Dallas Now Has A New Restaurant Rating System

It might be surprising, but no Dallas restaurant has ever attained the food world’s highest honor — a coveted Michelin star. But now, perhaps that won’t even matter as a new, data-driven rating system hits DFW.

Announced via release, Renzell has officially made its arrival. The new restaurant rankings service describes itself as a “membership club for restaurant enthusiasts” in which its members will dine out anonymously at restaurants on Renzell’s list (on their own dime) and fill out a 70-question survey on their experience at the establishment.

Renzell debuted in New York City, and has since expanded to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Boston. As for who will be writing these restaurant reviews, Renzell says that their 3,000+ members across the country are “regular patrons and connoisseurs at high-end restaurants.” Membership is free, but you’ll have to fill out a survey and meet specific qualifications in order to be chosen.

The service is positioning itself as a competitor to ranking systems like the Michelin Guide and World’s 50 Best Restaurants, which Renzell says are plagued with “subjectivity, biases, and inaccuracies.” Considering that Dallas hasn’t ever been part of those systems, perhaps local chefs feel the same way.

Renzell will release its first rankings of Dallas restaurants — graded in eight categories including service, cocktails, design, food, and vibe — early next year. In the meantime, scope out the first list of Renzell Restaurants below:

• Abacus
• Bolsa
• Boulevardier
• Cadot
• Café Pacific
• Canary by Gorji
• Casa Rubia
• CBD Provisions
• Chino Chinatown
• Dragonfly
• Fearing's
• Filament
• Five Sixty
• Flora Street Cafe
• Front Room Tavern
• FT33
• Gemma
• Hattie's
• Ida Claire
• Joyce & Gigi's Kitchen
• Kalachandji's
• Kenich
• Komali
• Local
• Lucia
• Madrina
• The Mansion at Turtle Creek
• The Meddlesome Moth
• Mesa
• Mot Hai Ba
• Neighborhood Services Dallas
• Nick & Sam’s
• Nobu
• Nonna
• Oak
• The Oceanaire
• Parigi
• The Porch
• Proof and Pantry
• Rapscallion
• Remedy
• Salum
• Sissy's Southern Kitchen & Bar
• Smoke
• Stampede 66
• Sugarbacon
• Suze
• Tei Tei Robata Bar
• Tei-An
• The Theodore
• Toulouse Cafe
• Uchi Dallas
• Victor Tango's
• Wayward Sons