re only in it for the po boys, and New Iberia is close enough to the buckle of the crawfish belt in Louisiana to make our choice an easy one.

Lunchtime at the lunch counter means long lines, and people stamping about as they wait on a table to clear out so they can sit down to eat.

Many patrons skip over this part, call their orders in then grab them to head back to the brake shop or the insurance agency. The old concrete block building is fairly large but over half of it is taken up by an impressive kitchen. It’s clean as a whistle and big enough to serve a dining room six fold its size.

‘Mr. Randy’ owns Bon Creole Lunch Counter with his wife Julie. He is also a formidable outdoorsman as the numerous game trophies adorning his walls can attest.

If caviar is your bag and you’re fortunate to visit New Iberia in the Winter months you may purchase bowfin or choupique caviar at the restaurant. It’s a sideline venture to the main moneymaker of selling fat sandwiches to the townfolks.

How’s the po boy? Near the top of our 500 po boys list that we’re compiling. The bread is a proper New Orleans-style loaf in that its crust shatters with little provocation. Ketchup comes standard on the sandwich so please be aware. We opted out as we’ve never found fresh Louisiana seafood to benefit from the stuff.

Dozens of expertly seasoned and fried crawfish tumble out of the paper-wrapping that swaddles the sandwich. If we had an extra loaf there’s plenty enough seafood to make a second sandwich. Price is right at under $8.

The workers are friendly and full-throated. One young lady periodically walks up to the pickup window and bellows out the patron’s name whose order is ready. If business falls off at the restaurant she would have a bright future as boss of a Louisiana chain gang.

Nueva Iberia was settled in the 1700s by a group from Málaga, Spain, led by one Francisco Bouligny.

On April 24th, 1847 the name New Iberia was formally adopted. The town enjoyed a population of 300 hearty souls.

Today the “Queen City Of The Teche’ boasts a census of nearly 31k people. We’d wager that nearly all of them are patrons of Bon Creole Lunch Counter where the Monteguts hold reign over one of the best eateries in the entire state of Louisiana.

1409 E St Peter StNew Iberia, LA70560

(337) 367-6181

Hours of operation

always call ahead

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