The 2026 MICHELIN Guide Texas selection has been announced, with 19 restaurants earning One Star across the state. Revealed on October 8, the latest list highlights Texas’s evolving dining scene, from traditional barbecue and inventive plant-based cuisine to Japanese-French tasting menus and restaurants built around locally sourced ingredients.
This year’s selection includes three notable additions to the One Star category. Fort Worth’s Goldee’s Bar-B•Q and Austin’s vegan restaurant Fabrik have both been promoted to One Star, while Austin’s Kappo Kappo makes its debut in the guide with the distinction.
Beyond the new stars, MICHELIN inspectors identified several trends influencing Texas gastronomy, including the continued strength of barbecue, the rise of chef-led concepts rooted in personal heritage, and a growing commitment to farm-to-table cooking.
Texas Barbecue Continues to Earn Recognition
Despite rising beef prices putting pressure on barbecue businesses across the United States, Texas pitmasters continue to demonstrate the quality and consistency that define the state’s celebrated barbecue culture.
Goldee’s Bar-B•Q in Fort Worth is among the biggest stories of the 2026 selection, moving up from Bib Gourmand recognition to One Star. Founded by a group of friends in 2019 and opened in 2020, the restaurant has built a following for its straightforward approach to traditional Texas barbecue.
Customers regularly queue for its beef and pork ribs, jalapeño-cheddar sausage, and signature brisket, which is slow-cooked over locally sourced post oak.
Houston is also gaining attention for a different take on smoked meats. Levant BBQ, a newly recommended restaurant in the MICHELIN Guide, combines Central Texas barbecue traditions with flavors from the Levant. Its menu pairs familiar offerings such as brisket and ribs with lamb chops, fasolia and hummus. The brisket shawarma brings the two culinary traditions together in a single dish.
At Kappo Kappo, brothers Haru and Gohei Kishi bring together their Japanese background and experience living in France with an intimate chef-counter omakase and French cooking techniques. © Proper Hotel/Kappo Kappo
Chef-Led Restaurants Put Personal Stories on the Menu
Across Texas, chefs are increasingly shaping their restaurants around individual philosophies, cultural backgrounds and personal experiences.
In Dallas, chef Olivia López’s Olōyō draws inspiration from heirloom Mexican corn, masa and the cuisine of Colima, a state on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Its seasonal menu frequently features dishes such as tamales, huaraches and sopes, showcasing the versatility of corn-based cooking.
Houston’s Xolo, a new Bib Gourmand recipient, offers another interpretation of Mexican cuisine. Chef Javier Becerra brings elements of Mexico City’s food culture to the restaurant through creative cocktails, bar snacks and small plates. Menu highlights include the Guava Matcha Tini, tuna tostada and triple-cooked octopus served with mole blanco.
The husband-and-wife team behind Street to Kitchen, chef Benchawan “G” Jabthong and Graham Painter, has also expanded its culinary ambitions with Jantra, an intimate eight-seat restaurant next door. Unlike its Bib Gourmand sister restaurant, which focuses on traditional Thai offerings, Jantra presents a contemporary tasting menu combining Thai flavors with international ingredients. The dishes reflect Chef G’s childhood memories and travels through Thailand, Myanmar and the United States.
In Austin, Kappo Kappo has earned its first One Star by bringing together Japanese culinary traditions and French techniques. Brothers Haru and Gohei Kishi draw on their Japanese heritage and experience living in France to create an intimate chef-counter omakase experience. Recurring dishes include toro tartare and Wagyu accompanied by classic French sauces.
Farm-to-table is on the menu at Fabrik. © Je Wallerstein/Fabrik
Farm-to-Table Dining Gains Momentum
Local sourcing is becoming increasingly important to Texas restaurants, with chefs developing closer relationships with farmers, ranchers and millers to shape their menus around regional ingredients.
MICHELIN inspectors singled out Harvest at the Masonic in McKinney as a particularly strong example of this approach. The restaurant sources produce from Water Boy Farms, which is directed by its executive chef and master gardener, Andrea Shackelford.
Austin also features several restaurants embracing farm-to-table principles. Birdie’s, One-Star Barley Swine and newly starred Fabrik are among the establishments highlighted for their focus on ingredients and seasonal cooking. Barley Swine also received the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Texas Service Award.
In San Antonio, Lovers Pizzeria joins the guide’s broader selection of restaurants emphasizing locally sourced ingredients.
Fabrik stands out in particular for combining farm-to-table cooking with a vegan menu, demonstrating how sustainability and plant-based cuisine are becoming more prominent within Texas’s fine-dining landscape.
Every One-Star Restaurant in Texas for 2026
The 2026 MICHELIN Guide Texas selection includes 19 One-Star restaurants across Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Spring.
Austin
- Barley Swine
- Craft Omakase
- Fabrik — New One Star
- Hestia
- InterStellar BBQ
- Kappo Kappo — New One Star
- LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue
Dallas
- Mamani
- Tatsu Dallas
Fort Worth
- Goldee’s Bar-B•Q — New One Star
Houston
- BCN Taste & Tradition
- Le Jardinier Houston
- March
- Musaafer
- Tatemó
San Antonio
- Isidore
- Mixtli
- Nicōsi
Spring
- CorkScrew BBQ
The complete restaurant selection is available through the MICHELIN Guide Texas directory.
A Diverse Dining Scene Defines Texas in 2026
This year’s selection reflects the breadth of Texas’s restaurant culture, where established culinary traditions continue to evolve alongside ambitious new concepts. Barbecue remains a defining part of the state’s identity, while chefs are expanding the conversation through regional Mexican cuisine, Thai-inspired tasting menus, Japanese-French cooking and plant-based dining.
The growing emphasis on local sourcing further demonstrates how Texas restaurants are connecting their menus to the people and places that supply their ingredients.
With Goldee’s Bar-B•Q and Fabrik earning promotions, and Kappo Kappo joining the list for the first time, the 2026 guide highlights a dining landscape shaped by both tradition and experimentation.
