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Tastemaker Awards

Meet the Tastemakers

All the Fort Worth nominees vying for 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards

CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards 2023
Raise a glass to the Tastemakers on April 23 at 4 Eleven. Photo by Ashley Gongora

The time has come to celebrate all the people and places who make Fort Worth such an exciting city to dine in. The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards are back, and we can now reveal the 2025 nominees.

We’ve asked leaders of the city's hospitality community to tell us which chefs, restaurants, bars, and more have set the standard in dining for the past year. Our judging panel will pick the winners in eight of the categories, including two exciting new "wildcard" contests: Best Coffee Shop and Best BBQ. CultureMap readers will pick the winner of Best New Restaurant in a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament that's sure to get heated.

We’ll celebrate the nominees and reveal the winners at our awards ceremony and signature tasting event on Wednesday, April 23 at the 4 Eleven.

More than a dozen of this year’s finalists will be serving bites, and our sponsors will supply all of the drinks necessary to keep the party going. Then we’ll reveal the winners in our short and sweet awards ceremony hosted by Fort Worth chef Jon Bonnell.

A limited number of Early Bird tickets are on sale now at discounted rates of $60 for general admission and $99 for VIP (includes early access to the event, valet parking, and a dedicated bar). Prices will go up soon, and tickets will sell out. Act fast - you don’t want to miss out.

We’ll dive more deeply into the nominees in a special editorial series that celebrates their accomplishments. But first, a round of applause for all of this year's finalists:

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

  • Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez
  • Carshon's Deli
  • Megu French Japanese Cuisine
  • Pulido's Kitchen & Cantina
  • Taste Community Restaurant
  • Teddy Wongs
  • Terra Mediterranean
  • Walloon's Restaurant
  • Waters Restaurant
  • Wicked Butcher
CHEF OF THE YEAR
  • Mouhssine “Moose” Benhamacht, Cafe Americana
  • Julio Cartagena, Toro Toro
  • Fasicka Hicks & Patrick Hicks, Smoke 'N Ash BBQ
  • Jake Morgan, Plank Seafood Provisions
  • Greg Pawlowski, il Modo
  • Patrick Ru, Teddy Wongs
  • Alessandro Salvatore, Bocca Osteria Romana
  • Drew Thomas, Drew's Place
  • Antonio Votta, Bricks and Horses
  • Deborah Williamson, James Provisions
BAR OF THE YEAR
  • Annex, at Le Meridien Fort Worth Downtown
  • The Bar at Bowie House
  • The Down N' Out Bar
  • FW Thunderbird
  • The Holly
  • Hoppin'
  • Low Doubt Bar
  • Saddlerock Wine & Beer Co.
  • Rabbit Hole
  • Wines From a Broad
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
  • Soy Cowboy
  • The Chumley House
  • Crystal Springs Hideaway
  • Cafe Americana
  • Rex's Bar & Grill
  • The Blue Room
  • Los Guapos
  • The Sicilian Butcher
  • Bouvier Brasserie
  • La Cabrona
  • Milo's Cocina Mexicana
  • Fort Redemption
  • Bocca Osteria Romana
  • Son of a Baker Pizzeria
  • Whiskey Cake
  • James Provisions

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR

  • Waylon Cornelius, Will Rogers Memorial Center
  • Tony France, Farena, Loews Arlington Hotel
  • Steffen Goltz, Grace
  • Steve Hoogeboom, 61 Osteria
  • Damian Lopez, Bouvier Brasserie
  • Jorge Olvera, Wishbone & Flynt
  • David Pacheco, Restaurant506 at the Sanford House
  • Jose Soto, Bacchus Kitchen + Bar
  • Sydney Toledo, Inspirations Fork & Table
  • Joshua Villegas, Son of a Baker Pizzeria
PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR
  • Lea Ann Bray-Salinas, Texas Harvest Pie Co.
  • Michael Hart, Blue Bonnet Bakery
  • Lindsey Lawing, Sweet Lucy's Pies
  • Tasha Monticure, Bodega South Main
  • Hans Peter Muller, Swiss Pastry Shop
  • Anna Narinian, D’Caramel Patisserie
  • Kris Trawick, Baked Bread & Pastry Co.
  • Nicole Ward, Sinsational Cakes
  • Chad William, Omni Fort Worth Hotel
  • Christine White, Shady Oaks Country Club
NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
  • Bodega South Main
  • Four Sisters - A Taste of Vietnam
  • Gusto's Burger Bar + More
  • Lola's Cuban Food Restaurant & Bar
  • Los Vaqueros Restaurant
  • Mancuso's Italian Ristorante
  • Taste of Europe
  • Tesoro Mexican
  • Towne Grill
  • Vickery Cafe
BEST COFFEE SHOP
  • Avoca Coffee Roasters
  • Casa Azul Coffee
  • Gregorys Coffee
  • JoJo Baklava Cafe & Sweets
  • La La Land Kind Cafe
  • Low Doubt Bar
  • Match Point Coffee
  • Race Street Coffee
  • Vagabond Coffee Bar
  • White Rhino Coffee
BEST BBQ
  • Angelo's BBQ
  • Brix Barbecue
  • Dayne's Craft Barbecue
  • Goldee's Bar-B-Q
  • Heim Barbecue
  • Hurtado Barbecue
  • Panther City BBQ
  • Sabar BBQ
  • Smoke-a-holics BBQ
  • Smoke'N Ash BBQ
  • Terry Black's Barbecue
  • 225⁰ BBQ

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The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored by The Yuengling Company, Still Austin Whiskey, PicMe Events, Audio Visual Consultations, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Fort Worth Food and Wine Foundation.

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