Best of the Burg 2010
By Casey Gillis on Jun. 09, 2010
Well, dear readers, we heard you loud and clear: Online voting is clearly the way to go.
This year, a whopping 829 of you voted in our annual Best of the Burg survey (compared to the 165 votes we received last year, when the only options were to vote via e-mail or paper ballot).
The high number of responses made for some interesting results.
While some longtime winners — like La Carreta, which received almost 300 votes, the most in any category, to win best Mexican restaurant — remained on top, the races in other categories were much closer.
The best bar atmosphere and restaurant atmosphere categories both came down to the difference of one vote, with Rivermont Pizza narrowly edging out Bull Branch (the vote was 74 to 73!) in the first category, and Isabella’s Italian Trattoria beating Robin Alexander in the second.
The best restaurant atmosphere category was just close all around, with Crown Sterling, Bull Branch, Waterstone and Neighbor’s Place all within a few votes of each other for third place.
Local establishments got a lot of love, a trend we first noticed last year. In fact, the only categories where national chains prevailed were best seafood (Red Lobster), best wings (Buffalo Wild Wings), best burger (Five Guys) and best place for shopping bargains (T.J. Maxx) — all returning champs from last year’s survey.
A posthumous honorable mention goes out to Mudpuppies, which still managed to earn 11 votes in the best wings category, even though it hasn’t been open since last summer.
We also learned how much our readers like to eat — and then work it off. In the “best thing to do in town” category, the two biggest vote-getters were variations of dining out (some combined with a movie or play, others with shopping) and outdoor activities (everything from taking a walk downtown to biking and hiking).
The Local Pub won once again for best karaoke, with Cattle Annie’s and Buffalo Wild Wings close behind. Several people even specified their favorite karaoke queen, Alma Hesson.
One of my favorite categories every year is the one that asks readers what our town lacks. It usually elicits some entertaining responses.
This year, the top three were a civic center, a dance club and/or more nightlife and another mall and/or more shopping options.
Other suggestions included a theme or water park, a Whole Foods-like grocery store, more ethnic restaurants, an art film theater and better bicycle lanes. Oh, and one soul voted for a strip bar (we think that one’s a long shot, buddy), while others didn’t get too specific, simply saying “a lot.”
And, on a personal note, one of our own — copy editor/designer Jeremy Fogt, who moonlights at Rivermont Pizza — came in second place in the best bartender race. Good job, friend.
Thanks to everyone who voted. Here’s a complete list of winners:
Best cup of coffee
Joe Beans
Starbucks
The White Hart
Best beer selection
Rivermont Pizza
Waterstone Pizza/Jefferson Street Brewery
Kroger (some mentioned the new one in Forest, others the one in Boonsboro; most didn’t specify)
Best bartender
Ashley Kubik, Rivermont Pizza
Jeremy Fogt, Rivermont Pizza
Michele Dionisio, the Hilton Garden Inn’s Great American Grill
Best bar atmosphere
Rivermont Pizza
Bull Branch
The Neighbor’s Place
Best happy hour
Mangia
Big Lick Tropical Grill
The Neighbor’s Place
Best wine selection
Isabella’s Italian Trattoria
The Boonsboro Kroger
Mangia
Best pizza
Waterstone Pizza
Rivermont Pizza
Upper Crust Pizza Co.
Best wings
Buffalo Wild Wings
Moe’s Southern Style Hot Wings
Rivermont Pizza
Best BBQ
Silver Pig
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
Pok-E-Joe’s
Best Italian restaurant
Isabella’s Italian Trattoria
La Villa da Toto
Olive Garden
Best Asian restaurant
Kings Island
Thai 99
Koto
Best fries
The Cavalier
Five Guys
McDonald’s
Best hot dog
The Weenie Stand
The Cavalier
Moore’s Country Store
Best hamburger
Five Guys
The Cavalier
The Texas Inn/T-Room
Best vegetarian meal
Milan Indian Cuisine
Hot and Cold Café
A tie between Thai 99 and La Carreta
Best Mexican restaurant
La Carreta
Mi Patron
Pueblo Viejo
Best seafood
Red Lobster
Blue Marlin Seafood
Harbor Inn
Best dessert
Main Street Eatery
Isabella’s Italian Trattoria
The Neighbor’s Place
Best fine dining
Crown Sterling
Shoemaker’s American Grille
Main Street Eatery
Best restaurant atmosphere
Isabella’s Italian Trattoria
Robin Alexander
Crown Sterling
Best meal under $10
La Carreta
Country Kitchen
Big Lick Tropical Grill
Best breakfast
Starlight Café
Cracker Barrel
Market at Main
Best local band
The Worx
Out of Spite
The House Band
Best live music venue
Cattle Annie’s
The Ellington
Rivermont Pizza
Best karaoke
The Local Pub
Cattle Annie’s
Buffalo Wild Wings
Best bookstore
Givens Books/Little Dickens
Barnes & Noble
Inklings Books/White Hart
Best art venue
Riverviews Artspace
The Academy of Fine Arts
Rivermont Studio
Best place for shopping bargains
T.J. Maxx
Goodwill and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet tied for second
Best place to hike
The Blackwater Creek Trail
Peaks of Otter
The Blue Ridge Parkway
Best local attraction
Old City Cemetery
The Blackwater Creek Trail
Amazement Square
Best thing to do in town
Eating/dining out
Outdoor activities
Friday Cheers
Best annual event
The Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival
The Batteau Festival
Friday Cheers
Best Kept Secret
Downtown Lynchburg
The Blackwater Creek Trail
Old City Cemetery
What does Lynchburg lack?
A civic center
Dance club/night life
Another mall/more shopping options
COMMENTS
same old same old do something new lynchburg always shoping but you don’t support cool places or cool venues it’s never going to get better good luck