Jacksonville restaurants earn first Michelin
- Jacksonville officials and restaurateurs said on August 5 three local restaurants became the first in city history to receive Michelin Guide recognition. - Three restaurants — Eggboy, Rue Saint Marc and The Bearded Pig — were honored at City Hall as eight Northeast Florida restaurants made the 2026 guide. - Michelin’s official Florida guide now lists the Jacksonville-area restaurants, and city negotiations over a Culinary Institute of America campus still await council action.
Three Jacksonville-area restaurants were recognized by the Michelin Guide on August 5, giving the city its first entries in the dining guide and handing local officials a new talking point for the region’s food scene. Eggboy in Atlantic Beach, Rue Saint Marc in Jacksonville’s San Marco neighborhood and The Bearded Pig in Jacksonville were presented Michelin placards at City Hall, according to Action News Jax and News4Jax. Michelin’s official site now lists all three as restaurants in the 2026 guide. ### Which restaurants actually got the recognition? Eggboy, Rue Saint Marc and The Bearded Pig were the three restaurants local outlets identified as Jacksonville’s first Michelin-recognized establishments. Action News Jax said co-owners Chad Munsey and Michael Schmidt of The Bearded Pig received their plaque alongside the other two restaurants during Wednesday’s ceremony at City Hall. (actionnewsjax.com) Michelin’s own listings show Eggboy in Atlantic Beach, Rue Saint Marc in Jacksonville and The Bearded Pig in Jacksonville as guide entries for 2026. Michelin’s page for Rue Saint Marc describes it as a French restaurant in San Marco, while its page for The Bearded Pig describes a barbecue restaurant known for ribs, chicken, brisket and sausage. ### Was this a Michelin star, a Bib Gourmand, or something else? (actionnewsjax.com) Michelin did not award stars to Jacksonville restaurants in the initial Northeast Florida rollout announced in late May. News4Jax reported on June 2 that nine Northeast Florida restaurants were recognized for the first time, but “no stars were awarded” to local establishments. Action News Jax reported on May 29 that Michelin had selected eight Northeast Florida restaurants for the 2026 guide and said two St. (guide.michelin.com) Augustine restaurants — Bar Citra and Sunday — received Bib Gourmand distinctions. The Jacksonville-area restaurants highlighted this week were recognized as Michelin Guide selections, which Michelin says can place restaurants on inspectors’ radar for future Bib Gourmand or star consideration. (news4jax.com) ### How big was the Northeast Florida showing? Eight Northeast Florida restaurants were included when Michelin expanded its Florida coverage to the region this year, according to Action News Jax. That list included Salt on Amelia Island, Eggboy in Atlantic Beach, Rue Saint Marc and The Bearded Pig in Jacksonville, plus Bar Citra, Sunday, Lotus Noodle Bar and Asado Life in St. Augustine. (actionnewsjax.com) News4Jax separately reported nine first-time Northeast Florida recommendations on June 2, including Afternoon in Gainesville in addition to the coastal and Jacksonville-area restaurants. The difference appears to reflect a broader regional roundup by News4Jax versus Action News Jax’s Northeast Florida count. ### Why were city officials celebrating at City Hall? Mayor Donna Deegan used the ceremony to tie the restaurant recognition to a larger city effort to expand culinary infrastructure. (actionnewsjax.com) Action News Jax quoted Deegan as saying Jacksonville’s food scene would continue to get “bigger and better and bolder.” (news4jax.com) Visit Jacksonville President and CEO Michael Corrigan said the city has committed a $35 million incentive package as part of negotiations to bring a Culinary Institute of America campus downtown. Corrigan told Action News Jax he believed the school could help Jacksonville become a regional culinary destination, and Munsey said restaurant operators hoped the campus would help with talent recruitment. (actionnewsjax.com) ### What happens next? City Hall’s next concrete step is the proposed Culinary Institute of America deal. Action News Jax reported that once Jacksonville finalizes negotiations on the campus, the agreement will return to the City Council for final approval. Michelin’s next step is already visible online. (actionnewsjax.com) The guide’s Florida and Jacksonville restaurant pages list the newly recognized restaurants, and Michelin says guide-selected establishments can later be promoted to Bib Gourmand or star status in subsequent years. (guide.michelin.com)
