9 Noteworthy Texas Restaurants | Listen

By: Veronica Meewes

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Our top 9 Texas restaurants from tried-and-true classics to new hotspots

From Austin to Dallas, Texas has an endless range of cuisines and high-end restaurants to discover. In the Local Palate’s 2024 Restaurants Issue, Texas writer Veronica Meewes offers a guide to new and tried-and-true local spots with these 9 Texas restaurants.

5 New Texas Restaurants

Fabrik | Austin, Texas

This 16-seat East Austin restaurant is 100-percent plant-based, low-waste, and sustainably oriented, with a low-intervention wine list aligned to those same ideals. The menu is inspired by young chef Je Wheeler’s time spent working in kitchens in Copenhagen, Australia, and Berlin. Each beautiful creation is a perfect balance of flavors and textures, from the carrot tartare with yuzu kosho romesco, crispy shallots, and yuzu gel to the agnolotti in miso butter with caramelized yeast and crispy Sichuan peppers.

Dishes served at Fabrik in Austin, Texas — Image courtesy of Chris Praetzel

Katami | Houston, Texas

James Beard-nominated chef Hori and partner Yun Cheng, the duo behind the long-beloved Kata Robata, recently opened the highly anticipated Katami in Montrose. The sushi-focused concept features omakase, creative rolls, and a well-curated sake list, plus comforting offerings like hot stone rice bowls and okonomiyaki. But the Wagyu program is the real highlight here—order buttery cuts by the ounce to grill on a lava rock or have prepared tableside in a hotpot.

Nigiri served at Katami in Houston, Texas — Image courtesy of Casey Giltner

Nômadé Cocina | Austin, Texas

Step into the breezy entrance of Nômadé Cocina—with its lush greenery, candlelit ambiance and copal-scented air—and you will feel instantly transported to Tulum. At this Yucatan-inspired restaurant, opened in Bouldin Creek in November 2023, chef Jay Huang uses his passion for sustainable seafood to source high-quality fish for dishes like tuna crudo served in a coconut with tomatillo aguachile, goldenberry, serrano, and basil. The dishes that do see heat are almost exclusively flame-kissed on an open fire, and the notable beverage program leans into lesser-known agave spirits and charanda (Mexican rum).

Food Spread served at Nômadé Cocina in Austin, Texas — Image courtesy of Jay Huang

Blu Lacy Smokehouse | Castroville, Texas

After seeing incredible success (including a James Beard nomination) with 2M Smokehouse in San Antonio, pitmaster Esaul Ramos is now onto another barbecue concept. In addition to favorites from 2M, he’s introducing items like country-style beef tartare called parisa, handmade Alsatian sausage to pay homage to the region’s Little Alsace heritage, and sweet offerings from his wife’s attached bakeshop.

Lamezze | El Paso, Texas

Pamela and Albert Azaeta, the owners of District Coffee Co., have brought something entirely new to downtown El Paso: fresh Mediterranean dishes with border town influence for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here you’ll find shakshuka alongside green chilaquiles, carne asada shawarma, hummus jalapeño poppers, and salmon belly panzanella.

4 Tried & True Texas Restaurants

Halloumi Dish served at Rye in Dallas, Texas — Image courtesy of Samantha Reynolds

Rye | Dallas, Texas

Following a fire that burned the original McKinney location to the ground, Tanner Agar and team reopened in 2021 in Dallas with a menu offering bold, inventive takes on American small plates and a beverage focus on unusual cocktails and specialty whiskeys.

Dish served at Milo in Waco, Texas — Image courtesy of Shelby Sorrel

Milo | Waco, Texas

Chef-owner Corey McEntyre emphasizes simple, high-quality ingredients on a menu inspired by his Southern roots: Think shareables, salads, and hearty entrees like a burger with chimichurri aïoli, tomato soup and grilled cheese, and salmon and grits.

Nancy’s Hustle | Houston, Texas

This modern bistro serves up a menu of American and European eats, like chilled oysters in escabeche and sourdough capellini with blue crab, plus natural wine and cocktails in a cozy setting.

Ellerbe Fine Foods | Fort Worth, Texas

James Beard semifinalist executive chef and co-owner Molly McCook creates vegetable-forward, seasonal dishes at this locavore American eatery with hints of her Louisiana origins.