About HTX Dining Guide
Where Faith, Family & Food Come Together
An extraordinary number of Houston’s most celebrated restaurants share a common thread: the men who built them walked the same halls at one remarkable school.
Houston is one of America’s great food cities — a sprawling, multicultural metropolis where world-class dining awaits on nearly every corner. But few people know that an extraordinary number of the city’s most celebrated restaurants share a common thread: the men who built them walked the same halls, sat in the same classrooms, and were shaped by the same values at one remarkable school.
St. Thomas High School, founded in 1900 by the Basilian Fathers on the wooded banks of Buffalo Bayou at 4500 Memorial Drive, has quietly produced one of the most remarkable concentrations of restaurant talent in American history.
The Culinary Dynasties
From the Mandola and Carrabba families who defined Italian dining in Texas, to pitmaster legends smoking brisket over hand-built brick pits from the 1930s, to James Beard-nominated celebrity chefs — the STHS alumni network reads like a who’s who of Houston’s culinary scene.
These aren’t chain restaurants built by corporate committees. These are family tables — places where recipes are passed down through generations, where the owner greets you by name, where the food tells the story of Houston itself: Sicilian immigrants landing in Galveston, Cajun families migrating from Louisiana, and Texas pitmasters tending fires that have burned since the 1930s.
“During Houston’s 20th century growth into a focus of world culture, St. Thomas High School has trained men of vision and responsibility, winners of national and international fame: statesmen, churchmen, artists, historians, athletes, civic and business leaders, industrial pioneers, and citizens of many talents.”— Texas Historical Commission Marker, Erected 1970
A Culinary Timeline
St. Thomas Founded
Three Basilian priests establish St. Thomas College in a downtown Houston warehouse, beginning a tradition of excellence.
Shepherd Drive Bar-B-Q Opens
John and Leila Davis begin serving barbecue, building the brick pits still used today at Pizzitola’s Heritage BBQ.
Ragin’ Cajun is Born
Frankie B. Mandola ’65 and brother Luke open Ray Hay’s Cajun Po-Boys on Richmond — later rebranded as the now-iconic Ragin’ Cajun.
Nino’s Opens
Vincent Mandola ’61 and wife Mary open Nino’s, beginning the family-style Italian tradition on West Dallas Street.
Damian’s Cucina Italiana Launches
Four STHS alumni — Frankie B. ’65, Damian ’71, Vincent ’61, and Ciro Lampasas ’51 — team up to create Houston’s legendary power-lunch destination.
Carrabba’s Opens on Kirby
Johnny Carrabba ’77 and uncle Damian Mandola ’71 open the Original Carrabba’s with $500 and family recipes — launching a culinary empire.
Reef Debuts
Bryan Caswell ’91 — who got his start at Damian’s — opens Reef, earning James Beard nominations and Food & Wine “Best New Chef” honors.
Gatlin’s BBQ Opens
Greg Gatlin ’98, Eagle Football state champion turned pitmaster, opens his first BBQ joint in the Heights — and quickly becomes one of the state’s best.
The Legacy Continues
Bryan Caswell ’91 opens Latuli, his newest concept. Pizzitola’s celebrates 90 years. The next generation of STHS restaurateurs is just getting started.
These are the tables where Houston’s stories are told — from business deals over brisket to family celebrations over pasta to first dates over crawfish. This is a city that eats together.
About St. Thomas High School
St. Thomas High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school for young men in grades 9–12, located at 4500 Memorial Drive in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1900 by three Basilian priests, STHS has grown from its humble beginnings in a warehouse in downtown Houston into an extraordinary institution on a lush campus at the corner of Memorial Drive and Shepherd Drive, on the wooded banks of Buffalo Bayou.
With a community of over 10,000 alumni, St. Thomas has produced a United States congressman, a director of the FBI, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, a Pulitzer Prize winner, bishops, artists, athletes, business leaders — and, as this site celebrates, an astonishing number of the restaurateurs who have made Houston one of America’s great food cities.
“Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge”— Basilian Motto, the guiding principle of STHS since 1900
Our Mission
HTX Dining Guide is a free, community-driven directory. We do not charge restaurateurs to be listed, and we welcome submissions from any STHS alumni who owns or operates a restaurant.
Our goal is simple: shine a light on the incredible culinary heritage that flows from one school at 4500 Memorial Drive to dining rooms across Houston and beyond.
Submit Your RestaurantKnow an STHS alumnus in the restaurant business? Let us know!
For questions or corrections, contact us at info@htxdiningguide.com