(Dallas, Texas) - We all have those favorite restaurants and/or bars or even have gotten to know a chef that we know will cook us a great meal. We'll get excited when one of those restaurants, bars or chefs brings home an award or any kind. It validates their work and our fandom.

The restaurant industry has numerous awards that can be handed out either locally or on a nationwide scale. One of those national awards that is coveted by many is the prestigious James Beard Award. For 2025, several DFW area restaurants, bars and chefs have made the semi-finals.

DFW Area Bars, Restaurants and Chefs Up for Prestigious Award

The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards have been around since 1990. They were created to recognize restaurants and chefs in 25 different categories. For this year, new awards will be handed out to those in the bar business.

The finalist for these awards will be announced on Wednesday, April 2, with the winners being revealed on Monday, June 16, at the awards ceremony in Chicago. The semifinalists have been named with eight DFW area restaurants, chefs and bars making the cut.

The DFW Semifinalists for the James Beard Awards

  • RJ Yoakum of Georgie in Dallas - Semifinalist for Emerging Chef
  • Mābo in Dallas - Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant
  • Starship Bagel in Lewisville - Semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery
  • Apothecary in Dallas - Semifinalist for Outstanding Bar
  • Bar Colette in Dallas - Semifinalist for Best New Bar
  • Fasicka Hicks and Patrick Hicks of Smoke'N Ash BBQ in Arlington, Anais Paniagua and Iris Rojas of Doña Maria in Irving and Regino Rojas of Purépecha in Dallas - Semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas

If you want some more details on the James Beard Awards and what they mean to these restaurants, bars and chefs, go to jamesbeard.org.

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