Awards News

More than a dozen Dallas restaurants earn Michelin Guide awards

Sushi from Tatsu Dallas.

Photo courtesy of Tatsu

The winners of the first Michelin Guide awards in Texas have been revealed, with 117 restaurants earning some kind of nod, including 15 one-star establishments.

Michelin Guides are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. The selection was announced Monday night at 713 Music Hall in Houston.

More than two dozen restaurants across Dallas-Fort Worth earned some kind of nod or another but only one won a star: Tatsu Dallas, the an edomae-style restaurant from acclaimed chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi which opened in Deep Ellum in 2022.

Austin and Houston each had six restaurants who were given one stars. San Antonio got one, and Fort Worth got none.

The rest of the nods given to Dallas restaurants were either their Bib Gourmand awards "which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value," or else another category which they called "Recommended," which included local critical favorites like Fearing's and Mr. Charles.

In a release, Michelin Guides international director Gwendal Poullennec said that their mysterious "anonymous Inspectors" were impressed by the culinary community across the state of Texas.

“The selection reflects their findings by highlighting uniquely Texas flavors, such as Barbecue and Tex-Mex, as well as several international influences," Poullennec said.

One Star

Austin

Barley Swine (Contemporary)
Craft Omakase (Japanese)
InterStellar BBQ (Barbecue)
la Barbecue (Barbecue)
Leroy and Lewis Barbecue (Barbecue)
Olamaie (American)

Dallas

Tatsu Dallas (Japanese)

Houston

BCN Taste & Tradition (Spanish)
CorkScrew BBQ (Spring; Barbecue)
Le Jardinier Houston (French)
March (Creative/Mediterranean)
Musaafer (Indian)
Tatemó (Mexican)

San Antonio

Mixtli (Mexican)

Green Star

Dai Due (Austin; American)
Emmer & Rye (Austin; American)

Bib Gourmand
Michelin inspectors gave 45 restaurants the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value.

Barbs B Q 102 E. Market St., Lockhart
Belly of the Beast 5200 FM 2920 Rd., Ste. 180, Spring
Blood Bros BBQ 5425 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire
Briscuits 4204 Menchaca Rd., Austin
Burnt Bean Co. 108 S. Austin St., Seguin
Cattleack 13628 Gamma Rd., Dallas
Cuantos Tacos 1108 E. 12th St., Austin
Cullum's Attaboy 111 Kings Ct., San Antonio
Dai Due 2406 Manor Rd., Austin
Distant Relatives 3901 Promontory Point Dr., Austin
Ema 5307 N. Main St., Houston
Emmer & Rye 51 Rainey St., Austin
Franklin Barbecue 900 E. 11th St., Austin
Gemma 2323 N. Henderson Ave., Ste. 109, Dallas
Goldee’s 4645 Dick Price Rd., Fort Worth
The Jerk Shack 10234 Texas 151, Ste. 103, San Antonio
Kau Ba 2502 Dunlavy St., Houston
Kemuri Tatsu-ya 2713 E. 2nd St., Austin
KG BBQ 3108 Manor Rd., Austin
Killen's 101 Heights Blvd., Houston
Killen's BBQ 3613 Broadway St., Pearland
La Santa Barbacha 2806 Manor Rd., Austin
Ladino 200 E. Grayson St. #100, San Antonio
Lucia 287 N. Bishop Ave., Dallas
Mala Sichuan Bistro 9348 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, 77036
Micklethwait Craft Meats 1309 Rosewood Ave., Austin
Một Hai Ba 6407 Lewis St., Dallas
Nam Giao 6938 Wilcrest Dr., Houston
Nancy's Hustle 2704 Polk St., Houston
Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen 1907 Greenville Ave., Dallas
Nixta Taqueria 2512 E. 12th St., Austin
nobie's 2048 Colquitt St., Houston
nonna 4115 Lomo Alto Dr., Dallas
Odd Duck 1201 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin
Pinkerton's BBQ 1504 Airline Dr., Houston
The Pit Room 1201 Richmond Ave., Houston
Ramen del Barrio 1700 W. Parmer Ln., Austin
Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q 2111 Riley Fuzzell Rd., Spring
Rosie Cannonball 1620 Westheimer Rd., Houston
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery 136 E. Grayson St., Ste. 120, San Antonio
Street to Kitchen 3401 Harrisburg Blvd., Houston
Tejas Chocolate 200 N. Elm St., Tomball
Theodore Rex 1302 Nance St., Unit A, Houston
Truth BBQ 110 S. Heights Blvd., Houston
Veracruz Fonda & Bar 1905 Aldrich St., Austin

Special Award
In addition to the Bib Gourmands and Stars, the Guide announced four Special Awards:

Exceptional Cocktails Award: Julian Shaffer, Rye
Sommelier Award (sponsored by Franciacorta): Steven McDonald Pappa Bros. Steakhouse
Outstanding Service Award: Hailey Pruitt & Lauren Beckman, Mixtli
Young Chef / Culinary Professional Award (sponsored by Sysco): Edgar Rico, Nixta Taqueria

Texas’ 2024 Recommended restaurants
A lesser designation for restaurants that don't qualify for a star rating:

2M Smokehouse 2731 S. Ww White Rd., San Antonio
Apt 115 2025 E. 7th St., Austin
Barbecue Station 1610 N.E. Loop 410, San Antonio
Barsotti's 4208 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas
Baso 633 W. 19th St., #A, Houston
Birdie's 2944 E. 12th St., Austin
Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez 2220 E. Rosedale St., Fort Worth
Bludorn 807 Taft St., Houston
Brisket & Rice 13111 FM-529 Rd., Houston
Candente 4306 Yoakum Blvd., Houston
Comedor 501 Colorado St., Austin
Con Todo 10001 Metric Blvd., Austin
Crown Block 300 Reunion Blvd. E., Dallas
dipdipdip Tatsu-Ya 7301 Burnet Rd., Ste. 101, Austin
Discada 1319 Rosewood Ave., Austin
El Carlos Elegante 1400 N. Riverfront Blvd., Dallas
Este 2113 Manor Rd., Austin
Ezov 2708 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin
Fearing's 2121 McKinney Ave., Dallas
Garcia's Mexican Food 842 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio
Garrison 101 Red River St., Austin
Georgie 4514 Travis St., Dallas
Harvest 215 N. Kentucky St., McKinney
Hidden Omakase 5353 W. Alabama St., Ste. 102, Houston
Jeffrey's 1204 W. Lynn St., Austin
Joe's Bakery & Coffee Shop 2305 E. 7th St., Austin
Knox Bistro 3230 Knox St., Dallas
La Condesa 400 W. 2nd St., Austin
Late August 4201 Main St., Ste. 120, Houston
Launderette 2115 Holly St., Austin
Leche de Tigre 318 E. Cevallos St., San Antonio
Lenoir 1807 S. 1st St., Austin
Ling Kitchen 8423 Research Blvd., Austin
Little Em’s Oyster Bar 1001 S. Alamo St., San Antonio
Lutie's 4100 Red River St., Austin,
Maie Day 1603 S. Congress Ave., Austin
Mercat Bistro 2501 N. Harwood St., Ste. 225, Dallas
Mexta 106 E. 6th St., Ste. #110, Austin
Monarch 1401 Elm St., Dallas
Mr Charles 3219 Knox St., Dallas
Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen 5811 Manor Rd., Austin
Nicosi 221 Newell Ave., San Antonio
Panther City BBQ 201 E. Hattie St., Fort Worth
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse 5839 Westheimer Rd., Houston
Quarter Acre 2023 Greenville Ave., Ste. 110, Dallas
Rye 1920 Greenville Ave., Dallas
Sachet 4270 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas
Signature Restaurant 16401 La Cantera Pkwy, San Antonio
Smoke'N Ash BBQ 5904 S. Cooper St., Arlington
Stillwell's Hôtel Swexan, 2575 Mckinnon St., Dallas
Stock & Barrel 316 W. Davis St., Dallas
Suerte 1800 E. 6th St., Austin
Tare 12414 Alderbrook Dr., Austin
Tei-An 1722 Routh St., Dallas
Terry Black’s BBQ 1003 Barton Springs Rd., Austin
Toshokan 807 E. 4th St., Austin
Written By The Seasons 380 Melba St., Dallas, 75208

awards

Spring Arrival

West Dallas gets new Spanish-Peruvian restaurant with big-name chef

Photo courtesy of Ulloa's

Paella will be on the menu.

A new restaurant with a high-profile culinary director will bring Spanish and Peruvian flavors to West Dallas: Called Ulloa’s, it is coming to 727 Fort Worth Ave., with a projected opening in March 2027.

The concept is from philanthropists Susan and Woodrow Gandy, who were previously investors in the historic Belmont Hotel just around the corner. They've teamed up with Dallas celebrity chef Kent Rathbun as culinary director, along with Christopher Tunnell as general manager to lead the front of the house.

Rathbun is a name Dallas diners know well, with a resume that includes The Mansion on Turtle Creek, the Landmark Restaurant at the historic Melrose Hotel, Seventeen Seventeen at the Dallas Museum of Art, Abacus, Jasper's, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, and more. He's won numerous awards and made multiple appearances on Food Network. He was most recently behind the launch of On The Rocks, an Italian bistro in Burleson.

Chef Kent Rathbun will be the culinary director of Ulloa's. Photo courtesy of Kent Rathbun

Tunnell’s background spans both culinary direction and front-of-house operations. He worked at Los Angeles hot spots Ketchup, Geisha House, and Les Deux, as well as the Mandalay Bay and The Mirage in Las Vegas, before moving to Dallas to open The Mexican, the upscale restaurant in the Design District.

“I am truly excited to partner with Chef Kent Rathbun, whose reputation is amazing — not only in the DFW Metroplex, but in the culinary world,” Tunnell says. “He has been with this project since the beginning, helping develop it; this will be a very chef-driven, culinary-forward restaurant.”

The team's vision for Ulloa’s is both culinary and urban, with hopes of anchoring the corridor and attracting other businesses to Fort Worth Avenue — a stretch connecting downtown Dallas with Oak Cliff that remains somewhat underdeveloped despite its panoramic skyline views.

The restaurant is named for Spanish explorer, astronomer, and scientist Antonio de Ulloa, who spent extensive time in the Mexican peninsula before becoming Louisiana’s first governor. During his travels, Ulloa documented a fogbow — a circular rainbow formed when sunlight meets mist that causes silhouettes standing between the sun and fog to appear ringed in light, a phenomenon known today as “Ulloa’s Rings.”

That vibrant phenomenon inspired both the restaurant's identity and logo. The concept promises "bold, worldly flavors in a welcoming neighborhood setting inspired by exploration and discovery,” the owners say.

Ulloa's Rendering of Ulloa's.Rendering courtesy of Ulloa's

While the menu remains in development, Tunnell describes the culinary direction as “Spanish soul with a Peruvian heart.” The kitchen will merge the coastal flavors of both traditions — ranging from paellas and ceviches to crafted cocktails and signature adaptations by Rathbun.

The 200-seat, two-story space will feature a downstairs dining room, a large bar, and an outdoor patio. Upstairs, plans call for a secondary bar, a private dining room, a patio, and an expansive balcony patio, offering views of the city's skyline and of the Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott bridges.

While the upstairs space will be available for private events, the owners intend for it to operate primarily as an organic extension of the main restaurant. The buildout will include a guest elevator along with ample parking, including both self-parking and valet options.

The team says the restaurant will have have an aesthetic that's “warm, theatrical, generous, elegant but alive, with the energy of a great Spanish tapas bar and the soul of Peruvian hospitality.”

Ulloa’s plans to launch with dinner service first, followed by lunch and weekend brunch.

restaurants bars peruvian flavors west dallas oak cliff kent rathbun

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Spring Arrival

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