Forget those other “best of” lists – they probably forgot the fun! KQ is bringing you the BEST(EST) of Minnesota, sponsored by JTR Roofing, and we’re settling the score on what truly reigns supreme… and having a blast doing it!
Vote for the places and fun things you think deserve to be named KQ’s Best(est)! You’ll be voting not just for the BEST, but for the BEST(EST) we have to offer! Check out last year’s categories and winners.
Here’s the 2025 Best(est) Winners List as voted by our listeners!
Sponsored by JTRRoofingINC.com – they have you covered from the roof on down!
Best(est) Burger
328 Grill (St. Paul Park)
Parlour (Multiple Locations)
King’s Place Bar & Grill (Miesville)
Burger Dive (St. Paul)
Wells Roadside (St. Louis Park)
Best(est) Food Truck Burger
The Angry Line Cook
Private Sector Provisions
Burger Daddies
Sweet Lou’s Craft Sausage & Butchery
Station No. 6
Best(est) Reuben
Stanley’s Northeast Bar Room (NE Minneapolis)
Kramarczuk’s (NE Minneapolis)
Eagan Arms Public House (Eagan)
Cecil’s (St. Paul)
Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub (South Minneapolis)
Best(est) Detroit Style Pizza
Wrecktangle Pizza (Multiple Locations)
Bricksworth Beer Co. (Multiple Locations)
Jet’s Pizza (Multiple Locations)
Norm’s Wayside (Buffalo)
Melt Pizza (Stillwater)
Best(est) Fries
Bull’s Horn Food & Drink (South Minneapolis)
D-Spot (Oakdale)
Ariana’s Bistro (St. Louis Park)
Le Burger (Linden Hills)
Matt’s Bar (South Minneapolis)
Best(est) Mac & Cheese
Whiskey Inferno (Multiple Locations)
Brasa (Multiple Locations)
Smack Shack (Multiple Locations)
Milton’s Vittles (Crystal)
Eli’s (NE Minneapolis)
Best(est) Ice Cream
2 Scoops (Anoka)
Sebastian Joe’s (Multiple Locations)
Dream Creamery (NE Minneapolis)
Nelson’s (Stillwater)
Cup & Cone (White Bear Lake)
Best(est) Sandwich Shop
Nelson’s Cheese & Deli (St. Paul)
Clancey’s (Minneapolis)
Marty’s Deli (NE Minneapolis)
South Lyndale Liquors (Minneapolis)
Alleycat’s Gourmet Sandwiches (White Bear Lake)
Best(est) Wings – FIRST EVER TIE!
Serum’s (Anoka)
5-8 Club (Multiple Locations)
Buffalo Tap (Savage)
Ray-J’s (Multiple Locations)
Runyon’s (Minneapolis)
Best(est) Donuts
Hanisch Bakery (Red Wing)
Donut Star (Multiple Locations)
Puffy Cream Donuts (Eagan)
Duck Donuts (Woodbury)
Angel Food Bakery & Donut Bar (St. Louis Park)
Best(est) Burrito
Los Ocampo (Multiple Locations)
Brito’s Burrito (Multiple Locations)
Los Cactus (Columbia Heights)
La Tapatia (Roseville)
El Burrito Mercado (St. Paul)
Best(est) Omelet
Fat Nat’s (Multiple Locations)
Valley Diner (Apple Valley)
Keys Cafe (Multiple Locations)
Good Day Cafe (Golden Valley)
Hazel’s Northeast (NE Minneapolis)
Best(est) Bloody Mary
Ole Piper Inn (Blaine)
Bunny’s Bar & Grill (St. Louis Park)
Bennett’s Chop and Railhouse (St. Paul)
Brainerd VFW (Brainerd)
Trail Stop Tavern (Eagan)
Best(est) Minnesota Beer to Bring to a Party
Summit Brewing – Saga Hazy
Elm Creek Brewing – Legalize Mulligans
Modist Brewing – False Pattern
Steel Toe Brewing – Size 7
Indeed Brewing – Flavorwave
Best(est) Minnesota Beer to Drink After Mowing the Yard
Grain Belt – Premium
Falling Knife Brewing – Tomm’s
Surly Brewing – Hell
Castle Danger Brewing – Cream Ale
Bent Paddle Brewing – Light Lager
Best(est) Minnesota Made THC Beverage
Broken Clock Brewing – Community Garden
Lupulin Brewing – Smazey
Lake of the Woods Cannabis Co. – Reef Water
High Fiver – Indeed Brewing
Trail Magic
Best(est) Bar/Brewery for Trivia
New Bohemia (Golden Valley)
Luce Line Brewing (Plymouth)
Park Tavern (St. Louis Park)
Merlins Rest Irish Pub (Minneapolis)
Parkway Pizza (NE Minneapolis)
Best(est) Bar/Brewery for Bingo
Bald Man Brewing (Eagan)
Chester Bird American Legion (Golden Valley)
Sandy’s Tavern (Richfield)
JJ’s Clubhouse (Golden Valley)
Shortstop Bar & Grill (Fridley)
Best(est) Bar for Karaoke
Delano American Legion Post 377 (Delano)
Vegas Lounge (NE Minneapolis)
Casper’s (Eagan)
Inn Kahoots (Hamel)
James Ballentine VFW Post #246 (Uptown)
Best(est) Meat Raffle
SteveO’s Bar & Grill (Crystal)
201 Tavern (Anoka)
Miller’s (Columbia Heights)
American Legion Osseo Post #172 (Osseo)
Trappers Bar & Grill (Lino Lakes)
Best(est) Bar for Day Drinking
Spring Street Tavern (NE Minneapolis)
Palmer’s Bar (Minneapolis)
CC Club (Uptown)
Duffy’s Bar & Grill (Osseo)
Charlie’s on Prior (Prior Lake)
Best(est) Liquor Store
MGM Liquor (Multiple Locations)
Liquor Barrel (Golden Valley)
Atomic Liquor (Eagan)
East Lake Liquor (Minneapolis)
Haskell’s (Multiple Locations)
Best(est) Record Store
Electric Fetus (Minneapolis)
Down in the Valley (Golden Valley)
White Bear Lake Records (White Bear Lake)
South Metro Music (Burnsville)
Verbena Vinyl (Northfield)
Best(est) Concert Venue to Get Up Close and Personal
First Ave
The Fillmore
Palace Theatre
Varsity Theater
Fine Line
Best(est) Outdoor Concert Venue
Somerset Amphitheater
Treasure Island Amphitheater
The Ledge Amphitheater
Mystic Lake Amphitheater
Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
Best(est) Bowling Alley
Blainebrook (Blaine)
Elsie’s (NE Minneapolis)
Flaherty’s Arden Bowl (Arden Hills)
Drkula’s 32 Bowl (Inver Grove Heights)
Town Hall Lanes (South Minneapolis )
Best(est) Regional Park
Theodore Wirth (Minneapolis)
Elm Creek (Maple Grove)
Murphy Hanrehan (Shakopee)
Lebanon Hills (Eagan)
Battle Creek (Maplewood)
Best(est) Dog Park
Minnehaha Dog Park (South Minneapolis)
Crow Hassan (Rogers)
Rice Creek (Shoreview)
Bald Eagle-Otter (White Bear Township)
Andy’s Bark Park (Woodbury)
Best(est) Metro County
Hennepin
Anoka
Ramsey
Scott
Dakota
Washington
Carver
Best(est) Bike Trail
Gateway State Trail
Cedar Lake Trail
Big River
Dakota Rail
Luce Line State Trail
Best(est) Car Wash
Bobby & Steve’s Auto World (Multiple Locations)
Crew Carwash (Multiple Locations)
Tidal Wave Auto Spa (Multiple Locations)
Kwik Trip (Multiple Locations)
Holiday Stationstores (Multiple Locations)
Best(est) Lake to Catch a Fish
Lake Minnetonka
Lake Minnewashta
Bald Eagle Lake
Bryant Lake
Lake Harriet
Best(est) Lake to Catch a Buzz
Prior Lake
Lake Independence
Gull Lake
White Bear Lake
Lake Pepin
Best(est) Golf Course
Mississippi National Golf Links (Red Wing)
Cragun’s Legacy Courses (Brainerd)
Hazeltine National Golf Club (Chaska)
TPC Twin Cities (Blaine)
Baker National (Medina)
Best(est) Motorcycle Ride/Rally
The Flood Run
One Wild Ride
SCVR Chilly Feed
Dirty Rotten Bikerfest
A.B.A.T.E. State Rally
Best(est) Summer Event
Anoka County Fair
Hopkins Raspberry Festival
Renaissance Festival
Irish Fair
Minnesota Garlic Festival
Best(est) Reason to Head Up North
Fishing
Hunting
Drinking
Floating
Antiquing
Best(est) Place to Sit at Target Field for a Twins Game
Champions Club
Home Run Porch
Bellied up at 2 Gingers next to the stadium organist, Sue
Gate 34 Experience
Town Ball Tavern
Best(est) Team to Follow to Get Your Heart Broken
Vikings
Twins
Wild
Wolves
United
Best(est) Local Pro Team Logo
United
Frost
Saints
Aurora
Wolves
Best(est) Athlete You’d Want to Grab a Beer With
Naz Reid
Joe Mauer
Lindsey Whalen
Torii Hunter
Marc-André Fleury
Best(est) Athlete You’d Want on Your Intramural Team
Carlos Correa
NaPheesa Collier
Justin Jefferson
Kirill Kaprizov
Jaden McDaniels
Best(est) Trash Talker
Anthony Edwards
Kevin Garnett
Randy Moss
John Randle
Joel Eriksson Ek
Best(est) Local Comedian in the Spotlight
Josh Blue
Mary Mack
Kelsey Cook
Chad Daniels
Nick Swardson
Best(est) Local Comedian on the Rise (h/t Patrick Strait at MNComedy.com)
Greg Coleman
Wendy Maybury
Maggie Faris
Trevor Anderson
Best(est) Movie Set in Minnesota
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Mighty Ducks
North Country
Grumpy Old Men
Purple Rain
Best(est) Passive Aggressive Minnesotan Insult
“Bless your heart”
“That’s different”
“I’m sorry you feel that way”
“No offense, but…”
“I don’t hate it…”
Best(est) Reason to Throw Rocks at Wisconsin
The Packers
Spotted Cow is not that great
Their illegal fireworks scare our dogs
Brandy does not belong in a proper Old Fashioned
Those aren’t real lakes
KQ’s Best(est) Timeline
- April 28 – May 2: Listener input
- May 5-16: All categories and nominees are revealed and voting begins!
- Week of May 19: 2025 winners announced