Bon Appetit magazine has published its coveted list of the best new restaurants of 2026, and two Texas eateries have made the cut. Unfortunately, neither is in North Texas; one's in Houston, and the other's in Austin.
Published Monday, August 24, the list includes 19 restaurants in 12 states and Washington, D.C. that opened between March 2025 and March 2026.
While Bon Appetit recognizes restaurants are facing challenges ranging from rising costs to AI disruption, the magazine takes an optimistic tone in the article’s introduction.
“The restaurants we found the most exciting are, of course, delicious, but they were also fearless about challenging the playbooks by betting on community and creativity. These are the traits that help evolve modern American cuisine,” it writes.
The two Texas honorees are Agnes and Sherman in Houston and Le Calamar in Austin. Consider adding these destination-worthy hot spots to the itinerary the next time you visit. Here's more about each one:
Agnes and Sherman, Houston
Opened in April 2025, Agnes and Sherman puts an Asian spin on the classic American diner. It's received significant regional and national praise, including being named Texas Monthly’s best new restaurant of 2026, as well as earning a James Beard Award finalist nomination for Best New Restaurant and a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide.
Good Morning America recently featured the restaurant during a weeklong series on diners. During the segment, Wong and Lee announced they'd recently become engaged.
Bon Appetit editorial operations manager Kate Kassin hails Agnes and Sherman for signature dishes such as a wedge salad that’s topped with youtiao croutons, lap cheong, and ginger-scallion ranch and the signature cheeseburger fried rice that’s made with shredded iceberg lettuce, two slices of American cheese, sauce, and sesame seeds.
“It’s a mishmash of two iconic dishes in their own genres but, together, something wholly emblematic of the food that owners Nick Wong and Lisa Lee are putting forth,” Kassin writes. 250 W. 19th St Suite A, Houston.
Le Calamar updates tradition for an interesting meal that lives up to both France and Texas' culinary legacies. Le Calamar/Instagrm
Le Calamar, Austin
Le Calamar, a French-Texas bistro, opened in May 2025 in the former space of buzzy restaurant Underdog.
A nominee for best new restaurant in the 2026 CultureMap Austin Tastemaker Awards, the restaurant is known for its chic interior, warm service, and dishes such as gnocchi and and raw oysters with fennel mignonette.
The stylish restaurant earned a "recommended" designation from the Michelin Guide in 2025.
At Le Calamar, Kassin finds first-rate stuffed chicken wings that are cooked on a Japanese binchotan grill.
“Likewise, Wagyu hanger steak au poivre boasts a floral sauce that blends black, white, and Tellicherry peppercorns with garlic, brandy, cream, and ginger; it is a dynamic update on the classic,” she writes. 1600 S 1st Street Suite 100, Austin.
Vodka Sauce Pasta at Elephante.Photo courtesy of Elephante
Elephante Espresso Martini.Photo courtesy of Élephante
A dramatic central bar anchors the restaurant.Photo courtesy of Elephante