The Michelin Guide came to Texas for the first time on Monday night to award Michelin stars to 15 restaurants in four Texas cities at an invitation-only ceremony at 713 Music Hall in Houston. In addition, two Texas restaurants earned Michelin Green Stars (for leadership in sustainable dining), with 45 Bib Gourmands (offering excellent quality for good value), 57 Recommended Restaurants (exemplars of the high Michelin standard) and four Michelin Special Awards, for a total of 117 outstanding Texas eateries honored by Michelin this year. It’s been a long time coming.
The Lone Star State–renowned for its stellar BBQ, Tex-Mex and tacos–has now officially been recognized as an international culinary hub and incubator for talented chefs. After the Michelin Awards ceremony last night, there is certainly no shortage of Michelin-level BBQ in Texas, but the awards also represent a total of 26 diverse cuisines. The newly minted Michelin chefs celebrated the honor—and each other’s accomplishments—with a Texas-sized explosion of enthusiasm and joy onstage in a spirit of true community and camraderie.
“We monitor the evolution of the culinary landscape closely, and Texas has been on our radar for a few years,” says Gwendal Poullennec, International Director, Michelin Guide. “A Michelin Star is a worldwide benchmark awarded to restaurants offering the highest quality food. From a culinary perspective, Texas deserves to be put on the international travel map. The food culture and authenticity makes it worth traveling here because it’s really unique and deserves worldwide recognition,” he continues.
According to the Michelin Guide, each restaurant is visited several times per year and there are five criteria for awarding stars: quality products; the harmony of flavors; the mastery of cooking techniques; the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; consistency between each visit.
“Each of you set a new bar for Texas,” says Poullennec, addressing the new Michelin Star recipients at the Awards ceremony, “and tonight we celebrate the quality, creativity and passion of these chefs. It’s not only an award,” he continues. “It’s an encouragement to raise the bar, become even more daring and dream even bigger.”
Here is a full list of the winners, with remarks from the Michelin Inspectors.
Restaurants Awarded One MICHELIN Star
San Antonio
Mixtli (Mexican cuisine) “This trailblazing restaurant is from the visionary minds of Chefs Diego Galicia and Rico Torres. The acclaimed duo has fine dining chops but it's a shared reverence for Mexican cuisine that is the real driving force behind this endeavor. Tasting menus shift often, focusing on a different part of Mexico and may offer up cutting-edge interpretations of Oaxacan specialties or a meal focused on the cuisine of "Tierra Caliente."
Michelin Bib Gourmand
The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to restaurants that offer exceptionally good food at great value and are often personal favorites among Michelin inspectors when dining on their own time.
San Antonio, TX
Cullum’s Atta Boy
The Jerk Shack
Ladino
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery
Michelin Recommended Restaurants
These are restaurants that meet the high standards of the Michelin Guide, embodying Texas’ food culture with a worldwide standard.
San Antonio, TX
2M Smokehouse
Barbecue Station
Garcia’s Mexican Food
Leche de Tigre
Little Em’s Oyster Bar
Nicosi
Signature