Austin's Most Improved Restaurants
Updated January 24, 2026 · Based on Austin Public Health data
Everyone loves a redemption arc. These restaurants had rough patches—scores that made us wince, trends heading in the wrong direction. But they turned it around.
The list below shows Austin restaurants that have significantly improved their health inspection scores over time. We're talking 20+ point jumps in some cases. From the 60s to the 90s. From "maybe I'll eat somewhere else" to "actually, they've got their act together now."
This is the kind of change we want to highlight. It proves that low scores aren't permanent, that restaurants can clean up their act (literally), and that public health data can drive real improvement. These kitchens made changes, and the numbers reflect it.
- #1
Madam Mam
96ExcellentUT Campus/West Campus · 510 W 26th St Unit 2 Austin
Score of 96/100 on Feb 10, 2025. Average score: 82.8 across 5 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #2
Forthright
99ExcellentDowntown Austin · 98 San Jacinto Blvd Ste 170 Austin
Score of 99/100 on Sep 4, 2025. Average score: 82.7 across 6 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #3
Chili's #18
94ExcellentCrestview/Allandale · 9070 RESEARCH SB BLVD AUSTIN
Score of 94/100 on Aug 1, 2025. Average score: 89.2 across 5 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #4
El Secreto De La Abuela
92ExcellentEast Austin · 817 Airport Blvd Austin
Score of 92/100 on Apr 23, 2025. Average score: 77.3 across 7 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #5
Taqueria La Cascada
91ExcellentNorth Austin/Metric · 1762 Colony Creek Dr Austin
Score of 91/100 on Jul 25, 2025. Average score: 80.3 across 3 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #6
North Austin/Metric · 11101 Burnet Rd # Bunit # 150 Austin
Score of 86/100 on Jun 11, 2025. Average score: 78.0 across 5 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #7
Bush's Chicken
96ExcellentSouth Austin · 9815 BRODIE LN AUSTIN
Score of 96/100 on May 1, 2025. Average score: 86.0 across 3 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #8
LIN
92ExcellentClarksville/Tarrytown · 1203 W 6th St Austin
Score of 92/100 on Jun 24, 2025. Average score: 84.3 across 6 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #9
Fresa's Chicken al Carbon
90ExcellentClarksville/Tarrytown · 915 N Lamar Blvd Austin
Score of 90/100 on Jun 17, 2025. Average score: 85.2 across 6 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #10
Stony's Pizza
100ExcellentOak Hill · 9521 W US 290 Hwy Austin
Score of 100/100 on Jan 15, 2025. Average score: 89.0 across 4 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #11
Tailat Kitchen
99ExcellentHyde Park/North Loop · 5610 N Interstate 35 Unit 16 Austin
Score of 99/100 on Mar 29, 2024. Average score: 92.5 across 4 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #12
PF - Casa Garcia's Mexican Restaurant
95ExcellentPflugerville · 15803 Windermere Dr Pflugerville
Score of 95/100 on Sep 17, 2024. Average score: 44.5 across 6 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #13
Nissi Vegmex
92ExcellentCrestview/Allandale · 9012 RESEARCH SB BLVD C-6 AUSTIN
Score of 92/100 on Jul 14, 2025. Average score: 88.3 across 4 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #14
Chinatown Restaurant
79AcceptableNorthwest Hills · 3407 Greystone Dr Austin
Score of 79/100 on Jul 29, 2025. Average score: 71.0 across 5 inspections.
View full inspection history → - #15
Pretzel Maker
94ExcellentWestlake Hills · 2901 S Capital of Texas Hwy Austin
Score of 94/100 on Feb 20, 2025. Average score: 85.0 across 3 inspections.
View full inspection history →
The Biggest Turnarounds
Madam Mam's West Campus location takes the top spot with a 34-point improvement—from 62 to 96. That's a journey from the danger zone to near-perfect. Whatever they changed in that kitchen worked.
Forthright, the restaurant in the Moody Center development, climbed from 76 to 99—a 23-point jump. For a place serving thousands of concert-goers, that's the kind of improvement that matters.
Several taquerias made impressive jumps too: Matamoros Tacos went from 67 to 90, Taqueria La Cascada from 70 to 91. When a family-run taco spot decides to level up their food safety game, the community benefits.
What Changes Made the Difference
We can't say exactly what each restaurant changed—we only see the scores, not the internal operations. But dramatic improvements typically involve:
Staff training: Making sure everyone understands proper food handling, temperature control, and sanitation protocols.
Equipment upgrades: Replacing old coolers that can't maintain temperature, getting properly calibrated thermometers, fixing dishwashers.
Process changes: Implementing date labeling systems, reorganizing storage to prevent cross-contamination, establishing cleaning schedules.
Management attention: Sometimes it just takes someone in charge deciding that food safety is a priority. Inspection scores tend to follow.
Why This Matters
It's easy to write off a restaurant after a bad inspection. "They scored a 65? I'm never eating there again." And that's a reasonable response.
But this list shows that bad scores don't have to be the end of the story. Restaurants can improve. Kitchens can get cleaned up. Practices can change.
If you wrote off one of these places after seeing a low score, it might be worth giving them another look. They've demonstrated they can do better—and the most recent data shows they're delivering on that potential.
Of course, past improvement doesn't guarantee future performance. Keep an eye on the trends, not just single scores. But if a restaurant shows sustained improvement over multiple inspections, that's a good sign they've made real, lasting changes.
Methodology
We identified restaurants with an "improving" trend based on their inspection history, filtering for those with at least 3 inspections and significant score increases (10+ points) from their earliest to most recent inspection. Only dining establishments are included.
This list only scratches the surface.
Track any restaurant's history →