Houston restaurants: MICHELIN & James Beard, taquerías, barbecue and more

MICHELIN & James Beard in Houston

Restaurants in the MICHELIN Guide Texas or named by the James Beard Foundation, reported as facts rather than scores. Across Texas: 166 Texas MICHELIN and James Beard restaurants.

1. March

   1624 Westheimer Rd, Houston

   1 MICHELIN StarJames Beard finalist

   James Beard: Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service finalist 2026 (June Rodil); James Beard: Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program finalist 2025

2. Tatemó

   4740 Dacoma St, Houston

   1 MICHELIN StarJames Beard finalist

   James Beard: Best Chef: Texas finalist 2025 (Emmanuel Chavez)

3. BCN Taste & Tradition

   4210 Roseland St, Houston

   1 MICHELIN Star

4. Le Jardinier Houston

   5500 Main St, Houston

   1 MICHELIN Star

5. Musaafer

   Suite C-3500, 5115 Westheimer Rd, Houston

   1 MICHELIN Star

6. ChòpnBlọk

   507 Westheimer Rd, Houston

   Bib GourmandJames Beard finalist

   James Beard: Best Chef: Texas finalist 2026 (Ope Amosu)

7. Agnes and Sherman

   250 W 19th St, Houston

   MICHELIN RecommendedJames Beard finalist

   James Beard: Best New Restaurant finalist 2026

8. Annam

   811 Buffalo Park Dr, Houston

   Bib Gourmand

9. Bar Buena

   2002 W Gray St, Houston

   Bib Gourmand

10. Casaema

    5307 N. Main St., #100, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

11. da Gama Canteen

    600 N Shepherd Dr, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

12. Kitchen Rumors

    2310 Decatur St, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

13. Murray's Pizza & Wine

    9655 Katy Fwy, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

14. Nam Giao

    6938 Wilcrest Dr, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

15. Nancy's Hustle

    2704 Polk St, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

16. nobie's

    2048 Colquitt St, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

17. Papalo Taqueria

    712 Main St, Houston

    Bib GourmandTaquería On the menu: brisket suadero taco, chicharrón taco, carrot taco, breakfast tacos

    Downtown taquería in Finn Hall from the CasaEma team, nixtamalizing its own corn for tortillas; MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.

18. Pinkerton's Barbecue

    1504 Airline Dr, Houston

    Bib GourmandBarbecue On the menu: beef rib, brisket, St. Louis-style ribs

    Grant Pinkerton's Airline Drive barbecue house with glazed pork ribs and duck-and-sausage jambalaya; MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.

19. Rosie Cannonball

    1620 Westheimer Rd, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

20. Street to Kitchen

    3401 Harrisburg Blvd, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

21. Theodore Rex

    1302 Nance St, Houston

    Bib Gourmand

22. Truth BBQ

    110 S Heights Blvd, Houston

    Bib GourmandBarbecue On the menu: brisket, turkey, house-made sausages, corn pudding, tater tot casserole

    Leonard Botello IV's Heights barbecue restaurant (the original is on US 290 in Brenham); MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.

23. JŪN

    420 E 20th St, Houston

    James Beard winner

    James Beard: Best Chef: Texas winner 2026 (Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu)

24. Angie's Pizza

    1002 W 11th St, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

25. Bar Bludorn

    9061 Gaylord Dr, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

26. Baso

    633 W 19th St # A, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

27. Bludorn

    807 Taft St, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

28. Candente

    4306 Yoakum Blvd, Houston

    MICHELIN RecommendedTex-Mex On the menu: enchiladas, fajitas, crispy beef taco, Texas red chili

    Montrose Tex-Mex from the team behind The Pit Room, with smoky, barbecue-influenced plates such as brisket enchiladas; Houston Press named it Best Tex-Mex in 2025.

29. Credence

    9757 Katy Fwy #170, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

30. Di An Pho

    12934 Bellaire Blvd, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

31. Hong Kong Food Street

    9750 Bellaire Blvd #100, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

32. J-Bar-M Barbecue

    2201 Leeland St, Houston

    MICHELIN RecommendedBarbecue On the menu: brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage, pork ribs, brisket tacos

    EaDo barbecue hall with brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage and big boards.

33. Jantra

    3401 Harrisburg Blvd, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

34. Josephine's

    318 Gray St, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

35. Khói Barbecue

    515 Patton St., Houston

    MICHELIN RecommendedBarbecue On the menu: brisket, beef rib in coconut curry, smoked and fried chicken

    Near Northside barbecue with Vietnamese flavors, such as beef rib in coconut curry.

36. Levant BBQ

    5884 Westheimer Rd, Houston

    MICHELIN RecommendedBarbecue On the menu: lamb neck, lamb chops, beef ribs, brisket

    Houston barbecue built around lamb, from lamb neck to lamb chops, alongside brisket.

37. Mala Sichuan Bistro

    9348 Bellaire Blvd, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

38. Mayahuel

    811 Buffalo Pk Dr, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

39. Oru

    746 W 24th St, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

40. Pappas Bros. Steakhouse

    5839 Westheimer Rd, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

41. Perseid

    4110 Loretto Dr., Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

42. Sushi Horiuchi

    2701 W. Dallas St., Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

43. The Marigold Club

    2531 Kuester St, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

44. The Pit Room

    1201 Richmond Ave, Houston

    MICHELIN RecommendedBarbecue On the menu: brisket, beef ribs, breakfast tacos

    Montrose barbecue joint with house tortillas for brisket tacos.

45. Xolo

    223 Westheimer Rd, Houston

    MICHELIN Recommended

46. Hugo's

    1600 Westheimer Rd, Houston

    James Beard: Outstanding Restaurateur finalist 2026 (Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H Town Restaurant Group)

Taquerías in Houston

Each one checked in fall 2026 against a 2025–26 source. For all of Texas: 55 Texas taquerías.

1. Papalo Taqueria

   712 Main St, Houston

   Bib GourmandTaquería On the menu: brisket suadero taco, chicharrón taco, carrot taco, breakfast tacos

   Downtown taquería in Finn Hall from the CasaEma team, nixtamalizing its own corn for tortillas; MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.

2. Alamo Tamales

   809 Berry Rd, Houston

   Taquería On the menu: carnitas taco, chicharrón Colombiano taco, tamales

   Northside tamale maker that also serves breakfast and lunch tacos on house flour tortillas.

3. Brothers Taco House

   1604 Emancipation Ave, Houston

   Taquería On the menu: chorizo and egg taco, bacon and egg taco, barbacoa, menudo

   East Downtown cafeteria-line taquería with weekend lines for barbacoa and breakfast tacos.

4. Cantina Barba

   3701 N Main St, Houston

   Taquería On the menu: carne asada taco

   Late-night Heights taquería with a mezcal bar on the back patio.

5. Chilosos Taco House

   701 E 20th St, Houston

   Taquería On the menu: breakfast tacos, carne guisada taco, fajita taco

   Heights breakfast-and-lunch taco house.

6. Cochinita & Co.

   5420 Lawndale St, Houston

   Taquería On the menu: cochinita pibil taco, mushroom tinga taco

   East End café from chef Victoria Elizondo, known for cochinita pibil.

7. Delicias Maya

   4504 Graustark St, Houston

   Taquería On the menu: barbacoa taco

   Montrose taco truck known for barbacoa.

8. Dichos Taqueria

   614 S Wayside Dr, Houston

   Taquería On the menu: mega breakfast taco, smoked pork belly taco, barbacoa taco

   East End taquería with hickory-smoked pork belly tacos.

9. El Taconazo

   4003 Fulton St, Houston

   Taquería On the menu: fajita taco

   Northside taco truck known for fajita tacos.

10. El Tiempo Taqueria

    5526 Washington Ave, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: taco deluxe, breakfast tacos

    Washington Avenue taquería from the El Tiempo family.

11. Gerardo's Drive-In

    609 Patton St, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: barbacoa (cheek and tongue)

    Near Northside barbacoa stand run for nearly 50 years by José Luis Lopez, open Fridays and weekends.

12. JP Tacos: El Patron Del Sabor

    8236 Kirby Dr, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: trompo taco, tripe taco, tacos de canasta

    Taquería near NRG with trompo tacos and weekend tacos de canasta.

13. La Chingada Tacos & Tequila

    1402 Northwood St, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: quesabirria, street tacos

    Heights taquería serving quesabirria from breakfast to dinner.

14. La Guadalupana Bakery & Café

    2109 Dunlavy St, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: chicken mole taco, breakfast tacos

    Montrose bakery-café run by the Diaz family from Puebla.

15. Laredo Taqueria

    915 Snover St, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: fideo taco, breakfast tacos

    Cafeteria-line taquería (one of several in Houston) known for breakfast tacos and fideo.

16. Space City Birria

    415 Milam St, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: quesabirria with consommé, birria ramen

    Downtown birria specialist with quesabirrias and birria ramen.

17. Taconmadre

    610 Crown St, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: al pastor taco

    Denver Harbor truck known for street-style al pastor.

18. Tacos Doña Lena

    8788 Hammerly Blvd, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: birria, quesabirria, lengua

    Spring Branch birria taquería from owner Angel Cabrera.

19. Tacos la Bala

    6030 Dashwood Blvd, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: trompo taco, barbacoa taco

    Gulfton branch of a local taquería chain known for trompo and barbacoa.

20. Tacos la Sultana

    7011 Capitol St, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: trompo taco, bistec taco

    East End taquería known for trompo and bistec.

21. Tacos Tierra Caliente

    2003 W Alabama St, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: barbacoa taco, al pastor taco

    Taco truck across from West Alabama Ice House for nearly 20 years.

22. Tamales Don Pepe

    9920 Stella Link Rd, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: al pastor taco, tinga taco, tamales

    Willow Meadows tamalería and taquería with many house salsas.

23. Tio Trompo

    316 Shepherd Dr, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: trompo taco

    Heights taquería specializing in trompo.

24. Tortillería Tlaxcali

    4667 Telephone Rd A, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: barbacoa taco, fresh tortillas

    Tortillería with a steam table for barbacoa and build-your-own tacos.

25. Villa Arcos

    3009 Navigation Blvd, Houston

    Taquería On the menu: chorizo-potato super taco

    East End taquería open since 1977, back after a three-year closure.

Barbecue joints in Houston

Each one checked in fall 2026 against a 2025–26 source. For all of Texas: 74 Texas barbecue joints.

1. Pinkerton's Barbecue

   1504 Airline Dr, Houston

   Bib GourmandBarbecue On the menu: beef rib, brisket, St. Louis-style ribs

   Grant Pinkerton's Airline Drive barbecue house with glazed pork ribs and duck-and-sausage jambalaya; MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.

2. Truth BBQ

   110 S Heights Blvd, Houston

   Bib GourmandBarbecue On the menu: brisket, turkey, house-made sausages, corn pudding, tater tot casserole

   Leonard Botello IV's Heights barbecue restaurant (the original is on US 290 in Brenham); MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.

3. J-Bar-M Barbecue

   2201 Leeland St, Houston

   MICHELIN RecommendedBarbecue On the menu: brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage, pork ribs, brisket tacos

   EaDo barbecue hall with brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage and big boards.

4. Khói Barbecue

   515 Patton St., Houston

   MICHELIN RecommendedBarbecue On the menu: brisket, beef rib in coconut curry, smoked and fried chicken

   Near Northside barbecue with Vietnamese flavors, such as beef rib in coconut curry.

5. Levant BBQ

   5884 Westheimer Rd, Houston

   MICHELIN RecommendedBarbecue On the menu: lamb neck, lamb chops, beef ribs, brisket

   Houston barbecue built around lamb, from lamb neck to lamb chops, alongside brisket.

6. The Pit Room

   1201 Richmond Ave, Houston

   MICHELIN RecommendedBarbecue On the menu: brisket, beef ribs, breakfast tacos

   Montrose barbecue joint with house tortillas for brisket tacos.

7. Brisket & Rice

   13111 Fm 529 Rd, Houston

   Barbecue On the menu: barbecue fried rice, jalapeño sausage, glazed chicken

   Hong and Phong Tran's barbecue counter in a Cy-Fair gas station, with barbecue fried rice.

8. Feges BBQ

   8217 Long Point Rd, Houston

   Barbecue

   Spring Branch barbecue restaurant on Long Point Road.

9. Gatlin's BBQ

   3510 Ella Blvd, Houston

   Barbecue

   Barbecue restaurant on Ella Boulevard in north Houston.

10. Roegels Barbecue Co.

    2223 S Voss Rd, Houston

    Barbecue

    Barbecue joint on South Voss Road in Houston's Mid-West area.

Tex-Mex in Houston

Each one checked in fall 2026 against a 2025–26 source. For all of Texas: 30 Texas Tex-Mex restaurants.

1. Candente

   4306 Yoakum Blvd, Houston

   MICHELIN RecommendedTex-Mex On the menu: enchiladas, fajitas, crispy beef taco, Texas red chili

   Montrose Tex-Mex from the team behind The Pit Room, with smoky, barbecue-influenced plates such as brisket enchiladas; Houston Press named it Best Tex-Mex in 2025.

2. El Patio

   6444 Westheimer Rd, Houston

   Tex-Mex On the menu: queso, Sunrise Enchiladas

   Briargrove Tex-Mex with 1960s-era signage, known for its queso and Sunrise Enchiladas.

3. El Tiempo Cantina

   2814 Navigation Blvd, Houston

   Tex-Mex On the menu: beef fajitas, beef picadillo tacos, ancho-honey-glazed quail, queso flameado

   East End Tex-Mex on Navigation from the Ninfa's family offshoot founded in 1998, known for beef fajitas and picadillo tacos.

4. Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina

   2002 W Gray St, Houston

   Tex-Mex On the menu: carnitas, smoked chicken flautas, parrillada familiar

   River Oaks Tex-Mex cantina from the Goode Company family, known for carnitas and smoked chicken flautas.

5. Johnny Ritas Cocina y Cantina

   5602 Fulton St, Houston

   Tex-Mex On the menu: sopes with trompo pastor, carnitas, tlayudas, fajitas, chocoflan

   Northside cocina with sopes, tlayudas and fajitas.

6. Molina's Cantina

   7901 Westheimer Rd, Houston

   Tex-Mex On the menu: chili cheese enchiladas with fried egg, Berlys Burrito, C.W. Special, Williams Special

   Houston's long-running family Tex-Mex (in business since 1941, at other addresses first); its Westheimer restaurant serves the chili cheese enchiladas and Berlys Burrito.

7. Pappasito's Cantina

   2536 Richmond Ave, Houston

   Tex-Mex On the menu: fajitas, tableside guacamole, beef fajita nachos, tres leches

   Upper Kirby branch of the Pappas family's Tex-Mex cantina, known for fajitas and tableside guacamole.

8. Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen

   6401 Woodway Dr, Houston

   Tex-Mex On the menu: enchiladas, fideo soup, mesquite-grilled quail

   Uptown Tex-Mex with enchiladas named after South Texas towns and mesquite-grilled quail.

9. Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe

   1511 Airline Dr, Houston

   Tex-Mex On the menu: parrilladas, snapper al cilantro meunière

   The original Airline Drive location of this family Tex-Mex café, known for parrilladas.

10. The Original Ninfa's on Navigation

    2704 Navigation Blvd, Houston

    Tex-Mex On the menu: tacos a la Ninfa, Ninfarita, mole-crusted salmon

    The original Ninfa's on Navigation Boulevard, known for tacos a la Ninfa and the Ninfarita.

Kolaches in Houston

Each one checked in fall 2026 against a 2025–26 source. For all of Texas: 22 Texas kolache bakeries.

1. Koffeteria

   1110 Hutchins St #102, Houston

   Kolaches On the menu: beef pho kolache

   EaDo bakery-café known for inventive pastries such as its beef pho kolache.

2. Kolache Shoppe

   1031 Heights Blvd, Houston

   Kolaches On the menu: peach kolache, lemon kolache, poppy seed kolache, sausage and cheese klobasnek, kielbasa, cheese and jalapeño

   Houston kolache bakery (Heights shop; also Greenway Plaza, Pearland and, since October 2025, Memorial City) making more than two dozen sweet and savory kolaches from founder Erwin Ahrens's dough recipe.

3. Sinfull Bakery

   1714 Webster St, Houston

   Kolaches On the menu: vegan sausage kolache, vegan egg and cheese kolache

   Midtown vegan bakery with a full assortment of vegan kolaches.

4. The Original Kolache Shoppe

   5404 Telephone Rd, Houston

   Kolaches On the menu: fruit kolaches

   Telephone Road bakery making traditional fruit kolaches daily from a family recipe.

Chicken-fried steak in Houston

Each one checked in fall 2026 against a 2025–26 source. For all of Texas: 19 Texas chicken-fried steak spots.

1. Hickory Hollow

   8038 Fallbrook Dr, Houston

   Chicken-fried steak On the menu: Rancher chicken-fried steak, Texas River Bottom gravy

   Fallbrook Drive country restaurant open since 1977, known for its oversized Rancher chicken-fried steak.

Oldest restaurants in Houston

In business at this address since 1960 or before, going by the place itself or a published history, listed from the oldest. Each note gives the source of the year. Across Texas: Texas's oldest restaurants.

1. Yale Street Grill

   2100 Yale St, Houston

   On the menu: omelets, pancakes, milkshakes · Since 1923

   Heights diner and soda fountain that opened as a pharmacy in 1923 at this corner, serving omelets, pancakes and milkshakes.

   Houstonia (Dec 2025): opened in 1923 as a pharmacy at the Yale Street Grill location; it has changed owners several times.

What Houston eats

Kinds of food among the 8,846 places we list in Houston, counted from open map data, TABC licenses and city inspection lists.

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