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Belly of the Beast
Mexican
Half-corn, half-flour tortillas land warm at the table while the menu does what it wants, which turns out to be Mexican cooking with detours through saag paneer, nori, and agnolotti. This casual restaurant in Spring won the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, unlikely honors for a strip-mall dining room, but the food makes the argument without needing the room to help.
Six honors, in evidence:
The record strongest first
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Winner · Best Chef: Texas · Thomas Bille
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Houston Chronicle #4 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Thomas Bille
One number, weighted & current 93
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
- Tuna tostadas with nori Michelin Guide
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