Three takeaways from Michelin Guide Texas 2024

Last night, the esteemed Michelin Guide delivered their verdict on the Texas dining scene. While some might be surprised that no restaurants in the state were awarded two or three stars, I was not. My guess is Michelin was looking to make a splash of their own and perhaps drum up more interest to see what they have to say in the future.

But more importantly, what does the Michelin Guide Texas 2024 awards say about the restaurant scene in Texas? Here are my big three takeaways.

BBQ is the Texas food scene

Barbecue restaurants made a big splash at Michelin Guide Texas 2024. Out of 15 one star awards given, four went to barbecue restaurants, the most for any one single cuisine. Another 10 barbecue restaurants were awarded Bib Gourmand awards(Michelin’s “value” award).

I’d also add that for the barbecue world in general, Craft Texas barbecue is the North star. Expect top shelf brisket, fine dining techniques, and forays into non traditional food cultures to drive the direction of barbecue for many years to come.

The Austin food scene came up big

I was expecting the Michelin Guide Texas 2024 awards to showcase the diversity of the Texas food scene. I was wrong. Austin was the focus and dominated the awards when it came to getting the stars. The Bib Gourmands were more even spread with Austin taking 13 of the 45 awards.

I don’t get the Bib Gourmand.

I thought I did, too. My understanding was the Bib Gourmand was a way to highlight humble eateries that could never be considered for a star. Like a taco truck. That wasn’t the case. It seemed like there were in fact thin margins that kept say Franklin BBQ from getting a star whereas La Barbecue did. Maybe the margins weren’t that thin because I’m not an inspector but the overall experience, especially price, is close.

Some Bib Gourmands made total sense to me, like Cuantos Taco. Cheap, delicious and meticulously consistent, that seemed like a slam dunk. Other restaurants seemed like a Bib Gourmad is almost dare I say insulting? I won’t name names but I kinda don’t get it. For the sake of the diner, the variance in price and overall experience is perplexing varied.

Final Thought

First and foremost a big congrats to everyone who made the list. The restaurant business is a brutal one and the wins don’t come often enough. And thanks to Michelin for coming to Texas because it will ultimately drive business and it never hurts to recognize talent and reward hard work. Coming up with a system to evaluate what ultimately is subjective experiences is a challenging one, nothing is perfect.

If you’re in Texas, let me know what you thought of the Michelin Guide Texas 2024 awards or Michelin in general.