Behind Mambo Seafood’s Rise: The Making of a Houston Dynasty
One of Houston’s most famous restaurants is celebrating its 25th anniversary of providing consistently outstanding service and quality, being a place where local communities gather to enjoy their favorite food and drinks without breaking the bank.
That place, Mambo Seafood, has come a long way since launching its first location back in 1996 after taking over a former Taco Cabana on Hillcroft in Bellaire.
For the first three years, their sole location struggled as management took this extended time to analyze what people truly enjoy while also being careful to never copy any other restaurants.
Despite the vast majority of establishments closing inside of their first year, Mambo’s leadership continued to believe in the concept of innovative food you would never find anywhere else in the city.
As the Director of Operations for Mambo Seafood, Joel Moreno recalls those early days back when he was among the first staff members. “One thing I learned early on is if you just create food, and if you really, really like it and are proud to put it on the table, customers are going to like it too,” he says.
Even to this day, when asked what kind of restaurant they are, Moreno has nearly given up on having a specific answer. “That’s the one thing that makes us unique,” he says. “We don’t want to follow what is already defined. When we create new plates, we play with ingredients like you would when trying to impress family or good friends you’re having over.”
For those who haven’t yet experienced dining at Mambo, the menu is big and extensive, serving a fusion of Latin, Pacific, and American styles of cuisine, also including several delicious grilled options to satisfy cravings on the healthier side. Their chefs always put a Mambo twist on everything they serve to make dishes more enjoyable for the majority of guests.
“As diverse as Houston is, that is reflected in our cuisines,” Moreno says. “It’s likable to people with all kinds of tastebuds.”
From Humble Origins to Becoming a Houston Staple
Little by little, that first restaurant continued to refine its offerings. By the time Mambo Seafood opened their second location on Houston’s northside on Airline Drive, it wasn’t long before there was a line out the door. Staff immediately knew they had something special.
As popularity surged, one of the biggest draws was – and continues to be – their famous Mambo Rice, made with the guest’s choice of shrimp, chicken, pork, veggies, or prepared habanero style for an extra kick. Originally, this dish wasn’t a huge seller, but they began giving out free samples and orders immediately skyrocketed.
“I always ask people what they like about Mambo,” Moreno says. “If they say the ‘Mambo Rice,’ I know they’re a true customer. It’s one of the unique things that made us.”
While proving the origin of anything popular is always a challenge, longtime customers know that Mambo Seafood was an early pioneer way before the “michelada” trend caught on in the states. Even so, no one can still do it quite the same as Mambo, who wisely trademarked their signature Mambo Chelada®, a spicy secret recipe served in a salted mug with fresh lime juice that transforms any beer into a refreshing beverage. On top of being sold in-stores for customers to take home, the Mambo Chelada® Mix is also shipped nationwide through orders on their website.
Another beloved aspect of Mambo locations is the fact they sell fresh seafood. Look for the blue neon sign that reads “Pescaderia,” an in-store seafood market loaded with all kinds of goodies, including fresh red snapper, flounder, speckled trout, tilapia, multiple choices of shrimp, oysters from the Gulf, and more.
In the early days, customers would pop in, point at the fish they want, and grab a table while their selection was prepared for them to consume right there on the spot.
Even today, this method still exists and is preferred by many guests. Customers can select the fish of their choice, decide what cut they want (whole, middle, fillets, split, or steak), then choose fried or grilled and add a sauce like Mambo Ranchero or a topping such as shrimp, octopus, squid, or lobster.
A Devoted Following Among the Community
In many ways, you could simplify the restaurant’s business plan to this: Once they know Mambo, they will fall in love. In fact, among Mambo Seafood’s most loyal customers are their employees. Many people might find it odd to work somewhere five days in a row and then go in on your day off, but at Mambo, this is completely normal.
You’ll often see staff members stop in with family on weekends to kick back over a meal. The lunch crowd during the week is filled with workers taking a break from their office or job site, but on Sunday afternoons, you can expect 90% of the restaurant to be packed with families. Everyone has drinks, food, and the energy of good times fills the air.
An affordable price point has always been one of Mambo Seafood’s biggest draws, providing enormous value on massive serving sizes. On the operational side, Moreno and his General Managers always have their hands full, going to great lengths to ensure the food maintains its stellar quality without cutting corners.
This also means keeping the portions as big as they’ve always been without increasing prices for the customers, who are in return given the opportunity to dine in more frequently.
Through WhatsApp, all of the locations keep in contact with each other over what customers are enjoying, even when subbing in certain items or sauces.
“Customers are creative,” Moreno laughs. “They’re good at using existing ingredients we already have.” Many times these customer creations will end up as a special to see if they catch on with more hungry diners.
Overcoming COVID-19
Before the pandemic, an efficient system was already in place for online to-go orders, and the advent of curbside pickup helped them out significantly. However, after COVID slammed the restaurant industry, Mambo immediately created new positions so unemployed servers could return to work and do other tasks like deep cleaning.
Believing that a successful operation all starts with its employees – who will in return take care of the customers – Mambo also began incentivizing special bonuses to veteran employees for their loyalty. It’s amazing to see how there are multiple accomplishment stories within the organization. Often promoting from within, many of their General Managers started out with Mambo as busboys and servers, working their way up to oversee entire stores.
25 Years and Still Going Strong
In the early days, customers would pop in, point at the fish they want, and grab a table while their selection was prepared for them to consume right there on the spot. Today, this method still exists and is preferred by many guests.
Reminiscing about the restaurant’s beginning days one final time, Joel Moreno mentions how so many customers used to come in as kids with their parents. These days, they keep on coming back, but now they’re grown up, often enjoying a beer at the bar after work.
For a city with so many recent transplants, one of their main goals is that future generations grow to love the great tasting food and affordability that Mambo offers the many neighborhoods across Greater Houston. Be warned though
– if you give Mambo just one opportunity, they will hook you for life. After all, this is how Mambo was built.
“New people are always with regulars who brought them in,” says Ana Karen Tinajero, Marketing Manager for the group. “Our biggest marketers are our customers, and that speaks to how happy they are coming into Mambo.”
Now with 10 locations firmly rooted throughout Houston featuring the same popular menu, there’s no good excuse to avoid a visit.
For more info or to pinpoint a location nearest you, visit www. mamboseafood.com.