Ragin’ Cajun comes to Woodlands
The family owned Ragin’ Cajun is continuing to cook up a recipe for success, opening a fifth location in the greater Houston area in The Woodlands on March 21.
The restaurant, which serves Cajun food, opened at 2626 Research Forest Drive.
Owners are Dominic Mandola and his father, Luke B. Mandola Sr .
The Mandola family has been bringing the flavors of Loui- siana to Texas since opening a small sandwich shop, “Ray Hay’s Cajun Po-Boys” at 4302 Richmond Ave. in 1974.
Brothers Luke and Frankie Mandola teamed up with Ray Hay to start the business, and it was well-received by homesick Louisiana natives living in the Houston area, as well as others looking for a bit of Cajun spice.
The restaurant’s claim to fame, according to the Mandolas, is that it was the first in Houston to serve fresh boiled crawfish.
In 1981, Luke Mandola bought out his previous business partners and joined forces
with Frank Messina.
The duo changed the name to Ragin’ Cajun for the team at the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
In 2000, Mandola’s sons Luke Jr. and Dominic joined the team. Together, they opened another location on the west side of Houston, on Westheimer Road in Woodlake Square. The new location offered an 80-foot oyster bar and New Orleansstyle patio.
Two years later Ragin Cajun opened in the downtown Houston tunnel system and in 2004 opened in Sugar Land. Focus on Ragin’ Cajun
Dominic Mandola said he wanted to go into the restaurant business after obtaining his culinary degree in 1999. He wanted to focus on Ragin’ Cajun.
“I told my dad, if it ain’t broke, let’s not fix it,” he said with a laugh. “Let’s open more.”
In 2007, Messina retired, and in 2014, Dominic Mandola and his father took over the operations completely.
They had their eye on The Woodlands as a potential location for a few years, Dominic Mandola said.
“We’ve been catering out there for a while,” he explained. “We knew that The Woodlands had a lot of Louisiana natives who had settled there.”
Plus, the area was growing.
“We just thought it would be a good fit for us,” Mandola said.
When a former pizza restaurant became available for rent, Mandola jumped at the opportunity. He began remodeling the space in November and finished construction in February.
When doors opened, customers found the classic Ragin’ Cajun menu — boiled crawfish, grilled seafood, fried shrimp, jambalaya, gumbo and red beans and rice.
The new location also has a 27-foot, New Orleans-style oyster bar offering raw and chargrilled oysters on the half shell.
The restaurant also has a full bar, serving iced beers, a variety of cocktails and hurricane drinks.
Mandola said creating a fun atmosphere is key.
“We always have a sporting event on the TV,” he said. “We always have Cajun music on. People are talking, and everyone has a good time when they come to Ragin’ Cajun.”
Customer service is the top priority.
“We’re still familyowned, and we treat everyone like family,” Mandola said. “It’s all about customer service. Treat the customers like family, and they’ll leave with a good taste in their mouths.”
The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 21 and the restaurant celebrated its grand opening all day on March 22.
Around 800 people attended the event, which doubled as a fundraiser for HOPE: The Will Herndon Fund for Juvenile Batten Disease Research. Giving to charity
Mandola said this was the first time the restaurant has partnered with a charity during an opening
He gave 15 percent of the proceeds from food sales from the opening day to the cause, which totaled $2,148.
“I heard Missy’s (Herndon’s) story and I wanted to do something to help her,” Mandola said. “It was a no-brainer.”
In 2009, Will Herndon was diagnosed with Juvenile Batten disease, a fatal, genetic disorder of the nervous system.
Missy Herndon, Will’s mother, said symptoms start with vision and memory loss or seizures and progressively worsen over time until affected children become bedridden and blind, suffering from a form of dementia.
The family established the Will Herndon Fund for Juvenile Batten Research with the goal of raising money to fund research for the genetic disorder.
Missy Herndon said she was touched when Mandola contacted her to help.
“I went to meet with Dominic and I could tell he was impacted by our cause,” she said. “He talked about helping the foundation, and it just meant a lot.”
Learn more about HOPE: The Will Herndon Fund for Juvenile Batten Disease Research at www. beyondbatten.org/willherndon-fund