culinary all stars

Texas' best restaurants and bars celebrated at 2024 Tastemaker Awards

We've only barely recovered: CultureMap's statewide journey to honor the best chefs, restaurants, and more with 2024 Tastemaker Awards has finally come to an end.

The series kicked off March 27 with our sold-out Houston Tastemakers at Silver Street Studios, then we moved south to San Antonio for our third-ever fiesta at the Briscoe Museum on April 4.

We stuck around in Central Texas for the festivities at Distribution Hall in Austin on April 11, then headed north to Fort Worth for our biggest celebration there yet on May 2. The Texas culinary tour concluded with our North Texas neighbors in Dallas at the Fashion Industry Gallery on May 16.

The 2024 Tastemaker Awards celebrated Texas' most innovative culinary pioneers, as nominated chefs and restaurants showcased their talents for guests with delicious bites and treats before our emcees announced the winners during the live ceremony.

Guests dined on our venerated chefs’ specialty hors d'oeuvres, sipped on a variety of creative batched cocktails, and stayed hydrated with a chilled Topo Chico in hand. But nothing could take away the focus from our acclaimed nominees and winners, who are the main reason we bring these celebrations to life year after year.

Nominees are, as always, produced by a panel of previous Tastemaker winners and CultureMap staff. While our judges vote on most of the winners, the champion in the Best New Restaurant category is determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament. New to the 2024 categories in each city was a competition for the best patio.

Without further ado, let’s meet our 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winners all across Texas, listed by city:

Houston:

Restaurant of the Year: Tatemó
Chef of the Year: Luis Mercardo and Paolo Justo, Neo
Bar of the Year: Refuge
Best New Restaurant: Andiron
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Lucas McKinney, Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition
Pastry Chef of the Year: Vanarin Kuch, Koffeteria
Bartender of the Year: Fabio Pontes, Bludorn
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Burger Bodega
Wine Program of the Year: March
Best Pop-Up/Startup: Jane Wild
Best Patio: Better Luck Tomorrow

San Antonio:

Restaurant of the Year: Leche de Tigre
Chef of the Year: Nicola Blaque, The Jerk Shack
Best New Restaurant: Thai Bird
Bar of the Year: Bar Loretta
Brewery of the Year: Weathered Souls Brewing Co.
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Clementine
Pastry Chef of the Year: Jenn Riesman, Rooster Crow Bakery
Best Patio: The Good Kind Southtown

Austin:

Restaurant of the Year: Canje
Chef of the Year: Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, Birdie's
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Eli Rodriguez, Bufalina Due
Pastry Chef of the Year: Sarah McIntosh, Épicerie
Bar of the Year: Holiday
Bartender of the Year: Amanda Carto, Daydreamer
Best New Restaurant: Poeta
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Birdie's
Brewery of the Year: Jester King Brewery
Best Patio: Jester King Brewery

Fort Worth:

Restaurant of the Year: 61 Osteria
Chef of the Year: Preston Paine, Emilia's, The Blue Room
Bar of the Year: Thompson's Bookstore
Best New Restaurant: Plank Seafood Provisions
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Michael Rios, Pantry on Magnolia
Pastry Chef of the Year: Tareka Lofton, Loft22 Cakes
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Los Asaderos
Best Patio: Joe T. Garcia's

Dallas:

Restaurant of the Year: Petra & The Beast
Chef of the Year: Noah Hester, Hamm's Meat & Market
Bar of the Year: Whiskeys Dallas
Best New Restaurant: McRae's American Bistro
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Will Salisbury, Carbone
Pastry Chef of the Year: Tida Pichakron, Haute Sweets Patisserie
Bartender of the Year: Fernanda Rossano, Kaiyo
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Terilli's
Wine Program of the Year: Sister
Best Patio: Taco Y Vino

Thompson's Bookstore/Facebook

Thompson's Bookstore is Fort Worth's Bar of the Year for 2024.

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switcheroo

2-acre Houston patio bar rebrands with new name and family-friendly menu

Photo by Sean Rainer

The bar's patio includes 10,000-square-feet of turf.

A bar in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood is switching things up with a new name and revised menu. Effectively immediately, Woodland Social is now known as White Oak Social.

Simply put, the new name is designed to end confusion about the bar’s location, which many people assumed was in The Woodlands. In fact, it’s located next to popular concert venue White Oak Music Hall, which is reflected in the new name.

“We wanted a name that truly represented where we are and the community we serve,” the bar’s owners said in a statement. “Many guests thought we were located in The Woodlands, so renaming the business to White Oak Social makes our location clear and aligns our brand with the neighborhood we love.”

Along with the new name comes a few improvements. They include an outdoor playground that’s designed to appeal to area families, many of whom are already regulars.

In addition, the restaurant has broadened its menu. While pizzas still remain, White Oak Social now offers burgers, chicken tenders, more entrees, and a kids menu. An all-new brunch menu includes updated cocktails and more options for kids.

Piper’s Hospitality Group (Preslee’s Southern Good Eatery) opened Woodland Social in 2024. Originally named for the Woodland Heights neighborhood, the two-acre property has an 8,000-square-foot main bar area, a 15,000-square-foot outdoor patio that includes 10,000-square-feet of turf, and more than 100 parking spaces.

“We’re excited for this next chapter,” the group said. “The new name, the expanded menu, and the playground show our commitment to being a neighborhood gathering place for all ages.”

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