Join our community of travelers and food lovers! Create a free account to enjoy personalized recommendations, exclusive hotel rates, and the chance to share your feedback with our Inspectors!
Houston, we have a problem—a delicious one.
From 15 brand-new One Stars to 2 brand-new Green Stars, Texas's inaugural selection saw the arrival of heavy hitters like Chef/owner Bryce Gilmore's Southwestern flavors with Mexican influences at One MICHELIN Star Barley Swine and Green Star Dai Due's preservation and fermentation initiatives.
While we won't give too much away—check out our Inspectors' takes below—highlights include BCN Taste & Tradition's all-Spanish wine list, ordering days in advance for some of the finest brisket and beef ribs in the state at CorkScrew BBQ, and Olamaie's contemporary take on Southern cuisine.
With all these mouthwatering new additions, it seems that the Lone Star State may need to rethink its nickname.
New One Stars
Austin
Barley Swine
Cuisine: Contemporary
The room is decidedly casual, and diners are welcome to come as they are, but there's no mistaking the passion of this kitchen. Chef/owner Bryce Gilmore makes deft use of local ingredients with a distinctly Southwestern palette of flavors that draws from Mexican and Southern traditions, while maintaining a contemporary, global sophistication. The tasting menu is carefully attuned to the seasons, and refinement is balanced with a sense of whimsy. A tiny everything bagel with a creamy smoked radish spread and cucumber infused with dill hot sauce might come as a first bite, and a flawlessly seared Muscovy duck breast might be matched with a buttery puree of popped corn and an earthy/sweet nixtamalized peach. From dishes bought at Goodwill and growing produce onsite to collecting rainwater for their garden, they're also committed to sustainability.
Craft Omakase
Cuisine: Japanese
Discreetly tucked away in Rosedale, Craft Omakase has a lounge up front with a dining room and counter in back. It is here where guests wisely place their faith in the hands of Chefs Charlie Wang and Nguyen Nguyen who dole out an impressive procession of nigiri and other bites. Their creative omakase doesn't shy away from embellishment, yet it's done with restraint and allows the fish to shine. An abundance of product hails from Japan, and the fish is skillfully handled. Preparations like an aguachile of pink shrimp with sweet potato or crudo of hamachi with yuzu-honey sauce are delightful stops in a line-up that may reveal ocean trout sprinkled with a furikake made with its crisped skin; shima aji with shiso and ume; or sea scallop dressed with ponzu and lemon zest.
Hestia
Cuisine: American
Push past the glass door of this restaurant in the heart of downtown and you'll immediately get the drift—quite literally, as wood smoke perfumes the air. This hot spot is all about live fire cooking, as evidenced by the 20-foot hearth in the open kitchen. Contemporary cooking is on display in both the à la carte and chef's tasting menu, and Texas produce and proteins take center stage. From savory to sweet, nearly everything is kissed by the flames or scented with smoke. "Embered" cantaloupe with green tomato and shiso blossoms is an elegant opener; and hearth-dried and blistered tomatoes over fresh grits is a comforting plate, but the seared scallop topped with green tomato kosho steals the scene with a tableside pour of beef tallow sauce atop the mushroom gelée base.
InterStellar BBQ
Cuisine: Barbecue
The mark of a good place is when a line starts forming before they've even opened, and at InterStellar BBQ, it's long before they've swung open the door. Everyone is here for a taste of pitmaster John Bates's barbecue, done low and slow over post oak. Brisket with a simple salt, pepper, and garlic rub, is outstanding but it doesn't end there. Peach tea-glazed pork belly is meltingly tender; the beer-brined tipsy turkey is moist and delicious; and there are three sausages on offer, including kielbasa. You can't go wrong with any of the enticing side dishes like the Frito pie, though the smoked scalloped potatoes with a golden-brown crust and the poblano creamed corn are standouts.
la Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue
Founded by the late LeAnn Mueller and now run by her wife, Ali Clem, la Barbecue's massive, custom-built pit in the backyard is the rarified workshop in which meaty miracles are realized. Inside, it's a simple space enlivened with bright colors and a disarming playlist with Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton. During peak hours, you can expect a substantial wait, but your patience will be rewarded with a first taste of the brisket as you reach the counter. You will marvel at the sublimely succulent, flavorful beef, but don't overlook the array of equally tempting offerings like house-made sausages, and pork or beef ribs. The team likes to keep things spicy, as in the chipotle cole slaw or fresh kimchi. Don't miss the mac and cheese.
LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue
What started as a food truck in 2017 can now be enjoyed in a spacious brick and mortar location in Garrison Park. The moniker refers to the duo of married couples who run this enticing operation where the spacious setting gives off midcentury vibes with its glazed brick exterior and peak-roofed dining area. The excellent barbecue menu isn't built around brisket, although that beloved item is available as a daily special at the end of the week. In fact, several specials keep things interesting throughout the week, such as spice-crusted, melt-in-your mouth beef cheeks or the daily sausage which may be studded with Hatch green chiles and mozzarella cheese. The banana pudding tiramisu is a clever hybrid with coffee-soaked 'Nilla wafers.
Olamaie
Cuisine: American
With its white clapboard and black shutters, Olamaie, named for the chef's grandmother, mother, and daughter, is a charming spot north of downtown Austin. Consider a cocktail, as their list is interesting and includes a daily punch and fun drinks like the Spaghetti Western martini with Texas olive-oil-washed gin, vodka, cherry tomato-infused dry vermouth, and basil eau de vie. Expect Southern cuisine that's been given a contemporary polish, and don't dare miss out on the buttermilk biscuit, served warm and accompanied by whipped honey butter sprinkled with sea salt. The chicken pressé is a novel take on chicken and dumplings and rounds out a bill of fare that also includes blackened dayboat fish, gumbo, and red rice with Gulf shrimp.
Dallas
Tatsu
Cuisine: Japanese
With just 10 counter seats, the greatest challenge is securing a reservation at this sushi restaurant within the renovated Continental Gin Building – but perseverance will be rewarded because this is the genuine article. The omakase contains around 14 pieces and follows the Edomae tradition, so expect fish that gets steadily stronger in flavor as dinner progresses. You might start with Alaskan sockeye salmon, followed by Spanish tuna and delicious uni from Hokkaido and end with eel from Maine. The rice is also from Hokkaido and chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi’s deft, practiced movements ensure each piece is a perfect creation; he’ll even alter the size if you so wish. All guests are served together, so do arrive on time.
Houston
BCN Taste & Tradition
Cuisine: Spanish
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.
Le Jardinier Houston
Cuisine: French
With locations in Manhattan and Miami, Chef Alain Verzeroli's 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.
March
Cuisine: Creative/Mediterranean
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
Cuisine: Indian
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
Cuisine: Mexican
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. If you want wine, you’ll have to bring your own as the restaurant doesn’t have a liquor license.
San Antonio
Mixtli
Cuisine: Mexican
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." Not content to restrain their explorations to the regional diversity of Mexican cuisine, the menus also draw from the culinary past or even pre-Columbian times. Expect cooking that is both cerebral and delicious, with meticulously prepared, artfully plated dishes that tell a story while thrilling your palate.
Spring
CorkScrew BBQ
Cuisine: Barbecue
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.
New Green Stars
Austin
Dai Due
Cuisine: American
Texans are known around the world for their inimitable hometown pride, but Chef/owner Jesse Griffiths takes his affection for the Lone Star state to another level at Dai Due, where nearly everything, from produce and meat to olive oil and wine, is sourced from Texas. Brunch is available but it's the evenings when this place shines. Walk past the entrance filled with tempting baked goods and prepared meats to find a rustic back room perfect for hosting the supper club-style service. Skilled butchers tackle everything from wild boar and antelope to goat, and the plates are impressively offbeat. Hits include the cold meat board with antelope salami and wild boar and dill pickle terrine, as well as the smoked pork Porterhouse chop with sauerkraut, Bavarian mustard, and chutney.
Emmer & Rye
Cuisine: American
Some of Austin's most popular bars and restaurants are here on Rainey Street, and Emmer & Rye is no exception. This place is always packed and humming with a crowd, both outside on the breezy patio and indoors in the contemporary, inviting dining room.
The new American menu is well-designed and tightly focused. From the in-house fermentation program and freshly ground heirloom grains figuring prominently on the menu to strong ties with many of Texas's small farms, there's a commitment to sustainability here. Yellowfin tuna crudo tucked with strawberries and cucumber is a refreshing opener before tucking into a plate of house-made cacio e pepe. Velvety and satisfying, it's been on the menu since the very beginning.
Hero image: Zach Horst / March
