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Maximo
Texan Mexican
Burnt orange banquettes and handsome tile floors set the tone at this West University Texan-Mexican restaurant, where tortillas are nixtamalized and pressed in-house and the masa program is taken seriously. The menu runs from roasted oysters with green garlic butter to a smoked pork chop buried under spicy peanut macha. The chef holds a James Beard Emerging Chef award and a Michelin Bib Gourmand, which feels about right for a neighborhood spot this quietly confident.
Six honors, in evidence:
The record strongest first
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Winner · Emerging Chef · Adrian Torres
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Houstonia The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
- Houston Chronicle #14 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
One number, weighted & current 91
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
Nearby in the record closest first
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