On Sunday, the Dayton Daily News will publish a special 28-page section celebrating all of the winners and finalists with the list, photos, stories on notable winners and more.
Here are the 2021 winners:
| Contest | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Appetizer | Cooper's Hawk Southwestern Eggrolls |
| Best Arcade/Gaming | Canal Street Arcade and Deli |
| Best Art Gallery | Dayton Art Institute |
| Best Asian Food | Thai 9 |
| Best Auto Dealer | Voss Auto Network |
| Best Auto Repair | Grismer Tire & Auto Service Center |
| Best Bakery | elé Cake Co. |
| Best Bank or Credit Union | Wright-Patt Credit Union |
| Best Bar Bathroom | The Barrel House |
| Best Barber Shop | Centerville Barbers |
| Best Bartender | Matt Ross, The Barrel House |
| Best BBQ | City Barbeque |
| Best Beer, Wine or Liquor Shop | Arrow Wine & Spirits |
| Best Bloody Mary | Another Broken Egg Cafe |
| Best Bowling Alley | Poelking Woodman Lanes |
| Best Breakfast | The Blue Berry Café |
| Best Brunch | The Blue Berry Café |
| Best Burger | Slyder's Tavern |
| Best Cheap Eats | The Root Beer Stande |
| Best Chicken Sandwich | Chick-fil-A |
| Best Chili | Tank's Bar and Grill |
| Best Chinese Food | China Cottage |
| Best Chocolates | Esther Price Candies |
| Best Cocktails | The Century Bar |
| Best Coffeehouse | Ghostlight Coffee |
| Best Comedy Club | Wiley's Comedy Club |
| Best Concert Venue | Rose Music Center at The Heights |
| Best Craft Beer Bar | Warped Wing Brewing Company |
| Best Dance Club | Yellow Rose Nightclub |
| Best Dance Group | Dayton Contemporary Dance Co |
| Best Dayton landmark | Carillon Historical Park |
| Best Deli/Sandwich Shop | Flyboy's Deli |
| Best Diner | Mel-O-Dee Restaurant & Catering |
| Best Dive Bar | Mack's Tavern |
| Best Donuts | Bill's Donut Shop |
| Best Family Restaurant | Christopher's Restaurant & Catering |
| Best Farmers Market | 2nd Street Market |
| Best Festival | Oktoberfest - Dayton Art Institute |
| Best Fine Dining | Pine Club |
| Best Florist | Oberer's Flowers |
| Best Food Festival | Dayton Greek Festival |
| Best Food Truck | Zombie Dogz |
| Best French Fries | Five Guys |
| Best Garden Center | Knollwood Garden Center and Landscaping |
| Best Gay Bar | MJ's on Jefferson |
| Best Golf Course | NCR Country Club |
| Best Hair Salon | Square One Salon & Spa |
| Best Happy Hour | The Trolley Stop |
| Best Hardware Store | Handyman Ace Hardware |
| Best Hidden Gem Restaurant | Nick's Restaurant |
| Best Ice Cream | Young's Jersey Dairy |
| Best Indian Restaurant | Amar India Restaurant |
| Best Italian Restaurant | Mamma DiSalvo's |
| Best Jewelry Store | James Free Jewelers |
| Best Karaoke | Soft Rock Café |
| Best Local Artist | Leslea Hipp |
| Best Local Band or Musician | Dayton Salsa Project |
| Best Local Brewery | Warped Wing Brewing Company |
| Best Local Celebrity | Dave Chappelle |
| Best Local Photographer | Jan Underwood |
| Best Local Podcast | Fly With Us |
| Best Local Theater Group | The Human Race Theatre Company |
| Best Margarita | Elsa's Mexican Restaurant |
| Best Mexican Food | Taqueria Mixteca |
| Best Museum | National Museum of the US Air Force |
| Best Oktoberfest Celebration | Dayton Art Institute |
| Best Old-School Restaurant | Pine Club |
| Best Patio | The Trolley Stop |
| Best Pet Grooming | Doggie Styles Day Spa |
| Best Pizza Restaurant | Marion's Piazza |
| Best Place for a Business Lunch | Coco's Bistro |
| Best Place for Unique Gifts | Heart Mercantile |
| Best Place to Buy Dayton gifts | Carillon Historical Park |
| Best Place to Get Your Adrenaline Pumping | Mike's Bike Park |
| Best Place to Hear Live Music | Rose Music Center at The Heights |
| Best Place to Play Pool | Kings Table Bar & Grill |
| Best Place to Take a Date | Tender Mercy |
| Best Pub | Dublin Pub |
| Best Realtor | Kunal Patel Group |
| Best Restaurant at Austin Landing | Firebirds Wood Fired Grill |
| Best Restaurant at The Greene | Pasha Grill |
| Best Restaurant for a Large Group | Marion's Piazza |
| Best Restaurant in the Oregon District | Jay's Seafood |
| Best Restaurant in Yellow Springs | Winds Cafe |
| Best Restaurant to take an Out-of-Towner | Pine Club |
| Best Sandwich | Cuban - McNasty's Food Truck |
| Best Spa | Square One Salon & Spa |
| Best Sports Bar | Bunkers Sports Bar & Grill |
| Best Square-Cut Pizza | Marion's Piazza |
| Best Steak | Pine Club |
| Best Sushi | Thai 9 |
| Best Taco | Taqueria Mixteca |
| Best Tattoo Artist | Justin Barbarino, Black Cloud Tattoo Co. |
| Best Tattoo Shop | Rebel Rebel Tattoo |
| Best Thai Food | Thai 9 |
| Best Vet | Bigger Road Veterinary Clinic |
| Best View of Dayton | Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum |
| Best Wings | Roosters |
| Friendliest Restaurant/Bar Staff | The Barrel House |
| Most Romantic Restaurant | Salar Restaurant and Lounge |
The previous Best of Dayton champions:
» Arts, Entertainment and Music
» Bars, Beer, Breweries and Nightlife
» Fitness, Outdoors, Parks and Recreation
» Restaurants, Dishes and Sweet Treats
» Shopping and Services