A Sweet and Savory Stop at Poupart Bakery in Lafayette

Behind rows of glass display cases, Poupart Bakery puts a considerable amount of temptation within arm’s reach: glossy fruit tarts, buttery croissants, cookies, macarons, breads, slices of cake and the sort of pastries that can turn a simple coffee stop into breakfast.

This Lafayette bakery has an old-world character without limiting itself to one narrow tradition. French-influenced pastries sit alongside Louisiana favorites such as king cake, doberge cake and muffaletta sandwiches, while prepared foods and cheeses give the counter a useful lunch-and-take-home side.

It can be a quick roadside pause, especially for travelers who would rather pick up a proper pastry and something savory than settle for a hotel continental breakfast. But the calm indoor setting also suits a slower morning with coffee, a plate and a little time to look through the cases.

Croissants are a strong place to begin. They are buttery and flaky, with the almond version offering extra interest for anyone who likes a richer pastry. Poupart also makes a twice-baked Parisian-style almond croissant, an especially handsome choice that may need to be ordered ahead.

Fruit tarts bring a fresher, lighter-looking note to the display. They are a good counterpoint to the more elaborate cakes and chocolate items, especially if breakfast has already begun with a croissant.

For a little more variety, there are macarons, chocolate squares, pecan tarts and cinnamon rolls. Multiple lemon pastries and desserts add another bright option, while folds offer an intriguing pastry choice that can work on either the sweet or savory side of a visit.

The cookie selection gives a browser several different directions to go. Almond cookies, thumbprints, snickerdoodles and sugar cookies are all in the mix, making it easy to assemble a small assortment rather than committing to a single large dessert.

Cookies also travel neatly. A pastry may be best enjoyed while it is still fresh from the box, but a bag of cookies makes a practical addition to a day on the road or an easy item to bring back to the car for later.

The French cheesecake is one of the more distinctive desserts: light and whipped in texture, with a thin crunchy sugar top and chocolate bits at the bottom. It is a different experience from a dense, classic New York-style slice.

Berry cheesecake provides another option for dessert-minded visitors. The bakery also has dobash cake, a specialty worth seeking out when it is available, along with caramel doberge cake for those ready to embrace a sweeter, more celebratory slice.

Poupart’s celebration cakes extend well beyond the everyday counter. Custom orders have included a two-tier baby-shower cake designed to match a customer’s supplied idea, as well as a caramel doberge cake for an 80th birthday finished with 80 icing roses. Those sorts of detailed cakes are best treated as advance-order projects rather than spur-of-the-moment purchases.

King cake is one of Poupart’s headline specialties, with the traditional flaky French-style version standing apart from the softer, more bread-like cakes many people expect. Smaller individual king cakes are another appealing option when a full cake is more than the moment calls for.

The bakery’s king cakes have found their way well beyond Louisiana, including shipments to Texas and Washington state. Availability and shipping arrangements can vary, but the fact that the cakes have traveled gives this Lafayette stop an after-the-trip appeal.

King cake is associated with Mardi Gras, of course, yet Poupart’s cakes can also appear outside the heart of that season. For a traveler passing through at another time of year, spotting one in the case can feel like a particularly lucky bakery find.

The savory side is substantial enough to make Poupart more than a sweets destination. Spinach quiche, chicken salad, pimento cheese, muffaletta sandwiches and other sandwiches offer a useful lunch path, particularly for a group in which not everyone wants to start the day with sugar.

Bread choices have included garlic bread, ciabatta rolls, French bread and jalapeño cheese bread. The jalapeño cheese loaf gives the bakery case a little extra Louisiana-friendly personality, while French bread and ciabatta are easy additions to a meal at home.

A refrigerator section stocked with imported cheeses makes browsing even more interesting. There are also frozen prepared foods for takeout, including spaghetti trays, so a visit can end with dinner handled as well as dessert.

A few indoor seats let customers settle in with coffee and breakfast rather than carrying everything away. The room is quiet and calm, a pleasant change of pace from a rushed counter-service stop.

The seating is limited, but the bakery works nicely for lingering over a pastry, sharing a cake slice or giving a sandwich and quiche a little more attention than they might get in the front seat of a car. The large glass cases remain the center of activity, so even a short wait includes plenty to inspect.

Poupart has a free parking lot with ample parking, an everyday convenience that helps when the plan is to pick up bread, pastries, prepared foods and something refrigerated all at once.

Popular items can go quickly, including croissants, so a particular pastry may not always be waiting in the case. Larger quantities, specialty pastries and custom cakes call for advance planning.

A cooler is not a bad companion for a longer drive if cheeses, chicken salad, pimento cheese or other refrigerated purchases are joining the pastries on the trip home.