Michelin Guide is Headed to Texas

The Michelin Guide announced today that it has expanded to Texas. The Lone Star State will be the 11th destination in North America to be added to the lauded guides, and the agency reports anonymous guide inspectors are already in the field hunting for culinary gems.

The inaugural restaurant selections will be announced later this year at the 2024 Texas Michelin Guide Ceremony.

Getting a star, or even into the guide, is an evasive process. Anonymous inspectors visit restaurants several times to determine if any of the iconic Michelin Stars — one, two or three — should be awarded. Stars are based on five universal criteria: quality products, harmony of flavors, mastery of cooking techniques, voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine and consistency between visits and throughout the menu.

There are currently only 13 restaurants in the U.S. with three stars, which include Per Se, Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park and Masa all in New York City. Alinea in Chicago and The French Laundry in Yountville, California might be others you've heard of.

RJ Yoakum, the chef at Georgie, which we reviewed late last year, previously worked at The French Laundry and thinks this is great for the state. He says just being a Michelin Guide state can elevate the culinary craftsmanship across the state.

"Me being another transplant, a lot of my new team members–new sous chef, GM and corporate pastry chef–all come from California or Las Vegas Michelin caliber restaurants," Yoakum says. "We moved here to live a better life and having a guide here can only bring more professionals in the industry. It can also bring more national writers to showcase how much talent has been passed up on statewide."

Yoakum emphasizes, however, that getting stars does not solely define the quality of a restaurant or cuisine, "Plenty of restaurants out there don't have any."

The Michelin Guide, originally published in France around 1900 by the eponymous tire company, was a way to encourage French drivers to burn more rubber traveling to restaurants. The original road tip guide. It only arrived in North America in 2005 first in New York City. Chicago was added in 2011, D.C. in 2017, San Francisco in 2008 then all of California in 2019. Vancouver, Toronto and Florida (Miami, Orlando and Tampa) were added in 2022. Atlanta in 2023 and Mexico City, along with Texas, in 2024.

The first Texas Michelin Guide will feature Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.

“The Texas culinary scene has proven to be an exhilarating one, with multicultural influences, homegrown ingredients and talent that is rich in ambition,” says Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides in an announcement for the Texas edition. “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.”

Other awards include Bib Gourmand, selections that highlight restaurants offering great quality food at good prices. The Michelin Green Star is given to leaders in sustainable gastronomy.

In 2022, we spoke to chef Bruno Davaillon, who previously worked at a Las Vegas restaurant that received a star. At the time when asked if he thought Texas would soon be added to the guide, he told us he thought the state was probably next up for the guide in North America.

"We have some of the largest growing and heavily populated cities in the U.S.," Davaillon said at the time, "all with a reputation as great dining destinations. Houston is a big market for dining and hospitality, as well as Austin, and now I think Dallas is reaching that way, as well."

The Frenchman was right.