Four standout Houston restaurants and chefs were named 2025 James Beard Award finalists, solidifying the city’s place on the national food stage. The recognition spans state and national categories and reflects Houston’s growing culinary influence, driven by innovation, resilience, and cultural storytelling.
Four Houston cooks and restaurants were named finalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards, which are widely seen as the Oscars of the food world.
This week, Houston's food scene got national attention. Ema is up for Best New Restaurant, March is up for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, and Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó and Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast are both up for Best Chef: Texas.
This is the third year in a row that Chavez has been awarded for his small-scale, Mexican-inspired tasting menu idea. His restaurant, Tatemó, has always gotten good reviews and was in the running for Best New Restaurant in 2023.
Bille and his wife Elizabeth opened Belly of the Beast in the spring. The restaurant had to close because of the pandemic, but Bille was able to bring his creative Mexican-fusion foods to a new location in 2023. "I cooked for many chefs but never got credit for it, so I made my place at the table," he said.
People like Stephanie Velasquez, Nicolas Vera, and Marlén Mendoza opened Ema as a pandemic pop-up. People now come from miles away to eat its sweets, tacos, and café de olla. Velasquez was in the running for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2024, and Ema's full-service café has quickly become famous across the country.
The fine dining restaurant March in Montrose was nominated for a drink award because of its 10,000-bottle wine program, which is run by June Rodil.
These four finalists show how diverse and strong Houston's food scene is. They also show how Texas becomes more visible in the James Beard Foundation's awards.
Houston continues to shape the future of food in America with its roots in family tradition, new ideas, and national pride.
