Houston has done well in the inaugural Texas edition of the Michelin Guide. The global dining review network included 31 Houston-area establishments, good for second-place statewide.
They are as follows:
Recommended - For quality restaurants that don’t qualify for either a Bib Gourmand or a Michelin star
- Baso
- Bludorn
- Brisket & Rice
- Candente
- Hidden Omakase
- Late August
- Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
Bib Gourmand - Awarded to “restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value”
- Belly of the Beast (Spring)
- Blood Bros. BBQ (Bellaire)
- Ema
- Kau Ba (currently closed)
- Killen’s
- Killen’s Barbecue
- Mala Sichuan Bistro
- Nam Giao
- Nancy’s Hustle
- Nobie’s
- Pinkerton’s Barbecue
- The Pit Room
- Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q
- Rosie Cannonball
- Street to Kitchen
- Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue (Tomball)
- Theodore Rex
- Truth BBQ
One Star awarded to “establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed, and infused with the personality of a talented chef.”
- BCN Taste & Tradition
- Corkscrew BBQ (Spring)
- Le Jardinier
- March
- Musaafer
- Tatemó
Austin led the way with 47 selections, followed by Houston (31), Dallas (22), San Antonio (13), and Fort Worth (three). Austin restaurants also earned the most one-star designations (seven) and the only two green stars, which are awarded for restaurants committed to sustainability.
Here are seven first impressions based on the results.
1. It was a good night for Texas barbecue. Of the state’s 117 total selections, 26 are barbecue joints — including nine in greater Houston. Michelin’s decision to award one star status to four barbecue restaurants — the first ever for American-style barbecue, the guide notes — indicates that it considers smoked meat to be Texas’ biggest contribution to world gastronomy.
2. Theodore Rex being included in the Bib Gourmand rather than either of the other two designations may be the night’s single biggest surprise. Even a carefully chosen meal at the fine dining restaurant could easily cost more than $100 per person, which makes it a strange fit among the considerably more affordable spots included among the Bibs.
3. The guide showed its willingness to extend beyond the Houston city limits. Spring restaurants earned three spots, including a star for CorkScrew BBQ. Tomball, Bellaire, and Pearland also earned spots.
4. Still, with only two Chinatown selections and none from the South Asian restaurants on Hillcroft, it’s clear that Michelin still has more exploring to do. We’ll hope for a major update to both the Recommended and Bib Gourmand categories in 2025 that show more depth in both categories.
5. While most people think of Michelin as predominantly interested in fine dining, some of the Bib Gourmand and recommended choices are extremely casual. Brisket & Rice occupies a gas station in Southwest Houston, while Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q is a trailer on the Grand Parkway feeder road. Let’s all be delighted by the idea of Michelin inspectors feasting on slow smoked brisket at one of Rosemeyer’s picnic tables.
6. Houston’s other signature cuisines didn’t fare nearly as well. The guide only included one Indian restaurant and only two Vietnamese restaurants (one of which is currently closed. Candente is the city’s only Tex-Mex restaurant, even though Superica earned a Bib for its original location in Atlanta. None of our Cajun or Creole establishments made the list.
Hidden Omakase is the city’s only Japanese restaurant, which excludes big names such as Neo, MF Sushi, and Uchi. Many chefs in town consider Manabu Horiuchi of Katami and Kata Robata to be one of the city’s most talented culinarians, making his omission particularly perplexing.
7. It was a rough night for old school institutions. Fans of restaurants like Tony’s, Da Marco, Brennan’s of Houston, or any of Hugo Ortega’s establishments will be scouring the list wondering about their omissions.
Quibbles aside, the crowd that gathered at Houston’s 713 Music Hall for the awards had an unmistakable buzz around it. Most of the chefs who took the stage to accept their awards did so with other members of their team, whether they be managers, sous chefs, or business partners. While the chefs donned special jackets to honor their achievements, the presence of so many others on stage demonstrated that restaurants are truly a team effort.
For Tatemó chef Emmanuel Chavez, who got his start selling tortillas at the Urban Harvest farmers market, earning a star tonight served as the next step in a career that also includes a Food & Wine Best New Chef award and two James Beard Award finalist nominations.
“I’m good with one,” he tells CultureMap. “We don’t need more stress. This is stressful as it is.”
Belly of the Beast owner Thomas Bille had a similar reaction to be included in the Bib Gourmand list. “This was never anything I ever wanted to chase, but once it was announced, we said, let’s do the best we can. Let’s stay true to ourselves,” he tells CultureMap.
Don’t expect the restaurant to change in ways that might elevate it to one-star status. “We’ll keep doing what we do. There’s always room for improvement, but I don’t want to change what we’re doing,” he says.
Aaron Bludorn says he’s relieved by receiving a Recommended designation for Bludorn, his Montrose-area, French-inspired fine dining restaurant. Having had the responsibility of holding a star as the executive chef of New York’s Cafe Boulud, he’s content with his current status.
“We’re happy to be recommended. It’s exactly where we want to be,” he says.
Photo via Saint Arnold Brewing Company/Facebook
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