Two Albuquerque restaurants miss out at James Beard Awards
Two Albuquerque finalists took the James Beard stage in Chicago, underscoring how far the city’s restaurants have climbed on the national map.
Albuquerque sent two finalists to the James Beard Awards in Chicago, a rare showing that put Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. and Mesa Provisions in front of the country’s most watched culinary judges. Neither business won, but both reached the final round on a night when the James Beard Foundation described its awards as the pinnacle of culinary recognition in the United States.
The 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards were held Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The foundation says the honors recognize achievement in culinary arts, food and beverage, hospitality and broader food-system work, along with commitments to equity, community, sustainability and a culture where all can thrive. For Albuquerque, simply landing two finalists in one year said as much about the city’s restaurant scene as any trophy could have.
Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. was represented by CEO Shyla Sheppard, who founded the brewery in Albuquerque in 2016 and later expanded it with a taproom in Farmington. Sheppard is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes, and Bow & Arrow has publicly described itself as the first Native American woman-owned brewery in the United States. Its run to the finals also reinforced the growing visibility of Indigenous-led businesses in a food and beverage industry that has often overlooked them.
Mesa Provisions carried its own weight into Chicago. The Nob Hill restaurant opened in 2021 to immediate acclaim, and chef-owner Steve Riley arrived as a repeat James Beard finalist, keeping Albuquerque in contention in the Best Chef: Southwest category. Riley’s work and the restaurant’s profile have helped make Nob Hill one of the city’s most closely watched dining corridors, where independent kitchens are helping define Albuquerque’s newer restaurant identity.
The city’s double appearance on the James Beard stage matters because the awards remain one of the clearest signals of national attention in restaurants and brewing. Finalist status can help draw diners, strengthen tourism and make it easier for local operators to recruit talent in a competitive market. It also gives Albuquerque another marker to point to as its food scene blends Native, Hispanic and contemporary influences into something that is increasingly getting noticed well beyond New Mexico.
New Mexico’s semifinalists were announced Jan. 21, and finalists followed on March 31, giving Bow & Arrow and Mesa Provisions months of momentum before the Chicago ceremony. Even without a win, the result showed that Albuquerque restaurants are now being judged alongside the best in the country, and that alone raises the bar for the city’s independent dining scene.
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