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

Cory Starr, Austin Bartender of the Year.

Photo by Alison Narro

Cory Starr, Austin Bartender of the Year.

tastemakers

Closing News

Longtime Dallas restaurant Sevy's Grill to close after nearly 30 years

Photo courtesy of Sevy's Grill

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A longtime Dallas restaurant is closing in 2026: Sevy's Grill, which has been open at 8201 Preston Rd. near Preston Center for nearly 30 years, will close on June 27, 2026.

According to a release from the owners, they're closing due to what appears to be an increase in rent.

"After months of negotiations, we were not able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement for our fourth 10-year lease," the post said.

The restaurant is located in Preston Sherry Plaza, which was acquired in September 2025 by Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate. Somebody gotta foot the bill.

Sevy's says they are looking at other locations.

"Our focus now is to finish these next 6+ months taking care of our guests and staff at the same caring level we built our brand on: Warm, professional service, consistently good food and a comfortable ambiance where the guest is always first," the post says. "First on our list of priorities is taking care of our guests in December and all the wonderful celebrations of family, friends and business groups. We do still have some availability for reservations, including our last New Years Eve at Preston Sherry. Come celebrate with us as the exciting anticipation of a new year for all of us."

"Our second priority will be the search for a new location to continue doing what we love," they said. "We are already reviewing possible sites and will keep everyone updated regularly."

Owned by chef Jim "Sevy" Severson and his wife Amy Severson, the restaurant has long been a neighborhood favorite with a lively bar scene, and was nominated in CultureMap's 2018 Tastemaker Awards for Best Neighborhood Restaurant. They were a frequent choice for winemaker events and are also known for the longevity of their staff.

"Eight team members have been with us all 29+ years, with an average tenure in the kitchen of 15+ years and a Management team that you all know," their post said. "Come support our staff as we celebrate the next 6+ months.Thank you again for your support through all the normal challenges of running a restaurant as well as economic downturns, market bubbles, Y2K, and of course the COVID era. As I tell my family and friends to “enjoy the ride in life”, wow, what an amazing ride it has been for us! And as always, Sevy’s Grill is here for you."