Judice Inn Has A New Look, But The Same Great Taste

The iconic Lafayette burger joint has a new look.

I was driving down Johnston street yesterday when something caught my eye. It was one of those moments where you see something out of the corner of your eye and that something was a bright red new awning on Judice Inn.

As long as I could remember—which pales in comparison to the amount of time this Lafayette staple has been open—the Judice Inn awning was a dark hunter green color. As a matter of fact, a big part of the Judice Inn brand is the restaurant being "as-is" from when they first started serving burgers in 1947.

I made the block to get a better look at the signage, and noticed that the booths and tables were outside of the restaurant.

Normally, Judice Inn closes down the week of Mardi Gras and their voicemail greeting confirmed they would be closed through this Sunday (March 5).

The sign looks spiffy (Judice Inn has always been a BIG UL supporter), and after sending a few texts, a couple of personal friends from the restaurant semi-confirmed that they had a few new things going on inside and connected me with their general manager, Gerald Judice.

Judice said there were a few changes happening, but said it was more of a "repair" than a "remodel." As the burger joint draws closer to their 70th anniversary (April 5), customers can expect a little more comfort with some new seating inside, replacing the 20-year-old booths that had definitely seen their better days.

Those old booths had more of a "fast food" feel and Judice said he felt that his customers deserved better—plus, Judice Inn is definitely not a fast food joint. And speaking of fast food, after 70 years you still won't see fries on the menu or ketchup at the table.

Judice said in his family, ketchup has always been seen as something that would mask the flavor of bad food. Anyone who's enjoyed a Judice Inn burger knows that they definitely don't need any help in the flavor department.

So, other than the awning, the seating and the usual fresh coat of paint the restaurant normally sees every few years, the same great taste and hometown feel can be expected from the gang over at Judice Inn.

Make sure you stop by soon to grab a burger and check out their new look.