Texas shines bright earning 15 Stars in inaugural MICHELIN Guide selection
The first MICHELIN Guide Texas selection has been revealed, and it features 15 one-MICHELIN-Star establishments and two MICHELIN Green Star eateries. The full selection was announced at 713 Music Hall in Houston.
The full selection, including Bib Gourmand restaurants and Recommended eateries, totals 117 restaurants spanning 26 cuisine types. Chefs and restaurant teams were honored on stage during the inaugural ceremony.
“Our anonymous Inspectors were impressed by the culinary community across the state of Texas,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “The selection reflects their findings by highlighting uniquely Texas flavors, such as Barbecue and Tex-Mex, as well as several international influences. We are very honored to welcome these restaurants to the MICHELIN Guide family for the first time and we toast to the tremendous spirit of the Texas restaurant community!”
Here are the new one-MICHELIN-Star Houston restaurants, with Inspector notes from each (Inspectors’ comments in full on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app):
BCN Taste & Tradition (Spanish cuisine)
Tucked away off Richmond Avenue, this restaurant, housed in a 1920s white stucco bungalow and managed by some of the most personable staff in the city, cooks with both flair and familiarity. Seafood is a highlight, as in brilliantly tender slivers of sea cucumber set on lobster rice, or thinly sliced octopus paired with potato purée and a striking smoked paprika. Chef Luis Roger knows his way around land, too, and his Iberian suckling pig arrives with a crackling crust, meltingly tender meat and a rich red wine sauce. The beverage selection is intriguing, featuring an all-Spanish wine list and a section dedicated to gin and tonics. Owner Ignacio Torras’s private art collection (including Pablo Picasso’s owl jugs) is yet another charming touch.
CorkScrew BBQ (Spring; Barbecue cuisine)
You have a choice: Arrive before doors open at 11 or go eat somewhere else. In the tiny town of Spring just north of Houston, this barbecue sensation has drawn long lines ever since it opened in 2015. The kitchen is known to sell out fast, and it’s easy to see why: Will and Nichole Buckman smoke some of the finest brisket and beef ribs in the state. Their use of red oak colors prime cuts from Creekstone Farms and Compart Family Farms in a distinct hue, and everything from beef to pork to turkey comes with a pure smoke flavor that lingers long after the meal’s end. Loaded baked potatoes; tacos with green-chile ranch; and fruit cobblers tempt, but should be saved for the second visit. Regulars know to order days in advance to skip the line.
Le Jardinier Houston (French cuisine)–The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, becomes the second museum in the United States to boast a restaurant with a Michelin star.
With locations in Manhattan and Miami, Chef Alain Verzeroli also shares his verdant, stylish cooking with Houston. The location couldn’t be more apt: The Museum of Fine Arts matches his colorful dishes that are both beautiful and satisfying. Accomplished sauces, seasonal vegetables, and thoughtful cocktails tell a story in line with the restaurant’s name and design. Highlights include thin strands of zucchini spaghetti with yellow pepper coulis and Comté foam, as well as plump Maine diver scallops with carrot jus reduction and sugar snap peas. Desserts, like the yuzu mousse with raspberry compote and pistachio sable, are beautiful to behold. The entire evening is smooth sailing thanks to a highly professional and personable team. Photo: Brian Kennedy.
March (Creative/Mediterranean cuisine)
This ambitious atelier sets its sights on a culinary exploration of the Mediterranean, studiously delving into individual regions one by one, from the Maghreb in Northwest Africa to Murcia and Andalusia in Southern Spain, to Greece, with a tasting menu and beverage program inspired by each cuisine in turn. But if all that sounds a bit precious, rest assured that the experience itself is utterly disarming, with a winning sense of hospitality that makes for a meal that is both engaging and luxe. Guests start with finely tuned cocktails and first bites in the stylish lounge area before being whisked into the striking main dining room for more substantial fare. From beginning to end, gorgeously plated dishes show refinement and creativity, so sit back and enjoy the show.
Musaafer (Indian cuisine)
Dinner in a shopping mall doesn’t sound promising, unless you’re headed to Musaafer. The sheer scale of this grand hall, with its arches, towering windows, labyrinth-like layout, and elaborate patterns, feels like a palace of its own. The setting is as thrilling as the cooking. A large, deep-fried orb of onion xuixo arrives dusted in no fewer than 24 spices, filled with potato and onion, and served with tamarind and mint chutney. Plucky prawns are cooked in an elegant sauce of coriander, coconut milk, and curry leaves. Dal, a familiar favorite, is cooked for 72 hours with tomato, butter, and smoked chili. The attention to detail and careful spicing is evident at every turn, and the final result is one of both high style and utterly gratifying substance.
Tatemó (Mexican cuisine)
The famous idiom about not judging a book by its cover couldn’t be more applicable than to this tortilleria-turned-tasting menu. In an empty strip mall with little around except for a brewery and a doughnut shop, Chef Emmanuel Chavez delivers a beautifully pitched and portioned experience that celebrates heirloom corn from across Mexico. His riffs on ceviche, quesadillas, and gorditas are elegant to behold and even more satisfying to eat thanks, in part, to vibrant salsas and other creative sauce work. The most original and striking effort might be the black-as-night mole negro, which comes blanketed under a tortilla made from nixtamalized plantains.
Bib Gourmand in Texas
The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors gave 45 restaurants the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value: Texas’ 2024 Bib Gourmand restaurants—
| Restaurant | Address |
| Barbs B Q | 102 E. Market St., Lockhart, 78644 |
| Belly of the Beast | 5200 FM 2920 Rd., Ste. 180, Spring, 77388 |
| Blood Bros BBQ | 5425 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, 77401 |
| Briscuits | 4204 Menchaca Rd., Austin, 78704 |
| Burnt Bean Co. | 108 S. Austin St., Seguin, 78155 |
| Cattleack | 13628 Gamma Rd., Dallas, 75244 |
| Cuantos Tacos | 1108 E. 12th St., Austin, 78702 |
| Cullum’s Attaboy | 111 Kings Ct., San Antonio, 78212 |
| Dai Due | 2406 Manor Rd., Austin, 78722 |
| Distant Relatives | 3901 Promontory Point Dr., Austin, 78744 |
| Ema | 5307 N. Main St., Houston, 77009 |
| Emmer & Rye | 51 Rainey St., Austin, 78701 |
| Franklin Barbecue | 900 E. 11th St., Austin, 78702 |
| Gemma | 2323 N. Henderson Ave., Ste. 109, Dallas, 75206 |
| Goldee’s | 4645 Dick Price Rd., Fort Worth, 76140 |
| The Jerk Shack | 10234 Texas 151, Ste. 103, San Antonio, 78251 |
| Kau Ba | 2502 Dunlavy St., Houston, 77006 |
| Kemuri Tatsu-ya | 2713 E. 2nd St., Austin, 78702 |
| KG BBQ | 3108 Manor Rd., Austin, 78723 |
| Killen’s | 101 Heights Blvd., Houston, 77007 |
| Killen’s BBQ | 3613 Broadway St., Pearland, 77581 |
| La Santa Barbacha | 2806 Manor Rd., Austin, 78722 |
| Ladino | 200 E. Grayson St. #100, San Antonio, 78215 |
| Lucia | 287 N. Bishop Ave., Dallas, 75208 |
| Mala Sichuan Bistro | 9348 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, 77036 |
| Micklethwait Craft Meats | 1309 Rosewood Ave., Austin, 78702 |
| Một Hai Ba | 6407 Lewis St., Dallas, 75206 |
| Nam Giao | 6938 Wilcrest Dr., Houston, 77072 |
| Nancy’s Hustle | 2704 Polk St., Houston, 77003 |
| Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen | 1907 Greenville Ave., Dallas, 75206 |
| Nixta Taqueria | 2512 E. 12th St., Austin, 78702 |
| nobie’s | 2048 Colquitt St., Houston, 77098 |
| nonna | 4115 Lomo Alto Dr., Dallas, 75219 |
| Odd Duck | 1201 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin, 78704 |
| Pinkerton’s BBQ | 1504 Airline Dr., Houston, 77009 |
| The Pit Room | 1201 Richmond Ave., Houston, 77006 |
| Ramen del Barrio | 1700 W. Parmer Ln., Austin, 78727 |
| Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q | 2111 Riley Fuzzell Rd., Spring, 77386 |
| Rosie Cannonball | 1620 Westheimer Rd., Houston, 77006 |
| Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery | 136 E. Grayson St., Ste. 120, San Antonio, 78215 |
| Street to Kitchen | 3401 Harrisburg Blvd., Houston, 77003 |
| Tejas Chocolate | 200 N. Elm St., Tomball, 77375 |
| Theodore Rex | 1302 Nance St., Unit A, Houston, 77002 |
| Truth BBQ | 110 S. Heights Blvd., Houston, 77007 |
| Veracruz Fonda & Bar | 1905 Aldrich St., Austin, 78723 |
About the MICHELIN Guide–Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants.
- The famous one, two and three MICHELIN Stars identify establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef.
- The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value – often known as personal favorites among the Inspectors when dining on their own time.
- The MICHELIN Green Star honors restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable gastronomy.
- Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors.
Photos courtesy of Houston First