Great news for all local and visiting foodies! Houston received two 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards (a.k.a. the Oscars of the culinary world) at a black-tie gala held on June 15 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.
The first award of the night went to chef Adrian Torres (Maximo) in the Emerging Chef category on the national level. This is only the second time Houston has been awarded on the national level. The first national prize went to Julep for the Outstanding Bar Program in 2022.
Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu (JŪN) took home a James Beard Award as Best Chef: Texas, the third Houston’s win in the category in the last four years. In 2025, the award went to Thomas Bille (Belly of the Beast in Spring), and in 2023, to Benchawan Jabthong Painter (Street to Kitchen).
Meet the Winners
ADRIAN TORRES
Photo by Carla Gomez (courtesy)
Adrian Torres is Executive Chef at Maximo, nestled in the heart of Houston’s West University neighborhood at 6119 Edloe Street. He previously worked under Thomas Bille at the now-Michelin-recognized Belly of the Beast and the award-winning restaurant Xochi.
Chef Torres has been working in kitchens since age 18, but he’s nurtured a love for cooking far longer. In high school home economics, he entered his first cooking competition. When he was denied admission to his dream culinary schools because of his DACA status, Torres enrolled at San Jacinto as a first-generation college student. What felt like a setback at the time turned out to be a blessing when his professors and program directors saw something in him early on, recognizing his talent and drive to learn.
Since taking leadership of the kitchen at Maximo in January 2025, Torres has been honored by the StarChefs Rising Star Award. The restaurant has been recognized by the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand.
Maximo is a modern Mexican restaurant that combines authenticity and adventure, highlighting Mexican ingredients rarely seen on Houston menus, bringing more nixtamalized masa creations, and introducing shareable small plates and composed entrees. Maximo opened in spring 2024 as a neighborhood-focused, fast-casual restaurant that primarily served tacos and burgers. In January 2025, it significantly revamped its menu, transforming Maximo into a more destination-worthy modern Mexican restaurant.
Chef Torres is most proud of the new menu items showcasing a wide variety of heirloom masa applications, including an innovative masa-encrusted fish entree and a shareable masa cornbread with chicatana butter, mole soubise, hoja santa oil, and caviar; and a masa concha. Other standouts include a hamachi crudo adorned with bright pink prickly pear ponzu, goldenberry, and chile de arbol, a shrimp chorizo and shishito rajas quesadilla on a sourdough tortilla, and a banana ice cream-topped banana pudding buñuelo. Meanwhile, fan favorites like the tacos with fried fish and slow-cooked suadero remain on the menu in a smaller size, giving diners room to explore.
EVELYN GARCIA AND HENRY LU
Chef Evelyn Garcia, a Houston native with Salvadoran and Mexican heritage, and Henry Lu, a Bronx-born Chinese American chef, met while both were working in New York. Garcia eventually relocated to Houston, and in 2021, Lu followed suit to join forces with her and help expand her pop-up and product line, By Kin. Together, they went on to build their Houston Heights restaurant, JŪN, from the ground up. The restaurant, which opened in early 2023, focuses on New Asian American cuisine.
Artfully crafted and perfectly posed, the dishes at this charming Heights establishment are sure to give visitors a true dining experience. JŪN is a celebration of Houston from its flavors, its spirit, and its ever-changing landscape. Chef Evelyn Garcia and Chef Henry Lu are inspired by the traditions that have shaped this city and state, which is made up of the diverse cultures, ingredients, and stories that make Texas so multidimensional. At JŪN, Chef Evelyn & Chef Henry pay homage to where Texas has been while exploring where its food can go. JŪN cooks with pride, curiosity, and a deep respect for the land and the people who define it.
Try their 7-course tasting menu with wine pairing and discover the unique JŪN’s flavors.
Photos: Courtesy of Maximo and JŪN. Header photo: Maximo; opening photo: JŪN.