By Dana Kroll, Uptown Marketing and Communications Specialist

We are always proud when we have an opportunity to celebrate our award-winning Uptown businesses, especially when those awards are given by you – the very community that lives here and has the most knowledge and experience when it comes to Grand Rapids. In this case, we are talking about one of our city’s best local publications – Grand Rapids Magazine – and their annual and much beloved ‘Best of the Best’ voter-led competition. 

 

Each year, readers submit their very favorite choices for where to go locally, for pretty much…everything. The contest spans quite a few categories: Retail, Food, Drink, Sweets, Entertainment, Services, Arts, and more – with a long roster of sub-categories, within those. The publication awards the top two spots that received the most votes, across each sub-category (first and second place). Given the ever-increasing list of businesses to call our growing city home, it’s easy to see that the competition is pretty fierce! Yet, as is becoming pretty comfortably “normal” for our district, an impressive number of your top faves, are located right here in Uptown, somewhere nestled into one of our four business districts: Eastown, East Hills, East Fulton, and Wealthy Street.

Take a look at our winners – each linked so that you might dig in further on who these superstars are and what they offer, so you can start planning your next trip to Uptown armed with the very “best of the best” info. Dive in:

 

1st place winners:

GIFT SHOP – Rebel

HOME DECOR – Commune GR

 

 

LOCAL ART – LaFontsee Galleries

ICE CREAM PARLOR – Furniture City Creamery

COFFEE – Madcap

CATERING – Kangaroo Kitchen

SUSHI – Maru Sushi and Grill

BURGER – Winchester

MAC N CHEESE – The Electric Cheetah

HOT DOG – Yesterdog

YOGA STUDIO – Funky Buddha Hothouse Yoga

 

2nd Place Winners:

JEWELRY – Dime and Regal

WOMEN’S CLOTHING – Lee and Birch

HOME DECOR – The Counting House

BOOKSTORE – Books and Mortar

COMIC BOOKSTORE – Argos Comics and Used Books Shop

CUPCAKES – The Cakabakery

BREAKFAST – Wolfgang’s Restaurant

HANGOVER FOOD – Wolfgang’s again (this one made us smile – way to go on winning two categories, Wolfie’s!)

MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE – Zivio

VEGGIE BURGER – The Green Well

PIZZA – Harmony Brewing Company

TACOS – Donkey Taqueria

SANDWICH – Schnitz Deli

CRAFT COCKTAILS – Buffalo Trader’s Lounge

DISTILLERY – Eastern Kille (we’re claiming this one. Though the distillery itself is not located in Uptown, the distillery’s stunningly gorgeous tasting room – EK Wealthy is, and it is really something spectacular to check out!)

BREWERY – Brewery Vivant