It’s back. The Michelin Guide returned to Houston on October 28 for its second Texas edition, unveiling which restaurants earned stars or joined the ranks of Bib Gourmands, Green Star winners, and recommended dining establishments. The results, revealed in Houston’s lavish Wortham Theater Center, placed the city firmly in the spotlight alongside Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio. As one of Texas' most awarded cities, Houston didn't receive any new stars, but it did maintain its six one-stars. It also took home five additional Bib Gourmands, including  Maximo, West African restaurant Chopnblok, and Montrose Autry Park's newest Vietnamese spot Annam, and saw nearly 10 new restaurants added to the recommended list.

Last year, a whopping six Houston restaurants, including March and Corkscrew BBQ, were awarded one-star recognition by the prestigious culinary institution, denoting high-quality cooking. Restaurants must re-earn their awards each year and can gain, lose, or maintain stars with each new release of the guide. During the ceremony, chefs receiving stars get to take home a chef’s jacket and a Michelin Guide placard. 

Here is a breakdown of how Houston restaurants were recognized:

Three Stars

“Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”

No restaurants earned three stars.

Two Stars

“Excellent cooking, worth a detour”

No restaurants earned two stars.

One Star (6)

“High-quality cooking, worth a stop” 

Houston maintained all of its one-starred restaurants.

• BCN Taste & Tradition 
• Corkscrew BBQ 
• Le Jardinier
• March
• Musaafer
• Tatemó

Service Award

• Elliot Wood, Credence 

Bib Gourmand (22)

The Bib Gourmand list celebrates restaurants serving “good quality food for a good value” — the kind of places Michelin’s inspectors say they return to on their own time. Houston maintained all of last year's restaurants and welcomed four new ones:

• Annam (new)
• Belly of the Beast
• Blood Bros. BBQ
• CasaEma (formerly Ema) 
• ChopnBlok (new)
• Da Gama Canteen (new)
• Killen’s
• Killen’s BBQ
• Mala Sichuan Bistro
• Maximo (new)
• Nam Giao
• Nancy’s Hustle
• Nobie’s
• Papalo Taqueria (new)
• Pinkerton’s BBQ
• The Pit Room
• Rosie Cannonball
• Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q
• Street to Kitchen
• Tejas Chocolate
• Theodore Rex
• Truth BBQ

Recommended Restaurants (16)

• Agnes and Sherman (new)
• Bar Bludorn (new)
• Baso
• Bludorn
• Brisket & Rice
• Candente
• Credence (new)
• Hidden Omakase
• Hong Kong Food Street (new)
• J-Bar-M Barbecue (new)
• Josephine's (new)
• Late August
• Neo (new, temporarily closed)
• Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
• Perseid (new)
• The Marigold Club (new)

The invite-only event featured light bites, pours of wine and cocktails, fancy live violinists, and even an option to take a picture with the Michelin man mascot before heading into the highly anticipated ceremony. TV personality Java Ingram returned to host, calling on Texas cities to cheer for their best.

The first chef to don a black-embroidered jacket for the special awards was Chas Martin of Dallas’ Mister Charles, who took home the cocktail award. Celia Pellegrini of restaurants Este and Suerte in Austin took home the second win for the sommelier award. 

Barbecue once again made a showing with Chuck Charnichart of Lockhart’s Barbs B Q. San Antonio’s Isidore restaurant, which boasts locally-sourced meat, seafood, and produce, and Nixta Taqueria from chef Edgar Ulysses Rico received the Green Star award, which recognizes restaurants that follow sustainability practices in day-to-day operations. San Antonio also earned two additional one stars for Emmer & Reye Hospitality Group's establishments Isidore and dessert tasting menu restaurant, Nicosi. 

Earlier this month, Michelin also announced its new class of Michelin Key selection, which guides travelers to some of the best hotels in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Houston newcomer Hotel Augustine joined the roster with a one-key distinction, which deems it “a very special stay.” It’s now among the ranks of other one-key destinations, such as Houston’s Hotel ZaZa (both locations) and Post Oak Hotel, as well as Galveston’s Carr Mansion.

Michelin first confirmed in July 2024 that Texas would be added to its guide network, with inspectors already quietly visiting restaurants in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio. The organization emphasizes that stars are awarded strictly on the food—judged by product quality, flavor harmony, culinary technique, the chef’s creative voice, and consistency across visits—rather than on service or atmosphere. To secure the guide’s arrival in Houston, Houston First, the city’s tourism arm, committed $270,000 over three years —$90,000 annually —to fund Michelin inspectors who evaluate the city’s dining scene full-time.

Erica Cheng and Sofia Gonzalez contributed to this report.