You Voted. They Won. KQ’s Best(est) Results Below!

Best(est) Smash Burger
Dream Creamery (NE Minneapolis)
Station No. 6 (Roseville)
Nozy’s Grill Food Truck
Gus Gus (St. Paul)
Angry Line Cook Food Truck

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Best(est) Wood Fired Pizza
Rosalia Pizza (Multiple Locations)
Element Wood Fired Pizza (NE Minneapolis)
OG Zaza (St Paul/Roseville)
Pizzeria Lola (South Minneapolis)
El Hornito Wood Fired Pizza (South St. Paul)

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Best(est) Fish & Chips
Anchor Fish & Chips (NE Minneapolis)
Mac’s Fish (Multiple Locations)
George & The Dragon (Minneapolis)
Shantytown (Bloomington)
Brit’s Pub (Minneapolis)

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Best(est) Wings
Serum’s (Anoka)
5-8 Club (Multiple Locations)
Runyon’s (Minneapolis)
Mac’s Industrial (NE Minneapolis)
Green Mill (Multiple Locations)

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Best(est) Soup (from Steve Gorman’s Picks)
Sauerkraut and Ham – Kramarczuk’s (NE Minneapolis)
Tom Ka – On’s Thai Kitchen (St. Paul)
Greek Zoupa – Spitz (Multiple Locations)
Egg Drop Soup – Shuang Cheng (Minneapolis)
Soupe a’ l’oignon – Maison Margaux (Minneapolis)

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Best(est) Tacos
Zoukmaya (Forest Lake)
Andale Taqueria (Richfield)
Trompería El Zac (St. Paul)
Boca Chica’s Taco House (St. Paul)
El Charro Mexican Restaraunt (Farmington)

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Best(est) Tator Tots
Dill Pickle Tots – Tot Boss (Food Truck)
Truffle Tots – Pickled Pig (Jordan)
Loaded Tots – Cuzzy’s (North Loop)
Flippin’ Tochos – A Bar of Their Own (South Minneapolis)
Seasoned Tots – Spring Street Tavern (NE Minneapolis)

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Best(est) Grilled Cheese
Bull’s Horn (South Minneapolis)
Red Cow (Multiple Locations)
All Square (South Minneapolis/Food Truck)
Bass Lake Cheese Factory (Somerset, WI)

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Best(est) Ribs
Animales Barbecue Co. (Minneapolis)
The River Inn (Hanover)
Big Bore Barbecue (Hanover)
Ted Cooks 19th Hole BBQ (Minneapolis)
Baker’s Ribs (Eden Prairie)

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Best(est) Thai Restaurant
Lanna Thai (St. Paul)
On’s Thai Kitchen (St. Paul)
Nong’s Thai (Golden Valley)
Khao Hom Thai (Minneapolis)
Taste of Thaiyai (Apple Valley)

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Best(est) Restaurant for Pasta
Broders’ (Edina)
Cossetta (St. Paul)
Bar La Grassa (Minneapolis)
La Grolla (St. Paul)
Mucci’s Italian (St. Paul)

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Best(est) Cheese Curds
Park Tavern (St. Louis Park)
Tamarack Taproom (Woodbury)
Brunson’s Pub (St. Paul)
Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub (South Minneapolis)
The Nook (St. Paul)

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Best(est) Pancakes
The Hen & Hog (Albertville)
Fat Nat’s Eggs (Multiple Locations)
The Original Pancake House (Maple Grove)
Hi-Lo Diner (South Minneapolis)
Ideal Diner (NE Minneapolis)

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Best(est) Place for a Slice of Pie
Cafe Latte (St. Paul)
Dave the Pie Guy (Minneapolis)
The Buttered Tin (Multiple Locations)
The Rustic Inn (Two Harbors)
Aroma Pie Shoppe (Whalen)

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Best(est) Ice Cream
Nelson’s Ice Cream (Stillwater)
Cup and Cone (White Bear Lake)
Sebastian Joe’s (Multiple Locations)
Conny’s Creamy Cone (St. Paul)
Pumphouse Creamery (Minneapolis)

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Best(est) Meat Market
Hackenmueller Meats (Robbinsdale)
Osseo Meat Market (Osseo)
Clancey’s Meats & Fish (South Minneapolis)
White Bear Butchery (White Bear Lake)
Von Hanson’s Meats (Multiple Locations)

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Best(est) Local Coffee Shop
Wildflyer Coffee (South Minneapolis)
West Side Perk (Bloomington)
Munkabeans Coffeehouse (Hopkins)
Riverview Coffee (Belle Plain)
Mudslingers Drive Thru Coffee (Roseville)

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Best(est) Local Beer to Drink While Watching the Game
Indeed – Day Tripper
Grain Belt – Premium
Modist – Supra
Falling Knife – Tomm’s
Summit Brewing – Twins Pils

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Best(est) Local Non-Alcoholic Beverage
Northern Soda Company – Minnesota Apple
Lift Bridge Soda Co – Mini Donut Cream Soda
Spring Grove Soda Pop – Lemon Sour
New Ulm Brewing and Beverage Company – 1919 Root Beer
Fulton Brewing – Hop Kingdom Mango Hop Water

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Best(est) Local Seltzer or Cider
Sociable Cider Werks – Freewheeler
Minneapolis Cider Company – Mango Habanero
Urban Growler – Basil Limeade Hard Seltzer
Med City – Black Cherry Hard Seltzer
Gray Duck Spiked Nitro Cold Brew

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Best(est) Local THC Beverage
BLNCD – Cucumber Mojito THC Mocktail
Gigli – Blood Orange Margarita
You Betcha! – Hibiscus Mint Herbal Tea
Looner – Professor Pepper
Minny Grown – Lemon Drop-lets

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Best(est) Local Brewery
Luce Line Brewing (Plymouth)
Indeed Brewing (NE Minneapolis)
Arbeiter Brewing (South Minneapolis)
Unmapped Brewing (Minnetonka)
Black Stack Brewing (St. Paul)

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Best(est) Local Spirits
Gray Duck Spirits
Du Nord Social Spirits
O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co.
Norseman Distillery
Prairie Organic Spirits

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Best(est) Spot to Play Bingo
Bald Man Brewing (Eagan)
201 Tavern (Anoka)
Wild Boar Bar & Grill (Hopkins)
Foxhole Bingo (Maplewood)
Chester Bird American Legion (Golden Valley)

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Best(est) Restaurant to Go for a Hangover Cure
Al’s Breakfast (Dinkytown)
Nicollet Diner (Minneapolis)
Bunny’s Bar & Grill (St. Louis Park)
Papa’s Cafe (New Hope)
Day by Day Cafe (St Paul)

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Best(est) LGBT Bar
Roxy’s Cabaret (Minneapolis)
19 Bar (Minneapolis)
Camp Bar (St. Paul)
Lush (NE Minneapolis)
Black Hart of St. Paul (St. Paul)

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Best(est) Patio for Drinks
Charlie’s on Prior (Prior Lake)
The Freighthouse (Stillwater)
Maynards (Excelsior)
Admiral D’s Waterfront Tavern (White Bear Lake)
Sweeney’s Saloon (St. Paul)

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Best(est) Dog-Friendly Patio
The Gnome Craft Pub (St. Paul)
Heavy Rotation Brewing Co (Brooklyn Park)
Duke’s on 7 (Minnetonka)
The Rusty Bumblebee (Blaine)
Full Tilt Tavern (Bloomington)

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Best(est) Record Store
Down In The Valley (Golden Valley)
Electric Fetus (Minneapolis)
South Metro Music (Burnsville)
Agharta Records (St. Paul)
Verbena Vinyl (Northfield)

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Best(est) Smaller Venue That’s Not First Ave (Because They Always Win)
Turf Club – TIE!
Fine Line
The Fillmore – TIE!
Medina Entertainment Center
Uptown Theater

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Best(est) Bar to See Live Music
Terminal Bar (Minneapolis)
331 Club (NE Minneapolis)
Acadia (Minneapolis)
Amsterdam Bar & Hall (St. Paul)
Mainstreet Bar (Hopkins)

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Best(est) Album from a Minnesota Band or Artist
Purple Rain (Prince)
Blood on the Tracks (Bob Dylan)
Tim (The Replacements)
Grave Dancers Union (Soul Asylum)
Zen Arcade (Husker Du)

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Best(est) Local Band Name That’s “Punny”
Fool Fighters (Foo Fighters)
Pleezer (Weezer)
All Tomorrow’s Pettys (Tom Petty-ish)
ELNo (ELO)
The Reckoning Crew (R.E.M.)

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Best(est) Small Town Parade
Twine Ball Days (Darwin)
Stand Still Parade (Whalen)
North Hudson Pepper Fest (North Hudson, WI)
Hopkins Raspberry Festival Parade (Hopkins)
Dam Days and Twilight Parade (Morristown)

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Best(est) Minnesota County Fair
Steele County Fair
Washington County Fair
Anoka County Fair
Pine County Fair
Martin County Fair

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Best(est) Animal Rescue
Coco’s Heart
Midwest Animal Rescue & Services
The Bond Between
Pet Haven
Feline Rescue

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Best(est) Minnesota Based Comedian (*Nominated by 2025 Winner, Maggie Faris)
Ben Katzner
Mike Lester
Elise Cole
David Harris
Khadijah Cooper

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Best(est) Place to Go When You Want to Get The Giggles
ACME Comedy Company
Laugh Camp Comedy Club
Sisyphus Brewing & Comedy
Comedy Corner Underground
New Hope Cinema Grill

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Best(est) State Fair Attraction
Ye Old Mill
All You Can Drink Milk
Miracle of Birth Center
Giant Yellow Slide
Skyride

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Best(est) Local Podcast
Gorman in the Morning
Locked on Vikings
No Brains, No Lightbulbs
Big Labia Energy
The Lawn Feed

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Best(est) Bridge
Stillwater Bridge
Mendota Bridge
Hennepin Avenue Bridge (this is Chauncey’s favorite bridge)
Inver Grove Heights Swing Bridge
St. Croix Crossing

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Best(est) Place to Get Inked
Leviticus Tattoo and Body Piercing (South Minneapolis)
Aloha Monkey (Burnsville)
Jackelope Tattoo (Minneapolis)
Dragonland Tattoo (Hopkins)
Black Coffin Tattoo (St. Paul)

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Best(est) Lake of the Chain of Lakes
Bde Maka Ska
Cedar Lake
Lake of the Isles
Lake Nokomis
Lake Harriet

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Best(est) Kayak Route (IDK… Ryder wanted this category)
St Croix River – Taylors Falls to William O’Brien St Park
Cannon River – Cannon Falls to Miesville Ravine
Upper Mississippi River – Coon Rapids Dam to Boom Island
Lower Minnehaha Creek – Utley Park (Edina) to Longfellow Lagoon
Lower Mississippi River – Hidden Falls to Harriet Island

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Best(est) State Park for Hiking (within a 90 minute drive from the Twin Cities)
Banning State Park
Fort Selling State Park
William O’Brien State Park
Afton State Park
Wild River State Park

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Best(est) Distraction from What’s Happening on the Field at a Twins Game
Sue the Organist
Mascot Race
Seventh Inning Stretch
$2 Beers
Dollar Dog Night

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Best(est) Fictional Character from Minnesota
Marshall Eriksen (How I Met Your Mother)
Rose Nyland (Golden Girls)
MacGuyver (MacGuyver)
Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore)
Joel Robinson (MST3K)

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Best(est) Reason to Move to Minnesota
10,000+ Lakes
We Get to Experience All Four Seasons
No Clothing Tax
No Sharks or Poisonous Snakes
The People Are Just So Gosh Darn Nice