Mar 31, 2026 - Food and Drink

6 Houston chefs and restaurants named 2026 James Beard finalists

Shafaq Patel

Add Axios on Google

Smiling chef in a dark shirt and blue apron stands beside marble-top tables set with napkins, glasses, and cutlery inside a cozy, sunlit restaurant with orange-brown bench seating and potted plants. — Chef Adrian Torres at Maximo in West University Place. Photo: Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

Six Houston-area restaurants and chefs on Tuesday were named finalists for this year's James Beard Awards.

Why it matters: Being nominated is one of the dining industry's highest honors.

Greater Houston had a dozen semifinalists this year.

Here are the finalists from Houston:

Emerging Chef: Adrian Torres, Maximo
Best New Restaurant: Agnes and Sherman
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: June Rodil, March
Outstanding Restaurateur: Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H-Town Restaurant Group (Hugo's, Xochi, Urbe, and others)
Best Texas Chef: ChòpnBlọk's Ope Amosu, and JŪN's Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu

Flashback: Last year, there were 13 nods and four finalists in the Houston area, and Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast was named Best Texas Chef.

What's next: The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Chicago on June 15.

Add Axios on Google

6 Houston chefs and restaurants named 2026 James Beard finalists

More Houston stories