MICHELIN Guide Texas honors three new Starred restaurants in 2026 selection

The MICHELIN Guide announced the 2026 restaurant selection for Texas. Fabrik in Austin and Goldee’s Bar-B•Q in Fort Worth were both promoted to One MICHELIN Star. Additionally, Kappo Kappo in Austin joins the selection with One MICHELIN Star.

The recognition continues with six new restaurants being given a Bib Gourmand for great food at great value. 16 new restaurants join this year's selection as recommended eateries. The full selection includes 149 restaurants with 30 cuisine types represented throughout.

One MICHELIN Star

Fabrik (Austin; Vegan cuisine)

Chef Je Wallerstein and her husband Silas are off to the races in their new home in Tarrytown. The handsome space suits them: High ceilings, wood beams, intimate tables angled towards the open kitchen and an upbeat playlist that matches the mood. The menu is entirely plant-based, as the team sources produce and vegetables from a wide network of local Texas farms. This is delicious, imaginative cooking where the likes of mushrooms, beets and corn are celebrated as main events with refinement, creativity and class. Vibrant sauces and clever garnishes taste as good as they look. To complete the experience, consider the biodynamic wine pairing, which is as fairly priced as the tasting menu itself.

Goldee’s Bar-B•Q (Fort Worth; Barbecue cuisine)

Founded by a youthful and creative cohort, Goldee’s is the name on the lips of every barbecue aficionado seeking out great brisket (among other items) in the Fort Worth area. Open only a few days a week from late morning until afternoon, one must go when the getting is this good; and it’s absolutely worth the hours-long wait in the Texas sun. The Black Angus brisket, cooked low and slow using local post oak, is meltingly tender with a rich, clean flavor. Turkey is notably juicy, while the jalapeño-cheddar sausage delivers a satisfying snap and balanced spice with molten pockets of Tillamook cheese. Sides like old-school potato salad and savory brisket-studded beans show just equal care. Don’t skip the banana pudding, layered with buttery house-made vanilla wafer crumbles.

Kappo Kappo (Austin; Japanese Cuisine)

Born in Paris to Japanese parents, twin brothers Haru and Gohei worked their way around the world before reuniting to open Kappo Kappo within the Austin Proper Hotel. The best seats are certainly at the L-shaped counter, though don't assume this is a typical hushed omakase. Instead, expect a lively ambience with guests chatting and the brothers sharing stories about their lives and their French-Japanese dishes. A single bite kicks off the meal, introducing a gougère filled with a creamy nori emulsion and topped with a tartare of A5 wagyu and toro tuna, plus a spoonful of Ostera caviar. Chawanmushi is a delightful classic before the sashimi course, then a bento box features a variety of items, including a memorable Texas grapefruit terrine.

Bib Gourmand

The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors identified six new restaurants to receive a Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value. The full list can be found below.

Texas' 2026 Bib Gourmand restaurants

MICHELIN Special Awards

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

The 2026 MICHELIN Guide Texas selection:

• High quality cooking, worth a stop :  19       

• Bib Gourmands (Good food at moderate price) : 54

• Mindful Voices  5  Recommended restaurants:  76

• Total number of restaurants in selection : 149

• Cuisine types reflected in Starred restaurants : 10

• Cuisine types reflected in Bib Gourmands:  16

• Cuisine types reflected in selection : 30

Texas' 2026 MICHELIN-Starred restaurants

Texas' 2026 Recommended restaurants

Detailed list in attached document

New for 2026, the Mindful Voices platform brings together inspirational voices from across the hospitality industry – an editorial space where chefs, hoteliers, and winemakers can share their stories and pioneering practices, both with one another and the rest of the world.

“Mindful Voices will give a platform to all those who are rewriting the rules in their respective fields,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “This new framework draws directly from what our Inspection teams witness firsthand: encounters and experiences that are transforming how things are done and that deserve to be shared. Staying true to its identity and values, the MICHELIN Guide will amplify and give full resonance to these voices from the worlds of gastronomy, hospitality and wine so that they can be heard, wherever they may be.”

Learn more about the new Mindful Voices initiatives here.

Hotels

The restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in Texas and throughout the world.   

Each hotel in the selection has been chosen by MICHELIN Guide experts for its extraordinary style, service and personality — with options for all budgets — and each can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for Texas features luxury standouts such as the Bowie House, Auberge Collection (Two MICHELIN Keys), the sprawling Hotel ZaZa Dallas (One MICHELIN Key), and the Thompson San Antonio known for its mid-century influences.

The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it’s setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.

About Michelin:

Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high-quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies, and healthcare. The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 175 countries and employs 122,600 people.