You’ve probably lost count of all the “best of” lists boasting the finest restaurants across the country. Now, another one is spotlighting Texas’ culinary scene.
OpenTable released its annual Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2026. This year’s picks span 21 states and Washington, D.C., with California once again holding the largest amount at 19 honorees, followed by New York and Chicago. But the Lone Star state lost a few spots since the reservation website’s last list.
In 2025, 10 Texas restaurants made OpenTable’s Top 100 list. This year? Only seven: Aba, J Carver’s, and Red Ash Italia in Austin; Mamani, Mister Charles and Mot Hai Ba in Dallas; and BCN Taste & Tradition in Houston. Dallas’ Mamani and Mister Charles the two newcomers to the list.
Jeffrey’s Restaurant, Sammie’s Italian, Suerte and Uchi in Austin did not make the cut after being featured last year.
Why? It all comes down to OpenTable’s methodology based on insights from diner reviews. According to its website, the Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2026 list was generated from over 11 million reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from Sept. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026.
Restaurants in “good standing” with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated by a compilation of data points, like diner ratings, the percentage of five star reviews, the number of alerts set, the percentage of advanced reservations, capacity and direct searches. The list is arranged in alphabetical order by state and is not ranked.
You can find the full list of the Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2026 online at opentable.com.
Dining and Cooking