Best of the City 2020: Readers' Picks
Best of the City 2020: Readers’ Picks
Best Thing to Happen to Akron
1. Amazon Fulfillment Center
2. Akron Cultural Plan
3. Downtown Construction
4. New Breweries
5. Mayor Dan Horrigan Reelected
Best Personality
1. LeBron James
2. Mayor Dan Horrigan
3. T.K. O’Grady, 97.5 WONE
4. Keith Kennedy, 98.1 KDD
5. Sarah Kay, 94.9 WQMX
Best Festival
1. PorchRokr Music and Art Festival, Akron
2. Italian-American Festival, Akron
3. Akron Arts Expo
4. Rib, White & Blue, Akron
5. Akron Pride Festival
Best Natural Wonder
1. Cuyahoga Valley National Park
2. Gorge Metro Park
3. Brandywine Falls
4. Blue Hen Falls
5. Virginia Kendall Ledges
Best Reason for Waiting in Line
1. Luigi’s Restaurant
2. Szalay’s Farm & Market
3. Sweet Mary’s Bakery Paczkis
4. Stricklands Frozen Custard
5. The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery
Best Symbol of the Rubber City
1. Blimp
2. Tires
3. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Wingfoot
4. Akron RubberDucks
5. Jazz
Best Corn Maze
1. Szalay’s Farm & Market
2. Maize Valley Winery
3. Kingsway Pumpkin Farm
4. Dussel Farm
5. Beckwith Orchards
Best Charity Event
1. Akron Marathon
2. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Gala
3. Andrea Rose Teodosio Memorial 5K & 1-Mile Walk
4. Arthritis Foundation’s Red & White
5. Halloween Charity Ball
Best Way to Improve The 330
1. Road Repairs
2. Support the Arts
3. Finish Downtown Construction
4. Safety
5. More Jobs
Best 5K
1. 5K Devo
2. Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Selfless Elf 5K Run-Walk
3. Kylie Rose’s Run
4. Andrea Rose Teodosio Memorial 5K & 1-Mile Walk
5. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Best Museum
1. Akron Art Museum
2. Akron Children’s Museum
3. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
4. Maps Air Museum
5. Kent State University Museum
Best Art Gallery
1. Summit Artspace
2. Don Drumm Studios & Gallery
3. Zeber-Martell Gallery and Studio
4. Akrona Galleries
5. Gallery 143
Best Local Artist
1. Don Drumm
2. Carolyn Lewis
3. Ron White
4. Sharon Mazgaj
5. Shane Wynn
Best Local Jazz Musician
1. Theron Brown
2. Dan Wilson
3. Justin Tibbs
4. Bobby Selvaggio
5. Sausalito
Best Local Band
1. Buck Naked Band
2. La Flavour
3. Jim Ballard and the Strangs
4. Detention
5. Acid Cats
Best Free Event
1. Lock 3 Live
2. PorchRokr Music and Art Festival
3. Kenmore First Fridays
4. Akron Arts Expo
5. Barberton Mum Festival
Best Live Music Venue
1. Blossom Music Center
2. Jilly’s Music Room
3. The Rialto Theatre
4. Lock 3
5. Blu Jazz
Best Theater Company
1. Weathervane Playhouse
2. Rubber City Theatre
3. Ohio Shakespeare Festival
4. Magical Theatre Company
5. Wandering Aesthetics
Best Public Golf Course
1. Raintree Golf & Event Center
2. J.E. Good Park Golf Course
3. Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links
4. Raymond C. Firestone Golf Course
5. Ellsworth Meadows Golf Club
Best Radio Show Host
1. Bobbi Horvath, 93.5 WAKR
2. Brad Savage, 91.3 the Summit
3. Keith Kennedy, 98.1 KDD
4. Jeff Kinzbach, 97.5 WONE
5. T.K. O’Grady, 97.5 WONE
Best Trail
1. Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
2. Goodyear Heights Metro Park
3. Sand Run Metro Park
4. Gorge Metro Park
5. Virginia Kendall Ledges
Best Akron Hot Spot
1. The Rialto Theatre
2. Blu Jazz
3. Missing Falls Brewery
4. Jilly’s Music Room
5. The Spotted Owl
Best Canton Hot Spot
1. Gervasi Vineyard
2. Bender’s Tavern
3. The Canton Brewing Co.
4. Fat Head’s Brewery
5. Table Six Kitchen & Bar
Best Cuyahoga Falls Hot Spot
1. Cashmere Cricket
2. Burntwood Tavern
3. HiHo Brewing Co.
4. Funny Stop Comedy Club
5. Missing Mountain Brewing Co.
Best Kent Hot Spot
1. Ray’s Place
2. MadCap Brew Co.
3. Barrio
4. The Venice Cafe
5. Water Street Tavern
Best Medina Hot Spot
1. Thirsty Cowboy
2. High & Low Winery
3. Timber Lodge
4. Serenite Restaurant
5. Thyme2
Best Bike Shop
1. Eddy’s Bike Shop
2. Falls Wheel & Wrench Bike Shop
3. Marty’s Bike Shop
4. Century Cycles
5. Dirty River Bicycle Works
Best Car Dealership
1. Serra Auto Park
2. Ron Marhofer Auto Family
3. Ganley Auto Sales
4. Klaben Motors
5. Cascade Auto Group
Best Independent Clothing Store
1. Rubber City Clothing
2. The Grey Colt
3. The Hourglass Boutique
4. Jean & Lou
5. Allie M Designs Boutique
Best New Independent Store
1. Reverie
2. Jean & Lou
3. Ohio Organics & Nature
4. Indulge Chocolates
5. Northside Cellar
Best Dance Studio
1. All About Dance by Kristen
2. Martell School of Dance
3. Nan Klinger Excellence in Dance
4. Dianna Durkin Dance Studio
5. Meneer School of Dance
Best Dentistry
1. Dental Excellence of Green
2. Sam Pupino
3. Barsan & Stefan Family Dental
4. Stow Dental Group
5. Mark Grucella and James George
Best Eye Care
1. Davis Eye Center
2. Adolph Optical
3. Visioncare Associates
4. Lisa M. Testa
5. Northeast Ohio Eye Surgeons
Best Florist
1. The Greenhouse Florist
2. Every Blooming Thing
3. Kern’s Florist and Greenhouse
4. Pink Petals Florist
5. Dietz Floral Studio
Best Homebuilder
1. Testa Cos.
2. Schumacher Homes
3. Shultz Design & Construction
4. Design Construction
5. Helen Scott Builders
Best Independent Bookstore
1. The Learned Owl Book Shop
2. Snowball Bookshop
3. Logos Bookstore
4. Trust Books
5. Last Exit Books and Coffeehouse
Best Jeweler
1. Taylor Made Jewelry
2. Kimberly Jewelry
3. Jewelry Art
4. Sam’s Jewelry Emporium
5. Glenn Fisher Jewelry
Best Landscaping Company
1. Lewis Landscaping
2. O’Connor Landscaping
3. R.B. Stout
4. Campbell Landscaping
5. Suncrest Gardens
Best Pet Day Care
1. All Creatures Veterinary Clinic & Lodge
2. Camp Bow Wow
3. Hattie’s Doggie Day Care & Boarding
4. Celebrity Pets Salon & Boutique
5. Must Love Dogs
Best Pet Groomer
1. The Groom Room at Quick Clean
2. Celebrity Pets Salon & Boutique
3. Doggy GoGo Kitty GaGa
4. Wizard of Paws
5. Salon de Pooch
Best Salon & Spa
1. Gavin Scott Salon & Spa
2. Scott Talbot Salonspa
3. The Spa at Yellow Creek
4. Tammy O’s Salon and Spa
5. MC Salon, Spa & studio
Best Tattoo Shop
1. Red Rabbit Studio
2. Rubber City Tattoo Co.
3. Goodfellaz Tattoo Co.
4. Arkham Tattoo
5. Hammer’s Tattoo & Body Piercing
Best Vintage Shop
1. The Bomb Shelter
2. Village Discount Outlet
3. Blue: A Goodwill Boutique
4. Hidden Pearl Vintage
5. Happy Tails Thrift Shop
Best Wealth Manager
1. Charles Schwab Fairlawn
2. Kelly Pariso, Ameriprise Financial
3. Nicholas Yaw, Velocity Advisors
4. D&E Financial Services
5. Paul Frey, Edward Jones
Best Wedding Reception Venue
1. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
2. Gervasi Vineyard
3. Lake Anna Hall
4. Greystone Hall
5. Guy’s Party Center
Best Yoga Studio
1. Li’l Yoga Shop
2. Yoga Squared
3. Yoga Lounge & Barre
4. Yoga Bliss
5. Release
Best Fitness Studio
1. Akron General Health & Wellness Center
2. Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium
3. Summa Health Wellness Center
4. North Akron Fit Body Boot Camp
5. Green Family YMCA
Best Food Truck
1. Swensons Drive-In
2. D & M’s Grille
3. The Square Scullery
4. Eddie’s Famous Cheesesteaks and Grille
5. Zydeco Bistro
Best Cocktail Bar
1. The Spotted Owl
2. Jilly’s Music Room
3. Delanie’s Grille
4. One Red Door
5. Baxter’s
Best Barbecue
1. City Barbeque
2. Big Eu’es BBQ
3. Jimmy’s Backyard BBQ
4. BG’s Main Event
5. Oak & Embers Tavern
Best Breakfast
1. Fred’s Diner
2. Farmer Boy
3. Coventry Diner
4. The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery
5. Woody’s Place
Best Burger
1. Swensons Drive-In
2. Ido Bar & Grill
3. Menches Bros. Restaurant
4. Louie’s Bar & Grille
5. The Rail
Best Drive-In Restaurant
1. Swensons Drive-In
2. Skyway Drive-In
3. Dilly’s Drive-In
4. Retro Dog
5. Woody’s the Rootbeer Stand
Best Chinese Takeout
1. Hunan Dragon
2. Lucky Star
3. Chin’s Place
4. Bill Hwang Restaurant
5. China House
Best Sushi
1. Kasai Japanese Restaurant
2. Sakura Sushi
3. Katana
4. Cilantro
5. Sushi Katsu
Best Asian Restaurant
1. Cilantro
2. Golden Dragon
3. Ming Garden Chinese Restaurant
4. Kasai Japanese Restaurant
5. House of Hunan
Best Brewery
1. Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
2. Hoppin’ Frog Brewery
3. Missing Falls Brewery
4. Lock 15 Brewing Co.
5. Ignite Brewing Co.
Best Craft Beer Selection
1. Winking Lizard Tavern
2. Lockview
3. Craft Beer Bar
4. Primo’s Deli
5. Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
Best Deli
1. Diamond Deli
2. Primo’s Deli
3. DeVitis Italian Market
4. Shaffer’s Market
5. Kreiger’s Health Foods Market
Best Diner
1. Fred’s Diner
2. Akron Family Restaurant
3. Sammie’s Bar and Grill
4. The Blue Door Cafe & Bakery
5. Honeymoon Grille
Best Seafood Restaurant
1. Bender’s Tavern
2. Kingfish
3. The Merchant Tavern
4. Beau’s on the River
5. Edgar’s Restaurant
Best Ice Cream
1. Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt
2. Pav’s Creamery
3. Trecaso’s Mary Coyle
4. Stricklands Frozen Custard
5. Country Maid Ice Cream
Best Independent Coffeehouse
1. Artisan Coffee
2. Nervous Dog Coffee Bar
3. Kave Coffee Bar
4. Angel Falls Coffee Co.
5. Akron Coffee Roasters
Best Pizza
1. Luigi’s Restaurant
2. Guiseppe’s Pizza
3. Pierre’s Brooklyn Pizza & Deli
4. Brick Oven Brew Pub
5. Missing Falls Brewery
Best Italian Restaurant
1. Dontino’s Fine Italian Cuisine
2. Luigi’s Restaurant
3. D’Agnese’s at White Pond
4. Lembo’s Italian Restaurant
5. Papa Joe’s Iacomini’s
Best Winery
1. The Winery at Wolf Creek
2. Gervasi Vineyard
3. Sarah’s Vineyard
4. Red Horse Winery
5. Silver Run Vineyard & Winery
Best Steakhouse
1. Diamond Grille
2. Ken Stewart’s Grille
3. Blue Canyon Kitchen & Tavern
4. Circle L Steakhouse
5. Lucia’s
Best Taco
1. Bomba Taco & Bar
2. Taqueria La Loma
3. Taco Tontos
4. El Fogon Mexican Grill
5. Barrio
Best Bakery
1. The West Side Bakery
2. Granny Suitcase’s Hand Made Pastries
3. Pallotta’s Pastries
4. Stacked Akron
5. Sweet Mary’s Bakery
Best Vegetarian Menu
1. Mustard Seed Market & Cafe
2. Aladdin’s Eatery
3. Ms. Julie’s Kitchen
4. Grazers
5. The Square Scullery
Best Patio Dining
1. Gervasi Vineyard
2. Burntwood Tavern
3. The Twisted Olive
4. Lock 15 Brewing Co.
5. Mustard Seed Market & Cafe