The MICHELIN Guide Texas Honors DFW Restaurants
And the Dallas MICHELIN Star Goes To…
The culinary community is buzzing over the November 11th announcement of the highly anticipated MICHELIN Guide Texas. This year, the Lone Star State made its well-deserved debut in the prestigious MICHELIN Guide, marking only the 11th state in the U.S. to capture a coveted listing. From fine dining to affordable fare, twenty-eight elite eateries earned a mention in North Texas, including twenty-three in Dallas, but only one received a MICHELIN Star. Read on to learn more about this elusive process, rigorous criteria, and the prestigious DFW restaurants honored by The MICHELIN Guide Texas.
Any foodie knows that Texas is not only famous for its barbecue and Tex-Mex (although we execute those in spades). Over the years, Dallas has become a restaurant mecca, rivaling the dining scene of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago for worthy reasons. Rich in cultural diversity, Dallas has evolved from chain conglomerates to dining establishments with more personal touches, distinctive flavors, and unique, or even eccentric eats. The rise of boutique restaurants offering affordability and flair has also pushed people out of their neighborhood bubbles to sample the latest “IT” eatery. Gaining notoriety in 2019, following Bon Appétit’s declaration of Dallas as the restaurant city of the year, our celebrated city began its swift journey to national acclaim.
What Are the Criteria for Earning a MICHELIN Star?
- Quality of ingredients: The restaurant uses high-quality, fresh ingredients
- Mastery of techniques: The chef has a strong command of cooking techniques
- Harmony of flavors: The flavors in the food are well-balanced
- Personality of the chef: The chef’s personality is reflected in the food
- Consistency: The food is consistently high quality across the menu and over time
Who Determines Which Restaurants Receive a MICHELIN Star?
In today’s age of social media and online restaurant reviews, it’s become easier to spill the tea. Chefs who serve a sublime signature dish or regularly experiment with captivating creativity are likely to trigger an anonymous visit from a notoriously incognito MICHELIN inspector to test their clever creations. These secret restaurant patrons welcome recommendations, and will often make several trips alone or in groups to assess the cuisine at each eatery. Once several have satisfied their palette, they confer together before making their final selections.
After much hubbub and speculation on which esteemed establishments might receive the nod, Houston hosted a secretive, invitation-only reception, awarding restaurants from Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. The MICHELIN Guide Texas bestowed their selection of superlative restaurants with the following awards:
- 1 star: A “very good restaurant”
- 2 stars: “Excellent cooking that is worth a detour”
- 3 stars: “Exceptional cuisine that is worth a journey”
- Green Star: For environmental sustainability programs
- Bib Gourmand: For great food at a lower price
- Recommended: For great places to eat that haven’t received a higher-level award
The MICHELIN Guide Texas Names DFW Honorees
Get out your bucket lists and add these adventurous destinations to your future weekend reservations:
One Star
While numerous DFW restaurants received accolades, disappointingly, only one MICHELIN Star was awarded in Dallas, with hopefully more to come in future guides. Tatsu Dallas, an intimate Deep Ellum restaurant in the historic Cotton Gin building creates an immersive experience as guests delight in the art of Japanese omakase sushi and craft cocktails. Out of all the DFW hopefuls, Chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi’s trendy spot scored one MICHELIN Star for “high-quality cooking, worth a stop,” and we are eager to explore its mouthwatering menu.
Exceptional Cocktails
Twenty-six-year-old bar manager, Julian Shaffer, of rye. learned how to care for others when he began tending bar at nineteen. “Bartending saved my life,” Shaffer told The MICHELIN Guide Texas. “I was in a really hard spot when I was young, and when I was 19, I got a job at a little bar, and it taught me how to take care of people. That’s what kept me propelling forward.” Experience rye.’s exquisitely innovative cocktails, seasonal small plates, and continually evolving local menu in Lower Greenville.
Bib Gourmand
Enjoy fine dining without the four dollar signs at these celebrated culinary venues:
- Cattleack (Fort Worth)
- Gemma (Knox/Henderson)
- Goldee’s (Fort Worth)
- Lucia (Bishop Arts)
- Một Hai Ba (Lakewood)
- Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen (Lower Greenville)
- Nonna (Highland Park)
MICHELIN Recommended Restaurants:
Receiving the equivalent of honorable mention, restaurants on this list are spotlighted in this year’s MICHELIN Guide Texas, and are the ones to watch for future notoriety:
- Barsotti’s (Oak Lawn)
- Birreria y Taqueria Cortez (Fort Worth)
- Mister Charles (Knox/Henderson)
- Crown Block (Downtown Dallas)
- El Carlos Elegante (Design District)
- Fearing’s (Uptown Dallas)
- Georgie (Oak Lawn)
- Harvest (McKinney)
- Knox Bistro (Knox/Henderson)
- Mercat Bistro (Uptown Dallas)
- Monarch (Downtown Dallas)
- Panther City BBQ (Fort Worth)
- Quarter Acre (Lower Greenville)
- rye. (Lower Greenville)
- Sachet (Highland Park)
- Smoke’N Ash Tex-Ethiopian Smokehouse BBQ (Arlington)
- Stock & Barrel (Bishop Arts)
- Stillwell’s (Harwood District)
- Tei-An (Downtown Dallas)
- Written by the Seasons (Bishop Arts)
Explore all of the Texas winners here in the official MICHELIN Guide Texas.
Savor Superb Bites in Your Backyard
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—Tammara Dalke
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