Immigrant dreams, diversity, and the aspirations of a multicultural America took center stage at the 2026 James Beard Foundation’s chef and restaurant awards held in Chicago Monday night.
An evening-long dialogue about the immigrant contributions to the American restaurant industry began with a major win for Houston. Adrian Torres, chef at Maximo, the modern Mexican restaurant in the West University neighborhood, took home the Emerging Chef award recognizing a chef displaying exceptional talent and culinary leadership early in their career.
A DACA recipient who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico at age 5, Torres used his acceptance speech to tell his immigrant journey that he said was long marked by fear. But, he told the standing ovation crowd, he refused to let fear define his story.
“Tonight the headline is that a brown kid from the northside, raised by parents who sacrificed everything for the chance at a better life. is standing on the stage accepting one of the highest honors in this industry,” Torres said.
In Spanish, he thanked his parents, the Maximo staff, and the city of Houston. To thunderous applause he proclaimed: “I am proud to be a son of immigrants. I’m proud to be an immigrant. I’m proud to be a DACA recipient.”
Torres’ honor was followed by another win for Houston: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu took home the award for Best Chef: Texas for their work at Jun, the Heights restaurant that merges Southeast Asian flavors with Central and Mexican-American heritages.
A tearful Garcia, who represented Houston as runner-up on Season 19 of “Top Chef,” thanked the Bayou City: “Our amazing city is made from creatives and first-generations like we are.”
She called Houston a “city of dreams and hopes.”
Lu thanked “our immigrant parents that lived the American Dream and really put us where we are today.”
Beyond restaurant and chef awards, the Southern Smoke Foundation, founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and executive director Lindsey Brown, was among the recipients of the 2026 Impact Awards, recognizing changemakers and organizations driving standards to create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system. The Houston-based Southern Smoke was honored for its work in emergency relief funding for food and beverage workers nationwide and no-cost mental health services. To date, Southern Smoke has granted more than $16 million to food and beverage workers nationwide.
The Impact Awards were presented Sunday but the honorees were brought to the stage during the Monday awards program.
It was an impressive showing for Houston, represented by the talents of other H-Town finalists, including Agnes and Sherman (Best New Restaurant); Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught (Outstanding Restaurateur); June Rodil of March (Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service); and Ope Amosu of ChopnBlok (a nominee for Best Chef: Texas).
The theme of immigrant excellence in the culinary world was echoed throughout the awards ceremony. Speaking for Latin-owned Loma, the Providence, RI, bar named Best New Bar, co-founder Leishla Maldonado said: “To every immigrant kid watching tonight, there is room for you at this table.”
“Not only do immigrants feed America but immigrants also serve America,” said the winner for Outstanding Hospitality that went to Providence restaurant in Los Angeles.
In total, Houston came home with three wins Monday night: Torres, the chef partners of Jun, and the Southern Smoke Foundation. Houston’s showing represented the only Texas wins at the James Beard Awards.
The 2026 James Beard Foundation Award Winners
Outstanding Restaurateur
Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co. and other — Portland, OR
Outstanding Chef
Michael Tusk, Quince, — San Francisco, CA
Outstanding Restaurant
Kalaya — Philadelphia, PA
Emerging Chef
Adrian Torres, Maximo — Houston, TX
Best New Restaurant
Lei — New York, NY
Outstanding Bakery
Wild Crumb — Bozeman, MT
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit — Washington, DC
Outstanding Hospitality
Providence — Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
Kato — Los Angeles, CA
Outstanding Bar
Scotch Lodge — Portland, OR
Best New Bar
Loma — Providence, RI
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
Lee Campbell, Borgo — New York, NY
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven — San Francisco, CA
Best Chef: California
Dave Beran, Seline — Sana Monica, CA
Best Chef: Great Lakes
Jacob Potashnick, Feld — Chicago, IL
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya — Philadelphia, PA
Best Chef: Midwest
Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box — Webster Groves, MO
Best Chef: Mountain
Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton — Denver, CO
Best Chef: New York State
Hooni Kim, Meju — Queens, NY
Best Chef: Northeast
Evan Hennessey, Stages — Dover, NH
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific
Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro — Portland, OR
Best Chef: South
Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA — New Orleans, LA
Best Chef: Southeast
Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery, Sky Farm — Leicester, NC
Best Chef: Southwest
Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa — Las Vegas, NV
Best Chef: Texas
Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jun — Houston, TX
