Tony Raffa’s love of food and hospitality is rooted in his grandmother’s Massachusetts kitchen. As an Italian immigrant raising 11 children, she prepared hearty meals every night for her large family. When her children’s co-workers from the local factory began stopping by for dinner, she charged a nickel a plate. Those humble home-cooked meals laid the foundation for opening a restaurant with one of her sons, eventually joined by several more.
“Four of her children had restaurants,” Raffa recalls. “That’s how it all began. I grew up around food and service—it’s just part of who we are.”
From those beginnings in New Bedford, Tony learned the business from his father, uncles and cousins. His path eventually led him to Texas, first as a cook on a merchant ship, then to Galveston where he worked at Mario’s Flying Pizza on the seawall. He later moved to Houston, formed a partnership and opened Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant on Loop 494 in 1985. After marrying Leslie, he bought out his partner and he and his wife began building a legacy. She even attended pastry school to work on developing desserts for the menus.
Most of Amedeo’s recipes came from Tony’s family, with the exception of Gulf Coast seafood dishes. After more than 20 years, the couple dreamed of opening a second restaurant. The result was Raffa’s Waterfront Grill, which opened in 2007 in Kingwood’s scenic Kings Harbor.
"We know people can drive into Houston for a special meal but our goal is to bring that same high-quality experience right here so people can stay close to home,” he says.
The menu at Raffa’s was intentionally crafted to offer something distinct from Amedeo’s. “We didn’t want to compete with ourselves,” Raffa says. “We took some of the successful specials from Amedeo’s, expanded on them and added new ideas. Over the years, we’ve refined recipes and kept things fresh with nightly chef specials—different seafood, unique cuts of meat, creative pasta dishes.
Tucked along the boardwalk overlooking Lake Houston, Raffa’s quickly became a local favorite for its modern American menu with global influences. The airy dining room features expansive lake views and an open kitchen, where chefs prepare dishes such as crabmeat-stuffed flounder, capretto chicken and beef filets. The menu blends longtime favorites with nightly specials—creative seafood, unique cuts of meat and fresh pasta dishes.
For the Raffas, dining has always been about more than food. It’s about creating a place where neighbors gather, families celebrate and guests feel at home. That connection to the community is one reason they’ve stayed in the Kingwood area for nearly four decades. Their older son Evan now manages Raffa’s and is being groomed to take over both restaurants, while their younger son Logan has also worked in the family business.
The journey hasn’t been without challenges. On August 28, 2017, Hurricane Harvey sent five feet of water into Raffa’s, destroying the space. Closing for good was never an option. “We knew we had to rebuild,” Raffa says. “The support from the Lake Houston community was incredible.”
After rebuilding, Raffa’s is once again thriving, hosting romantic lakeside dinners, lively Sunday brunches, business lunches and community events. Weekly “Girl Dinner” Thursdays offer a $30 prix fixe menu with a cocktail and two dishes. Monthly wine dinners showcase curated pairings, and each October the “Pink Drink” supports Project Mammogram, with a portion of proceeds donated for every glass sold.
From a grandmother’s kitchen in Massachusetts to two thriving Kingwood restaurants, the Raffas’ journey proves great food matters, but family and community make a restaurant unforgettable. And Tony is very proud of what he has accomplished.
"It brings an element of satisfaction and being proud to have accomplished something on my own that I learned from my family," he says.
"Our goal is to bring that same high-quality experience right here so people can stay close to home"- Tony Raffa