Houston restaurants have a historic night with 2 James Beard Award wins
The two wins firmly established Houston as Texas' premier culinary destination.
ByEric Sandler 
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 2:20PM
HOUSTON, Texas -- Houston had a historic night at the James Beard Awards. Held on Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, two of Houston's six finalists took home prizes for both national awards and Best Chef: Texas.
They are:
- Emerging Chef: Adrian Torres, Maximo
- Best Chef Texas: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jūn
Houston's other finalists were: June Rodil (March) for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service; Ope Amosu (ChòpnBlọk) for Best Chef: Texas; Agnes and Sherman for Best New Restaurant, and Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught (H-Town Restaurant Group) for Outstanding Restaurateur.
Continue reading this article from our ABC13 partners at Houston CultureMap.
