and the winners are...
All the Austin restaurants named to the 2025 Texas Michelin Guide
Craft Omakase, a 2024 and 2025 Michelin honoree.
The Texas restaurant scene is once again basking in an international spotlight. The Michelin Guide has revealed its statewide selections at an invite-only ceremony held Tuesday, October 28 in Houston.
Overall, 51 Austin restaurants are included in this year's edition of the guide. They are divided as follows:
Michelin Star - Awarded to “establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed, and infused with the personality of a talented chef.”
- Barley Swine
- Craft Omakase
- Hestia
- InterStellar BBQ
- la Barbecue
- Leroy and Lewis Barbecue
- Olamaie
Bib Gourmand - Awarded to “restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value.”
- Briscuits
- Burnt Bean Co.
- Cuantos Tacos
- Dai Due
- Distant Relatives
- Emmer & Rye
- Franklin Barbecue
- Kemuri Tatsu-ya
- KG BBQ
- La Santa Barbacha
- Mercado Sin Nombre (new)
- Micklethwait Craft Meats
- Nixta Taqueria
- Odd Duck
- Parish Barbecue (new)
- Ramen del Barrio
- Veracruz Fonda & Bar
Recommended - For quality restaurants that don’t qualify for either a Bib Gourmand or a Michelin star.
- Apt 115
- Birdie's
- Comedor
- Discada
- Este
- Ezov
- Fabrik (new)
- Garrison
- Jeffrey's
- Joe's Bakery & Coffee Shop
- La Condesa
- Launderette
- Le Calamar (new)
- Lenoir
- Ling Kitchen
- Lutie's
- Maie Day
- Mexta
- Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen
- Pasta|Bar Austin (new)
- Poeta (new)
- Siti (new)
- Suerte
- Tare
- Terry Black’s BBQ
- Toshokan
Additionally, Nixta Taqueria was one of two restaurants that were newly granted "Green Stars," signifying “restaurants that are leaders in sustainable gastronomy.” Isidore in San Antonio was the other new Green Star addition, and Austin restaurants Dai Due and Emmer & Rye maintained theirs from 2024 — that means three quarters of the Green Star restaurants in Texas are in Austin. Even Isidore is under the same Austin-based restaurant group as Emmer & Rye, so all have a connection here.
Celia Pellegrini of Este/Suerte was honored with the Michelin Sommelier Award. Chuck Charnichart of Barbs B Q in Lockhart was given the Michelin Young Chef/Culinary Professional Award.
Michelin announced its plans to launch the inaugural Texas guide in July 2024 and revealed its selections last November. In all, 47 Austin restaurants won recognition in the 2024 guide.
Considered to be the most prestigious restaurant review authority in the world, Michelin uses five criteria to evaluate restaurants. They are: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu.
Michelin employs a team of anonymous inspectors to visit restaurants and assess their worthiness for the guide. The system has certain advantages — for example, anonymity helps ensure inspectors don’t receive special treatment during their visits. It also has disadvantages — neither readers nor the restaurants know when or how many times the inspectors visited before deciding on a rating.
Earlier this month, Michelin announced its “key” ratings for hotels across America. Eight Austin hotels maintained their place on the prestigious list.
Big photos make Texas BBQ fun to flip through.Image courtesy of HarperCollins
Author Veronica Meewes at la Barbecue.Photo by Alex Gray