Texas Monthly adds and updates approximately sixty restaurant listings to our Dining Guide each month. There’s limited space in the print issue, but the entire searchable guide to the best of Texas cuisine is at your fingertips online!

Below are a few highlights from the new restaurants reviewed in our June 2023 issue. Click “More Info” for further detail on each restaurant:

San Antonio

Blush

With Instagram-ready decor and a good deal of panache, this attractive Southtown spot aims high for the brunch crowd. Our Chicken and Croffle (part croissant, part waffle) featured a crispy fried thigh and a spicy sofrito crema; all we needed to complete that wake-up call was an order of crunchy bacon on the side. Rounding out the menu are a few less brunchy items (an excellent burger with white cheddar, for example), baked goods, and fancy cocktails. Owners Efren Moreno and Tanya Benavides incorporate culinary influences from Guatemala, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, reflecting their backgrounds and those of their chefs. 

Brunch | ⭑⭑⭑ | $$ | More Info

Frisco

Kinzo

Chef-owner Leo Kekoa, a veteran of Nobu Dallas, offers splendid tasting menus plus a lengthy list of à la carte options at this stylish spot. Perched at the handsome 22-seat bar, we savored impeccably sourced seafood presented in a parade of exquisite dishes, such as a generous hand roll starring sweet, delicate scallops; a pristine toro tartare with caviar; and kabutoni, tender, meaty sea bream cheeks simmered in soy, mirin, and sake. Meat eaters can indulge in the luxurious A5 Wagyu tataki, slivers of barely seared beef. Reservations are essential. 

Japanese | ⭑⭑⭑⭑ | $$$$ | More Info

Dallas

Ramble Room

This new venture from Jon Alexis (TJ’s Seafood) quickly won hearts in the Park Cities neighborhood with its warm vibe and killer lineup of comforting, casual American dishes such as French onion dip, marinated tomatoes, and brussels sprouts. We started with ricotta dip with truffle honey and pistachio, served with lightly toasted focaccia. Pork milanese came pounded thin, panko-crusted, and fried, while Italian sausage rigatoni with kale and sage had a just-right hint of fennel. Grilled salmon over cheesy grits arrived perfectly done, and chocolate brownie cake with vanilla ice cream made an ideal finish. Reservations are recommended for the dining room, but there’s a patio for walk-ins.

American | ⭑⭑⭑ | $$$ | More Info

College Station

Marfa Texas Kitchen

College Station has never seen anything like this homage to the Chihuahuan Desert town that gives the restaurant its name. The culture of the arty West Texas enclave is likewise reflected in the limited but creative menu. Chicken-fried steak may be a dime a dozen around here, but this one sported a crisp pistachio-based crust topped with jalapeño gravy. It was divine. The burger was likewise excellent, featuring not only a bison patty but a generous helping of juicy crawfish. Though it likely wouldn’t best your grandmother’s, the rich chocolate sheet cake nevertheless proved to be the perfect way to end a satisfying Texan meal. 

American | ⭑⭑ | $$ | More Info

Houston

Little Hen

This much-buzzed-about “European brunch boutique,” an import from Miami, initially struck us as too cutesy. By meal’s end, though, we had discovered our new favorite breakfast. The space is precious—think floral-palooza, throw pillows aplenty, dainty china—but there are hearty options (chilaquiles, burgers) on the menu alongside rose petal pancakes and truffled eggs. We couldn’t resist the pretty-as-can-be Champagne Candy Cloud: sparkling wine poured into a coupe filled with pink cotton candy. Avocado toast comes piled with smashed avocado, roasted tomato, feta, and pepitas. Chicken & Waffle—a fluffy waffle lightly dusted with powdered sugar and topped with freshly fried chicken strips—gives other highly praised versions some real competition. 

Brunch | ⭑⭑ | $$ | More Info

Rating System

Our reviews are written by critics who live in the cities and regions they cover. They remain anonymous to ensure that they receive no special treatment. The magazine pays for all meals and accepts no advertising or other consideration in exchange for a listing. Comments? .