Bisbano's Pizza Parlor

As the ""Bud Effect is being applied to the US restaurant market, we are experiencing the strangulation and disappearance of local food and uniqueness in dining. I apologize for this preamble, but uniqueness has a lot to do with my criteria for restaurants. I look for something great that can only be found in one place and heres why.\r \r The Budweiser strategy is to build a product has broad appeal and mass market it. The Bud Effect is that your competitors will follow your strategy not only by choice, but by necessity or else they will get wiped off the shelf (e.g. Pepsi & Coke versus RC) and then the shelf gets filled with the same product under different labels. If the product is one that is an acquired taste such as coffee, beer, deli meats, cheese, bread, etc., consumers develop a liking to only that mass-market product. This increases the demand preference toward the mass-market product and away from the unique local variety. When the local variety cannot compete in terms of price or preference, there is no variety.\r \r About 30 years ago, this strategy was applied to restaurants (Bennigans, TGI Fridays, Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, etc.). Lafayette still has some unique restaurant experiences that are survivors of Americas invasion of bland. Bisbanos, Olde Tyme Grocery and The Judice Inn Hamburgers are three such great, unique experiences.\r \r So, yes, the pizza is supposed to taste a bit burnt, but its an acquired taste. Bisbanos make a matza crust that is a lot closer to real pizza as you would find in Europe. But, it is not anything that I have ever found in Europe. The ambiance is also unique. Its snapshot of its founding in the 70s like Central Grocery in New Orleans is a snapshot of its ancient founding. Youre not there for the faux antique road signs and bric-a-brac, youre there for a unique American experience. Pros: It's unique. If you leave Lafayette without trying this, then you missed something. Cons: It may take 3 visits to become a fan and after 5 visits, you may become addicted. more

The couple of times I have gone here the pizza has always been burnt on the bottom. I don't know if they intend for the crust to be burnt but the burnt flavor you taste while eating the pizza isn't pleasant. I know some people love this place, but I'll pass. Cons: burnt pizza crust more

This pizza is tasty and very affordable. The blend of cheeses gives it an excellent flavor, and the thin crust allows you to experience the toppings instead of just the bread. This ""hole-in-the-wall"" was a pleasant suprise, and the open-air back porch looks like a cool place to hang out in the evenings. more