3 Texas restaurants make New York Times Best Restaurants List in 2022

Dalia Faheid

The New York Times on Monday released its list of the 50 best restaurants across the United States in 2022, featuring three Texas restaurants.

“While we love to see a dynamic new dining room open its doors, we’re equally impressed by kitchens that are doing their best work years in,” the NYT wrote. “So while some of our picks debuted just this summer, others have been around for decades. The one thing they do have in common: The food is amazing.”

Canje, Austin

This new age Caribbean restaurant is tucked away on the east side of Austin. It’s run by a Guyanese native, Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph, as part of the Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group.

“Best food, service, and atmosphere in Austin hands down!!” wrote one reviewer.

Named after the Canje pheasant, national bird of Guyana, Canje’s cuisine is inspired by mainland Guyana, as well as Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the islands in between. The restaurant says it focuses on sourcing from local farms and small producers.

“The food is a tangy, spicy, bright, coconutty dreamscape,” writes NYT food reporter Priya Krishna. “Tilefish soaked in tamarind and rum butter. Prawns brushed with a verdant green seasoning and smoked chiles. A tres leches cake drenched in coconut milk.”

What makes the jerk chicken special is that Bristol-Joseph ferments his seasoning, Krishna writes. She also recommends at least one order of the buttery Guyanese-style roti per person.

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Sister, Dallas

  • Opened: September 2021

  • Website: sempresister.com

  • Address: 2808 Greenville Ave, Dallas

  • Phone: (214) 888-8660

  • Hours: 4:30-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 4:30-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

  • Reservations: resy.com

  • Cuisine: Italian and Mediterranean

  • Pricing: $50-100 per person

Once home to longtime bistro The Grape, the Greenville Avenue space now serves Italian and Mediterranean inspired cuisine. The Duro Hospitality restaurant is overseen by Chef Matt Gold and Chef J Chastain, who also runs sibling restaurant The Charles.

“The atmosphere/decor, service, cocktails and food were all exceptional,” wrote one reviewer.

Sister is a worthy successor to The Grape, Krishna says. She describes Sister’s aesthetic as “Grandma’s house, but make it fashion.” And she calls the food “Italian-ish.”

“White soy and hijiki give the thick strands of spaghetti vongole a funky depth. Shiitakes punctuate the Parmesan cream that sauces buckwheat lumache. The eggplant dip is darkened in color and heightened in flavor by black sesame,” Krishna writes.

At Sister, you’ll find wood-fired meats and fish, daily house made pasta and more.

Tex-Ethiopian BBQ
Tex-Ethiopian BBQ

Smoke’N Ash B.B.Q., Arlington

This family-run Arlington restaurant, uniquely serving Tex-Ethiopian barbecue, is known for its tasty food and friendly staff.

“The BBQ sauce is sweet and flavorful, the pork was juicy and melted in my mouth,” wrote one reviewer.

While Patrick and Fasicka Hicks initially served traditional barbecue, the couple a year later added Ethiopian dishes Fasicka had eaten growing up.

“Diners started asking for barbecue atop injera. The Hickses realized that those people were on to something exciting,” Krishna wrote. “The vibrant Ethiopian flavors — brisket comes lacquered with awaze, a spicy sauce made with berbere — are an ideal match for barbecue.”

Frequently ordered items include: the smoked brisket, chopped brisket sandwich, smoked pork ribs, mac and cheese, beans and loaded baked potato.

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