The holidays may be over, but for some restaurants and chefs, the most wonderful time of the year is just beginning. The James Beard Awards, often heralded as the “Oscars of Food,” are the holy grail for restaurateurs. Since their founding in 1990, the awards have served as the benchmark of success in the culinary world, and in recent years, Oklahoma has presented increasingly well with nominations and wins. Now, after Florence’s Restaurant took home the state’s first award in 2022, and chef Andrew Black won Best Chef: Southwest in 2023 for Grey Sweater, the accolades keep coming.
With this week’s announcement of the semifinalists, OKC landed seven nods across four categories, including a prolific restaurateur, a new cocktail bar and, for the second year in a row, a fine dining destination vying for the coveted Outstanding Restaurant. Semifinalists will be abbreviated to final nominees on March 31, and the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony takes place June 15 in Chicago. Here are this year’s semifinalists from OKC.
Outstanding Restaurateur
Among the biggest national categories, hometown hero Rachel Cope made the semifinalists for her work with 84 Hospitality. Since its founding in 2013, with Empire Slice House in the Plaza District, Cope has gone on to become one of the most recognizable and respected restaurateurs in the state, smartly expanding with original concepts like Goro Ramen, Burger Punk and Elisabetta.
Outstanding Restaurant
Second time’s the charm? After moving on to the final nominees in last year’s Outstanding Restaurant category, Nonesuch is once again long-listed in one of the top national categories. Arguably the Oscars’ Best Picture equivalent of the food world, it’s a huge award to win, and Nonesuch’s inclusion is no doubt inspired by recent changes — both in terms of menu format and dining style — that have continued to earn acclaim under new ownership from Id Est Hospitality.
Best New Bar
The first time an Oklahoma bar has appeared in this new-ish category, Later Bye is in contention for Best New Bar in the country. The pint-sized cocktail bar, from the folks behind Palo Santo, was an instant hit when it opened in Midtown at the end of 2024 — revered for its ever-changing cocktail menu, from Tomato Tonics to mezcal- and black pepper-infused Gibsons. It was already one of our best new restaurants in 2025, so perhaps it’s time for more national attention.
Best Chef: Southwest
In the regional categories, OKC is well represented by four chefs in Best Chef: Southwest. Along with chefs from Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico, our top toques include Jeff Chanchaleune, who was previously nominated in this category for Ma Der Lao in 2023 and 2024, and picked up fresh momentum with the opening of BAR SEN. Another familiar name is Zack Walters, who made it to the final nominees in this category last year for acclaimed seafood spot Sedalia’s.
There are also two first-time semifinalists this year, including Veronica Zelada of longstanding brunch sensation Cafe Kacao, and Brian and Stayce Momanyi of Plus254 — A Taste of Africa, a Kenyan restaurant tucked away in downtown’s Robinson Renaissance building, along with a food truck. It’s worth noting that, after Naija Wife’s semifinalist slot in this category last year, this is the second year in a row that OKC has earned acclaim for its African cuisine.
