OpenTable names seven Texas restaurants to 2026 top 100 list
Three Dallas establishments and four in Austin and Houston made the cut based on 11 million reviews, while Denver saw its representation grow to seven spots.
By Diego Mendoza ·
OpenTable released its Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2026, identifying three Dallas locations among the honorees.
The list includes seven Texas restaurants, with Dallas and Austin tying for the most selections at three each, and Houston contributing one. The rankings rely on more than 11 million reviews from verified diners and other metrics collected between September 1, 2025, and August 31, 2026.
The Dallas entries are Mamani, Mister Charles, and Mot Hai Ba. Mamani serves French cuisine and previously achieved the status of the fastest restaurant to earn a Michelin star. Mister Charles focuses on French and Italian classics and is designated as a Michelin-selected restaurant for good cooking. Mot Hai Ba offers a fusion of French and Vietnamese dishes and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand award.
In Austin, the selected restaurants are Aba, J Carver’s, and Red Ash Italia. Aba is a Mediterranean venue opening a Dallas location this year. J Carver’s operates as an oyster bar and chophouse, while Red Ash Italia specializes in wood-fired Italian cuisine. Houston’s representative is BCN Taste & Tradition, an upscale Spanish restaurant that has received one Michelin star in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
OpenTable calculated an overall score for each venue using weighted factors such as diner ratings, the percentage of five-star reviews, and the number of alerts set. Additional metrics included the percentage of reservations made in advance and the percentage of capacity and direct searches. The platform presented the final list in alphabetical order rather than by numerical rank.
California led all regions with 19 restaurants on the list, ranging from Palm Springs to San Francisco. New York City and Chicago remained major contributors to the rankings. Denver increased its share of the list from one restaurant in previous years to four, and now to seven for the 2026 cycle. Philadelphia doubled its number of selected restaurants year over year.
At least 18 restaurants appeared on the list for the fourth consecutive year, including Cafe Monarch and The Pink Door in Seattle. OpenTable also released a dining trends report accompanying the list. The data indicates that travelers, groups, and solo diners are driving dining momentum heading into 2027.
The report found that 69% of diners expect to dine out for smaller occasions, which the platform describes as micro occasions. Additionally, 43% of Americans expressed a desire for more happy hours and value promotions. A further 70% of Americans said they would be more interested in dining at a restaurant if the reservation process felt exclusive. More than half of surveyed Americans stated they would go to a different location rather than wait in line.
