I was looking for a lunch place to visit after touring the Tabasco Factory. Cafe Jefferson was about 20 minutes from the factory but from the Yelp rating I figured it was worth the drive. And it was! When you drive in the entrance of the Rip Van Winkle Gardens you're struck by how beautiful the scenery is and the immense trees. We loved seeing the peacocks that were free roaming. You enter through the gift store to go to the Cafe which is in back of the store. We were greeted and seated right away on the closed in porch of the restaurant. Our server was friendly and super helpful with our questions about the menu. I ordered the Seafood Heaven after asking which was her favorite between that and the Crab Meat Au Gratin. It came with a Caesar salad which needed a little more dressing but was good. The fresh baked rolls were warm, doughy goodness. My entree was delicious! Shrimp, crab meat, and crawfish on a bed of angel hair pasta topped with creamy basil sauce which was like a slightly spicy bisque. Dip the buttered bread in the sauce for a mouth watering experience! To boot the view over the lake and large tree was beautiful. I could see the tables in back with tree lights making for a romantic dinner. read more

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Always great foods, nice ambience, beautiful gardens. Well worth the 30" from IH10 or 10" from US90. read more

Cafe Jefferson - Lake Peigneur via Cafe window. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Iberia, Louisiana

This place blew me away! The food was incredible. The view was amazing. The wait staff was perfect. I'll be dreaming about this for a long time. read more

Cafe Jefferson - White wine - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Iberia, Louisiana

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We had lunch with friends. 8 of us sat at a table in the bar. It was perfect. Brittany the manager took care of us and she did a wonderful job all with a huge smile. I had a 1/2 muffalta sandwich with chips and hubby had a cup of gumbo and a roast beef hogie. I really didn't keep track of everyone's meal but everyone enjoyed their meals !! Highly recommend! We will definitely return when in the area. read more

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We came for lunch on a Monday afternoon around 12. The hostesses were quick to accommodate our party of 14! The service was excellent. I had the seafood bisque and it was heavenly. Everyone around me was also enjoying their food immensely. If you come visit the Rip Van Winkle gardens I highly recommend stopping by Cafe Jefferson! Especially because the peacocks will greet you as you leave on the patio! read more

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We looked up a fantastic place to go for lunch after visiting Avery Island and Cafe Jefferson came at the top of the list. The ambience reminded me of some of the high end restaurants in New Orleans - it was busy but not slammed. We waited a few minutes before being seated but nothing out of hand. Once we sat down we just looked at the food coming out and marvelled at the dishes from the kitchen. Our server was wonderful and took our orders quickly. The food here was a game changer - my gumbo and crawfish etoufee were amazing while my wife's salad and sandwich were equally excellent. The topper was the view of the lake that took our breath away. What a gem this place is. If you're in the neighborhood this place is a must. read more

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We did not have a good experience on Valentines Day. We had reservations for the 5:30 sitting, we were sat quickly. No server ever came to our table. We attempted to get the attention of a server, but we were ignored. Not even a glass of water, other tables near us had drinks and soon food. So, around 6:10 we decided to leave, then all of a sudden we were noticed! One waitress offered to wait on us, but we felt we would be rushed because there was a second seating at 7:30. As we left, I'm (assuming) the manager offered us to go back and she would wait on us, but again, we felt we'd be rushed. The apologies were appreciated, and we've been many times over the past 20 years and had great service, but it was just completely unacceptable. We did notice a table near us did get drinks, but no one ever took their food order. read more

So darned good, you can't find a better experience a more appealing setting, attentive service service and utterly delicious food anywhere! We walked the gardens and home then finished the visit with a delightful meal at the cafe. Try the seafood heaven, shrimp po boy or gumbo for an entree but don't skip deserts, particularly the lava cane a la mode. I'm still dreaming about that experience! read more

Absolutely love this place!!! Never knew such an amazing restaurant in New Iberia! After dining, definitely stay and take a look at the amazing views! The bisque was delicious!! We will definitely be back next trip home! read more

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We went for lunch before walking the gardens and got seated pretty quickly. We got our drinks pretty quick as well. What took the longest was getting out food but it was well worth the wait. The salads were fresh, the gumbo's were hot and had great flavor, the hot yeast rolls reminded me of being back in school when that was the best part of lunch was the rolls and the dessert was out of this world. Definaty a must stop if you are in the area. read more

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BEAUTIFUL views + peacocks! my husband and I each had the Seafood Heaven and key lime pie, both were great! the amount of shrimp, crawfish and especially lump crab meat in the entree were above average. would definitely recommend and also return. a walk through the gardens afterwards was the perfect ending. read more

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Our bother brought us here for lunch. We had crawfish étouffée I and my brother had eggplant Michelle. My sister in law had the chicken Caesar salad. We had fresh baked bread. Every dish was delicious. Not too spicy . I asked more rice. The salad was very large with lettuce. Stacy was very nice and professional service bringing us refills of ice tea and fresh lemon aid. The view of the lake and gardens and we loved the peacocks. We will be back. read more

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I had just toured the Rip Van Winkle gardens and I was feeling famished, and this is on the same property, so I stopped in. I was promptly seated and asked what I wanted to drink. I got the crab meat au gratin and it was amazing. And those warm rolls they served were pretty darn good. I would recommend this for anyone in the area or as a compliment to the garden tour. It was reasonably priced and everything was neat, clean and well organized. read more

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Food was good, service was terrible. Waited so long just for menus, so we went to ask if we could get some ourselves to be ready to order since it was slightly busy. Waited even longer for menus after asking. Multiple tables sat after us and received menus, drinks, and even food before us. Tables were even finished with their whole dining cycle before we got food. We were there celebrating a birthday and instead left frustrated and feeling neglected for simply trying to help the process along. read more

After spending some time exploring Jefferson Island, we'd worked up an appetite and decided to check out Cafe Jefferson. Cafe Jefferson's setting is so pretty it's dream like. Nestled between ancient oaks and lush gardens with a picture perfect view of Lake Peigneur, it couldn't be more romantic. I chose the Chicken Sauce Piquant for my entree and really enjoyed it. The tomato sauce was delicious and perfectly complimented the tender chicken quarter. My friend had the Crawfish Etouffee and seemed to enjoy it as well. I should mention the portions are kind of small, especially considering the prices are not. This definitely is more of a special occasion kind of dining experience. One more thing...we walked in about twenty minutes before closing time (yeah, we were THOSE guys) but our waitress treated us like we were her first table of the day. I so appreciate that kind of customer service. Check out Cafe Jefferson for a memorable meal. read more

Cafe Jefferson - Chicken Sauce Piquant - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Iberia, Louisiana

The food at this place is to die for. This restaurant is located at Jefferson Island and is a great place to take in the gardens on location as well. It should be known that the place attracts a certain type, being wealthier, older types, who may judge you on your appearance(race/attire/mixed company). That's of no consequence to restaurant itself. The grounds are amazing and outdoor seating is an option. We chose seating outside, with a view of the oaks and the water. Our server was kind and quick. We had a variety of dishes and they were all amazing. The small cup of bisque was loaded with seafood. Our server kind of disappeared near the end but I will chalk that up to short staffing and the lunch rush. Be prepared to spend a few hours at this place for the gardens. It's worth it. read more

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this place is nice. The scenery is awesome. The food is great when I got there they just got a bus load so it was really busy, but I still got my food in a decent time I had seafood heaven pasta also got a cup of gumbo and I did get the pecan pie and ice cream, which I do highly recommend read more

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The food looked absolutely amazing. We were restricted as we are both gluten-free though. When we asked the waitress said they had a gluten-free menu, but then came back and said nothing but the Chicken Michelle was GF. I think there were probably some other options, bit she wasn't familiar enough with what GF meant. She offered us crackers since we couldn't eat the bread. So clear not up on GF. I assumed the salads were GF if you held the croutons. I risked it and got the chicken Ceasar. It was huge! Good Ceasars. Hubby got the chili and it was good too. read more

We didn't plan to eat at the cafe but are so glad we did! Everything was delicious and the restaurant is beautiful. We enjoyed the huge windows overlooking the garden. Our party of 2 was sat immediately but larger parties might have a wait. The sweet tea is amazing and they'll bring a pitcher to your table! read more

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This is a beautiful place to dine and they serve the very best Crabmeat Augratin, it's far superior to any I've ever tasted. The crabmeat Augratin must have a 1/2 pound of jumbo lump crabmeat in it there is no filler crap in it just jumbo lump of blue crab meat And delicately seasoned in a Béchamel sauce with mild cheeses. The seafood gumbo is also superior to any other. It's chock full of shrimp, lump crabmeat and Louisiana crawfish and Louisiana seasonings not spicy just delicious. The cafe sits on the grounds of the Rip Van Winkle Planation And overlooks a beautiful lake and gardens. This is a must go place so don't miss out. Go ahead and make plans they are open Monday thru Sunday 11 AM to 3PM AND Friday and Saturday nights 4pm till 8 Pm what what lovely date night place or Bridal Shower place or just for a family to go heck the food is so delicious and the place is so peaceful and beautiful I've came here myself more than a few times and don't be afraid of the many beautiful peacocks roaming around the grounds they are gorgeous P.S. don't be alarmed by the black pepper because I added it, I'm a black pepper lover read more

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Food is great and the view is amazing service is first class Please check it out if you go to Rip Van Winkle gardens read more

A great little quaint place to enjoy lunch with a spectacular view! The shady oaks definitely sets the scene in the back!!! Great selections to choose from on the menu! read more

Cafe Jefferson - Shady Oaks - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Iberia, Louisiana

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Food: The food was very good. We had the Gumbo, Applewood Bacon Turkey Sandwich, and Chili. Everything was delicious. For dessert we had the Cheese Cake and the Tiramisu. Again, delicious. However, the Chicken Piquant was very heavy and a little too rich. But that is the only complaint. Well, not even a complaint; more a word of caution. Menu Options: Mostly sandwiches and traditional "Southern Louisiana" food. Waiter: Terri, our waitress, was amazing. Fresh bread, drinks were never empty, and friendly service. Atmosphere: Our cozy table for two overlooked the sprawling acreage. The mighty oaks provided some shade, while the peacocks provided much entertainment. Price: Fairly reasonable. You're paying for the novelty of eating on the grounds. For lunch, and the quality of the food, the prices seem reasonable. Not expensive, but not inexpensive. read more

Cafe Jefferson - Chili and Applewood Turkey Sandwich - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Iberia, Louisiana

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Sat outside with Astro resident pussycat! Had the seafood gumbo it was fabulous! Hubby had Chadwich Po Boy sandwich! Outstanding service! Beautiful scenery, and fresh homemade rolls to die for!!!!! read more

Best you can get in that entire area. Fantastic food and an even better atmosphere. Absolutely beautiful grounds. Awesome service. Go. read more

Cafe Jefferson - Menu - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Iberia, Louisiana

This is a hidden gem. The beautiful peacefulness was such a delight. We stumbled upon this place so happy we did. The club, gumbo & bisque were all so good. We hope to return soon. read more

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Good food & service. Bloody Mary is excellent. Grounds are beautiful. Always bring out of town guests here.

What a wonderful find! Set in a beautiful garden with Peacocks strolling the grounds. We sat outside under huge trees facing the lake and had a wonderful lunch. The food is excellent. My wife had the seafood cream bisque which was chocked full of shrimp, crabmeat and crawfish. My muffaletta sandwich was huge and I only ordered a half. If you are in the area, this is a "don't miss" restaurant! read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Cafe Jefferson today! The food was delicious, and the scenery was spectacular! My husband had the smoked turkey pesto sandwich. I had the Chickalada sandwich. We split the apple blossom a la mode dessert - EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS!!! We WILL definitely visit again, and maybe stay in one of the bed and breakfast spot read more

Cafe Jefferson - Apple blossom a la mode. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Iberia, Louisiana

This was a real serendipitous find and I was very pleased and surprised at what a great spot this is. I had just completed the Avery Island Tabasco Sauce Factory Tour and Jungle Garden tour with a nice breakfast at the Tabasco Restaurant 1868 and we were looking for a good lunch spot in the area. My search brought up the Cafe Jefferson so I was very surprised as we came upon the Rip Van Winkle Gardens which somehow I had never heard of. Well this is just a fantastic place that has the historic Joseph Jefferson House with its gardens sitting right next to the infamous Lake Peigneur (which I certainly had heard of). The Cafe Jefferson is only open for lunch and it was quite busy during the weekend time I visited as it seems to be quite a popular spot in the area. That popularity is well earned as the service and food were all done very well and in some of the most fantastic scenery you will find in any spot. Their Crawfish Cardinal was one of the most fantastic things I have had in quite awhile then the Eggplant Michelle was not far behind and even the rolls were pretty great. The seafood gumbo was a very thick roux Acadian style that was alright but I prefer the Creole style New Orleans gumbo style generally. Dessert was a very hard choice as I wanted everything but I finally decided on the Apple Blossom which did not disappoint. This meal capped off a really great day of adventures already but the entire rest of the afternoon brought even more adventures with the tour of the gardens, house and the movie about Jefferson Island and the Lake Peigneur incident. Overall this is a fantastic experience that offers a lot of bang for the buck with lots of eye candy served with delicious food to boot. read more

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A bit out of the way but so worth it. I had the eggplant and although I looks less than appetizing, it tasted wonderful. My wife had the muffletta. She has had better, and she ate half of mine and left most of hers. read more

Great food and great service the atmosphere was amazing.A good family place to eat.I would recommend this place to anyone who is hungry.

Good place to take a date on when you wanna be romantic with good food with a nice stroll around the RIP van wrinkle garden (Don't forget to buy the tickets in the front) read more

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The food was delicious and the service was the best. I had the shrimp remoulade and will order it again on my next visit. I will be taking my family there soon . This restaurant is amazing! read more

This place is so cute, I love it! This was my favorite part after finishing the Rip Van Winkle Garden. The café sits right by the water so the view is relaxing and beautiful. Everything on the menu sounded so good it was really hard to make a decision on what to order. I really wanted to try it all. My husband and I ended up ordering the crawfish etouffee and seafood heaven pasta. Mannnn, the pasta was AMAZING. The portions are perfect and even the bread before the meal was fresh, warm, and soft. Everything about this café was awesome. We were so full we couldn't order dessert, although we wanted to. I really want to go back! read more

The atmosphere is so bright and fresh. The beauty of the views out of the cafe's windows are breathtaking. I have been there so many times, never eating the same thing twice and have neer had a bad meal. As a matter of fact I always take a half of muffalotta sandwich to go, they make the most amazing ones and a whole is a bit bigger than a dinner plate. They have always greeted us very promtly and very attentively throughout the meal. For the days that are warm to hot or rainy they have indoor dinning. For the times you just want some fresh air there is a lovely patio for dinning. It is a family friendly cafe and dress is casual. Rather it's lunch during the week with co-workers, Sunday lunch after church, a group celebrating a special birthday or shower, you can't go wrong with Cafe Jefferson. I do recommend making reservations for parties of more than 6, especially on Sundays. Enjoy! read more

Our whole experience here was excellent. The gardens and house is beautiful and well maintained. We were there on a Tuesday, the cafe was extremely busy. The waitress informed us of that. We didn't wait long at all for a table. We were served by Maci B she was very attentive and friendly. The food was wonderful. I has the seafood heaven , a pasta dish. My husband had the crab au gratin. Very tasty and the portions were just right. read more

Don't let the walk through a souvenir shop hold you back. It's a great view and good food. Lots of people here on Sunday. Old fashioned bread rolls were good. The seafood bisque had a lot of stuff in there and was creamy. Overall pretty good. The eggplant Michele was not what I was expecting but it was good as well. A lot of crabmeat. Had their bread pudding to finish the meal and it too was very very good. Don't skip on dessert! Added ice cream cause it's always better with ice cream. Haha good food good small town atmosphere beautiful view from inside. Nice staff. Probably will come again next time I'm around. read more

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This place is an oasis in the middle of nothing Louisiana. So worth the trip! My chicken sausage gumbo had just the right amount of spice. Not sure my husband loves the crawfish etouffee. But it was worth sampling the Cajun fare. The rolls come out warm and doughy. And the bourbon pecan pie was just to die for. It's not made there (only the bread pudding is), but still so worth it. Service is ultra friendly. They were accommodating to our baby and the server gave us a great intro to the property and area. Then we took a mist unbelievably peaceful stroll through the gardens. They are giant! And gorgeous. The lake setting is breathtaking. And dozens of peacocks everywhere. read more

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Can't wait to go back! Delicious, hot, fresh pastrami sandwich & a muffuletta. I had the shrimp remoulade better than the photos! read more

Cafe Jefferson - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Iberia, Louisiana

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