Michelin Guide Texas: What Went Wrong and How to Improve
When Michelin announced its list of best restaurants in Texas in 2024, the French company was bolstered by decades of experience critiquing the world’s most revered dining rooms. And yet, it was Texas’ first year being recognized by Michelin, so it felt like a new beginning — a blank slate — for Dallas-Fort Worth chefs and restaurateurs eager to get noticed internationally.
The results were largely disappointing for chefs in North Texas. Just one Michelin star was awarded in Dallas-Fort Worth, to Tatsu, a tiny-omakase restaurant in Dallas. Another 20 restaurants in North Texas were given a Recommended honor from Michelin, and their chefs walked away from the 2024 ceremony with heads held high: It was an honorable mention, a nice-to-be-noticed award. But being Recommended is not a star, and Dallas’ highest-achieving chefs wanted bling.
Yet another seven restaurants were handed Bib Gourmands, the value award for eateries that Michelin finds to be delicious and well-priced. A Michelin spokesperson has told The Dallas Morning News that Bibs are often the anonymous Michelin inspectors’ favorite restaurants because they’re unpretentious and affordable. A Bib is another great honor. But some of the seven named weren’t all that affordable, leaving diners in-the-know scratching their heads.
The final North Texas award went to Rye, a Dallas restaurant on Greenville Avenue whose bartender Julian Shaffer was singled out for his Exceptional Cocktails. The award was a wonderful surprise for the Rye restaurateurs. Shaffer then left Rye to work at another Dallas restaurant, Ella, which has since closed.
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The Chumley House is a European-inspired steakhouse that opened after the 2024 Michelin ceremony. Will it be a shining star in 2025 in Fort Worth, a city that was shut out for Michelin stars in 2024?
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
What about tacos and Tex-Mex?
Although the Michelin Guide put Texas on the international gastronomic map, recognition of Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants was minimal in 2024, despite the fact that these are two pillars of Texas’ culinary identity and integral to daily life. Only Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez in Fort Worth and El Carlos Elegante in Dallas received Recommended nods in North Texas.
The omission came as a surprise to restaurateurs, experts and diners alike. For many, it was inconceivable a guide rewarding authenticity and technique would overlook cuisines that have evolved over generations and set trends not only in the state, but throughout the country.
In D-FW, where the Mexican influence is palpable, there are contemporary restaurants that have elevated traditional dishes with haute cuisine techniques and local ingredients, as well as taquerias that are reinventing the way tacos are eaten. Will they continue to be ignored in 2025? Chefs and the public alike expect to see a more recognition of the culinary soul of Texans. We can only hope the spotlight will shine on tortillas, salsa and other elements of the Texas identity.
A math problem with Bib Gourmands
Michelin’s Bib Gourmand award goes to restaurants that exhibit simple yet skillful cooking at an affordable price. The general rule of thumb is a diner can order two courses, along with a glass of wine or a dessert, for $50 before tax and tip at a Bib Gourmand restaurant. With that criteria in mind, the list of seven Bib Gourmand winners in North Texas was a bit head-scratching.
On the list was Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen, Goldee’s Barbecue and Cattleack Barbecue where one can certainly dine for $50 or less. But also on the list were Lucia and Mot Hai Ba, where main courses range from $26 to $55. Perhaps these restaurants and their prices seem like a bargain compared to their equivalents in other major cities, but for Texas diners, it’s hard to see how such restaurants could be considered affordable.
Too much barbecue. Or was it too little?
In 2024, Michelin gave 15 restaurants across Texas a 1-star honor. These awards are the stuff dreams are made of: They catapult a great Texas restaurant and its chefs into an international fraternity of top achievers.
