Michelin Awards Coveted Stars to 6 Houston Restaurants

Houston is now home to six Michelin-starred restaurants after the inaugural Michelin Guide Texas ceremony.

The six area restaurants that each received one star from the French company are: BCN Taste & Tradition, CorkScrew BBQ, Le Jardinier, March, Musaafer, and Tatemó. Another 15 Houston restaurants received Bib Gourmand (see below) recognition while seven more were deemed Recommended spots by Michelin.

Statewide the guide recognized a total of 117 restaurants in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.

Only Austin (7) received more one-star recognitions than Houston. Dallas and San Antonio each had a single one-starred restaurant.

The ceremony was held November 10 at 713 Music Hall in Houston.

Michelin awards one, two or three stars for the best restaurants experienced by its inspectors. A single star means a spot offers “high-quality cooking” that’s “worth a stop.” A two-star restaurant is recognized when “the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes” and three stars go to those restaurants with “superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession.” No restaurant in Texas received more than one star in the inaugural awards.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides said the company’s anonymous inspectors “were impressed by the culinary community across the state of Texas,” He added: “The selection reflects their findings by highlighting uniquely Texas flavors, such as Barbecue and Tex-Mex, as well as several international influences. We are very honored to welcome these restaurants to the Michelin Guide family for the first time and we toast to the tremendous spirit of the Texas restaurant community!”

Houston has one of the most dynamic food scenes in the country with more than 12,000 restaurants, but it’s only been in recent years that the city has garnered national attention as a culinary destination. “The arrival of the Michelin Guide helps puts Texas and our city on the global culinary map and will mean more visitors and spending for our local economy,” said Houston First President and CEO Michael Heckman. “While we don’t have a specific projection, we believe the impact will be significant and will elevate our brand around the world.”

Houston garnered a healthy number of recognitions in the Bib Gourmand category, defined as those that “offer good quality food for a good value.”