Louis Zouain and partners Carlos Lemus, Sr. and Carlos Lemus Jr. deliver Wagyu beef burgers with a Dominican twist
by Catherine Currin | photography by Forrest Mason

“My goal was always to have a burger joint,” says Luis Zouain, co-owner and chef of LaGana. And since last October, that’s where you’ll find him, four days a week: taking orders at the door, chatting with guests at the bar and monitoring the sizzling flat top. “LaGana has been on my mind forever. Back in the day, it was a little different, but it’s always been burgers,” he says 

The restaurant is co-owned by Zouain with Carlos Lemus, Sr., and Carlos Lemus, Jr. (who are father and son). Zouain got to know them through a recreational soccer league that he joined after he moved to North Carolina from the Dominican Republic in 2021. A dentist by trade, Zouain always loved spending time in the kitchen as a creative outlet. So when he moved here, he set his sights on the Raleigh restaurant scene, working at Mandolin and Bloomsbury Bistro, then as the founding chef at Madre. “Before I started my own thing, I wanted to make a name for myself here in town,” Zouain says. 

As their friendship developed, Zouain and the Lemuses talked about going into business together. Carlos Sr. had worked for 40 years at The Cheesecake Factory, working his way up from dishwasher to director of operations for its corporate office, where he helped perfect their famous dessert recipes. “ Carlos Sr. always encouraged me: If you ever wanna open a restaurant, let’s do it together,” Zouain says. Carlos Jr. brought along a background in property management and business development.

In 2024, Zouain learned that Prospects restaurant and bar on West Street was closing, so he jumped on the opportunity to secure the space.“I saw the place and thought that this would be perfect for my dream restaurant,” Zouain says. He’d always envisioned a small restaurant — LaGana seats just 25 — and felt this layout would lend itself to a unique communal dining environment: “The kind of connection that we create, the vibe that happens here is a beautiful thing. I don’t think we could achieve it if it were bigger.”

Inside LaGana, a bar anchors the length of the room, looking toward the open kitchen, where guests at the counter can watch their burgers get smashed in real time. But it’s not your typical burger joint. Every smashburger is made with Wagyu beef from Wilders Farm, which raises 100 percent full-blood Wagyu cattle about 30 minutes away in Turkey, North Carolina. “That level of quality translates directly to the plate,” says Jaclyn Smith, who co-owns Wilders with her husband Reid. “When Luis shared his vision for LaGana, we were immediately excited about the concept — an elevated burger spot in downtown Raleigh, featuring a Wagyu smashburger. It felt like a natural partnership.” 

Zouain says the menu will always be short and sweet, offering just three burgers and a handful of appetizers and sides. The menu mainstay is The Textbook burger, aptly named as a classic for its combo of “Yankee cheddar” cheese, shredded lettuce and onions, and a secret sauce (a creamy and tangy topping slathered on the bun). LaGana will also rotate two burger combinations each month, plus a seasonal cake flavor in addition to the Cacao, a decadent double-layer chocolate cake topped with chocolate frosting.

The menu includes nods to Zouain’s home country, plus riffs on Southern American traditions. “The influences of the Dominican Republic will be in anything that I do. It may be a plate, or even just an ingredient,” he says. One example: the Tar Heel Tostones, in which you dip twice-fried plantain slices, a Dominican staple, into Zouain’s take on pimento cheese. “We do a cheese foam that is an elevated French technique. And then we add the chili oil that we make here in-house,” Zouain says. “That combination of flavors is what it’s all about here in LaGana, and that’s what you’re gonna see every time that you come in.”

In addition to the everyday burger menu, Zouain is hosting a monthly omakase, a form of Japanese dining where the chef dictates each course for guests. “I love burgers, but I also need to keep creating and continue to evolve. And the idea of doing whatever we want with an omakase was the go-to,” says Zouain. (It’s in keeping with LaGana’s motto, “do whatever you want,” a loose translation of the restaurant’s name.) Sometimes, he says, he’ll offer true omakase with a sushi tasting menu (think clam crudo, otoro nigiri and ceviche); he’s also riffed on omakase-style evenings, like one with Mexican-inspired cuisine for Cinco de Mayo and an evening of aphrodisiacs for Valentine’s Day. The first two omakase dinners sold out in minutes. “It’s about sourcing the best product and having a theme for it — they were fantastic,” he says.

Carlos Sr. bakes the cakes LaGana serves each night for dessert. “The cakes are as homey as possible. You feel like your grandma made it,” says Zouain. “I want each bite to offer a new experience,” says Carlos Sr., “something memorable for every customer.”

Carlos Jr. supports the operations of the restaurant. “ Carlos Jr. is the backbone here — he manages all the numbers, all the things that everyone else hates,” laughs Zouain. Carlos Sr. says he loves working with Zouain and his son at LaGana. “My son always reminds us that our five-star reviews aren’t about being flawless,” he says. “They’re a reflection of our honesty, imperfection and the care we put into everything we do.”

Zouain’s ultimate goal is to make guests feel at home in his restaurant. “We’ll make you feel amazing, not only because the food tastes good, but because of all the little details that got us there,” he says. 

This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.