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The 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards® winners have finally 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 highlighted.
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
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
Outstanding Hospitality
- WINNER: Providence, Los Angeles, CA
- Ansots Basque Chorizos & Catering, Boise, ID
- Aria, Atlanta, GA
- Bottega, Birmingham, AL
- Louie, Clayton, MO
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- WINNER: Kato, Los Angeles, CA
- Chambers, New York, NY
- Field & Main, Marshall, VA
- The Port of Call, Mystic, CT
- Sway Brewing & Blending, Baileys Harbor, WI
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
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
- WINNER: Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY
- Jack Benchakul, Endorffeine, Los Angeles, CA
- Ryan Fletter, Barolo Grill, Denver, CO
- Brent Kroll, Maxwell Park, Washington, D.C.
- June Rodil, March, Houston, TX
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
- WINNER: Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA
- Hastings Cameron, Imaginary Factory, Madison, WI
- McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver, CO
- Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, Brooklyn, NY
Best Chef: California
- WINNER: Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA
- Harrison Cheney, Sons & Daughters, San Francisco, CA
- Daisy Ryan, Bell’s, Los Alamos, CA
- Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles, CA
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
- WINNER: Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago, IL
- Vinnie Cimino, Cordelia, Cleveland, OH
- Sarah Dworak, Sudova, Cincinnati, OH
- Norman Fenton, Cariño, Chicago, IL
- Jeffrey Harris, Nolia Kitchen, Cincinnati, OH
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
- WINNER: Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi Omakase, Philadelphia, PA
- Nathan Flaim, LUCA, Lancaster, PA
- Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA
- Suresh Sundas, Tapori, Washington, D.C.
- Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle, Philadelphia, PA
Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
- WINNER: Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
- Zak Baker, Ca’Lucchenzo, Wauwatosa, WI
- Nick Bognar, Sado, Pavilion, St. Louis, MO
- Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado No Mise, Minneapolis, MN
- David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Ota, Omaha, NE
Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
- WINNER: Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO
- Johnny Curiel, Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, CO
- Travis Herbert, Felt Bar & Eatery, Salt Lake City, UT
- Earl James Reynolds, Herb and Omni, Whitefish, MT
- Nick Zocco, Urban Hill, Salt Lake City, UT
Best Chef: New York State
- WINNER: Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY
- Fidel Caballero, Corima, New York, NY
- Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, New York, NY
- Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, New York, NY
- Joshua Pinsky, Claud, New York, NY
Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
- WINNER: Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH
- David DiStasi, Materia Ristorante, Bantam, CT
- Thomas Takashi Cooke, Izakaya Minato, Portland, ME
- Paul Trombly, Fancy’s, Burlington, VT
- Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI
Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
- WINNER: Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
- Nathan Bentley, Altura Bistro, Anchorage, AK
- Johnny Courtney, Atoma, Seattle, WA
- Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado, Portland, OR
- Aaron Tekulve, Surrell, Seattle, WA
Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
- WINNER: Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA
- Bryce Bonsack, Rocca, Tampa, FL
- Ana Castro, Acamaya, New Orleans, LA
- Maria La Mota and Chason Spencer, Chancho King, Jacksonville, FL
- Jason Paul, Heirloom at 1907, Rogers, AR
Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
- WINNER: Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, NC
- Joe Cash, Scoundrel, Greenville, SC
- Mary Ellen Diaz, Alma Bea, Shepherdstown, WV
- J. Trent Harris, Mujō, Atlanta, GA
- David Willocks, The Baker’s Table, Newport, KY
Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)
- WINNER: Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV
- Jeff Chanchaleune, Bar Sen, Oklahoma City, OK
- Brian Howard, Sparrow + Wolf, Las Vegas, NV
- Steve Riley, Mesa Provisions, Albuquerque, NM
- Zack Walters, Sedalia’s, Oklahoma City, OK
Best Chef: Texas
- WINNER: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston, TX
- Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk, Houston, TX
- Scott Girling, Osteria Il Muro, Denton, TX
- Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, Café Piro, Socorro, TX
- Finney Walter, The Nicolett, Lubbock, TX
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2026 Achievement Awards
Impact Award Honorees
- Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
- Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation
- Senator Ben Ray Luján
- ReFED
- Southern Smoke Foundation
Humanitarian of the Year
-
No Us Without You/Othón Nolasko and Damián Diaz
Lifetime Achievement
- Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza, Osteria Mozza – DC, Pizzeria Mozza, chi SPACCA)
James Beard America’s Classics®
- The Serving Spoon, Inglewood, CA
- Oyster House, Philadelphia, PA
- Johnny’s Cafe, Omaha, NE
- Eng’s, Kingston, NY
- Figaretti’s Italian Restaurant, Wheeling, WV
- Bob Taylor’s Ranch House, Las Vegas, NV