Ragin' Cajun
Cajun restaurant · Greenway
4302 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77027
Highlights
Authentic Cajun eats, raw & chargrilled oysters, po' boys
Authentic Cajun eats, raw & chargrilled oysters, po' boys
"Marked by a giant red crawfish wrapped in string lights, Ragin’ Cajun opened in 1974 as Houston's first Cajun restaurant. As soon as you walk into this Greenway neighborhood spot filled with bayou and Mardi Gras memorabilia, the aromas of paprika and cayenne hit you. You can order pounds of classic crawfish at the counter and choose to sit either indoors or outdoors beneath the warm glow of the giant illuminated crawfish." - gianni greene, julie takahashi, chelsea thomas
"A staple for crawfish since the 1970s, Ragin’ Cajun gets particular about its seafood. The restaurant offers Acadian “rice field” pond-raised crawfish, which is boiled in their signature Cajun-style boil using a blend of cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and chili powder. Time out your visit for crawfish with one of its daily drink or food specials for the best bang for your buck. Mondays feature $10 red beans and rice meal with cornbread and a drink, plus happy hour from 3 p.m. to close. Wednesdays offer $13 bowls of gumbo and $6 whiskey drinks, and Fridays promise $20 platters of fried fish and shrimp, $7 frozens and $10 Ranch Waters." - Brittany Britto Garley
"To find Ragin’ Cajun in the Greenway area, look for the giant red crawfish wrapped in string lights. Opened in 1974, this was the first Cajun restaurant in Houston. Like any iconic Louisiana roadside restaurant, it smells of paprika, cayenne, and brine, and it’s covered floor-to-ceiling in bayou-, crawfish-, and Mardi Gras-themed memorabilia. Gulf oysters are served raw by the half dozen or chargrilled with cheese and lemon butter. Grab a couple dozen and slurp them down by the light of the giant glowing crawfish." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
"This time-honored destination run by the Mandola family should be on any oyster-eating bucket list. On top of raw and chargrilled options, the fried Gulf oyster po’ boy, which is built on a traditional French baguette, is a must-try. Head to its weekday happy hour, held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., for a dozen on the half shell ($16) or chargrilled New Orleans-style ($24)." - Brittany Britto Garley
"The only thing intimate about Ragin’ Cajun, a counter-service restaurant in Greenway, is telling someone they got crawfish sauce on their shirt. However, because the walls are thick with bayou- and Mardi Gras-themed memorabilia, you may be too distracted to notice how messy your third-tier friend does or doesn’t eat. Share a dozen Gulf oysters, split a fried seafood po’boy, or just go to town on a personal bowl of chicken and sausage jambalaya. The long community-style tables will keep any conversation topic near family-friendly levels, and you will both be way too full afterwards to attempt any post-dinner activities. " - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
