Joe Cash, chef and owner of Scoundrel in Greenville, is a finalist for a James Beard Award.
The James Beard Foundation released the final 2026 nominees in the Restaurant and Chef Award categories on March 31. The winners will be announced June 15.
Cash was nominated for Best Chef: Southeast. He opened Scoundrel, a French-inspired restaurant, in downtown Greenville in 2022. In 2025, Scoundrel received a star in the inaugural edition of Michelin Guide American South.
The other finalists for the Best Chef: Southeast award are located in North Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia and Kentucky.
In total, South Carolina earned three finalist nominations for the 2026 James Beard Award:
- Best New Restaurant – Merci (Charleston)
- Outstanding Bakery – Weltons Tiny Bakeshop (Charleston)
- Best Chef: Southeast – Joe Cash (Greenville)
For a complete list of finalists, visit jamesbeard.org/stories/james-beard-awards-restaurant-and-chef-nominees-2026.
The James Beard Awards were established in 1990. Greenville’s Rioin Oshiro won a James Beard Media Award in 2024 for his documentary about Sum Bar owner Khailing Neoh. Spartanburg’s Wade’s Restaurant also earned an American Classics Award in 2024.
