ENTERTAINMENT

Columbus Monthly's Best of Columbus 2020: Readers' Poll

Staff Writer
Columbus Monthly
Columbus Monthly

Best African Restaurant

  1. Hoyo’s Kitchen 27.90%
  2. Addis Restaurant 15.50%
  3. Wycliff’s Kitchen 14.20%

Best Bar Food

  1. 101 Beer Kitchen 14.10%
  2. The Rusty Bucket 13.80%
  3. Old Bag of Nails 11.60%

Best Barbecue

  1. City Barbeque 37.10%
  2. Ray Ray’s Hog Pit 29.20%
  3. Smoked on High Barbeque Co. 7.20%

Best Beer Selection

  1. 101 Beer Kitchen 18.20%
  2. The Daily Growler 12.40%
  3. World of Beer 12.00%

Best Breakfast

  1. First Watch 14.70%
  2. Katalina’s 10.50%
  3. Hang Over Easy 8.00%

Best Brunch

  1. Northstar Café 20.40%
  2. Lindey’s 13.20%
  3. Matt the Miller’s Tavern 11.90%

Best Burger

  1. Thurman Café 28.20%
  2. Northstar Café 15.30%
  3. Pat and Gracie’s 8.40%

Best Cheap Eats

  1. Condado Tacos 37.90%
  2. Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace 20.70%
  3. Press Grill/Press Pub 10.60%

Best Chinese Restaurant

  1. Hunan Lion 19.50%
  2. Sunflower Chinese Restaurant 15.00%
  3. Hunan House 12.60%

Best Classic Bakery

  1. Resch’s 29.30%
  2. Mozart’s 18.90%
  3. The Original Goodie Shop 17.30%

Best Classic Pizza

  1. Tommy’s Pizza 16.90%
  2. Mikey’s Late Night Slice 13.90%
  3. Adriatico’s 11.30%

Best Cocktails

  1. Watershed Kitchen & Bar 11.80%
  2. M at Miranova 10.40%
  3. High Bank Distillery 9.20%

Best Coffee Shop

  1. Fox in the Snow Café 27.60%
  2. Stauf’s Coffee Roasters 24.30%
  3. Crimson Cup Coffee 10.10%

Best Comfort Food Restaurant

  1. Cap City Fine Diner 31.70%
  2. Hot Chicken Takeover 19.30%
  3. Starliner Diner
    Tommy’s Diner
    (Tie 7.80%)

Best Deli

  1. Katzinger’s Deli 51.80%
  2. Brown Bag Deli 14.90%
  3. Block’s Bagels 13.60%

Best Desserts

  1. Pistacia Vera 32.10%
  2. Cap City Fine Diner 24.40%
  3. Mozart’s 12.60%

Best Diner

  1. Tommy’s Diner 16.70%
  2. Starliner Diner 15.90%
  3. DK Diner 13.70%

Best Doughnut

  1. Buckeye Donuts 25.80%
  2. DK Diner 11.30%
  3. Duck Donuts 10.80%

Best Fast-Casual

  1. Brassica 21.60%
  2. Bibibop 16.10%
  3. Piada Italian Street Food 14.80%

Best Food Truck

  1. Street Thyme 10.30%
  2. Junior’s Tacos 8.00%
  3. Paddy Wagon 7.60%

Best Gourmet Pizza

  1. Harvest Pizzeria 28.20%
  2. Dewey’s 15.80%
  3. Natalie’s Coal-Fired Pizza 14.40%

Best Happy Hour

  1. Lindey’s 19.00%
  2. Forno 14.30%
  3. Marcella’s 10.50%

Best Himalayan/Nepalese Restaurant

  1. Momo Ghar 50.90%
  2. Everest Cuisine 21.30%
  3. Himalayan Grille 17.50%

Best Ice Cream

  1. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams 37.40%
  2. Graeter’s Ice Cream 33.20%
  3. Johnson’s Real Ice Cream 10.00%

Best Indian Restaurant

  1. Aab India 39.20%
  2. Indian Oven 13.10%
  3. Amul India 9.10%

Best Italian Restaurant

  1. Z Cucina 13.60%
  2. Marcella’s 12.60%
  3. Basi Italia 8.50%

Best Kids Menu

  1. Rusty Bucket 21.10%
  2. Cap City Fine Diner 15.40%
  3. Northstar Café 12.00%

Best Korean Restaurant

  1. Gogi Korean BBQ 35.50%
  2. Min Ga Korean Restaurant 28.90%
  3. Diaspora 15.10%

Best Late-Night Eats

  1. Mikey’s Late Night Slice 38.30%
  2. Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace 17.10%
  3. Press Grill/Press Pub 10.20%

Best Latin American Restaurant

  1. Arepazo 51.30%
  2. Si Senor Peruvian Sandwiches & More 13.10%
  3. Plantain Café 10.40% (CLOSED)

Best Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Restaurant

  1. Mr. Hummus Grill 24.40%
  2. Lavash Café 10.60%
  3. Brassica 9.80%

Best Mexican Restaurant

  1. El Vaquero 31.80%
  2. Los Guachos 13.80%
  3. Cuco’s Taqueria 9.40%

Best Modern Bakery

  1. Fox in the Snow Café 28.10%
  2. Pistacia Vera 25.50%
  3. Pattycake Bakery 8.70%

Best Patio

  1. Lindey’s 29.40%
  2. Barcelona 18.80%
  3. Milestone 229 17.80%

Best Romantic Restaurant

  1. The Refectory 14.80%
  2. Lindey’s 13.20%
  3. Basi Italia 11.30%

Best Rooftop Patio

  1. Lincoln Social Rooftop 21.90%
  2. Vaso 20.70%
  3. BrewDog Franklinton 14.00%

Best Sandwiches

  1. Katzinger’s Deli 45.20%
  2. Brown Bag Deli 19.00%
  3. Northstar Café 12.00%

Best Seafood

  1. Mitchell’s Ocean Club 33.60%
  2. Columbus Fish Market 18.10%
  3. The Pearl 15.50%

Best Spot for Plant-Based Dining

  1. Northstar Café 44.90%
  2. Comune 15.50%
  3. Little Eater 8.10% (CLOSED)

Best Steakhouse

  1. The Top Steak House 30.40%
  2. Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse 21.80%
  3. The Avenue Steak Tavern 10.80%

Best Sushi

  1. Akai Hana 33.80%
  2. Mr. Sushi 14.80%
  3. Moshi Sushi Bar 6.90%

Best Tacos

  1. Condado Tacos 34.40%
  2. Los Guachos 19.80%
  3. Local Cantina 17.10%

Best Thai Restaurant

  1. Lemongrass 25.00%
  2. Basil 18.10%
  3. Nida’s Thai on High 16.90%

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

  1. Buckeye Pho 31.20%
  2. Lan Viet Market 21.50%
  3. Indochine Café 13.50%

Best Wine Bar

  1. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant 19.90%
  2. The Wine Bistro 18.90%
  3. Spagio Wine Lounge 13.90%

Best Wings

  1. Roosters 44.10%
  2. Gallo’s Tap Room 10.30%
  3. Winking Lizard 8.30%

Best Bar for Music

  1. Natalie’s Coal-Fired Pizza and Live Music 33.00%
  2. Woodlands Tavern 18.20%
  3. Skully’s Music-Diner 11.90%

Best Bowling Alley

  1. Pins Mechanical Co. 31.00%
  2. Ten Pin Alley 20.00%
  3. Columbus Square Bowling Palace 14.80%

Best Concert Venue

  1. Express Live 15.80%
  2. Newport Music Hall 14.20%
  3. Ohio Theatre 11.90%

Best Farmers Market

  1. Worthington 41.00%
  2. North Market 22.60%
  3. Clintonville 19.90%

Best Festival

  1. Columbus Arts Festival 22.70%
  2. Dublin Irish Festival 14.30%
  3. ComFest 12.80%

Best Fitness Studio

  1. Orangetheory Fitness 22.60%
  2. Title Boxing Club 12.80%
  3. System of Strength 11.50%

Best Gallery

  1. Hawk Galleries 16.50%
  2. Urban Arts Space 12.50%
  3. Studios on High Gallery 10.80%

Best Gym

  1. YMCA 17.80%
  2. Planet Fitness 17.00%
  3. Life Time Fitness 14.40%

Best LGBT Bar/Club

  1. Union Café 41.10%
  2. Axis 13.50%
  3. Daddy’s 12.10%

Best Local Band

  1. Twenty One Pilots 39.20%
  2. MojoFlo 12.80%
  3. Caamp 12.30%

Best Local Musician

  1. Bobby Floyd 31.10%
  2. Angela Perley 14.20%
  3. Tony Monaco 10.40%

Best Movie Theater

  1. Marcus Crosswoods Cinema 16.60%
  2. AMC Dublin 15.10%
  3. The Drexel 14.70%

Best Museum

  1. Columbus Museum of Art 37.10%
  2. COSI 28.70%
  3. Ohio History Center 12.60%

Best Parade

  1. Doo Dah 34.10%
  2. Stonewall Columbus Pride Parade 24.60%
  3. Upper Arlington Fourth of July 19.50%

Best Park

  1. Highbanks 20.40%
  2. Columbus Park of Roses 14.00%
  3. Schiller Park 9.20%

Best Place for a Kid’s Birthday Party

  1. Tree of Life Play + Café 14.80%
  2. Magic Mountain 12.20%
  3. The Chiller 10.90%

Best Place for a Party

  1. Pins Mechanical Co. 31.60%
  2. Dueling Axes 29.90%
  3. Topgolf 19.70%

Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners

  1. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium 26.60%
  2. Short North 18.00%
  3. North Market 11.60%

Best Public Art

  1. Scioto Lounge deer sculptures 22.30%
  2. “Field of Corn,” Dublin 20.00%
  3. Goodale Park elephant fountain 17.20%

Best Running/Walking or Biking Event

  1. Pelotonia 35.70%
  2. Nationwide Children’s Hospital Marathon & Half Marathon 23.10%
  3. Cap City Half Marathon 12.40%

Best Spa

  1. Woodhouse Day Spa 29.10%
  2. Penzone Salon + Spas 22.10%
  3. The Spa at River Ridge 17.20%

Best Sports Bar

  1. Roosters 23.50%
  2. Urban Meyer’s Pint House 18.30%
  3. Gallo’s Tap Room 12.50%

Best Taproom

  1. Wolf’s Ridge Brewing 16.90%
  2. Seventh Son Brewing 15.80%
  3. BrewDog Franklinton 15.20%

Best Yoga Studio

  1. Yoga on High 29.30%
  2. Modo Yoga 15.70%
  3. GoYoga 12.00%

Best Blue Jackets Player

  1. Nick Foligno 31.20%
  2. Seth Jones 20.30%
  3. Cam Atkinson 13.50%

Best Buckeyes Football Player

  1. Justin Fields 61.10%
  2. Chris Olave 14.80%
  3. Master Teague III 9.00%

Best Chef

  1. Richard Blondin, The Refectory Restaurant & Wine Shop 23.40%
  2. Catie Randazzo and Matthew Heaggans, Ambrose and Eve 18.30%
  3. Seth Lassak, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing 12.20%

Best Crew Player

  1. Pedro Santos 30.80%
  2. Gyasi Zardes 22.00%
  3. Sebastian Berhalter 20.80%

Best Female TV Anchor

  1. Colleen Marshall, NBC4 27.80%
  2. Yolanda Harris, 10TV 26.40%
  3. Monica Day, NBC4 17.60%

Best Male TV Anchor

  1. Matt Barnes, NBC4 32.50%
  2. Kurt Ludlow, ABC6/FOX28 19.00%
  3. Bob Kendrick, ABC6/FOX28 18.50%

Best Radio Morning Show

  1. Dave and Jimmy, 97.9 WNCI 23.50%
  2. Woody & The Wake-Up Call, 92.3 WCOL 20.70%
  3. Brian Phillips, CD102.5 14.80%

Best Radio Station

  1. 89.7 WOSU 16.50%
  2. CD102.5 15.50%
  3. WNCI 97.9 13.00%

Best Talk Radio Personality

  1. Ann Fisher, 89.7 WOSU 26.20%
  2. Anthony Rothman, 97.1 The Fan 26.20%
  3. Mike Ricordati “The Common Man,” 97.9 The Fan 18.90%

Best Weatherperson

  1. Ashlee Baracy, 10TV 19.60%
  2. Dave Mazza, NBC4 16.90%
  3. Marshall McPeek, ABC6/FOX28 14.70%

Best Beer Shop

  1. Weiland’s Market 22.40%
  2. Giant Eagle Market District 18.50%
  3. The Daily Growler 14.40%

Best Bike Shop

  1. Roll 36.40%
  2. Trek Bicycle 20.20%
  3. Paradise Garage 15.90%

Best Clothing Resale Shop

  1. One More Time 22.10%
  2. Rag-O-Rama 19.20%
  3. Second Chance 19.20%

Best Florist

  1. DeSantis Florists 19.00%
  2. 5th Ave. Floral Co. 12.80%
  3. Rose Bredl Flowers & Garden 10.60%

Best Furniture Resale Shop

  1. ReVue/Grandview Mercantile 54.30%
  2. One More Time 20.40%
  3. Upscale Resale Furnishings 7.10%

Best Garden Center

  1. Oakland Nursery 62.40%
  2. Strader’s Garden Center 23.40%
  3. A Proper Garden 5.40%

Best Grocery Store

  1. Giant Eagle Market District 20.90%
  2. Trader Joe’s 18.80%
  3. Whole Foods 12.40%

Best Hair Salon

  1. Akada 18.00%
  2. Penzone Salon + Spas 15.40%
  3. Square One Salon and Spa 13.10%

Best Hardware Store

  1. Roush Hardware 27.00%
  2. Zettler Hardware 22.70%
  3. Schreiner Ace Hardware 16.20%

Best Place for Children’s Clothing

  1. Cub Shrub 38.80%
  2. Von Maur 22.50%
  3. Nicole’s for Children 17.10%

Best Place for Home Decor

  1. Elm & Iron 27.20%
  2. Grandview Mercantile 19.40%
  3. Studio J Home 18.30%

Best Place for Last-Minute Gifts

  1. Glean 22.40%
  2. Museum Store at Columbus Museum of Art 11.90%
  3. Vernacular 11.60%

Best Place for Men’s Fashions

  1. Nordstrom 32.20%
  2. Jeffrey Thomas 26.00%
  3. Tigertree 9.60%

Best Place for Ohio-Made Stuff

  1. Homage 50.80%
  2. Celebrate Local 22.10%
  3. Wild Cat Gift and Party 7.70%

Best Place for Women’s Fashions

  1. Nordstrom 20.20%
  2. Jeffrey Thomas 14.90%
  3. Jolie Occasions 12.10%

Best Place to Buy Jewelry

  1. Diamond Cellar 25.50%
  2. Diamonds Direct 24.50%
  3. Worthington Jewelers 13.10%

Best Store for Housewares

  1. Crate & Barrel 28.90%
  2. Sur La Table 27.00%
  3. Wasserstrom 10.70%

Best Wine Shop

  1. Weiland’s Market 25.20%
  2. The Twisted Vine 11.30%
  3. Wine on High 11.10%