Illustration by Shane Rebenshied
Best Asian Restaurant
Taste of Thai
917 S. High St., Harrisonburg, Taste-of-Thai.com, 540-801-8878
Flavors inspired by the cuisines of Thailand’s neighboring regions influence the menu at Taste of Thai. Popular dishes at two locations include panang curry, which resembles its Indian counterpart, but maintains its Thai roots, and sesame chicken, which has a Chinese tang to it, as well as classic pad Thai noodles and Singha, a Thai beer.
second place: Napa Thai Cuisine, LexingtonNapaThai.com, 540-461-8133
third place: Silk Road Asian Restaurant & Bar, WaynesboroSilkRoadCuisineVa.com, 540-949-9097
Best Bakery
SweetNanaCakes
434 Richmond Ave., Staunton, 540-569-2365
The wide selection of goods at the Highland County bakery uses locally-sourced ingredients, from the peaches used for pies to the butter in bananas foster cupcakes—made with a brown sugar base and a banana-bourbon-Madagascar vanilla buttercream. Homemade pimento cheese offers something a bit more savory.
second place: Heritage Bakery & Café, Harrisonburg, HeritageBakes.com, 540-564-1200
third place: Paris Cake Company, StauntonParisCakeCo.com, 540-885-5026
Best Bar
TAPS at the Georges
11 N. Main St., Lexington, TheGeorges.com, 540-463-2500
Nestled in a renovated historic building in the heart of Lexington, the crowd at TAPS usually consists of hotel guests and community members sipping on the signature Cherry Sour cocktail, business travelers finishing the day’s work by the fireplace, and local college students laughing over craft beers in the comfortable, yet upscale atmosphere.
second place: Local Chop & Grill House, Harrisonburg, LocalChops.com, 540-801-0505
third place: Sipe’s Restaurant and Bar, Harrisonburg, SipesBar.com, 540-908-2313
Best Barbecue Restaurant
Bean’s Barbecue
117 S. Main St., Edinburg, Facebook.com/BeansBarbeque, 540-325-3738
Owner Justin Davis wakes up at 2:30 a.m. each of the three days per week that Bean’s Barbecue is open, in order to prep fresh racks of ribs and pork—and on Thursdays, brisket. Each week during the summer, this authentic Southern-style barbecue joint will cook up more than 1,200 pounds of pork shoulder sourced from the local Wholesome Foods butcher.
second place: Hank’s Grille and Bar, McGaheysvilleHanksGrilleAndBar.com, 540-289-7667
third place: Peck’s Bar B Que, StauntonPecksBBQ.com, 540-886-4647
Best Breakfast Restaurant
Kathy’s Restaurant
705 Greenville Ave., Staunton, Kathys-Restaurant.com, 540-885-4331
For more than 30 years, this breakfast joint has kept its original counter-style dining room, serving Shenandoah favorites including light buttermilk pancakes, house-made home fries and hearty egg dishes, such as the Country Morning Omelet stuffed with sausage, green pepper, potatoes, onion and cheese, and lathered with sausage gravy.
second place: Little Grill Collective, Harrisonburg, LilGrill.com, 540-434-3594
third place: L’Dee’s Pancake House, Front Royal, LDeesPancakeHouse.com, 540-635-3791
Best Burger Joint
Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint
80 S. Main St., Harrisonburg, JackBrownsJoint.com, 540-433-5225
With six locations across Virginia, this joint serves only 100 percent Wagyu beef burgers and is famous for its funky atmosphere. The Harrisonburg flagship serves signature burgers like The Elvis—a beef patty topped with peanut butter, mayo, bacon and cheese—and a list of 100 beers, including selections from the neighboring Pale Fire Brewery.
second place: Cuban Burger, Harrisonburg, CubanBurger.com, 540-434-1769
third place: Table 44, Staunton, ParisCakeCo.com, 540-885-5026
Best Caterer
Full Circle Catering
20 Swink Lane, Lexington, FullCircleCatering.com, 540-463-1634
Owner Jenny Elmes mixes Southern inspired fare with eco-friendly practices. As a nationally recognized green business, composting and recycling are used in the kitchen and on-site at events. Clients’ menus incorporate ingredients sourced within a 10-mile radius of the company’s location and often handpicked by Elmes to use in signature dishes such as sweet potato biscuits served with country ham.
second place: CHEFS Catering, Lexington, StoneRidgeCatering.com, 540-462-7182
third place: Mike Lund Food, Staunton, MikeLundFood.com, 540-649-4782
Best Chocolatier
Cocoa Mill
123 W. Nelson St., Lexington, CocoaMill.com, 540-464-8400
Rolled, dipped or decorated—at Cocoa Mill, it’s all done by hand. With a selection of gourmet barks, dipped dried fruits and seasonal assortments, the European-style truffles remain the shop’s most popular confection. New releases include the Lexington Concord truffle collection, which combines local Rockbridge wine with a signature bittersweet chocolate recipe.
second place: Warfel’s Sweet Shoppe, Dayton, Warfels.biz, 540-879-9598
third place: Shenandoah Fine Chocolates, Winchester, ShenandoahFineChocolates.com, 540-535-0010
Best Dessert Menu
SweetNanaCakes
434 Richmond Ave., Staunton, 540-569-2365
When owner Shannon Tinsley met a pregnant customer who couldn’t satisfy her craving for cookie dough, she decided to create edible dough. Today, 20 different flavors of the raw, egg-free treat—including Steel Magnolia, a red velvet dough, and Glazed and Confused, made with coffee, chocolate-covered espresso beans and doughnut pieces—are menu staples.
second place: Table 44, Staunton, ParisCakeCo.com, 540-885-5026
third place: Bella Gelato & Pastries, Harrisonburg, BellaLunaWoodFired.com, 540-217-5657
Best Distillery
River Hill Distillery
356 Ruffners Ferry Road, Luray, RiverHillDistillery.com, 540-843-0890
Fred Foley took a 200-year-old family recipe for corn whiskey and started a small distillery, hoping to continue the Page County tradition of whiskey (a.k.a. moonshine) production on his farm. Dark bourbons and fruit wines are also made on site, with all of the ingredients coming straight from the family-owned farm.
second place: Filibuster Bourbon, Maurertown, FilibusterBourbon.com, 703-350-7276
Best Farmers’ Market
Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market
228 S. Liberty St., Harrisonburg, HarrisonburgFarmersMarket.com, 540-476-3377
This year-round market encourages the community to be stewards of local producers and farmers. Underneath downtown’s Turner Pavilion, shoppers interact directly with those who cultivate the fresh nectarines and fall mums for sale, and with those who knead the bread and roast the coffee enjoyed by pedestrians on Saturday mornings.
second place: Staunton Farmers Market, Staunton, FarmersMarket.org, 540-448-1937
third place: Lexington Farmers Market, Facebook.com/LexVaFM, 540-463-9234
Best Food Truck
Mashita
716 E. Market St., Harrisonburg, EatMashita.com, 540-810-1875
Korean street food with a twist of Virginia flavor is simply “mashita,” meaning “delicious” in Korean. Locally-sourced produce incorporated into classic Korean recipes makes for unique fusion dishes, such as the summertime favorite cornmeal-crusted fried tomatoes over Korean black bean purée, watermelon and fire-roasted corn and tomato salsa.
second place: Grilled Cheese Mania, Harrisonburg, GrilledCheeseMania.com, 540-746-7515
third place: LexMex Tacos, Lexington, Facebook.com/LexMexTacos
Best Grocery Store
Friendly City Food Co-op
150 E. Wolfe St., Harrisonburg, FriendlyCity.coop, 540-801-8882
Aisles are stocked with homemade ice cream, organic meats, barbecue sauces and lotions, all with one thing in common—they are sourced from one of 150 small, local vendors carried by Friendly City. The cooperative grocery store promotes sustainable shopping through inventory selection, informational events and reinvesting profits in community projects.
second place: Martin’s, Staunton, MartinsFoods.com, 540-885-9504
third place: Kroger, Staunton, Kroger.com, 540-885-9866
Best Italian Restaurant
Vito’s Italian Kitchen
1047 Port Republic Road, Harrisonburg, VitosItalianKitchen.com, 540-433-1113
If it’s Italian, Vito’s most likely serves it. Its extensive menu includes favorites like lasagna with rich béchamel sauce as well as chicken Marsala and thin crust pizzas. Weekly specials include Monday’s make your own pasta night and Tuesday’s date night deal.
second place: Emilio’s Italian Restaurant, Staunton, EmiliosItalianRestaurant.com, 540-885-0102
third place: Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza, Harrisonburg, BellaLunaWoodFired.com, 540-433-1366
Best Local Craft Brewery
Pale Fire Brewing Co.
217 S. Liberty St., Suite 105, Harrisonburg, PaleFireBrewing.com, 540-217-5452
This stop along the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail is home to the award-winning Salad Days American Saison. The ale—which has notes of grapefruit, peach and bubblegum—took bronze at the 2016 World Beer Cup. Try one of the 10 available beers on tap in the spacious tasting room with a rolling garage door that opens up to downtown.
second place: Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Lexington, DBBrewingCompany.com, 540-817-6080
third place: Brothers Craft Brewing, Harrisonburg, BrothersCraftBrewing.com, 540-421-6599
Best Local Gourmet Food Store
Cranberry’s Grocery & Eatery
7 S. New St., Staunton, GoCranberrys.com, 540-885-4755
The grinding of Cranberry’s house blend of roasted, organic Lester’s Best coffee is a familiar ambient sound within the store. Peruse the aisles for free-range eggs, glass-bottled milk and grass-fed beef. If someone in the family has come down with a cold, Cranberry’s apothecary has a wide selection of natural remedies for all ages.
second place: Friendly City Food Co-op, Harrisonburg, FriendlyCity.coop, 540-801-8882
third place: Old Lex Mercantile, LLC, Lexington, OldLexMercantile.com, 540-319-4180
Best Local Ice Cream Shop
Kline’s Dairy Bar
58 E. Wolfe St., Harrisonburg, KlinesDairyBar.com, 540-434-6980
Celebrating 75 years, Kline’s has maintained its original aesthetic and old-fashioned production techniques. The ice cream is made each morning at all four locations in Harrisonburg, Staunton and Waynesboro—classic chocolate and vanilla are always on the menu. A specialty flavor, like black raspberry or brownie batter, is rotated in weekly, varying by location.
second place: Bella Gelato & Pastries, Harrisonburg, BellaLunaWoodFired.com, 540-217-5657
third place: The Split Banana, Co., Staunton, TheSplitBanana.com, 866-492-3668
Best Local Sandwich Shop
Lola Mo’s Delicatessen
122 S. Main St., Suite 103, Harrisonburg, LolaMosDeli.com, 540-908-3253
The Strawdermanwhich (try saying that three times fast) is Lola Mo’s take on the Italian sub, piled with salami, ham and mortadella, and it has become one of the best sellers on a menu filled with pastrami, Reuben, vegetarian and made-to-order sandwiches at the downtown delicatessen that opened earlier this year.
second place: The Pampered Palate Café, Staunton, ThePamperedPalateCafe.com, 540-886-9463
third place: Blue Sky Bakery, Lexington, Facebook.com/BlueSky, 540-463-6546
Best Locally-Owned Coffee Shop
Black Sheep Coffee
217 S. Liberty St., Suite 104B, Harrisonburg, BlacksheepCoffeeHburg.com, 540-217-5560
The shop’s open floor plan and low countertops were designed specifically to encourage guests to converse over dripped coffee paired with apricot honey scones made in house. Located in the downtown Ice House complex, the coffeehouse menu is sourced from multiple Virginia-based roasters, including Red Rooster Roasters in Floyd, and dairy farm Mt. Crawford Creamery.
second place: Pronto Caffè & Gelateria, Lexington, ProntoGelateria.com, 540-464-1472
third place: Lexington Coffee Roasters, LexingtonCoffee.com, 540-462-3990
Best Mexican Restaurant
El Charro
1570 E. Market St., Harrisonburg, EatElCharro.com, 540-564-0386
El Charro brings the vibrancy of Mexican food and culture to the Shenandoah Valley. Stop in for one of 24 lunch specials or 32 different combination platters made up of burritos, chalupas, enchiladas and tacos. Finish lunch with a banana cheesecake chimichanga, a golden brown tortilla stuffed with banana cheesecake and topped with sugar.
second place: El Paso, Elkton, ElPasoMexicanGrille.com, 540-298-8861
third place: El Sol Mexican Restaurant, Harrisonburg, Facebook.com/ElSolMexicanRestaurant, 540-442-8763
Best Outdoor Dining
Byers Street Bistro
18 Byers St., Staunton, ByersStreetBistro.com, 540-887-6100
Situated on a sidewalk in downtown Staunton, Byers Street Bistro’s outdoor dining area provides a colorful atmosphere. It’s perfect for enjoying live bluegrass bands while munching on Southern-style fare from the menu, which includes blue fin lump crab dip and tiger shrimp served with cheddar grits.
second place: The Joshua Wilton House, Harrisonburg, JoshuaWilton.com, 540-434-4464
third place: Magnolia’s Taco & Tequila Bar, Harrisonburg, MagnoliasTacos.com, 540-217-5816
Best Oysters
Billy Jack’s Wings and Draft Shack
92 S. Main St., Harrisonburg, BillyJacksShack.com, 540-433-1793
Adding oysters to the predominantly “beef, bacon, beer and bird” menu came from the owners’ own love of the raw delicacy. Since the addition of a copper raw bar, which serves a menu sourced from the Chesapeake Bay up to Prince Edward Island in Canada, Billy Jack’s Shack sells hundreds of oysters each week.
second place: Mill Street Grill, Staunton, MillStreetGrill.com, 540-886-0656
third place: Local Chop & Grill House, Harrisonburg, LocalChops.com, 540-801-0505
Best Pizzeria
Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza
80 W. Water St., Harrisonburg, BellaLunaWoodFired.com, 540-433-1366
Neapolitan-inspired pizzas made with Shenandoah-grown ingredients are baked in an open kitchen with a white oak-fueled oven. Guests can look on as chefs employ a more than 200-year-old method, preparing thin crust specialties like the Virginian—made with roasted apples, red onions, prosciutto and mozzarella.
second place: Shenandoah Pizza & Taphouse, Staunton, ShenPizza.com, 540-213-0008
third place: Melting Pot Pizza, Front Royal, MeltingPotPizza.com, 540-636-6146
Best Place for Brunch
Mill Street Grill
1 Mill St., Staunton, MillStreetGrill.com, 540-886-0656
The Mill Street Skillet made with home fries, scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar and Monterey Jack is a sturdy Sunday brunch specialty at Mill Street Grill, and perfect fuel for a long day of relaxation. The grill also serves joe from the local Staunton Coffee Company, which pairs perfectly with a crab cake benedict or raspberry-topped French toast.
second place: Food.Bar.Food, Harrisonburg, FoodBarFood.com, 540-433-3663
third place: The Joshua Wilton House, Harrisonburg, JoshuaWilton.com, 540-434-4464
Best Restaurant
Mill Street Grill
1 Mill St., Staunton, MillStreetGrill.com, 540-886-0656
Once an operating flourmill, the late 1800s manufacturing building has been home to the Mill Street Grill for more than 25 years. American style dishes, including fall-off-the-bone barbecue ribs with homemade sauce, backfin crab cakes and the more-than-⅓-pound Mill Street Burger, feature large on the menu.
second place: Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza, Harrisonburg, BellaLunaWoodFired.com, 540-433-1366
third place: Local Chop & Grill House, Harrisonburg, LocalChops.com, 540-801-0505
Best Seafood Restaurant
The Joshua Wilton House
412 S. Main St., Harrisonburg, JoshuaWilton.com, 540-434-4464
Twice per week fresh seafood is delivered to the doorstep of the Joshua Wilton House. For dinner, the classically French-trained chefs prepare mussels sourced from Prince Edward Island and diver seas scallops atop herbed grits. Fresh market fish with seasonal accompaniments is rotated nightly.
second place: Mill Street Grill, Staunton, MillStreetGrill.com, 540-886-0656
third place: Finnigan’s Cove Seafood Bar, Harrisonburg, FinnigansCove.com, 540-433-9874
Best Steakhouse
Local Chop & Grill House
56 W. Gay St., Harrisonburg, LocalChops.com, 540-801-0505
The in-house butcher’s selection of cuts, including 12-ounce ribeye and 8-ounce filet mignon, can be prepared with a choice of two rubs and house-made sauce, ranging from sweet, such as the mango barbecue, to spicy, such as the horseradish crème frâiche. Decadent steak toppers include blue cheese compound butter and sautéed shiitake and oyster mushrooms.
second place: Mill Street Grill, Staunton, MillStreetGrill.com, 540-886-0656
third place: Texas Roadhouse, Harrisonburg, TexasRoadhouse.com, 540-801-0324
Best Wine Shop
Yelping Dog Wine
9 E. Beverley St., Staunton, Facebook.com/YelpingDogWine, 540-885-2275
Perusing aisles stocked with hundreds of wines sourced from around the world can be tiring. That’s why customers are invited to enjoy a glass accompanied by a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, such as the CFO—chèvre and Swiss with fig preserves on balsamic and rosemary butter-crusted sourdough—while they mull whether to take home a California Pinot Noir or a Viognier.
second place: Downtown Wine & Gourmet, Harrisonburg, DowntownWines.com, 540-432-9463
third place: Washington Street Purveyors, Lexington, GopherWine.com, 540-464-9463
Best Winery
Bluestone Vineyard
4828 Spring Creek Road, Bridgewater, BluestoneVineyard.com, 540-828-0099
Home to 13 Virginia Governor’s Cup 2018 medals, Bluestone Vineyard’s varietals range from Merlot to Moscato. The rolling Blue Ridge Mountain scenery pairs perfectly with the award-winning Meritage on the estate’s patio. This summer, enjoy the Toast the Weekend series featuring wine, food trucks and live music.
second place: CrossKeys Vineyards, Mt. Crawford, CrossKeysVineyards.com, 540-234-0505
third place: Rockbridge Vineyards, Raphine, RockbridgeVineyard.com, 540-377-6204
Most Creative Cocktail Menu
Food.Bar.Food
126 W. Bruce St., Harrisonburg, FoodBarFood.com, 540-433-3663
Infused spirits are the foundation for many colorful cocktails at Food.Bar.Food, from lemongrass-infused gin to spice-infused golden rum. And with best cure being the hair of the dog that bit you—for brunch try a New York Mary, horseradish-infused vodka, Bloody Mary mix, olives and an everything bagel rim.
second place: Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza, Harrisonburg, BellaLunaWoodFired.com, 540-433-1366
third place: Zynodoa, Staunton, Zynodoa.com, 540-885-7775
