Austin, TX

These 15 Texas restaurants were awarded Michelin Stars. See full list

Published

1 year ago

November 12, 2024

These 15 Texas restaurants were awarded Michelin Stars. See full list

The Michelin Guide for restaurants made its highly anticipated Lone Star State debut Monday night with a ceremony and cocktail reception at 713 Music Hall in downtown Houston.

The globally influential dining and travel guide from the French tire company honored 117 Texas restaurants with a variety of distinctions.

Austin had the biggest night of the five major Texas cities represented, taking home 7 of the 15 coveted Michelin Stars awarded to Lone Star restaurants.

Here’s how Texas restaurants fared.

LIST: 7 Austin restaurants awarded Michelin Stars

Seven Austin restaurants were awarded one-star distinctions:

Dai Due and Emmer & Rye, two Austin restaurants that serve American cuisine, were also awarded Michelin Green Star. The distinction highlights restaurants that lead the industry in their sustainability practices.

LIST: 6 Houston restaurants awarded Michelin Stars

With the second-largest one-star contingency, six Houston restaurants claimed the distinctions:

Dallas, San Antonio restaurants each receive a Michelin Star

Tatsu Dallas (Japanese cuisine) and Mixtli (Mexican cuisine) in San Antonio also received one-star distinctions.

No restaurant in Texas received two or three stars. There are currently only 13 restaurants in the United States with three stars and 33 with two stars. About 200 restaurants in the U.S. claim one star. Michelin and its inspectors review star designation annually, with new stars being assigned, and restaurants fighting to hold onto existing stars while often striving for more.

What is The Michelin Guide?

The Michelin Guide is a renowned international restaurant rating system managed by the French tire manufacturer. It was first published in 1889 in the small French town of Clermont-Ferrand by brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin, founders of the now world-famous tire company. The guides, which were originally free, were created to encourage travel and thus boost care and tire sales.

What do Michelin Stars mean?

Michelin’s anonymous inspectors and employees have been reporting and ranking Texas restaurants since this summer. The company ranks each restaurant based on five universal criteria:

quality of products
harmony of flavors
mastery of cooking techniques
voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine
consistency of food between each visit and throughout the menu

A restaurant may be awarded one, two or three Michelin Stars, used to indicate those deemed to be among the best in the world. Michelin’s site explains what the number of Stars represents:

One Star, “worth a stop”: The restaurant uses top quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavors are prepared to a consistently high standard.
Two Stars, “worth a detour”: The personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes; their food is refined and inspired.
Three Stars, “worth a special journey”: As the highest award, three Stars are given for the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession; their cooking is elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics.

What is the Bib Gourmand award?

“The Bib Gourmand is our award for great value, and highlights simple yet skillful cooking at an affordable price,” according to the Michelin website.

See the full list of Bib Gourmand award-winning restaurants at guide.michelin.com.

Why did the Michelin tire company rate restaurants?

Emerging in 1900, the Michelin Guide initially served as a comprehensive guidebook for France, aiming to inspire drivers (particularly those using the company’s tires) to explore the country by road. It gradually expanded throughout Europe, but its publication was interrupted during World War I.

After the war, the guide resumed its operations and underwent a significant shift in focus in 1926, transitioning from a general travel guide to a specialized rating system for fine-dining establishments.

The Michelin Guide’s renowned one- to three-star rating system was fully established in 1931, providing a comprehensive evaluation framework for discerning diners.

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Austin, TX

Austin Police Department updates procedures after controversial deportation

Published

11 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Austin Police Department updates procedures after controversial deportation

AUSTIN, Texas — An update to the Austin Police Department’s (APD) procedures outlines that officers are not required to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when a person is found to have an ICE administrative warrant if they have no other arrestable charge.

The update follows a controversial deportation from January, when a woman’s disturbance call to APD led to her detainment, alongside her 5-year-old child, who is a U.S. citizen.

The incident led to questions from the community regarding the way APD is supposed to interact with ICE.

In a March 4 memo, APD Police Chief Lisa Davis said that the directives provided by ICE administrative warrants could be confusing in their wording.

According to Davis, officers have not historically regularly encountered administrative warrants while using the National Crime Information Center database, which is used to conduct identity checks. However, in 2025, federal agencies began entering a large volume of administrative warrants into the system.

According to the memo, administrative warrants are formatted in a way that looks similar to criminal warrants in the system.

The APD General Orders have been updated to clearly define the difference between criminal warrants and ICE administrative warrants, as well as specific instructions for how ICE administrative warrants should be handled moving forward.

“APD recognizes the sensitivity of this issue, not only within our city but across the nation. These policies were updated to provide clarity to our officers, ensure compliance with state law, and maintain officer discretion guided by supervisory oversight and operational consideration,” Davis said in the memo.

The updated procedures instruct officers to contact their supervisor when a person is found to have only an ICE administrative warrant, but no other arrestable criminal charge. From there, the officer or their supervisor may contact ICE, but is not required to.

“Austin Police and City of Austin leadership share a paramount goal for Austin to be a safe city for everyone who lives, works, or visits here,” Davis said in the memo. “We particularly want to ensure that anyone who witnesses or is the victim of a crime feels secure in contacting the police for help.”

According to the memo, the entire APD staff will be required to complete new training regarding these updates.

“In concert with the policy updates, APD is launching a public webpage to help people understand their rights and provide links to resources available from the City of Austin and community organizations, such as Know Your Rights training,” Davis said in the memo. “The webpage will also include information on the option of using APD Victim Services as an alternative to calling 9-1-1, when appropriate, and links to all general orders and policies related to immigration.”

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Austin, TX

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Published

23 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Cedric Ricks spoke in his own defense at his 2013 murder trial, something most defendants accused of a terrible crime do not do. Ricks confessed that he had killed his girlfriend, Roxann Sanchez, and her 8-year-old son. He admitted he was aggressive and had trouble controlling his anger, stating that he was “sorry about everything.” […]

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Austin, TX

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.

Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.

Texas, though, is a different story.

For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.

“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”

It all depends on the weather

How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.

Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.

If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.

How can you treat allergies in Austin?

If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:

Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
Take a shower before going to bed.
Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.

Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:

Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
Vacuum and sweep regularly.
Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
Keep doors and windows closed.
Clean out the vents in your home.
Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.

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