CultureMap has finally completed its statewide journey to honor the best chefs, restaurants, and more with the 2025 Tastemaker Awards.
The series kicked off April 3 with our Houston Tastemaker Awards at Silver Street Studios, then we moved south to San Antonio on April 10 for our biggest party there yet, at the Briscoe Museum.
We then headed to North Texas for our Fort Worth celebration at 4 Eleven on April 23, followed by our Dallas celebration at Astoria Event Venue on May 1.
Last, but certainly not least, our Texas culinary tour finished strong with our Austin fête at Fair Market on May 8.
The 2025 Tastemaker Awards celebrated Texas' brilliant and diverse culinary landscape and honored those who've made the biggest impact in the past year. Our nominated chefs and restaurants showcased their flavorful bites and treats during each of the celebrations, and winners were revealed in an onstage ceremony.
Guests dined on chef-created dishes and sipped on a variety of creative batched cocktails. But nothing could take away the focus from our acclaimed nominees and winners, who are the main reason we bring these celebrations to life year after year.
Nominees were, as always, determined by a panel of local industry experts, including previous Tastemaker winners and CultureMap staff. They voted on winners in categories such as Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year, and more. The champion in the Best New Restaurant category was determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament.
Our 2025 “wild card” category was a competition for Best Coffee Shop in each of our cities; the ones that keep us caffeinated and happy day after day.
Readers in each city got to know all the nominees through a special editorial series for weeks leading up to the events.
Now without further delay, let’s meet our 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners all across Texas, listed by city:
Austin:
- Restaurant of the Year: Este
- Chef of the Year: Peter Klein, Holiday
- Rising Star Chef of the Year: Heejae Galluccio, Birdie’s
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Abby Love, Abby Jane Bakeshop
- Bar of the Year: Equipment Room
- Best New Restaurant: Tancho Sushi
- Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Little Darlin’
- Brewery of the Year: St. Elmo Brewing Co.
- Best Coffee Shop: Desnudo Coffee
Houston:
- Restaurant of the Year: Baso
- Chef of the Year: Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó
- Bar of the Year: Johnny’s Gold Brick
- Best New Restaurant: Leo’s River Oaks
- Rising Star Chef of the Year: Jacques Varon and Max Lappe, Baso
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Stephanie Velasquez, Ema/Papalo
- Bartender of the Year: Aaron Lara, Kira
- Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition
- Best Pop-Up/Startup: Suu Khin, Burmalicious
- Best Coffee Shop: Blacksmith
San Antonio:
- Restaurant of the Year: Ladino
- Chef of the Year: John Russ, Clementine
- Best New Restaurant: Freight Fried Chicken
- Bar of the Year: Gimme Gimme
- Brewery of the Year: Roadmap Brewing Co.
- Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Cullum’s Attagirl
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Alessia Benavides, Chocolatl
- Best Coffee Shop: Folklores Coffee House
Fort Worth:
- Restaurant of the Year: Teddy Wongs
- Chef of the Year: Alessandro Salvatore, Bocca Osteria Romana
- Bar of the Year: The Rabbit Hole Pub
- Best New Restaurant: Whiskey Cake
- Rising Star Chef of the Year: Steve Hoogeboom, 61 Osteria
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Lindsey Lawing, Sweet Lucy's Pies
- Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Bodega South Main
- Best Barbecue: Panther City BBQ
- Best Coffee Shop: Avoca Coffee Roasters
Dallas:
- Restaurant of the Year: Mister Charles
- Chef of the Year: Jeff Bekavac, Goodwins
- Bar of the Year: Columbian Country Club
- Best New Restaurant: Nikki Greek Bistro & Lounge
- Rising Star Chef of the Year: Roman Murphy, Perch Bistro
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Ryan Stipp, Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa
- Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Porch
- Best Eatertainment: Chicken N Pickle
- Best Coffee Shop: Merit Coffee
The Austin CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony was brought to you by The Yuengling Company, Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hornitos, Texas Beef Council, Ritual Zero Proof, Seedlip, and PicMe Events. A portion of the proceeds benefited Central Texas Food Bank.
