The James Beard Awards, often called “the Oscars of food,” stand as one of the highest honors in the culinary world. Each year, the James Beard Foundation acknowledges the best in restaurants, bars, and hospitality, with categories that celebrate Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best New Chef, among others. On April 2, 2025, the highly anticipated list of finalists for this year’s awards was revealed, and Dallas and Fort Worth have several notable contenders.
This year’s list of semifinalists for the James Beard Awards in Dallas and Fort Worth was markedly different from the past two years. Of particular note, in the Best Chef: Texas category, only one chef remained from 2024: Regino Rojas of Purépecha, who has once again earned a nomination.
Here are the 2025 James Beard Award finalists from the Dallas-Fort Worth area:
- Humanitarian of the Year: Chad Houser of Café Momentum
- Emerging Chef: RJ Yoakum of Georgie
- Best New Restaurant: Mabo
- Best New Bar: Bar Colette
- Best Chef: Texas: Regino Rojas of Purépecha
- Outstanding Bakery: Starship Bagel
Spotlight on the Nominees
Chad Houser, who has been making a significant impact on the Dallas community since the opening of Café Momentum in 2014, has earned a nomination for Humanitarian of the Year. The restaurant, which also runs pop-up events, has built its mission around hiring young people impacted by the justice system. As Café Momentum expands with new outreach efforts and a flagship location this year, Houser’s commitment to social change remains unwavering.
RJ Yoakum, who joined Dallas in 2023 and quickly ascended to executive chef at Georgie, is a first-time nominee for Emerging Chef. In an interview with Eater Dallas after the announcement, Yoakum shared his excitement: “The James Beard Awards are something I’ve looked up to since I was 11 or 12 years old… It’s gratifying, but the job isn’t finished. This makes it worth it.” He also praised the Texas food scene, saying, “We put so much into what we do every day,” adding that his experience living in Dallas has been “the best life I’ve lived.”
Bar Colette has earned a spot as a finalist for Best New Bar, thanks in part to its standout drink program led by bar manager Ruben Rolon. Rolon, who came to Dallas for the bar’s opening in 2023, brought his wealth of experience from renowned establishments like L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami (a two-Michelin-star restaurant) and Le Jardinier Miami (one Michelin star). Under his leadership, Bar Colette has become one of the city’s top destinations for creative and expertly crafted cocktails.
Mabo, chef Masayuki Otaka’s creation, has quickly become a favorite on many “best of” lists since opening its doors in early 2024. Nominated for Best New Restaurant, Mabo has garnered attention for its exceptional take on modern dining, blending innovative flavors with refined techniques that keep customers coming back.
Starship Bagel, owned by Oren Salomon, continues to be the go-to spot for bagels in Dallas. A finalist for Outstanding Bakery, Starship Bagel has carved out a niche with its distinctive offerings, though there’s one catch—if you’re a fan of traditional bagels with eggs or bacon, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Salomon sticks to his no-egg, no-bacon policy, focusing on the bagels themselves, and it’s earned him widespread recognition.
A Look Back at the James Beard Awards
The James Beard Awards, which began in 1991, have long celebrated the finest chefs and restaurateurs in the country. Early winners included culinary giants like Rick Bayless, Nancy Silverton, and Wolfgang Puck, cementing the awards’ place in the culinary world. However, the awards have also faced increased scrutiny in recent years, particularly after canceling their programming in 2020 and 2021 due to misconduct and abuse allegations against nominated chefs. Additionally, there has been criticism regarding the lack of representation for Black chefs among the nominees and winners.
In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit of its voting processes, implementing changes to make the process more inclusive and equitable. The foundation also revamped the Best Chef category by introducing regional divisions to better highlight diverse talent across the country.
The final ceremony for the 2025 James Beard Awards will take place on Monday, June 16, in Chicago, where the winners will be crowned. For the Dallas-Fort Worth area, this year marks the 31st consecutive year without a winner at the James Beard Awards, continuing a 30-year streak of no medals for the region. While this long stretch of near misses has been a source of frustration for local chefs and restaurateurs, the 2025 finalists represent a bright moment for the DFW culinary scene. Whether any of the nominees will break the streak remains to be seen, but for now, they’re putting the city on the map as a food destination.
The growing recognition of DFW’s culinary talent at the 2025 James Beard Awards is a testament to the hard work and innovation happening in the region. Whether or not a Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant takes home a medal this year, these nominations signal a promising future for the local food scene and its continued evolution.
