Wine Bible Gives Houston, Dallas and The Woodlands Restaurants Major Love — Texas Spots Win Coveted Grand Awards

Wine Spectator, the bible of many a wine enthusiast, has just revealed its 2023 restaurant awards with honors going to 3,505 restaurants worldwide. Worldwide 93 restaurants with exceptional wine lists and cuisine earned the coveted Grand Award. Three call Houston home and one is in Dallas.

It comes as no surprise that the Pappas Bros. Steakhouses in Dallas and both locations in Houston (downtown and The Galleria area) have all three been rewarded with top honors. While the original Houston Pappas — which opened in 1995 and boasts the largest collection of 5,000 bottles — has regularly received the highest recognition, the Dallas Pappas is equally praised by the wine bible in these new rankings.

“This newer addition to the Pappas Bros. family continues the tradition of superior steaks and over-the-top wine experiences,” Wine Spectator notes. “The list is a showstopper, from the sprawling Champagne collection to the outstanding French verticals to the diverse dessert wine selection.”

Billionaire Tilman Fertitta is surely beaming as his Mastro’s Steakhouse, located in Landry’s hospitality stable in Uptown, has once again earned the Grand Award.

The magazine gushes: “This location of Landry’s Inc.’s popular steakhouse is home to the largest wine list of any Wine Spectator award winner in the group’s portfolio. It’s located in the Post Oak Hotel, which features opulent accents such as a chandelier inspired by a piece in the Dubai Opera House, displayed in a three-story lobby.”

Mastro’s earned three wine glasses, the highest level of praise, for both its extensive wine collection and cuisine, as did the original Pappas Bros. Steakhouse.

“In a time of technological innovation, restaurants offer the human experience diners are hungry for — listening to their customers and offering personalized experience,” Marvin R. Shanken, Wine Spectator editor and publisher, says in a statement. This annual issue celebrates the places where wine is at the top of that conversation.

“I’m pleased to congratulate all 3,505 restaurants for their dedication to wine and wine-loving diners.”

Forty-seven Houston restaurants — including a few in The Woodlands — were honored in the listing. Also receiving triple wine glasses in both categories were Andiron steakhouse on Allen Parkway, venerable Brennan’s, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in The Galleria, Georgia James on West Dallas, Mastro’s Ocean Club in The Woodlands, Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse downtown and Bludorn on Taft.

While the full listing of award winners can be found here, the print issue celebrating the awards, which features chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller on the cover, will become available to Wine Spectator readers on July 11.

As for Texas, it’s a wine friendly world with the rankings to prove it.