Meet the Tastemakers

Houston’s top 10 restaurants of 2025 reflect the city’s culinary excellence

Our coverage of the nominees in the 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards has reached the final two categories. First up are the 10 nominees for Restaurant of the Year.

They’re a diverse bunch, ranging from an intimate, 30-seat dining room to a prime location at one of Houston’s biggest tourist attractions. The nominees take inspiration from a range of culinary traditions, too, covering everything from Mexico to India to Japan to Spain and beyond.

Regardless of style of cuisine, their food is consistently well executed. Their service is polished. Their beverage offerings are thoughtful. They are places we celebrate special occasions. They’ve raised the bar for dining in Houston.

Which restaurant will win? Find out April 3 at the Tastemaker Awards party at Silver Street Studios. We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated restaurants and sip cocktails from our sponsors before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony.

A very limited number of General Admission tickets remain. Buy yours before they sell out.

Here are the nominees for Restaurant of the Year:

Baso
Few restaurants have burst onto Houston’s dining scene with as much energy as this live fire restaurant in the Heights. Fueled by time spent working together at acclaimed Los Angeles seafood restaurant Angler (since closed), executive chefs Jacques Varon and Max Lappe applied the ethos of Basque cuisine — essentially, source the best local ingredients you find and add wood fire — with established New American principles of taking inspiration from various international cuisines. For diners, it’s been exciting to see the restaurant evolve as Lappe, a California native, learns more about Texas and the South. For example, the chef swapped out the manchego rolls from the restaurant’s early days with a more regionally-inspired cornbread with housemade jam. Some of the day one ideas live on, of course, including the essential roasted pork chop with pork jowl condiment.

Belly of the Beast
It took a couple of iterations for chef Thomas Bille to find his place in Houston’s dining scene, but Belly of the Beast has been flying high since it reopened in a Spring shopping center in late 2023. Sure, the birria tacos remain among the very best versions of that dish in greater Houston, but Belly of the Beast so deftly hops genres — offering spicy ceviches, delicate pastas, and compelling meat entrees — that those tacos are almost an afterthought when deciding on what to eat. Earning both a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide and another James Beard Award semifinalist nomination validates that Bille and his team are up to something special in Spring, which means that even the most dedicated inner loopers should be making the drive.

Katami
The Montrose-area restaurant takes a lot of what people love about its sister concept Kata Robata and enhances it in key ways to deliver a more luxurious experience. At Katami, chef Hori-san (Manabu Horiuchi) dives in even more deeply to Japanese traditions by sourcing a greater variety of Japanese fish for various sushi preparations, serving multiple preparations of wagyu beef, and offering an extensive sake selection at reasonable prices. The restaurant’s design also puts the spotlight on the chefs, with almost every table getting a view of the sushi counter. Perhaps watching the chefs work will make diners appreciate the kitchen’s signature creations such as toro tar tar, robata king crab, and Foie Gras PB&J Milk Bread even more than they already do when they take a bite.

Little's Oyster Bar
When it came time to develop a new concept for the iconic Little Pappas space, the Houston-based restaurant group leveraged all of its expertise and resources to enhance the room’s Art Deco look and install a top notch, seafood-friendly wine program. Then they recruited executive chef Jason Ryczek from California to create a menu built around staples such as the yellowfin tuna crudo, lobster gnocchi, and chicken fried red snapper. The chef also keeps things fresh with new additions like Gulf shrimp chowder and dry-aged King Salmon. Of course, Ryczek’s passion for caviar is reflected in the restaurant’s creative presentation that includes potato dumplings, hush puppies, and radish butter.

March
No restaurant in Houston delivers as comprehensive a dining experience as this Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in Montrose. Beginning with snacks and a sip of vermouth in the dimly lit lounge that’s followed by a mulit-course meal in a dining room adorned with museum-quality art, March caters to its diners’ needs with effortless precision. The kitchen, lead by chef-partner Felipe Riccio and chef de cuisine Chris Davies, operates with an equal level of precision, translating careful research into each menu’s specific region of the Mediterranean into immaculately constructed plates that are as eye-catching as they are delicious. Admittedly, meals at March are a splurge, but, like baseball fans treating themselves to seats behind home plate at an Astros game, those who love restaurants will find it to be a worthy indulgence.

Musaafer
Inspired by a 100-day journey through India’s 29 states, this Michelin-starred restaurant in the Galleria offers a wide-ranging menu. Chef Mayank Istwal takes inspiration from that trip, as well as his childhood memories, to craft the restaurant’s seasonal tasting menus that range from delicate ceviches to deeply savory grilled lamb chops. The restaurant has always lavished as much attention on its drinks as its food, serving up one of the city’s most consistently creative cocktail offerings. Musaafer’s lavishly decorated dining rooms help transport diners to Delhi without the 18-hour flight.

Nancy's Hustle
Part of what has endeared this restaurant to Houstonians is its flexibility. Nancy’s serves every occasion from casual happy hour hangs and late night burger cravings to major celebrations with friends and family. Regardless of the reason for a person’s visit, count on the convivial staff to offer guidance on dishes and drinks, which is helpful when the menu and wine list both change regularly. After all, chef Jason Vaughan and his team aren’t afraid to kill their darlings by banishing popular menu items — except for the burger and the Nancy cakes, obviously — when a creative impulse strikes. More than seven years into its run, Nancy’s remains as popular and consistent as ever, which contributed to its earning a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide.

Nobie's
It’s fitting that this intimate Montrose restaurant is located in a house, because it always feels like a party. The music’s always a little too loud, and the tables are a little too close together. Also, like a good part, everyone’s having a great time, fueled by the potent drinks being mixed at the bar. Don’t let the menu’s silly names fool you. It takes a lot of careful technique to make a dish like “If you’re not wurst, you’re last” come together consistently enough to earn a Bib Gourmand designation.

Squable
Led by the dynamic duo of Mark Clayton, our 2023 Chef of the Year winner, and general manger Terry Williams, Squable remains as satisfying as ever. While customer favorites like the French cheeseburger and vegetable lasagna — seared to ensure a crispy edge in every bite — retain their pride of place on the menu, Clayton is always innovating with new dishes such as braised oxtails with cornbread and Carolina Gold rice. Like all of its siblings in Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu’s Thorough Fare hospitality group, it offers value to its neighborhood with a generous happy hour of half-off all alcohol on weekdays from 4-6 pm.

Theodore Rex
Fresh off the successful return of its signature Yuston’s pop-up menu — chef-owner Justin Yu’s homage to Houston’s (don’t call it Hillstone) — it’s fitting to acknowledge all the things that tiny restaurant in the Warehouse District does well. The intimate dining room and polished service add a sense of occasion to any meal. More than a decade into his time as one of Houston’s most prominent chefs, the same focus on Texas ingredients and precise techniques that earned Yu a James Beard Award is reflected in dishes such as the beef dumplings with parmesan and ricotta and the roasted chicken leg with mushroom tare. The chef has always had a sly sense of humor about his cooking — again, he hosts an annual pop-up inspired by Houston’s — that’s also reflected in can’t-miss items like the Sunday special chicken wings.

Courtesy of Katami

Katami.

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The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is brought to you by Stella Artois, Chardon, Jim Beam Black, Ritual Zero Proof, Seedlip, Valencia's Tex-Mex Garage, Hornitos, Ghost Hill Organic Vodka, PicMe Events, and more to be announced. A portion of proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

tastemaker awards

Food trends

Halal BBQ is booming in Texas, with Houston making a major contribution

Levant BBQ

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At 9 am on a scorching Saturday in June, nearly 100 people were already lined up outside Goldee’s BBQ, a small, wooden-shack restaurant in Fort Worth.

First in line was 30-year-old Thanh Huynh, who had been sitting in a lawn chair on the joint’s rustic porch since 6:30 am.

“I have, like, a whole list, and I’m going to spend lots of money here. It’ll be worth it,” he said, laughing while rattling off a long order of meats and sides from his phone’s Notes app as a sweet, smoky scent from nearby pits hung in the air.

Opened in 2020 by a group of his friends, the restaurant was named the No. 1 barbecue spot in the state by Texas Monthly a year later, and then won a Bib Gourmand award from the prestigious Michelin Guide, given for “great food at a great value.”

The restaurant serves classic Texas barbecue like craft pork belly, sausage, and ribs. But it also offers halal brisket, turkey, and lamb.

"Halal" means meat raised and butchered in accordance with Islamic guidelines. It refers to the method in which the animals are slaughtered, one that focuses on humane treatment, cleanliness, and acknowledging the value of life — similar in concept to kosher food in Judaism.

A growing number of halal places have opened around Fort Worth in recent years, and there are also non-halal restaurants that use halal beef, such as burger institution Kincaid's, the new Burger Vault in Keller, and the forthcoming Tick Tock Taco in Colleyville.

Growing Texas trend
At a time when Republican leaders are increasingly targeting the state’s growing Muslim communities, halal barbecue joints like Goldee’s are thriving in Texas. Across the state, Muslim pitmasters are gaining recognition for putting their own spin on one of Texas’ most iconic culinary traditions.

At least a dozen barbecue spots now serve halal meats, including Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice, run by Black Muslim couple CJ and Sabrina Henley, soon-to-be in Plano; and Levant Mediterranean BBQ, a restaurant with locations in Houston and Frisco that's bringing its menu of smoked beef and lamb to Sugar Land in late 2026 or early 2027. Truboy BBQ, which started as a mail order halal barbecue supplier, opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Missouri City last year.

Goldee's Barbecue draws halal diners. Goldee's Barbecue/ Facebook

“Now there are so many options, and for us to have highly rated barbecue, it’s a blessing,” said Haris Ghaffar, who drove an hour from Celina and stood in 90-degree weather for nearly two hours with a friend for the halal options at Goldee’s.

Growing up in the 1990s, Ghaffar said a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich was one of the few halal meals he could eat while dining out. Back then, halal food was seen as serving a small community. Today, it’s a multibillion-dollar industry that’s part of the American culinary mainstream, said James Beard Award‑winning food writer Farhan Mustafa, who wrote about the rise of American halal barbecue for Bon Appétit magazine in 2025.

“Halal food is American food,” said Mustafa, who is based in Seattle. “It belongs on your plate. It belongs in the casual chat. It belongs in hip hop tracks. It’s the most American thing there is.”

Mustafa said Muslims are part of a growing list of communities putting their stamp on Texas barbecue. “Whether they’re first, second or third-generation Muslims or Muslim Americans or just Americans, they’re bringing what they know and what excites them,” he said.

More than salt and pepper
Texas barbecue is typically defined by salt-and-pepper brisket and pork ribs, but this new crop of halal pitmasters are adding inventive twists, often based on their own family heritages.

Zain Shafi, a pitmaster and co-owner of Goldee’s, previously ran Sabar Barbecue, a food truck that offered Pakistani-infused halal dishes, such as brisket with rub that included spices like bay leaf and coriander.

Sabar was nominated for Best BBQ in CultureMap's 2025 Tastemaker Awards, and made the list of Texas Monthly's Top 50 Barbecue Restaurants of 2025. The restaurant was also featured in a recently published BBQ book Texas BBQ: The Art of Low and Slow. He closed Sabar in December 2025 after two years.

Sabar BBQ Sabar Barbecue offered a Pakistani twist on BBQ. Sabar Barbecue

Shafi brought tandoori smoked turkey to Goldee’s menu. And sourcing halal cuts, he said, was a natural choice because they are “the highest quality” meats.

Goldee’s chef and part owner Nupohn Inthanousay also blends his Laotian heritage, serving a smoked Lao “sai oua” sausage with sticky rice and a fiery, tangy dipping sauce.

At Kafi BBQ in Irving, owner Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi brings halal Wagyu beef and Iraqi spices to classic Texas barbecue, challenging what he said is the “traditional old guard of Texas barbecue.”

“My goal at Kafi BBQ is to make the best barbecue in Texas,” Abdul-Kafi said. “I have not been shy about that at all, and making the best barbecue in Texas does not necessarily have to include pork.”

A former Silicon Valley tech worker, he moved to Texas six years ago in search of a Muslim community. On weekends in his backyard, he smoked brisket for friends. By 2024, he bought a smoker and opened Kafi BBQ.

He said he spent months testing and perfecting recipes and finding local producers. Abdul-Kafi attributes his obsession with crafting a stand-out menu to the Islamic concept of “Ihsan”— an Arabic term meaning doing something with excellence for the sake of God.

On a Sunday afternoon this summer, the restaurant’s red booths were packed with diners, drawn to menu items like the 13-spice Wagyu brisket, pomegranate-glazed beef belly burnt ends and Iraqi-inspired spicy beef sausage.

“That sausage, I’d probably put it at the top sausage I’ve ever had, and we eat barbecue a lot. This place is unique,” said Jonathan Tate, a Fort Worth resident who came to Kafi BBQ with a friend after reading about it on a Facebook foodie group.

“I don’t necessarily have to have it halal, but it’s nice to know they took good care of the food, the meat,” his friend Jon Sklar said, before going back in line to order oxtail.

Meat at Kafi BBQ in Irving. Kafi BBQ

'We love barbecue'
Although political rhetoric against Muslims in Texas has become increasingly hostile — some GOP lawmakers even discussed a ban on halal food at a conference this month — pitmasters like Abdul-Kafi see the rise of halal barbecue as an effective counterargument.

“It’s an example of exactly the opposite of what the Islamophobes talk about, right?” he said. “They say, ‘oh, Muslims don’t integrate, they stay alone, they don’t help society and all this stuff.’ And it’s like, I’m sitting here contributing to the most well-known cuisine of Texas.”

One of the diners at Kafi BBQ, Houston native Muhammad Sohail, 23, said the restaurant reflects who he is — a proud Texan and Muslim. “This place is super important because I can see halal within the culture of Texas, which is my culture at this point,” Sohail said. “We love the food. We love meat. We’re Muslims and we love barbecue.”

After finishing a big lunch with 10 relatives, Areeba Ali, a Dallas native of Indian heritage, said the restaurant’s appeal cuts across communities, which she said is evidence that halal barbecue isn’t a niche but resonates broadly with Texans. “If you look around in the restaurant, you see everybody in there — it’s not just one demographic in there,” Ali said.

For Mustafa, that success is ultimately a testament to the resilience of Muslim American communities.

“No matter how much they try to erase us, our food is here to stay,” he said. “You will see the power of just good food and the fact that most people really seem to understand that this is just as American as anything else.”

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This story was written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. It also includes information from the CultureMap archives.

halal halal barbecue muslim communities pitmasters religion texas texas barbecue trends culinary traditions goldee's barbecue