After three decades of gumbo, jambalaya, and zydeco nights in the South Bay, Ragin Cajun Cafe is preparing for its final service in its current form. The owners have announced that the Redondo Beach restaurant will close on March 1, 2026, telling regulars it is “time for a change” after 32 years of serving what they call “authentic Lafayette, Louisiana-style food.”
In a heartfelt message shared on social media, the team thanked customers who stuck with them through “tough times” and “all the FUN times.” The post notes that “Ragin Cajun Cafe as you know it, will be closing on March 1” and that the date was chosen so loyal guests have time to come in for one more meal.
From Hermosa pier hangout to Redondo mainstay
The story started in 1992, when the original cafe opened on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach and quickly became a go-to for South Bay residents craving Louisiana flavors. That first spot stayed busy for nearly 20 years before closing in 2011.
The brand did not disappear. Instead, the owner took the concept on the road as Ragin Cajun on Wheels, a food truck that earned a slot on The Great Food Truck Race on Food Network and built a wider following around Southern California.
By 2013, the restaurant returned to brick and mortar dining, first back in Hermosa, then at its current address on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach, where it has operated for about eleven and a half years.
Over that span, the Redondo Beach location picked up a string of local honors, including being voted “Best Cajun” for seven years in a row on Yelp, according to the business listing.
Diners came for classics like gumbo and po boys, but also for the Moonshine Bar, live music, and décor imported from Louisiana that tried to turn a busy stretch of PCH into a little corner of Lafayette.
A goodbye wrapped in Mardi Gras beads
For regulars, the next few weeks are a countdown. The owners say this February will feature the cafe’s twelfth Mardi Gras celebration, scheduled from February 11 through 17, as part of the send off. Their social posts urge guests to “COME IN BEFORE WE’RE GONE” and enjoy long time favorites while they still can.
The closure also lands at a moment when the wider South Bay food and retail scene is in flux. A popular national coffee chain is preparing to shut stores in nearby beach cities, and apparel retailer Francesca’s is closing all California locations, including two South Bay shops, as it restructures its business.
For longtime residents, it can feel like the landscape along their daily commute changes almost overnight.
What happens next for the Ragin Cajun crew is not yet spelled out publicly. The phrase “as you know it” has caught the eye of fans who wonder if a new chapter might follow, but the official messages focus on gratitude rather than future plans. The owners simply invite guests to keep the dining room full until the final night.
For anyone who has ever lingered over a plate of crawfish while traffic crawled by on PCH, the goodbye will likely feel personal. At the end of the day, this is not only a restaurant story. It is a story about how a small slice of Louisiana became part of South Bay daily life for more than a generation.
The official statement was published on Ragin Cajun Cafe’s Facebook page.
