Yelp's recent nod to Southern cuisine has highlighted a duo of Austin's culinary gems, with CBS Austin reporting that two local eateries have landed coveted spots on the platform's top 25 new restaurants in the South list. Nomade seized the fourth spot, dazzling with its gluten-free Yucatecan fare, while Fabrik impressed at number 10, serving up plant-based tasting menus.

It's quite the accomplishment considering Austin's dynamic dining scene, where Nomade and Fabrik not only stand out for their dietary-conscious menus but also for an ethos that shuns excess pomp for genuine quality—Chef Jay Huang of Nomade admits to being his own target customer, crafting dishes rooted in personal experience with food allergies, conversely, Chef Je Wallerstein of Fabrik brings a two-decade commitment to vegan cuisine to her establishment, according to a statement obtained by Austin Culturemap.

Yelp's selection process merges raw data and subjective appeal, filtering full-service restaurants opened after January 21, 2023, with satisfactory health scores as of May 1, 2024, thus the platform's list embodies a blend of review volumes, ratings, and the human touch of Community Managers who pinpoint user favorites.

Despite its strong showing on the Southern circuit, Austin didn't crack Yelp's overall top 100 U.S. restaurants—nevertheless, Texas' presence was felt with Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy in San Antonio ranking at No. 9, while Houston's Burger-chan, Tacos Doña Lena, and Avesta Persian Grill along with Katy's Pappa Gyros, Irving's Mr. Max, San Antonio's Mr. A-Ok’s Kitchen, and Houston's Southern Yankee Crafthouse all found slots on the list, as reported by Austin Culturemap.

The other Texas spots that garnered mentions included Houston's Baso for its commitment to live fire cooking and Woodlands' Xalisko Cocina Mexicana, with its cafeteria worker turned culinary school graduate chef, as well as Dallas' Yūjō, which secured praise for both exceptional sushi and service; this cluster of restaurants reflects the overall Southern culinary trend of open-flame cooking, regional roots, global influences, and seasonally-driven menus highlighted by Yelp, details shared with readers by CBS Austin.