A taste of Texas

The Tastemaker Awards toasts the best in Texas dining for 2022

Guests raised a toast to our Tastemaker nominees.

Photo by Guillermo Rosas

CultureMap trekked across Texas this spring to toast the Tastemakers during our annual culinary awards program — and this year was bigger than ever. In addition to our longstanding events in Dallas, Austin, and Houston, we brought the party to Fort Worth and San Antonio for the very first time.

The series began April 26 with our inaugural San Antonio event before returning to Austin's Fair Market on April 28. The Texas culinary tour then headed to Cowtown for our Fort Worth debut on May 10, followed by an evening at Dallas' Fashion Industry Gallery on May 12. The foodie fun wrapped up May 25 in Houston with another sold-out night at Silver Street Studios.

The 2022 Tastemaker Awards served as a Texas-sized celebration of the culinary scenes they honored, with guests savoring bites from participating nominees, sipping signature cocktails alongside culinary stars, and raising a glass to the winners during our live awards ceremonies.

Nominees were selected by local panels of industry experts, including past Tastemaker winners and CultureMap editors. The panels then selected all winners, except for Best New Restaurant, which was determined by readers in our online tournament.

Meet all of the 2022 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winners, listed by city, below.

Dallas:

Restaurant of the Year: Meridian
Chef of the Year: Ji Kang, Sloane's Corner
Bar of the Year: Rattlesnake Bar
Best New Restaurant: Hawkers Asian Street Food
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Aldo Lugo, Jose
Pastry Chef of the Year: Amy La Rue, Carte Blanche
Bartender of the Year: Reid Lewis, Atlas
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Hillside Tavern
Brewery of the Year: Vector Brewing
Wine Program of the Year: Monarch
Best New Pizza: 400 Gradi

Fort Worth:

Restaurant of the Year: Belenty's Love Vegan Mexican Restaurant
Chef of the Year: Jenny Castor, Luckybee Kitchen
Bar of the Year: The Lobby Bar at Hotel Dryce
Best New Restaurant: Dusty Biscuit Beignets
Best Breakfast: Ol' South Pancake House

San Antonio:

Restaurant of the Year: 2M Smokehouse
Chef of the Year: Jason Dady, Jardín
Bar of the Year: Bar 1919
Best New Restaurant: Dashi Sichuan Kitchen & Bar
Best Brewery: Dorćol Distilling & Brewing Co.

Austin:

Restaurant of the Year: Cuantos Tacos
Chef of the Year: Edgar Rico, Nixta Taqueria
Bar of the Year: Tiki Tatsu-Ya
Best New Restaurant: Wax Myrtle's
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Amanda Turner, Olamaie
Pastry Chef of the Year: Susana Querejazu, Lutie's
Bartender of the Year: Cory Starr, Tiki Tatsu-Ya
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Better Half Coffee & Cocktails
Wine Program of the Year: Birdie's
Brewery of the Year: Meanwhile Brewing Co.
Best Vegan Restaurant: Counter Culture

Houston:

Restaurant of the Year: Street to Kitchen
Chef of the Year: Aaron Bludorn, Bludorn
Bar of the Year: Tongue-cut Sparrow
Best New Restaurant: d’Alba Craft Kitchen & Cocktails
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Benchawan Painter, Street to Kitchen
Pastry Chef of the Year: Christina Au, Blacksmith
Bartender of the Year: Sarah Crowl, Better Luck Tomorrow
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Click Virtual Food Hall
Wine Program of the Year: Tiny Champions
Best Pop-up: Luis Mercado and Paolo Justo, Neo

Junior Borges' Meridian was named Dallas Restaurant of the Year.

Photo by Ashley Gongora

Junior Borges' Meridian was named Dallas Restaurant of the Year.

tastemakers

Sushi News

Fun conveyor-belt sushi restaurant debuts at McKinney mixed-use

Photo by Jakob Layman for Kura Sushi

undefined

A Japanese-inspired restaurant that brings you sushi on a conveyor belt is now open in McKinney: Called Kura Revolving Sushi, it’s located at 8585 W. University Dr. #150 in the West Grove mixed-use development, where it debuts on April 25, with an opening party taking place all weekend from April 25-27.

"We are thrilled to open our sixth DFW location in McKinney, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the country with a population that's increasingly diverse and open to new culinary experiences," says Chief Development Officer Robert Kluger in a statement. "We believe the West Grove shopping center is the perfect place to share our authentic Japanese dining experience with this growing community."

Kura Sushi USA was established in 2008 and has grown to be the largest revolving sushi chain: Small plates of sushi and sides are placed on a conveyor belt that snakes around the restaurant, allowing customers to grab items as they pass by.

They have more than 100 menu items, including sushi, ramen, and popular Asian starters like edamame and wontons. Each item is charged separately starting at $3.45 a plate.

There are two conveyors as follows:

Revolving Sushi Bar. The primary belt that snakes through the dining area, with plates of sushi that are protected by the chain's Mr. Fresh ventilated sushi lid. They say it limits airborne exposure and has plate-tracking technology that monitors how long the item has been circulating, ensuring food remains fresh.
Express Belt. Referred to as the "sushi highway," the express belt is positioned above the primary belt and is used to deliver special orders.

Bikkura Pon Prizes
An integral part of Kura Sushi USA’s tech interactive dining experience, Bikkura Pon is a machine that dispenses prizes after customers dispose of their plates properly. A touch panel registers the number of sushi plates dispensed into the plate disposal slot. After five plates, a short animation plays; after every fifteen plates, a prize such as a keychain or phone mount pops out.

Kura has more than 550 locations in Japan, U.S., and Taiwan. There are 70 locations in 20 states and Washington D.C. McKinney is the sixth location to open in DFW; other locations include Carrollton, Euless, Plano, Frisco, and Fort Worth.

openings

A taste of Texas

The Tastemaker Awards toasts the best in Texas dining for 2022

Junior Borges' Meridian was named Dallas Restaurant of the Year.

11 Dallas suburbs soar as fastest-growing U.S. cities in last decade

9 Dallas-area universities make U.S. News' 2025 list of top grad schools

Mixed-use East Dock will revive 1915 building in Dallas' Oak Cliff

Sushi News

Fun conveyor-belt sushi restaurant debuts at McKinney mixed-use