Michelin Is Adding Another American State to Its Guides — and It’s Huge

The Lone Star State is about to see a lot more stars. As restaurant rankings, at least.

Michelin announced on Tuesday, July 16 that the prestigious restaurant guide is expanding to Texas, reviewing and ranking eateries throughout the state in accordance with Michelin’s famously uncompromising criteria. 

“The Texas culinary scene has proven to be an exhilarating one, with multicultural influences, homegrown ingredients, and talent that is rich in ambition,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides. “Foodies and travel enthusiasts alike will find something to enjoy, with such a broad dining scene spanning farm-to-table dishes, fusion cuisine, upscale dining, and the famous Texas-style barbecue. Texas is a perfect fit for the Michelin Guide, based on the experiences of our anonymous Inspectors.”

Anonymous Michelin Guide inspectors rank restaurants as one, two, or three stars — while also awarding designations such as Bib Gourmand highlights, which selects restaurants known for offering great food at fair prices, typically not as extravagant as the temples of fine dining the guide is renowned for recommending. Inspectors have already been dining in Texas, unbeknownst to chefs and restaurant staff, evaluating each restaurant’s quality, cuisine, and consistency across several visits in the same year. 

Michelin has expanded in recent years to states beyond top restaurant markets like New York, California, and Washington D.C. In 2022, the Michelin Guide expanded to Florida and Toronto, Canada. In 2023, the Michelin Guide covered Vancouver, Atlanta, and Colorado as part of the expanding North American collection. Texas seems like a natural fit for the esteemed guides, becoming the 11th destination in the continent.

As with many new guides, the Michelin Guide Texas is promoting the project in partnership with Texas’ tourism board, Travel Texas.

“The Michelin Guide Texas will illustrate to global travelers the culinary journey that’s waiting to be discovered in our state, featuring restaurants that embody our heritage and introducing innovative chefs and local artisans who are redefining our food scene,” said Tim Fennell, director of Travel Texas. “The introduction of the Guide will be a tremendous asset for Texas, promoting our rich and diverse food culture and elevating the restaurant scene to an international stage.”

Already, there’s plenty of lauded culinary talent cooking across Texas. Two of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs 2023 run restaurants in the state: Emmanuel Chavez of Houston’s Tatemó and Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria in Austin. Austin’s Suerte was a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2023 for Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program. And several restaurants were nominated as Best New Restaurant including Don Artemio Mexican Heritage in Fort Worth, Restaurant Beatrice in Dallas, Roots Southern Table in Farmers Branch, and Tatsu Dallas in Dallas. 

With undercover Michelin inspectors to impress for Texas’ first-ever Michelin Guide, the Lone Star State’s dining scene can only get better.