EXHIBIT 31.1

                  CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE
                           SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Eric S. Langan, certify that:

1.   I  have  reviewed  this  annual  report  on  Form  10-KSB of Rick's Cabaret
     International,  Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a  material  fact  or  omit  to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements  made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were  made,  not  misleading  with  respect  to  the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based  on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and other financial
     information  included  in  this  report,  fairly  present  in  all material
     respects  the  financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     Rick's Cabaret International, Inc. as of, and for, the periods presented in
     this  report;

4.   Rick's  Cabaret International, Inc.'s other certifying officer(s) and I are
     responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining  disclosure  controls  and
     procedures  (as  defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for
     Rick's  Cabaret  International,  Inc.  and  have:

     (a)  Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused such
     disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to
     ensure  that material information relating to Rick's Cabaret International,
     Inc.,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is  made known to us by
     others  within those entities, particularly during the period in which this
     report  is  being  prepared;

     (b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
     internal  control  over  financial  reporting  to  be  designed  under  our
     supervision,  to  provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
     financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for
     external  purposes  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting
     principles;

     (c)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s
     disclosure  controls  and  procedures  and  presented  in  this  report our
     conclusions  about  the  effectiveness  of  the  disclosure  controls  and
     procedures,  as  of  the  end of the period covered by this report based on
     such  evaluation;  and

     (d)  Disclosed  in  this report any change in Rick's Cabaret International,
     Inc.'s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  that occurred during
     Rick's  Cabaret  International,  Inc.'s  most  recent  fiscal year that has
     materially  affected,  or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Rick's
     Cabaret  International,  Inc.'s  internal control over financial reporting;
     and

5.   Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s other certifying officer(s) and I have
     disclosed,  based  on  our  most recent evaluation of internal control over
     financial  reporting,  to  Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s independent
     registered public accounting firm and the audit committee of Rick's Cabaret
     International,  Inc.'s  board  of  directors  (or  persons  performing  the
     equivalent  functions):

     (a)  All  significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
     operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably
     likely  to adversely affect Rick's Cabaret International, Inc.'s ability to
     record,  process,  summarize  and  report  financial  information;  and

     (b)  Any  fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
     employees  who  have  a  significant  role in Rick's Cabaret International,
     Inc.'s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.

Date: January 5, 2006                         By:  /s/ Eric S. Langan
                                                   ------------------
                                              Eric S. Langan
                                              Chief Executive Officer