The Michelin Guide returned to Texas on October 28, drawing chefs, restaurateurs, and food lovers from across the state to Houston’s Wortham Theater Center. The night delivered some celebration, a few surprises, and a dash of controversy—just what we’ve come to expect from Michelin’s Texas encore. Houstonia was there to take it all in, noting the wins worth cheering, the snubs worth side-eyeing, and the moments that left us wondering if Michelin’s still figuring Texas out. After all, with a dining scene this sprawling and diverse, is the Lone Star State simply too big for a single guide to capture? Here’s our verdict:

The Wins

It was in Houston. Hosting the ceremony in H-Town, which we still believe is the best dining city in the world, is always a win.

Houston retained all of its recognition. The six restaurants and all the Bib Gourmands from last year maintained their one-star status. 

In other categories, recognition grew. Annam, ChòpnBlọk, Da Gama Canteen, Maximo, and Papalo Taqueria all received Bibs, and 16 new restaurants, including Agnes and Sherman, Hong Kong Food Street, and Perseid, were added to Michelin's Recommendations. See the full list here.

San Antonio had a great night with several wins. The city took home two additional one stars for Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group’s establishments, Isidore and the dessert-tasting-menu restaurant Nicosi. Isidore also took home a Green Star Award, which highlights restaurants that follow sustainability practices in day-to-day operations. It’s safe to say Houston has something to look forward to given Emmer & Rye plans to open a Houston restaurant in Autry Park.

The Misses

The ceremony was underwhelming. Yes, there was a cocktail party beforehand, but this year’s ceremony felt much shorter, clocking in at around 45 minutes. As Houston Chronicle columnist Bao Ong wrote, there were no confetti showers and no recorded messages from astronauts like there were last year. Something about this year’s festivities just felt…lukewarm. Are we asking for too much?

No two stars, but one glaring typo. Although Houstonia is proud of the Mediterranean tasting menu restaurant March for maintaining its star, some of us expected it to get a second due to a slip-up. A source sent a snapshot of the online Michelin profile for March, which temporarily noted it as a two-star restaurant a week before the actual event. We have the receipts.

They skimped on the invites. Despite that little oopsie, it seems this year Michelin was a bit more selective about who attended the ceremony. Chatter across the food scene revealed that some local publications weren’t initially invited, or that invitations were reduced. Last year, chefs and restaurateurs across the city were excited to announce their invitations to the big event. This year felt shrouded in secrecy, with even less hot gossip from inner circles. No one seemed to have a clue who would be honored.

Chron.com had to email to get one, but while there were seemingly fewer reporters, there were a lot more influencers in the building. Surprisingly, Shawn Singh, food influencer Shawn the Sheep, who was in the running for Houstonia’s 2025 Houstonian of the Year, didn’t get an invite. Singh, who has chronicled many of his visits to the city’s Michelin-recognized restaurants, expressed his disappointment in a post on Instagram and to Chron. “It’s disappointing seeing every major influencer in Houston get invited to the Michelin Guide ceremony except me. I’ve covered almost every Michelin spot in the city, spending thousands out of pocket,” he wrote, adding that most of his coverage ranks high on both TikTok and IG. “No one’s guaranteed an invite, and I get that, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t let down.”

Some chefs would have liked a heads-up. Michelin neglected to share its list of Recommended restaurants at the ceremony, despite doing so last year during the inaugural event. Recommended restaurants were instead announced on the website and via press release, sent out immediately after the ceremony, meaning some chefs didn’t learn about their recognition until they received a call from the media or someone on their team updated the site. (And it wasn’t like there wasn’t plenty of room.) Yikes. 

They forgot to honor at least one award winner. Austin’s Celia Pellegrini, of Austin's Suerte and Este, was honored with the Sommelier award, but, due to a reported "invitation mix-up," she wasn't at the ceremony—she was at a staff party back home. The host invited Pellegrini’s colleagues on stage to accept the award on their behalf.

The awarding process seemed shifty. Dallas restaurant Mamani, which opened this past September, was honored after just two months in operation, a speed that even Texas Monthly critic Paula Forbes called “unusual.” Any chance they might have needed some more time to judge? And how can restaurants like Agnes and Sherman and Hong Kong Food Street be considered Recommended (“simply a good meal” with above-average quality), but the notably more expensive Theodore Rex and Bludorn are Bib Gourmands (good food at a good value)? How does Michelin define value?

The Surprises

Not enough accolades. In recent years, Houston’s gained notoriety for its diverse food scene. We might be biased, but considering Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country, we expected more.

Once again, no Hugo Ortega restaurants were recognized across the lists. Last year, this was a shock to many chefs and diners who had expected the James Beard Award–winning powerhouse, known for his Mexican cuisine, to gain some recognition. 

How the Chefs Took It

Overall, recognized chefs were elated about the results.

Adrian Torres, the 27-year-old chef at Maximo, says he felt extremely proud, given that the restaurant reopened only nine-and-a-half months ago. He couldn’t wait to bring the award back to the restaurant, because, he says, it’s not just about him, but also his team. “It’s surreal being so young and being from Texas,” he says. “Two years ago, this was impossible, right? This was something that didn’t even exist here in Texas, and something that, as a young kid, you dream about. To be on the stage and be surrounded by such amazing talent, not only [from] Houston, but Texas, it’s very awesome.” Next year, Torres says he’d like to see the city come back even stronger. “We just got to keep pushing,” he says. 

For chef Ope Amosu of West African dining destination ChòpnBlọk, the Bib Gourmand recognition left him feeling on “another level.” Amosu has been working since 2017 to bring his culinary vision to life, starting with the dinners he hosted out of his cousin’s apartment. His goal has always been to make West African cuisine more accessible while also building community along the way. “We’ve been blessed with a lot of opportunities [and] a lot of recognitions, but this one right here, it truly hits home,” Amosu says. “It’s so much [for] our team and the community we represent.… The culture got it done tonight.” Amosu was also impressed with the amount of talent in the room across Texas. “Everybody here is mad talented,” he says. “It’s good to see the stars hold their own. The city is winning.” 

Felipe Riccio, chef-partner of Goodnight Hospitality, was also proud of the several accolades his restaurants, March (one star), Rosie Cannonball (Bib), and The Marigold Club (Recommended), took home. “Being able to retain the star is an incredible honor,” Riccio says. “We have to earn it every time, every year, and every guest that comes into the restaurant has to be excited about it and believe that we’re doing that level of dining,” he says.

Goodnight Hospitality CEO and master sommelier June Rodil says March’s ability to retain its one star proves the restaurant isn’t a one-hit wonder and that the formula they’ve concocted for the ever-changing tasting menu is working. An added plus for Rodil is Houston’s decision to host the ceremony once again. “This is one of those nights of the year where you can see people that you’ve worked with throughout your career within the state and celebrate together,” she says.

Graham Painter, who co-owns the Bib Gourmand Thai restaurant Street to Kitchen with his Beard Award–winning wife, Chef G (Benchawan Jabthong Painter), agrees that the ceremony felt like a big reunion. It was impressive to see Austin and San Antonio take home new stars and awards. Retaining their Bib Gourmand recognition felt great, too. “We’re still pinching ourselves,” he says. Keeping the Bib for us is a dream.”