The RAMMY Awards are returning for their third year with a special gala and ceremony this May!
Now, as the date of the ceremony draws closer, RAMW has finally published its list of semifinalists for its 2026 awards, and we are so excited to see some D.C. area staples and even several new spots that have more than earned their way onto the list.
Here is the full list of semifinalists across the RAMMY Awards’ 19 different categories:
Restaurateur of the Year
- David Deshaies — Garden Hospitality
- Zubair, Omar, Fatima, Mustafa, and Shamim Popal — The Popal Group
- Fernando González — 2fifty Texas BBQ
- Michael Rafidi — Albi, Yellow, La’ Shukran
- Téa Ivanovic & Peter Schechter — Immigrant Food
- Daniella Senior — Colada Shop
- Enrique Limardo and Ezequiel Vázquez-Ger — Seven Reasons Group
- Stephen Starr — Starr Restaurant Group
- Kwame Onwuachi — Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi
- Vikram Sunderam — Rasika, Malabar, Bindaas Bowls & Rolls
Best Bar of the Year
- Cana
- CODE RED
- El Presidente
- The Green Zone
- Moonraker
- Press Club
- The Salt Line
- Service Bar
- Silver Lyan
- Whitlow’s
New Restaurant of the Year
- Barbouzard
- Casamara
- Chai Pani
- Elmina
- ISLA
- Maison Bar à Vins
- Marcus DC
- Minetta Tavern
- The Occidental
- Tapori
Best Brunch of the Year
- Ambar
- Blue Duck Tavern
- Café Riggs
- dLeña
- I Egg You
- Matt & Tony’s
- Neutral Ground
- Ruthie’s All Day
- The Pembroke
- Unconventional Diner
Favorite Gathering Place of the Year
- Balos
- Boundary Stone
- Cafe Milano
- Jane Jane
- Le Diplomate
- Martin’s Tavern
- metrobar
- Old Ebbitt Grill
- SOST
- Stan’s Restaurant
Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year
- 2fifty Texas BBQ
- Bub and Pop’s
- Celebrity Delly
- Fossette Focacceria
- Honeymoon Chicken
- Joia Burger
- Queen Mother’s Kitchen
- Silver and Sons BBQ
- Soko Butcher
- Your Only Friend
Wine Program of the Year
- a.kitchen+bar DC
- Bourbon Steak
- Cork Wine Bar & Market
- CUT by Wolfgang Puck
- Fiola
- Lulu’s Wine Bar
- Lutèce
- Maydan
- Primrose
- Sixty Vines DC
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
- Anju
- Aventino Cucina
- Casa Teresa
- Cucina MORINI
- Joon
- Moon Rabbit
- NUE: Elegantly Vietnamese
- Osteria Mozza
- Pascual
- Perry’s
Rising Culinary Star of the Year
- Paolo Dungca — Kayu
- Ria Montes — Fish Shop
- Guy-Rene Gerin — L’Ardente
- Sebastian Moreno — elcielo
- Hamilton Johnson — Mallard
- Robbie Reyes — Lucky Danger
- Anthony Jones — Marcus DC
- Jarrad Silver — Silver and Sons BBQ
- Alam Mendez — Apapacho Taqueria
- Martel Stone — Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi
Manager of the Year
- Avery Beach — Mandu
- Trisha Custodio — Sfoglina Van Ness
- Boo Kim — RPM Italian DC
- Kelly Duong — KYOJIN Sushi
- Lauren Montana — Pizzeria Paradiso
- Todd Hunt — Oak Steakhouse Alexandria
- Kenia Euceda — Neighborhood Restaurant Group
- Debby Portillo — 2fifty Texas BBQ
- George Forman III — Philippe Chow
- Juan Ramirez — Bastille Brasserie & Bar
Employee of the Year
- Daren Prasad — Chloe
- Adam Mathews — a.kitchen+bar DC
- Damali Saddler — Apéro & La Bohème
- Jose Martinez — MITA
- Jose Luis Salgado — Zinnia
- Ingrid Arteaga — Open Road
- Jackie Mason — Willowsong
- Estela Catarino — Ama
- Raul Pineda — Perry’s
- Kodjo “Olivier” Elenda — The Popal Group
Service Program of the Year
- Causa
- Elyse
- Filomena Ristorante
- ilili
- Imperfecto
- Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
- MITA
- Old Ebbitt Grill
- Perry’s
- Xiquet by Danny Lledó
Cocktail Program of the Year
- Amazonia
- barmini by José Andrés
- Cucina MORINI
- Death and Co.
- El Secreto de Rosita
- Moon Rabbit
- Pascual
- Rania
- Residents Café & Bar
- Your Only Friend
Beer Program of the Year
- Astro Beer Hall
- B-Side
- Franklin Hall
- Lost Generation Brewing Company
- Pizzeria Paradiso
- Prost
- Red Bear Brewing
- Right Proper Brewing Company
- Solace Outpost
- Wunder Garten
Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
- Albi
- The Dabney
- Del Mar
- Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi
- Elyse
- minibar by José Andrés
- Pineapple and Pearls
- Rania
- Rooster and Owl
- SHIA
Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year
- Susan Bae — Moon Rabbit
- Bridie McCulla — Northside Social
- Ligia Barros — CUT by Wolfgang Puck
- Rose Nguyen — Rose Ave Bakery
- Lizzy Evelyn — Ellē
- Gianpier Pineda — The Occidental
- Genesis Flores — Seven Reasons Group
- Ana Sofía Pino — Lutèce
- Jessica Leung — Osteria Mozza
- Rachel Sherriffe — MARCUS DC
Chef of the Year
- Eric Adjepong — Elmina
- Jason Galbao — Alhambra
- Matt Adler — Cucina MORINI and Caruso’s Grocery
- Rubén García — Casa Teresa
- Amy Brandwein — Centrolina and Piccolina
- Miguel Guerra & Tatiana Mora — MITA
- Matt Conroy & Isabel Coss — Lutèce and Pascual
- Jeremiah Langhorne — The Dabney
- Cédric Maupillier — Barbouzard
- Jovana Urriola — Colada Shop
Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year
- Andy’s Pizza
- Apapacho Taqueria
- Bantam King
- Call Your Mother
- Colada Shop
- Joia Burger
- Queen Mother’s Kitchen
- San Pancho
- Stellina Pizzeria
- Yellow
Casual Restaurant of the Year
- ala
- Ama
- Duke’s Grocery
- Ellē
- I Egg You
- La Bonne Vache
- Purple Patch
- Taquería Xochi
- The Falls
- Tsehay Ethiopian
