On Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette, a small diner called Sunday’s still builds root beer floats, Italian cream sodas, and banana splits the old way, right behind the counter. It sits next door to the Lafayette Science Museum, and the scent of ice cream reaches you before the menu does.
The soda fountain was once the heart of Main Street life across America, and very few of them are still pulling sodas in Louisiana today. Sunday’s keeps that habit going with a Cajun twist or two, and it is worth knowing what to order before you pull up a stool.
A Soda Fountain Address At 431 Jefferson Street
Jefferson Street runs through the busiest stretch of downtown Lafayette, and Sunday’s holds down number 431. The building shares a block with the Lafayette Science Museum, which makes it an easy lunch stop after an hour with the exhibits next door.
Officially, it is listed as a diner. The website, sundayssodafountain.com, tells you more about how the place sees itself, since the soda fountain is the whole idea.
Ice cream, floats, hand-mixed sodas, and sundaes share the menu with burgers, sandwiches, brunch plates, and a couple of South Louisiana touches that you would not find at a fountain in Ohio.
Downtown location matters here. Sunday’s sits inside a walkable grid of restaurants, galleries, and music spots, so it tends to fill up when the neighborhood does.
Visitors have noted big crowds during the downtown Art Walk, and another neighboring restaurant, Flats, is close enough that people sometimes compare the two on the same evening.
For a first-time visitor, the takeaway is simple. This is a compact, sit-down spot built around ice cream and fountain drinks, placed right in the middle of a part of town where people already wander, eat, and linger on weekends.
Checkered Nostalgia And The Scent Of Fresh Ice Cream
Walk in, and the first thing most people register is not the decor at all. Guests mention that you can smell the ice cream as soon as the door opens, a sweet, creamy note that sets expectations before anyone hands over a menu.
The look leans hard into the middle of the last century. Visitors describe the room as vintage inspired, with some saying it feels like walking into the 1950s.
It is a small space, and several people call it intimate or quiet during slower hours, which suits a place where dessert is the main event.
Seating comes in a few forms. There are tables inside, high tops, a bar-style counter where conversations with strangers happen easily, and outdoor seating for pleasant Lafayette afternoons.
One note for families with toddlers: at least one guest found the counter stools a tricky fit for very small children.
A shelf of board games has been part of the charm, too. Families have enjoyed playing while waiting on sundaes, though one recent visitor found several games missing pieces.
Even so, the idea says a lot about the room’s intent, which is to slow people down long enough to finish a float at the table.
Why Soda Fountains Once Belonged To Pharmacists
Long before diners claimed them, soda fountains lived inside drugstores. In the late 1800s, pharmacists mixed flavored syrups with carbonated water, partly believing the fizzy tonics had health benefits, and several famous soft drinks got their start at those counters.
The workers who ran them became known as soda jerks, named for the pulling motion used on the fountain taps. They built phosphates, egg creams, sundaes, and floats by hand, and a good one could turn a busy counter into something close to a show.
Louisiana still has a few links to that era. E.W.
Thomson Drug Company in Delhi, founded in 1873, keeps a working fountain beside its pharmacy, and Dearman’s in Baton Rouge grew out of a 1950s drugstore lunch counter. Those places carry the original pharmacy lineage directly.
Sunday’s comes at the tradition from a different angle. It is not a drugstore and does not claim to be one.
Instead, it borrows the fountain format itself, the counter, the hand-mixed sodas, and the ice cream built to order, and sets it in downtown Lafayette. Knowing the backstory makes the menu more fun to read, because every float on it descends from a druggist’s experiment.
Hand-Mixed Sodas, Cream Sodas And Classic Floats
Syrup, fizz, and a steady hand are still the core of the operation. Sunday’s offers hand-mixed sodas, and guests have singled out flavors like apple as a highlight, along with Italian cream sodas that pair flavored syrup with soda and a splash of cream.
Floats pull a lot of attention too. The root beer float appears again and again in guest accounts, and some visitors order vanilla sodas topped with vanilla ice cream for a double dose of the same flavor.
One family noted paying around $8 per float, so budget accordingly if a whole table orders them.
Presentation has drawn mixed notes. Most visitors describe the classic clear glass experience, while one longtime family was disappointed to receive floats in plastic cups, one served with a canned root beer on the side.
That kind of detail matters at a fountain, where the glass is half the ritual.
If you are deciding, start with something you cannot easily get at home. An apple soda or an Italian cream soda shows off the hand-mixing better than a standard cola, and a root beer float remains the safe bet for anyone who wants the most classic version of a soda fountain order.
Sundaes, Banana Splits And Thick Milkshakes
Ice cream is the single most talked-about thing at Sunday’s, ahead of any sandwich or burger. Milkshakes follow closely behind, and sundaes are not far back, which tells you where the kitchen’s reputation really lives.
The Original Banana Split is exactly what the name promises, a long dish loaded with scoops, fruit, and toppings, and it travels well enough that some guests take one to go. The PB and J Sundae is the more playful pick, turning a lunchbox sandwich into dessert.
Brownie a la mode gets frequent mentions as well, served hot and heavy on fudge.
Milkshakes come in regular versions that regulars order on repeat. One guest described trying something different on every visit and never landing on a dud, which is about the best endorsement a dessert menu can get.
Quality notes are not unanimous. A returning family felt the ice cream on a recent visit tasted more like a familiar store brand than something homemade, and they expected better at the price.
Most other visitors describe the desserts warmly, and seasonal specials rotate in, so asking what is new that week is a smart move before you default to a split.
French Beignets With A Crawfish Sauce Twist
Here is where the fountain turns unmistakably Acadiana. Sunday’s serves French beignets, and they come up more often in guest conversation than any savory item on the menu.
The powdered sugar version is the dessert play, and several guests have finished meals with a plate of them. The more unusual option pairs beignets with a crawfish sauce, turning them into something closer to a savory appetizer.
Visitors who ordered that combination recommend it strongly, and it is the kind of dish that makes sense in Lafayette in a way it might not elsewhere.
Care in the kitchen shows up in the stories. One couple described a batch that did not pass the chef’s own check, so the entire order was remade, with the server explaining the delay rather than leaving them guessing.
Another guest called them the best beignets they had eaten.
Not everyone agrees. One brunch table felt their beignets picked up flavor from the fryer, and in South Louisiana, where beignet opinions run strong, that critique stung.
The restaurant responded that the beignets remain among its most popular items. Order them fresh at the table rather than to go, since fried dough rarely improves on the ride home.
Burgers On Sweet Buns And A Pastrami Following
Surprise seems to be the common reaction to the burgers. One visiting couple came for floats and left talking about the Sunday Burger, pointing to a soft bun with a hint of sweetness that held everything together.
Variations stack up quickly. Guests have ordered a Brunch Burger, double burgers topped with a fried egg, and simple cheeseburgers with fries, and the reports lean toward fresh and hot off the grill.
The Festival Queen is another named item that drew praise for bold flavor, a nod in its title to Lafayette’s festival culture.
Pastrami has a quieter fan club. The pastrami sandwich shows up in guest chatter often enough to suggest it is a sleeper pick for people who want something beyond a burger.
A BLT and chicken tenders with gravy round out the sandwich-and-basket side.
Sides are worth a real look. Truffle fries earn enthusiastic mentions, loaded fries and chili fries lean heavier, and fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, and pimento cheese bites work well for sharing across a table before dessert.
The trick is pacing yourself, because arriving at the sundae course already full is the most common rookie mistake at any fountain worth visiting.
Brunch Plates, Catfish And Morning Lattes
Weekend mornings bring a different crowd, and Sunday’s opens at 10 AM on Saturdays and Sundays to catch it. The brunch side of the menu covers pancakes, bacon, burgers with brunch toppings, and plates that go beyond typical soda fountain fare.
The Seafood Plate might be the biggest revelation. An out-of-town family called the catfish some of the best they had eaten, which is a notable claim anywhere near the Atchafalaya.
Pancakes won praise at that same table, making this a reasonable stop for a group with split cravings.
Coffee has its own following. Iced and hot options are available, and one guest on a date night described a latte as among the best she had ordered, paired with a salad for something lighter.
Flavored lattes carry a small upcharge, and at least one visitor felt the hazelnut flavor did not come through.
Timing can be uneven at peak brunch hours. One family reported a child’s pancakes arriving after everyone else had finished.
If you are bringing kids on a busy weekend morning, mention it when ordering, and consider putting their plates in first so the table eats together.
Servers Who Know The Menu, And The Crowds They Handle
Names come up constantly when guests talk about Sunday’s, and that is unusual. Servers get credited individually for recommendations, quick seating during packed nights, and even tips on what else to see in Lafayette for travelers with only a day and a half in town.
Format has shifted over the years. Earlier visitors described grabbing a menu, finding a seat, and ordering at the counter, while recent accounts describe table service and friendly bartenders working the counter.
Either way, the room is small, so the staff sets the tone quickly.
Busy stretches test that. Wait time is one of the most discussed topics, particularly on sunny Sunday afternoons and during downtown events.
A few guests have reported confusion at the door, including being told the place was full when outdoor seats were open, or being steered away from four-top tables as a party of two.
Larger groups should know that gratuity may be added to the bill, which surprised one family of six. The restaurant has responded to complaints publicly and invited guests to email [email protected].
Arriving early, being flexible about seating, and asking about outdoor tables will smooth out most visits.
Hours, Seating And Planning A Downtown Stop
Mondays and Tuesdays are off the table, since Sunday’s closes both days. The rest of the week runs Wednesday 10:30 AM to 9 PM, Thursday 11 AM to 9 PM, Friday 11 AM to 10 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 10 PM, and Sunday 10 AM to 8 PM.
Friday and Saturday nights stretch latest, which makes them handy for dessert after dinner elsewhere downtown. Live music has turned up on some evenings, and guests describe those nights as lively.
The phone number is 337-408-3226 if you want to check on crowds or specials before heading over.
Budget varies with appetite. One family of five or six spent about $67, while a brunch table ordering floats, lattes, beignets, and several entrees topped $90.
Many guests call the pricing fair for downtown, though a few felt dessert costs ran high for what arrived.
Parking and walking fit into the plan naturally. The address, 431 Jefferson St, sits beside the Lafayette Science Museum, so pairing the two works well for families.
Weekday lunches and early evenings typically offer the calmest room, while Art Walk nights and sunny Sunday afternoons bring the longest waits.
A Tall Glass Worth Sitting Down For
Picture the order that sums the place up: a root beer float in a tall glass, a plate of beignets with crawfish sauce on the side, and a seat at the counter where strangers end up swapping recommendations. That mix of old fountain habit and Acadiana appetite is the reason Sunday’s stands out on Jefferson Street.
It is not a historic drugstore, and it never pretends to be. What it offers is the fountain format kept in working order, with hand-mixed sodas, sundaes, and splits built behind the counter, plus a kitchen that turns out burgers and catfish good enough to surprise people who came only for ice cream.
Expect imperfections on crowded days. Waits can stretch, seating rules can confuse, and a few longtime visitors have noticed dips in consistency.
Those notes are worth weighing, especially with small kids in tow.
Still, the pull is easy to understand once the ice cream smell hits at the door. Go on a quiet Wednesday or an early weekend morning, order something hand-mixed you cannot make at home, and give the float the time it deserves.
A soda fountain works best when nobody is in a hurry.