The purpose of this article is to show restaurants in Lafayette, Louisiana someone could find in 1952. Due to changes in street names, I used the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and Google Maps to locate the addresses shown on the map. In addition to the map, I will include some of the menus and food someone may have seen while dining in 1952 Lafayette.
Map Link in ArcGIS web mapviewer: https://arcg.is/0Cj4PX0
Locations
In total, there are sixty-five restaurants listed in the City Directory, with only two remaining open. Many of these restaurants, shown by the map above, were located in the downtown area of Lafayette. They are much like the diners and local coffee shops that one can see today. Most of the restaurants outside of downtown can be found around the train station, bus station, and Highway 90, catering to frequent travelers passing through.
Poor Boys Riverside Inn
Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn is one of the remaining restaurants in Lafayette that you can still visit and dine at. Starting off as a Snowball stand on St. John Street, Hulo Landry(1901-1958) started making poboys. After getting big enough, Hulo moved his business to the Vermillion River, where it is on the map above. The restaurant was relocated again in 1977 to 240 Tubing Road in Broussard, LA, where it is today, and still serves many of the same items someone would have seen seventy years ago.
Don’s Seafood
Don’s Seafood is the other remaining restaurant that you can still eat at in Lafayette. It was opened in 1934 by Don Landry Sr. and his brothers Ashby and Willie. Sadly, the original location of Don’s closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but there are more locations still open to eat at with similar food items. Locations can be found throughout southern Louisiana as they are trying to expand their business.
Food/Menus:
Extra Pictures
Toby’s Oak Grove could be found at 1605 Cameron Street. 
De Rousselle Snacks found on the corner of Highway 90 and East College, also known as the “Four Corners.” 
The Blair House was on the corner of East Main, and Jefferson found in the Gordon Hotel. 
Poor Boys Riverside Inn was Flooded on the banks of the Vermillion River in 1940. 
“Ashby Landry and Don’s customers sending a toast to Don who was serving in the War”
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