The 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards® winners have been revealed, with many of the country’s top restaurant industry professionals getting lots of love.
It was a great year for Philly, with Jesse Ito of Royal Sushi Omakase winning Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic and Kalaya taking home the national honor of Outstanding Restaurant in America. Lei in New York’s Chinatown was a big winner, too, as the year’s Best New Restaurant.
On the beverage front, Lee Campbell of Borgo in New York for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Portland’s Scotch Lodge won Outstanding Bar. Best Chef: New York went to Hooni Kim of Meju, while Jacob Potashnick of Chicago’s Feld won Best Chef: Great Lakes.
Find the full list of winners and finalists below, with both Resy and Tock restaurants available to book right now.
Outstanding Restaurateur
- WINNER: Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, ME
- Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar, Ettan, Copra, and Eylan, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Altos, and Menlo Park, CA
- Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani, Chai Pani Restaurant Group (Chai Pani and Botiwalla), Asheville, NC
- Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, Link Restaurant Group (Pêche, Herbsaint Bar & Restaurant, Cochon, Gianna, and others), New Orleans, LA
- Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H-Town Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Xochi, Urbe, and others), Houston, TX
Outstanding Chef
- WINNER: Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco, CA
- Gilberto Cetina, Holbox, Los Angeles, CA
- Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles, CA
- Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, CO
- David Standridge, The Shipwright’s Daughter, Mystic, CT
Meju, from chef Hooni Kim, is part of a cohort of Korean fine dining restaurants that have emerged in New York this past decade. Photo courtesy of Meju
Outstanding Restaurant
- WINNER: Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA
- The Catbird Seat, Nashville, TN
- The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, NY
- Mixtli, San Antonio, TX
- Vicia, St. Louis, MO
Emerging Chef
- WINNER: Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, TX
- Fátima Juárez, Komal, Los Angeles, CA
- E.J. Lagasse, Emeril’s, New Orleans, LA
- Rasheeda Purdie, Ramen By Ra, New York, NY
- Bailey Sullivan, Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, Chicago, IL
Best New Restaurant
- WINNER: Lei, New York, NY
- 1033 Omakase, Milwaukee, WI
- Agnes and Sherman, Houston, TX
- Anjin, Kansas City, MO
- Emmett, Philadelphia, PA
- Ki, Los Angeles, CA
- Maison, Washington, D.C.
- Merci, Charleston, SC
- Robin Restaurant, St. Louis, MO
- Tamba, Las Vegas, NV
Outstanding Bakery
- WINNER: Wild Crumb, Bozeman, MT
- Cultured, Sister Bay, WI
- Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, Anchorage, AK
- Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH
- Weltons Tiny Bakeshop, Charleston, SC
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
- WINNER: Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
- Neale Asato, Asato Family Shop, Honolulu, HI
- Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Nicosi, San Antonio, TX
- Maggie Huff, Lucia, Dallas, TX
- Justine MacNeil, Fiore, Philadelphia, PA
Photo courtesy of Scotch Lodge
Outstanding Bar
- WINNER: Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR
- Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM
- Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA
- Onyx Coffee Lab, Rogers, AR
- Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco, CA
Best New Bar
- WINNER: Loma, Providence, RI
- Bar Chenin, Detroit, MI
- Bar Please!, Boise, ID
- Clemente Bar and Studio, New York, NY
- Later Bye, Oklahoma City, OK
