Top foodservice distributors in Texas, ranked by ChatGPT answers

Places ChatGPT showed

• Ben E. Keith Foods Dallas / Fort Worth Distribution Center · 3.0★ · Food products supplier$$
• Labatt Food Service · 3.6★ · Food products supplier
• Janco Foods, Inc. · 5.0★ · Corporate office
• Phillips Food Service, LLC. · 4.4★ · Restaurant supply store
• Byrne Brothers Foods Inc · 4.4★ · Food products supplier

If you mean broadline distributors that supply restaurants, hotels, schools, healthcare, and other commercial kitchens across Texas, the main companies I’d put on a Texas sourcing list are:

• Ben E. Keith Foods Dallas / Fort Worth Distribution Center — A major Texas-based broadliner. Ben E. Keith has particularly deep coverage in Texas and neighboring states and is a significant supplier of proteins, produce, dry goods, frozen products, and non-food items.
• Sysco — The largest U.S. foodservice distributor, with extensive Texas infrastructure, including Houston, North Texas, Central Texas, East Texas and West Texas operations.
• US Foods — A major national broadliner with Texas coverage, competing directly with Sysco and Ben E. Keith for restaurant accounts. Its offering also includes technology and menu-management tools.
• Performance Foodservice / Performance Food Group — A large national distributor with substantial Southern coverage and Texas operations; particularly relevant in South/Central Texas.
• Labatt Food Service — A long-established Texas foodservice distributor with operations serving major Texas markets. It's worth considering if you want a Texas-focused alternative to the national broadliners.
• Janco Foods, Inc. — A family-owned Houston-area broadliner serving restaurants and other foodservice businesses, with a more regional orientation.
• Phillips Food Service, LLC. — San Antonio-based distributor carrying food plus packaging, cleaning and other restaurant supplies; it positions itself as a cost-conscious alternative to larger broadliners.
• Byrne Brothers Foods Inc — An independent DFW/North Texas distributor, potentially useful for operators who value a smaller regional supplier and recurring local delivery routes.

How I'd narrow the field

Rather than treating one company as universally "best," I'd compare them based on your operation:

If your priority is…	Distributors to investigate
Broadest national infrastructure	Sysco, US Foods
Strong Texas/regional presence	Ben E. Keith, Labatt
Large multi-unit operation	Sysco, US Foods, PFG
Independent restaurant / regional relationship	Ben E. Keith, Labatt, Janco, Phillips
DFW	Ben E. Keith, Sysco, US Foods, Byrne Brothers
Houston	Sysco, US Foods, Labatt, Janco
San Antonio / South Texas	Performance Foodservice, Ben E. Keith, Sysco, Phillips
West Texas	Sysco, Ben E. Keith, US Foods

There isn't a reliable public "best-price" ranking: distributor pricing is highly account-, volume-, geography-, and SKU-specific. Industry comparisons likewise note that the appropriate choice depends on region, concept and product requirements.

For a Texas restaurant, I would generally get side-by-side quotes from Ben E. Keith, Sysco, and US Foods, then add the strongest regional distributor in your particular metro. Compare delivered cost—not just case price—including minimums, fuel/delivery fees, fill rates, substitutions, credit terms, and rebates.

If you tell me which Texas city/metro (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, etc.) and what type of food business you run, I can narrow this to the most relevant distributors and compare their coverage, product specialties, minimums, delivery, and likely fit.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Ben E. Keith Foods Dallas / Fort Worth Distribution Center · 3.5★ · Food products supplier
• Sysco North Texas - Food Distributor & Restaurant Supplies · 2.2★ · Food products supplier
• US Foods · 3.1★ · Food products supplier
• US Foods · 2.8★ · Food products supplier

For an independent restaurant in Texas, the “best” distributor depends on your concept, location, order size, and whether you value price, service, specialty products, or technology. Many successful operators use one primary broadline distributor plus specialty vendors rather than relying on one company for everything.

Here are the distributors I’d put on an independent restaurant’s shortlist:

Distributor	Best fit	Strengths	Watch-outs
Ben E. Keith Company	Texas independents, especially DFW and regional concepts	Strong Texas presence, broadline foodservice, regional relationships, good fit for many independent operators	Coverage is strongest in its core regions rather than nationwide
Sysco Corporation	Restaurants wanting the biggest catalog and national infrastructure	Huge product selection, established delivery network, many service programs	Large-company experience can vary by local sales rep and warehouse
US Foods Holding Corp.	Operators who like digital tools and menu-management support	Broad product range, strong technology tools, private-label options	Pricing and service can vary significantly by market
Performance Food Group	Independents looking for competitive bids and regional support	Strong independent restaurant focus through local operating companies; has Texas operations	Experience depends on the local division
Gordon Food Service	Operators in areas where GFS has strong coverage	Known for broadline service and restaurant supplies	Texas availability may depend on your market

My practical shortlist by restaurant type

New independent restaurant opening in Texas

Get bids from:

1. Ben E. Keith Foods Dallas / Fort Worth Distribution Center
2. Sysco North Texas - Food Distributor & Restaurant Supplies
3. US Foods
4. Performance Food Group

Then compare:

• Delivered case price on your top 30–50 items
• Minimum order requirements
• Delivery days and cutoff times
• Fill rate (how often you actually receive what you ordered)
• Damaged/shorted order handling
• Sales rep responsiveness

DFW restaurants

A strong starting point is:

• Ben E. Keith Foods Dallas / Fort Worth Distribution Center — especially worth quoting because of its Texas footprint.
• Sysco North Texas - Food Distributor & Restaurant Supplies
• US Foods

Specialty concepts

You may also want separate vendors for:

• Seafood
• Asian ingredients
• Mexican/Latin products
• Local produce
• Artisan bakery items
• Specialty cheeses and charcuterie

A broadline distributor is usually strongest for consistency and logistics; specialty vendors can fill gaps.

What I’d negotiate before signing

Ask each distributor for:

• A line-item quote, not just a “discount percentage”
• Their best price on your highest-spend ingredients
• Rebate programs and manufacturer incentives
• Payment terms
• New-account incentives
• A dedicated sales rep and chef support (if offered)

For most Texas independents, I’d start by getting competitive quotes from Ben E. Keith, Sysco, US Foods, and Performance Foodservice and choose based on the actual delivered cost and service in your city—not just the company name.

If you tell me your Texas city, restaurant type (BBQ, Tex-Mex, pizza, fine dining, fast casual, etc.), and weekly food spend, I can narrow this down to the distributors that are likely the best fit.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Hardie's Fresh Foods · 1.0★ · Produce wholesaler
• Brothers Produce · 2.0★ · Produce wholesaler
• DiMare Fresh – Houston · 3.8★ · Food products supplier
• BFS - Houston · 4.6★ · Produce wholesaler
• Chefs' Produce Co · 3.8★ · Produce wholesaler
• Coosemans Houston Inc · 5.0★ · Produce market
• Latin Specialties, LLC. · 4.4★ · Produce market

For Texas foodservice operators, I’d look at produce specialists plus a broadline/specialty distributor, rather than expecting one company to be exceptional at every category. Based on current Texas coverage and product mix, these are the distributors I’d put on a sourcing shortlist:

Distributor	Strongest fit	Texas reach / notes
Hardie's Fresh Foods	Fresh + specialty produce	Austin, Dallas and Houston distribution centers; statewide coverage. Also offers organics, dairy, dried fruit/nuts, spices and bulk grocery. Its Houston operation does custom cuts and value-added produce.
Brothers Produce	High-volume fresh produce	Houston, Dallas and San Antonio distribution centers, with service extending throughout Texas and into Louisiana. Offers fresh, specialty and processed produce.
DiMare Fresh – Houston	Produce + broader foodservice	Dallas and Houston operations; supplies fruits/vegetables plus dairy, seafood, proteins and dry goods to restaurants, hotels, schools, healthcare and other operators.
FreshPoint South Texas	Produce at scale	San Antonio-based, with foodservice coverage and a large produce assortment; emphasizes local-product reporting, food safety and frequent deliveries.
BFS - Houston / Brothers Food Service	Produce + specialty-adjacent categories	Houston-area operation in Katy; offers produce, specialty produce, local products, dairy, spices and juices, plus cold/freezer storage and freight.
Chefs' Produce Co	Chef-driven produce & specialty items	Houston operation with DFW presence; particularly relevant for restaurants needing fine produce, specialty products and value-added/pre-cut produce.
Coosemans Houston Inc	Hard-to-find specialty produce	Houston Produce Row; particularly oriented toward specialty fruits and vegetables.
Latin Specialties, LLC	Latin/tropical specialty produce	Houston; strong range of tropical fruit, chiles, herbs, roots, plantains and other multicultural produce.
Ben E. Keith Foodservice	Broadline + Texas infrastructure	Particularly extensive Central/South Texas coverage. Its San Antonio operation alone serves 4,500 customers with 126 trucks and covers markets including Austin, Houston, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley.
Sofo Foods	Specialty foods / Italian & pizzeria	Houston operation with thousands of products spanning cheese, dairy, pasta, oils, spices, tomato products, seafood, meats, produce, frozen products and restaurant supplies.

How I'd segment them

• Fresh produce is the priority: Hardie's, Brothers Produce, DiMare Fresh, FreshPoint.
• High-end/chef-driven produce: Hardie's and Chefs' Produce.
• Specialty produce: Coosemans, Latin Specialties, Chefs' Produce.
• One distributor for produce plus other food categories: DiMare, Brothers Food Service, Ben E. Keith.
• Italian/pizzeria specialty foods: Sofo Foods.
• Houston specifically: Hardie's, Brothers Produce, DiMare, Chefs' Produce and Coosemans give you a particularly strong local supplier pool.

One particularly notable option is Hardie's: it combines a substantial Texas produce network with specialty produce, organics, dairy, nuts, spices and bulk grocery, and its Houston facility can custom-cut produce to order.

If you're buying for a restaurant, hotel, institutional kitchen, or catering operation, I'd actually recommend getting quotes from 2–3 produce specialists and 1 broadliner rather than choosing solely by catalog size. Produce quality, fill rate, delivery frequency, case pricing, minimums, and specialty-item sourcing can vary considerably by market.

If you tell me which Texas city/region and what type of operation (e.g. upscale restaurant, Mexican, Asian, hotel, school, etc.), I can narrow this to the most relevant distributors and compare their produce, specialty-food selection, delivery footprint, minimums, and ordering options.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Ben E Keith Foods - San Antonio / Austin · 3.8★ · Food products supplier
• Performance Foodservice - South Texas · 4.0★ · Food products supplier
• Sysco Houston · Warehouse
• Sysco West Texas - Food Distributor & Restaurant Supplies · 3.7★ · Food products supplier
• Janco Foods, Inc. · 5.0★ · Corporate office
• Byrne Brothers Foods Inc · 4.4★ · Food products supplier

If by “reliable” you mean predictable scheduled drops, consistent route coverage, and good recovery when something goes wrong, I’d focus on the major broadline distributors rather than trying to rank them purely by size. There isn’t a good public Texas-wide dataset of on-time delivery percentages, and service can vary substantially by distribution center and ZIP code.

Texas distributors worth comparing

• Ben E. Keith Foods - San Antonio / Austin — Particularly worth considering in Central/South Texas. It is Texas-based and has a large regional distribution network. Its regional focus can be an advantage for established routes.
• Performance Foodservice - South Texas — Performance explicitly emphasizes on-time delivery and has a broad national network. A 2025 operator-satisfaction survey reported by the Food Away From Home Association found Performance Food Group rated highest among the distributors surveyed, although that is overall operator satisfaction, not specifically delivery punctuality in Texas.
• Sysco Houston / Sysco West Texas - Food Distributor & Restaurant Supplies — Sysco's huge network gives it extensive route coverage and backup infrastructure. However, I'd evaluate the specific Texas operating company serving your ZIP code, rather than assuming every Sysco location performs the same.
• US Foods — Its scheduled-delivery program specifically promises delivery on the scheduled day/time, while its Pronto program offers six-day-a-week delivery in participating markets and next-day ordering until 8 p.m.
• Local/regional distributors such as Janco Foods, Inc. in the Houston area and Byrne Brothers Foods Inc in DFW can be worth putting into the bid. Smaller route footprints can sometimes provide more personalized service, but their delivery coverage is much more location-specific.

What I'd actually use to choose

Ask each distributor for these five numbers for your exact ZIP code:

1. Scheduled delivery days and normal delivery window
2. On-time percentage for the last 90 days
3. Average number of shorts/substitutions per delivery
4. Cutoff time for next-day orders
5. What happens when the truck misses the delivery window

The fifth question is surprisingly important. A distributor that occasionally runs late but can dispatch a replacement truck quickly may be operationally more reliable than one with a nominally tighter window but poor recovery.

If you tell me your Texas city/ZIP, type of operation (restaurant, catering, institutional, etc.), approximate weekly food spend, and how many deliveries per week you need, I can narrow this to the distributors and local DCs that are most relevant and compare their delivery programs.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Ben E. Keith Foods Dallas / Fort Worth Distribution Center · 3.0★ · Food products supplier$$
• Labatt Food Service · 3.2★ · Food products supplier
• Byrne Brothers Foods Inc · 4.4★ · Food products supplier
• C D Hartnett Co · 4.2★ · Wholesale grocer
• Bassham Foods · 3.2★ · Wholesale grocer
• Hardie's Fresh Foods · 3.7★ · Produce wholesaler
• Buckhead Dallas · 4.1★ · Meat wholesaler

If by “reliable” you mean established operators with substantial DFW infrastructure, broad product availability, and a track record serving restaurants/institutions, I’d put these on the shortlist:

• Ben E. Keith Foods Dallas / Fort Worth Distribution Center — 7650 Will Rogers Blvd, Fort Worth. This is particularly notable in DFW: the Fort Worth facility is Ben E. Keith’s flagship distribution center, with more than 26,000 SKUs and a large local delivery operation.
• Labatt Food Service — 650 Regal Row, Dallas. A long-established Texas foodservice distributor with a substantial Dallas operation. It can be worth considering if you want a Texas-focused alternative to the national broadliners.
• Performance Foodservice – Dallas-Fort Worth — based in Fort Worth at 5401 E. First St. It serves restaurants, pizzerias, cafés, caterers, fine dining, QSRs and other operators throughout North Texas and Oklahoma.
• Sysco / Sysco North Texas — one of the largest broadline distributors in the country, with extensive DFW coverage. Its scale can be useful if you need a very broad catalog and consistent national-brand availability.
• US Foods — another major national broadliner with Texas coverage. It's particularly worth quoting alongside Sysco and Ben E. Keith rather than assuming one will always have the lowest price.

Smaller/local options

Depending on your concept, I'd also investigate:

• Byrne Brothers Foods Inc — Mansfield-based independent distributor with a long North Texas history; potentially attractive if you value a smaller local supplier.
• C D Hartnett Co — Fort Worth foodservice/wholesale operation.
• Bassham Foods — Fort Worth wholesale distributor with a public cash-and-carry operation.
• Hardie's Fresh Foods — particularly relevant if fresh produce is a major purchasing category.
• Buckhead Dallas — worth considering as a specialty protein supplier, particularly for beef, poultry, pork and other restaurant proteins.

How I'd evaluate them

Rather than choosing solely on reputation, I'd get three comparable quotes—for example, Ben E. Keith, Sysco and US Foods/Performance—and compare your actual top 30–50 purchased items. Distributor pricing can vary considerably by product, volume, delivery requirements and negotiated account terms.

For a typical independent DFW restaurant, the most useful comparison is:

Factor	What to compare
Delivery reliability	Fill rate, substitutions, late deliveries
Pricing	Your actual high-volume SKUs, not advertised prices
Product breadth	Dry, frozen, dairy, produce, proteins, disposables
Meat/protein	Cut specifications, consistency, custom cuts
Minimums/fees	Order minimums, delivery charges, fuel/surcharges
Rep service	Responsiveness and ability to resolve shortages
Technology	Ordering, inventory, invoices, price visibility
Specialty products	Whether they can source cuisine-specific ingredients

For DFW specifically, Ben E. Keith deserves a quote because of its unusually substantial Fort Worth infrastructure. Performance Foodservice, Sysco, and US Foods provide useful competitive benchmarks, while smaller distributors can be valuable for specialty categories.

If you tell me what type of foodservice operation you have (restaurant, catering, hotel, school, healthcare, food truck, etc.) and roughly how much you spend per week, I can narrow this to the most relevant DFW distributors and compare their delivery coverage, specialties, minimums, and likely fit.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Ben E. Keith Foods Gulf Coast Distribution Center · 1.0★ · Distribution service
• Sysco Corporation · 3.6★ · Wholesaler
• US Foods · 3.1★ · Food products supplier
• Blue Line Foodservice/Little Caesars Pizza Distribution Center · 4.6★ · Distribution service
• Labatt Food Service · 3.6★ · Food products supplier
• Janco Foods, Inc. · 5.0★ · Corporate office
• Buckhead Houston · 3.9★ · Meat processor

If you mean restaurant/catering foodservice distributors serving the Houston metro, the main companies I’d put on your shortlist are:

• Ben E. Keith Foods Gulf Coast Distribution Center — A major Texas-focused broadline distributor. Its new Missouri City facility serves Greater Houston, Southeast Texas and Southern Louisiana and carries 17,000+ items.
• Sysco Corporation — Houston-headquartered national broadliner with a very large assortment and strong specialty-category capabilities. Houston is its home market.
• US Foods — Another major broadline option with a Houston distribution operation. Particularly worth comparing if ordering technology, menu-costing tools, and broad national sourcing matter to you.
• Blue Line Foodservice/Little Caesars Pizza Distribution Center — More specialized; relevant primarily if you're operating a pizza concept or need pizza-specific distribution.
• Labatt Food Service — A regional foodservice distributor with a Houston facility, worth investigating if you prefer a more regional supplier.
• Janco Foods, Inc. — Houston-area, family-owned broadline distributor serving restaurants, bakeries, schools, caterers and other foodservice operators.

Buckhead Houston is also worth considering as a meat/seafood specialist, particularly for steakhouses or restaurants where proteins are a major part of food cost.

How I'd approach it

Rather than choosing one distributor based on reputation alone, I'd get identical bids from Ben E. Keith, Sysco, and US Foods using your actual order guide. Houston-specific comparisons indicate that pricing can vary substantially by item and negotiated account terms.

For a typical independent Houston restaurant, I'd investigate:

1. Ben E. Keith — Texas/regional coverage and broadline foodservice.
2. Sysco — breadth, specialty products and national scale.
3. US Foods — broadline coverage plus ordering/technology tools.
4. A specialty distributor — for Asian, halal, Mexican/Latin, seafood, premium meat, etc., if your menu needs it.

If you tell me what kind of operation you have (restaurant, hotel, catering, school, food truck, etc.) and roughly how much you spend per week, I can narrow this down to the most relevant Houston distributors and compare product range, delivery, minimums, pricing approach, and specialties.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Phillips Food Service, LLC. · 4.4★ · Restaurant supply store

For a small restaurant, food truck, caterer, or other low-volume account in Texas, I’d focus less on headline “case price” and more on minimums, delivery fees, and pricing on your actual top 20–30 SKUs. Distributor pricing is negotiated by market and account, so there isn't a single Texas-wide cheapest distributor.

The Texas options I'd quote

• Phillips Food Service — Particularly worth getting a quote from if you're anywhere in Texas. Phillips explicitly advertises low order minimums, free delivery, and lower pricing, and says it delivers statewide.
  Phillips Food Service, LLC.
• Ben E. Keith — A major Texas-based regional distributor and one I'd include in a competitive quote, particularly if you're in its strong Texas markets. Regional distributors can sometimes be more aggressive than national broadliners because of local density and shorter delivery routes.
• Performance Foodservice (PFG) — Worth quoting against Sysco/US Foods; PFG is often positioned as an aggressive competitor on pricing, while its South Texas operation specifically serves independent foodservice operators.
  Performance Foodservice - South Texas
• US Foods — Especially interesting for a very small account if your address is covered by US Foods Pronto. Pronto advertises six-day-a-week delivery and no minimum order, although additional charges can apply below 10 cases.
• Gordon Food Service (GFS) — Its cash-and-carry model can be useful when your volume isn't sufficient to justify a conventional broadline delivery account. GFS stores are specifically cited as having no minimums for walk-in purchasing.
• Restaurant Depot — Not a conventional delivery distributor, but it's an important price benchmark for a small operator. Cash-and-carry lets you avoid delivery minimums and compare actual shelf prices against distributor quotes. Texas locations include Richardson, Tomball, San Antonio and El Paso.
  Restaurant Depot
• Shamrock Foods — Particularly worth investigating in West Texas/El Paso, where it has a foodservice warehouse presence.
  Shamrock Foodservice Warehouse

★ 4.4 · Restaurant supply store · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Phillips%20Food%20Service%2C%20LLC.%2C3000%20E%20Houston%20St%2C%20San%20Antonio%2C%20TX%2078219%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://phillipsfoodservice.net/?utm_campaign=google_business&utm_medium=website&utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 210-239-9622)

• Ben E. Keith — A major Texas-based regional distributor and one I'd include in a competitive quote, particularly if you're in its strong Texas markets. Regional distributors can sometimes be more aggressive than national broadliners because of local density and shorter delivery routes.
• Performance Foodservice (PFG) — Worth quoting against Sysco/US Foods; PFG is often positioned as an aggressive competitor on pricing, while its South Texas operation specifically serves independent foodservice operators.
  Performance Foodservice - South Texas

★ 4.0 · Food products supplier · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Performance%20Foodservice%20-%20South%20Texas%2C204%20N%20Brownson%20St%2C%20Victoria%2C%20TX%2077901%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://performancefoodservice.com/Our-Locations/South-Texas?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 361-582-7500)

• US Foods — Especially interesting for a very small account if your address is covered by US Foods Pronto. Pronto advertises six-day-a-week delivery and no minimum order, although additional charges can apply below 10 cases.
• Gordon Food Service (GFS) — Its cash-and-carry model can be useful when your volume isn't sufficient to justify a conventional broadline delivery account. GFS stores are specifically cited as having no minimums for walk-in purchasing.
• Restaurant Depot — Not a conventional delivery distributor, but it's an important price benchmark for a small operator. Cash-and-carry lets you avoid delivery minimums and compare actual shelf prices against distributor quotes. Texas locations include Richardson, Tomball, San Antonio and El Paso.
  Restaurant Depot

★ 2.4 · Restaurant supply store · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Restaurant%20Depot%2C1300%20N%20Glenville%20Dr%2C%20Richardson%2C%20TX%2075081%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.restaurantdepot.com/?utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=traffic-tracking&utm_content=West-Coast&utm_term=575-TEXAS%2FOKC&utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 972-235-0195)

• Shamrock Foods — Particularly worth investigating in West Texas/El Paso, where it has a foodservice warehouse presence.
  Shamrock Foodservice Warehouse

★ 3.8 · Restaurant supply store · Open

[Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Shamrock%20Foodservice%20Warehouse%2C11751%20Gateway%20Blvd%20W%2C%20El%20Paso%2C%20TX%2079936%2C%20United%20States) [Website](https://www.shamrockfsw.com/locations/el-paso-tx/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [Call](tel:+1 915-595-6944)

How I'd approach it

For a small account, I'd request quotes from Phillips + Ben E. Keith + PFG + Sysco/US Foods, then use Restaurant Depot/GFS cash-and-carry pricing as your benchmark.

Give every rep the same basket, rather than asking “What's your price?” For example:

Category	Items to compare
Protein	chicken breast, ground beef, bacon
Produce	onions, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes
Dairy	cheese, butter, cream
Dry goods	flour, rice, oil, canned tomatoes
Frozen	fries, vegetables, chicken
Disposables	cups, lids, containers, gloves

Calculate delivered cost per usable lb/unit, including fuel charges, delivery fees, minimum-order penalties and rebates—not simply the quoted case price. That's particularly important because pack sizes and fees can make an apparently cheaper distributor more expensive.

If you tell me your Texas city/ZIP, approximate weekly food spend (e.g. $1k/$3k/$5k), and what kind of operation you run, I can narrow this down to the distributors most likely to be competitive for your account and find their current contact/ordering information.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Byrne Brothers Foods Inc · 4.4★ · Food products supplier
• Janco Foods, Inc. · 5.0★ · Corporate office
• Phillips Food Service, LLC. · 4.4★ · Restaurant supply store
• William George Co Inc · 4.5★ · Produce wholesaler
• Lisanti Food Services of Texas · 3.6★ · Supplier
• Texas Prime Food Services Llc · 4.7★ · Meat processor
• Dallas Metro Food · 5.0★ · Food products supplier
• Jana Food Services · 4.2★ · Wholesale grocer

Yes. If by “trusted” you mean long-established, family/local ownership, meaningful restaurant customer base, and evidence of relationship-driven service, there are several Texas distributors worth putting on a restaurant owner’s shortlist.

I’d separate them into regional broadliners and smaller local specialists, because the experience can be quite different.

Strong Texas-owned/family-owned options

• Ben E. Keith Company — Fort Worth-based and operating since 1906. It is still privately/family controlled and has a very large Texas foodservice footprint. Its San Antonio operation alone reports about 4,500 customers and 100+ sales reps, covering San Antonio, Austin, the Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi, Houston and the Hill Country.
  Best fit: restaurants wanting the infrastructure of a major broadliner while dealing with a Texas-rooted company.
• Labatt Food Service — A particularly important independent Texas distributor. Labatt is a third-generation company headquartered in San Antonio, dating back to 1910, and explicitly targets independent restaurant operators. Its independent-operator program emphasizes consistent pricing and direct access to buyers rather than sales-rep margin negotiation.
  Best fit: independent restaurants and regional chains that want a broadline distributor with a strong Texas presence.
• Byrne Brothers Foods Inc — A genuinely local DFW option. The Byrne family has been involved in the business for generations; the company delivers throughout the Fort Worth–Dallas area and specifically serves independent restaurants, multi-unit restaurants and institutions.
  Best fit: independent restaurants in DFW that value a smaller, relationship-oriented distributor.
• Janco Foods, Inc. — One of the more interesting Houston-area choices. It began in 1955 with the founder delivering to Houston restaurants from his home and remains family-owned and operated by the founder's three sons and their father. It serves restaurants, bakeries, schools and caterers across Texas.
  Best fit: Houston/Southeast Texas independents, particularly operators who value personal service and a broadline assortment.
• Phillips Food Service, LLC. — Family-owned since 1945, based in San Antonio, and supplies food, packaging, disposables, janitorial products and other restaurant essentials throughout Texas. The Texas Restaurant Association's buyers guide also lists it as a family-owned wholesale foodservice distributor.
  Best fit: independent restaurants, food trucks, caterers and operators looking for a smaller Texas-based supplier rather than one of the national giants.
• William George Co Inc — A long-running East Texas family operation. It was founded in 1932 and operates as a broadline distributor from Lufkin, with additional locations in Palestine and Texarkana, serving East Texas and neighboring states.
  Best fit: restaurants in East Texas where local route coverage and relationships matter.

More specialized

• Lisanti Food Services of Texas — A family-run distributor with particularly deep expertise in Italian food and pizza. The Lisanti family business dates to 1929, and its Texas operation specifically targets Italian restaurants and pizzerias, emphasizing direct purchasing, consistency and delivery.
• Texas Prime Food Services Llc — More of a meat/processor-distributor than a traditional broadliner, with restaurant-focused bulk beef and custom cuts, including fajita, asada, pastor and steakhouse products.
• Dallas Metro Food — Family-owned Dallas distributor with a strong Mediterranean/Greek assortment and restaurant-oriented products.
• Jana Food Services — Family-owned DFW distributor with particular strength in halal/zabiha and ethnic-market products, alongside broader foodservice staples.

If I were building a Texas distributor shortlist

I wouldn't interpret “trusted” as a universal rating—there isn't a reliable statewide survey of restaurant owners that establishes that. Instead, the strongest documented reputation signals I found are:

Distributor	Ownership/local roots	Particularly relevant for
Ben E. Keith	Texas-rooted, family/private	Broadline + statewide/regional scale
Labatt	3rd-generation, San Antonio	Independents + multi-unit restaurants
Byrne Brothers	Family-owned, DFW	Independent DFW restaurants
Janco Foods	Family-owned since 1955	Houston/Southeast Texas
Phillips Food Service	Family-owned since 1945	San Antonio + statewide delivery
William George	Family-owned, since 1932	East Texas
Lisanti	Family-run, Italian specialty	Pizza/Italian restaurants

One particularly useful signal is that Goodstock by Nolan Ryan lists Ben E. Keith, Byrne Brothers, Labatt and others among its restaurant-distribution partners, and quotes Southside Market & BBQ owner Bryan Bracewell specifically praising Goodstock's quality and customer service. That doesn't prove universal satisfaction, but it does show these distributors are actively embedded in Texas restaurant supply chains.

If you're asking because you're opening a restaurant or evaluating distributors for an existing operation, tell me your Texas metro (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, etc.), cuisine, and approximate weekly food spend, and I can narrow this to the 5–7 distributors most relevant to that operation and compare pricing model, delivery frequency, minimums, product breadth, and reputation.