HOUSTON — It's the highest honor a restaurant can receive — a Michelin Star.
Earlier this year, Michelin announced it would expand its prestigious guide into Texas for the first time, an effort that cost the state and its five major cities $900,000. Michelin Guide Inspectors judged restaurants in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio.
According to Michelin, one star means the restaurant has high-quality cooking and is worth a stop. Two stars mean the restaurant features excellent cooking and is worth a detour. Three stars, the highest rating, means the restaurant offers exceptional cuisine and is a destination worth making a trip around.
Also up for grabs was the Michelin Bib Gourmand, which highlights restaurants offering exceptional food at moderate prices. The award is named after the Michelin Man, whose real name is Bibendum. For a full list of what each rating means, visit the Michelin Guide's official breakdown.
For over 100 years, the French tire company has reviewed restaurants based on five criteria: quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, harmony of flavors and consistency between visits. The company launched the guide in 1900 as a way for drivers to literally burn rubber and, in the end, buy more tires.
During a ceremony Monday night in Houston, the acclaimed Michelin Guide awarded Stars and other awards to these Texas restaurants.
Award winners
Exceptional Cocktails Award: Julian Shaffer - rye. - Dallas
Sommelier Award: Steven McDonald - Pappas Bros. Steakhouse - Houston
Service Award: Hailey Pruitt & Lauren Backman - Mixtli - San Antonio
Young Chef Award: Edgar Rico - Nixta Taqueria - Austin
Michelin recommended restaurants
Arlington:
Austin:
- Apt. 115
- Birdie's
- Comedor
- Con Todo
- Discada
- Dipdipdip Tatsu-ya
- Este
- Ezov
- Garrison
- Jeffrey's
- Joe's Bakery & Coffee Shop
- La Condesa
- Launderette
- Ling Kitchen
- Lenoir's
- Lutie's
- Maie Day
- Mexta
- Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen
- Suerte
- Tare
- Terry Black's BBQ
- Toshokan
Dallas:
- Barsotti's
- Mister Charles
- Crown Block
- El Carlos Elegante
- Fearing's
- Georgie
- Knox Bistro
- Mercat Bistro
- Monarch
- Quarter Acre
- rye.
- Sachet
- Stock & Barrel
- Stillwell's
- Tei-An
- Written by the Seasons
Fort Worth:
- Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez
- Panther City BBQ
Houston:
- Baso
- Bludorn
- Brisket & Rice
- Candente
- Hidden Omakase
- Late August
- Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
McKinney:
- Harvest
San Antonio:
- Barbecue Station
- Garcia's Mexican Food
- Leche de Tigre
- Little Em's Oyster Bar
- Nicosi
- Signature Restaurant
- 2M Smokehouse
Bib Gourmand recipients
Austin:
- Bricuits
- Cuantos Tacos
- Distant Relatives
- Dai Due
- Emmer & Rye
- Franklin Barbecue
- Kemuri Tatsu-ya
- KG BBQ
- La Santa Babacha
- Micklethwait Craft Meats
- Nixta Taqueria
- Odd Duck
- Ramen del Barrio
- Veracruz Fonda & Bar
Bellaire:
- Blood Bros BBQ
Dallas:
- Cattleack
- Gemma
- Lucia
- Một Hai Ba
- Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen
- Nonna
Fort Worth:
Houston:
- Ema
- Killen's
- Mala Sichuan Bistro
- Nancy's Hustle
- Nam Giao
- Nobie's
- Pinkerton's BBQ
- The Pit Room
- Rosie Cannonball
- Street to Kitchen
- Theodore Rex
- Truth BBQ
*The restaurant Kau Ba was initially listed as a Bib Gourmand recipient. Michelin officials on Thursday said it has since been removed because it has closed since Michelin's inspection team visited the restaurant.
Lockhart:
- Barbs B Q
Pearland:
- Killen's BBQ
San Antonio:
- Cullum's Attaboy
- The Jerk Shack
- Ladino
- Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery
Seguin:
- Burnt Bean Co.
Spring:
- Belly of the Beast
- Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q
Tomball:
- Tejas Chocolate
Michelin Star recipients
One Star winners
Austin:
- Barley Swine - Bryce Gilmore
- Craft Omakase - Charlie Wang & Nguyen Nguyen
- Hestia - Kevin Fink
- Olamaie - Michael Fojtasek
- Interstellar BBQ - John Bates
- La Barbecue - Alison Clem
- Leroy and Lewis Barbecue - Evan Leroy & Sawyer Lewis
Dallas:
- Tatsu Dallas - Tatsuya Sekiguchi
Houston:
- BCN Taste & Tradition - Luis Roger
- Le Jardinier Houston - Felipe Botero & Alain Verzeroli
- March - Felipe Riccio
- Musaafer - Mayank Istwal
- Tatemó - Emmanuel Chavez
San Antonio:
- Mixtli - Diego Garcia & Rico Torres
Spring:
- Corkscrew BBQ - Will Buckman