Ragin Cajun

First time at this location. Have been to other locations and really enjoyed them. The service was extremely slow. Had to flag down the waitress for service. The other bar staff checked in on us more than our actual waitress. I ordered a crawfish poboy and it was very dry. Not at all the quality of the food I’ve eaten at other locations so I was pretty disappointed. Overall I’d either go to a different location, or find a different Cajun restaurant. Not planning any return visits.

This review refers only for their thanksgiving catering menu… It’s amazing!!! The turkey was seasoned SOOO well. It was spicy and salted just right! The best turkey I’ve ever eaten for thanksgiving lol. The instructions are also easy to follow when heating it up. Their sides are also good and plentiful!

This place has seriously gone downhill. It’s sad. Half of the restaurant was taken over by the pizza place next door, so it’s just the bar side now and they can’t even staff that properly.
We were in the area shopping and I felt like crawfish. There aren’t many places to choose from, so we ended up here. I probably haven’t been to this particular Ragin Cajun in almost two years.
The service was terrible; drink orders were taken quickly, but no one was seen again for a good 15 minutes. This is another one of those places where the corn and potatoes are extra. And you get one of each, so opted not to. Who needs the carbs and I refuse to play along with that scam. Being from Louisiana, that’s just not a thing that you do. The crawfish were over cooked, you could hardly get them out of the shell. They were seasoned well though. My mom got fried crawfish tails, they just tasted like batter. No seasoning at all. We ordered the kids grilled chicken for my nephew and it was terrible. Inedible really as burnt as it was.
Needless to say I won’t be back for a long time at least.

Like the previous reviewer, I wish I had read the reviews before coming to this place. Stopped in for lunch today…
Pros: bartender was friendly and the signature chargrilled oysters were OK. Got the kid penne pasta and meatball for my son — the portion was pretty large so I had plenty left over to take home, and it was actually pretty tasty. Decent atmosphere with mostly a bar-​like setting with booths and tables on the side.
Cons: The actual service was mediocre — no one checked on us at all after we got our food. The poor bar back/​busser did everything – brought out the food and cleared the table. No one asked us how we like our food, which is a pretty common, standard practice in most establishments like this. We had to walk up to the bar after we were done which I understand is just right there, to ask for the check. The gumbo was the worst that I’ve had. Can’t really describe it, just did not taste good at all.
I can see that this place might be good for drinks and appetizers at the bar, but I definitely won’t be back for the food.

Amateur crawfish spot. Crawfish is nothing special. Only thing good is the po boys. I know they’re meat is froze on the po boys but for some reason I still like it. It’s like whataburger, you know their chicken tender basket is all frozen food but you still like it.

Never again! We were served crawfish in the spit buckets while others were being served crawfish on trays. Say what!!!

I had not been here in a good long while and seafood sounded good.
We walked in and chose our table and were greeted quickly with menus and our drink orders were taken. The waiter said he would be back to take our order, but we waited and waited for about 15 – 18 minutes and nothing. Finally a waitress I think noticed we were just sitting there and took our order. Then after about 25 minutes from sitting down the original waiter came back to take our order.
The food took awhile to come out, but I’m ok with that because I want it to be done right. I had grilled mahi mahi with veggies and red potato wedges. The fish was good in the center but the edges were hard. The veggies were really good with a nice mixture of different things and the potato wedges were fine. My husband enjoyed the gumbo and po boy sandwich from the lunch menu.
I think I would have done better going with something like fried fish and fries because that’s a little harder to mess up and it’s usually their specialty.
I would go back and hope for better service and maybe try something else.

Just ate like it was the last supper! My husband had the Sugar Land fried seafood platter and I had the shrimp and grits with andoulie sausage and everything we had was so good. I have not had grits in 20 years because I had them for the first time and it was horrible so I didn’t think I’d EVER like grits but this is place made me a believer. Good service, friendly and attentive staff, cool ambiance. The ONLY reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because I’m sure the pecan pie was from frozen but I ate it like it was my grandmas. Will be back for the beef and grits!

I wish I had read the reviews before trying this place out. Crawfish is now in season and there aren’t a lot of places to go in the Sugar Land area, so It tried this one. I called ahead to make sure they serve «fresh» crawfish. The manager said excitedly that they not only serve it fresh, but they are the most authentic Louisiana style Cajun restaurant in the area. He bragged for quite awhile and I even had to say bye a couple of times. He really was excited about their food.
With that great excitement and confidence, I felt ready to check them out. I walked in with my family and had to seat myself. No problem, that’s the best way to get the table you want. We sat down and waited and then finally someone came up and asked us for our drink order. They didn’t have milk for my kids, so we opted for a sugary pink lemonade. Not my first choice, but the kids loved it.
The guy comes back and has three pink lemonades (one too many) and no drink for me. I got him all cleared up and he brought back a water with lemon for me. Ah, we might be off to a good start, even though it’s not the best impression (first one by the way).
We waited for quite awhile for someone to come back and take our order. We were looking around and trying to figure out who exactly our server was. We put the menus at the edge of the table to signal that we were definitely ready to order. FINALLY someone (a different person) came and took our order. She wasn’t friendly at all. In fact, she seemed a bit annoyed by our presence. The wait staff seemed to know the other customers and they were obviously regulars. I guess you have to go there a lot to be noticed.
I ordered 2 lbs of crawfish and asked what it came with. She said tersely, «Just crawfish». I asked her what else was available to complement the bugs and she said, «Corn and potatoes.» Please take note of the plural on the last word. I asked her how much it would be extra and she said $ 2. I was a little sticker shocked by that, but went ahead and ordered it. I mean, they go together. Besides, I really wanted to see what this restaurant could provide for my crawfish addiction.
When our food came out, I noticed that there was only one very soggy piece of corn and a tiny (not even a whole — there was what seemed to be a wedge taken out of it). Granted, this was a very tiny potato to begin with. The corn looked horrific, but for $ 2 extra I had to at least try it. It was way over cooked and disgusting. I couldn’t even eat it. Then I looked at that little tiny, not even whole potato and thought, for a $ 2 upgrade, it all falls on you little fellow… I ate it. It was a decent potato, but definitely not a $ 2 potato. What a disappointment.
Okay, I got that upgrade out of the way, now onto the important part… the crawfish. I start looking around my setup and realize that they brought me a big bowl of crawfish, but no napkins or a bowl to put my waste. huh? Shouldn’t this be an obvious need with something this messy? The crawfish were small. There were a couple of big ones conveniently placed on the top of my bowl. The rest were small. They were extremely overcooked. I had the hardest time peeling them from the shell. The absolute only good thing I will say about the crawfish is that the flavor was actually good, even though the crawfish were dried out and hard to get to.
I am going through all of this with my own dissatisfaction and then look at my husband, who still hasn’t been served his beverage and his food is already in front of him. He asked the waiter for a beverage after a few minutes of eating and they brought it out for him. No apology or admission of oversight. They simply don’t seem to care about making sure you have a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience.
Now the place is really small and from what the waiter said, they lost half the building. I am guessing is is because of giving crappy service and poorly cooked and over-​priced food.
I will NEVER EVER EVER go back there again. What a huge disappointment. I would rather drive into Houston and deal with traffic and wait lines than to pay that much and feel like I am intruding on the staff by being there. Not to mention the food is very pricey and there is no care in how it’s cooked.

Prices high, servings small and they charge 2.00 extra for a tiny potato and corn with crawfish. Service needs work, had to ask for silverware and my bill after waiting. I used t love Ragin Cajun, but won’t visit again!

The fried catfish had no flavor at all. The crawfish in the crawfish salad was dry and chewy

Ragin Cajun generally is pricey so I am not a big fan save for my one specific go-​to dish here. The lunch menu in the past offered more variety than the current lunch menu.
My usual only go-​to favorite when I come here for lunch is the grilled fish fillets topped with crawfish etoufee, which comes with a beverage. My co workers tasted this dish, and both really liked it. The cajun spiced fries are also very deliciously flavored. Ask for some «Slap Ya Mama» seasoning, and it is enough to make you come back.
One of my co workers ordered chicken alfredo, which he really enjoyed. My other coworker ordered the po-​boy special but was not as satisfied as us with our selections. He thought the shrimp and chicken gumbo and sandwich was just average tasting.
The waiters are a bit slow in recognizing your presence and getting what you need, but they seem like nice people. On a Monday, the place has customers for just lunch, so it’s a good sign.

My oyster poboy was great but my husbands bread was too hard and dry. Service was terrible as other reviewers states. We had to wait 20 min before we were served w menus. Richmond location is much better.

Went in on a Friday before the big rush. Walked in the door and turned left to venture into the restaurant but alas, no mas. I wonder why they chose to close it? Anywho, we sat at the bar and ordered our drinks. I enjoyed the ambiance a lot. Very New Orleans-​y right down to the bar back splash, mirrors along the wall and adorning light fixtures. I bet LSU fans are packed in like sardines on a game day.
Food was great. I ordered something fried and the boyfriend ordered red beans n rice. Service was fine. I enjoyed the Cajun Power Garlic Sauce on the table so much I went hunting for it at my local HEB. Now I cant live without it!

Food over priced, poor service, and place really sucks now!!! We went in after several years of not going… I now remember why. Food was poor nothing like the other locations. I would say the food is just a bit better then long John silver but not by much. The staff was more intrested in leaving then serving the guest. We were rushed out. We even took our food Togo to just get out of there. NEVER GOING BACK… EVER. I wish I could give a –1

Ahem… Why do people come here? I can think of 20 other places to go to for crawfish and other cajun style food. The crawfish is overpriced and the food portions are smaller than I have ever seen before. And they have terrible service.

Ragin’ Cajun is a Houston landmark as far as I am concerned. I had my first experience back in 1994 during a graduation party at the original location. That was the first of at least a hundred trips since. Just to give you an idea, I have been living in Southern California for about 10 years; but every time I come home there are a few restaurants I must visit because there’s nothing like them in San Diego. Ragin’ Cajun is one of these.
As you walk up to the Sugar Land location, it’s hard to get an idea of what you are about to get yourself into. From the outside, it looks like any old restaurant in a strip mall. I promise you, this is not the case.
As you break through the doors, it’s like being transported east into our Texas playground of Louisiana. Anyone from Texas knows that our beautiful neighbor to the East has some of the finest cuisine known to man. I am a true believer that atmosphere plays a large part in the experience. Well, the Mandola family does a superb job of capturing that old Louisiana tradition and providing it in Texas at every Ragin’ Cajun location.
No time a-​wasting, we grabbed a couple of beers. Abita Purple Haze was on the menu today. From Abita Springs, LA, it is the perfect choice to get the Mardi Gras feast under way!
When it comes to Cajun cooking, I like the apps as well as the entrees. In a way, they are all in the same. It’s kind of like BBQ; you can get a pound of brisket or a brisket plate. And, like I usually do, I said I’d take both!
We started off with a dozen oysters, smoked sausage and the crawfish. If you’ve never had Cajun food then my suggestion is 3 – 6 raw oysters per person and a lb. to a lb. and a half of crawfish. This can be a meal for some or an appetizer for others. I will let you guess where that notion sits with us.
The oysters were delicious. I like eating them on a cracker with a bit of cocktail sauce and lots of horseradish. Some might say it is sinful to mask the flavor like that, but man I gotta tell you, it is something I crave.
The crawfish and smoked sausage were cooked to perfection with just the perfect blend of heat and spices. One thing I really enjoy about The Ragin’ Cajun is their consistency. You can find a lot of places around town that serve crawfish, but most at most of them, the crawfish are hit or miss. At Ragin’ Cajun, you know what you’re going to get and the gettin’ is good!
We each ordered one of their special Cajun Bloody Mary’s (This is a MUST!): vodka infused with garlic, green onion and red, green and yellow peppers. Combined with their specialty mix and a little voodoo that they do… pure perfection!
The Fried Combination Plate was the perfect combination of shrimp, oysters, fries and hushpuppies. The oysters were delectable and the shrimp was superb. There is something about fried seafood that just does it for me. It makes me feel truly at home and brings back great memories of good times with friends and family as we battled the summer heat. Ha! Well, maybe not all great memories.
Next up was the Mixed Grill: more shrimp (can you ever get enough Gulf shrimp?) and catfish served with a side of lemon garlic butter sauce. The funny thing is, on the West Coast a lot of folks consider catfish a trash fish. Well, if it is, you can call me the Garbage Man, because I dig it!
Our sandwiches were wonderful! They’re what I would recommend if you are stopping in for lunch. And, they’re so big! It might make sense to share one with a friend along with a side of raw oysters. That will set you up just right!
The Fried Shimp Poboy is always a solid choice: tasty deep-​fried shrimp dressed with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo.
The Special Muffalotta is a New Orleans tradition: Italian meats and cheeses baked in the oven, topped with Mandola’s olive mix spread. I had never tried the muffalotta here and probably haven’t eaten one in 15 years. But, moving forward, this is my go-​to sandwich at Ragin’ Cajun. If you’ve never tried a muffalotta, you must. The subtle variety of flavors topped off with the tangy olive spread is a combination that is akin to a piece of art; both interesting and memorable.
For dessert, we ordered Mama’s Homemade Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce. What could be better than the sweet taste of bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream which just melts from the warm piece of heaven underneath? Wow!
The experience here at Ragin’ Cajun was nothing short of my fondest memories. This South Louisiana Kitchen is a staple in the Houston area and holds a special place in my heart. As they say, «Laissez les bon temps roulez!» And that we did as we ordered another couple of Abita’s and watched the rest of the game at the bar. Just another Saturday afternoon in Houston, Louisiana!

I’ve been here two times now and I can’t say I have a bad or good experience here. Both times, I came here for the crawfish. This time, the crawfish was quite bland. I had to add extra seasoning and make a side sauce. The second time, I came here, the crawfish was juicy and oh so yummy. I guess it just depends on whose cooking.
Update: Recently came in for oysters but the restaurant has super downsized! This place used to have a bar side and a restaurant side but now they only have the bar with some bar stools and maybe 5 or 6 2 seater booths.

The raw oysters were good, but the rest of the food was pretty lackluster. We didn’t get the crawfish, which I’ve heard is the real reason to go here.
My shrimp was scarily undercooked, but nothing was really good enough for me to care about getting it replaced.

I agree with some of the other Unilocalers who have reviewed this place — it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be, unfortunately. The place just looks disheveled what with stocked items just hanging out in the back of the restaurant. There doesn’t seem to be any heart in this establishment, which is a shame because I am sure it would make a killing come crawfish season!
The food is alright. I am not a huge fan of Cajun food to begin with, but since my husband loves it that’s why we came here. I was really hoping I would love my shrimp brochette. It was alright. I don’t think the quality was worth the $ 18, but lesson learned.