Everyone seems to have a list of the best people, places and things in Minnesota… but ours is the BEST(EST)! It’s KQ’s Minnesota’s Best(est) – All the important arguments settled once and for all.
Vote for the places and fun things you think deserve to be named Minnesota’s Best(est)! You’ll be voting not just for the best, but for the BEST(EST) our state has to offer!
2024 WINNERS!
Best(est) Jucy Lucy
- Blue Door Pub (Multiple Locations)
- Matt’s Bar (MPLS)
- 5-8 Club (Multiple Locations)
- The Nook (St. Paul)
- Lucy’s Burgers (Blaine)
Best(est) Ice Cream
- Dream Creamery (NE MPLS)
- Nelson’s Ice Cream (Stillwater)
- Grand Ole Creamery (MPLS/St. Paul)
- Pumphouse Creamery (MPLS)
- Two Scoops (Anoka)
Best(est) Sandwich Shop
- Nelson Cheese & Deli (St. Paul)
- Cecil’s Deli (St. Paul)
- Crossroads Delicatessen (Minnetonka)
- Ham’s Sandwich Shop (Minnetonka)
- Maverick’s (Roseville)
Best(est) Wings
- Serum’s (Anoka)
- Wing Joint (Blaine)
- Bricksworth Beer Co. (MPLS & Burnsville)
- D-Spot (Oakdale)
- Pho45 (Lakeville)
Best(est) Donuts
- Thirsty Whale (MPLS)
- Hanisch Bakery (Red Wing)
- Donut Hut (Little Canada)
- Hans’ Bakery (Anoka)
- Heights Bakery (Columbia Heights)
Best(est) Hot Dish
- Tator Tot Hot Dish
- Tuna Noodle Hot Dish
- Green Bean Casserole
- Goulash
- Chicken Wild Rice Hotdish
Best(est) Local Frozen Pizza
- Davanni’s
- Heggie’s
- Brew Pub Lotzza Motzza
- 7th Avenue Pizza
- Kettle River
Best(est) Food to Dip in Ranch
- Pizza
- French Fries
- Wings
- Cauliflower
- Filet Mignon
Best(est) Locally Made THC Beverage
- Flavor Pixels (Insight Brewing)
- Melt (Modist Brewing)
- Trail Magic (Minneapolis CiderCompany)
- Reef Water (Lake of the Woods Cannabis Company)
- BLNCD
Best(est) Minnesota Based Beer
- Grain Belt Nordeast
- Summit Saga IPA
- Hamm’s
- Castle Danger Cream Ale
- Surly Furious
Best(est) Bloody Mary
- Pappy’s (Andover)
- Ole Piper Inn (Blaine)
- Hell’s Kitchen (Mpls)
- Northern Tap House (Plymouth)
- Woody’s (Bayport MN)
Best(est) Bar for Pull Tabs
- Half-Time Rec (St. Paul)
- Hi Stakes Cafe & Bar (Spring Lake Park)
- Bunny’s (St. Louis Park)
- Dugarel’s Bar (Hastings)
- Outpost Bar (Ramsey)
Best(est) Bar for Karaoke
- Vegas Lounge (NE MPLS)
- The Stanchion Bar (Hamel/Corcoran)
- Otter’s Saloon (NE MPLS)
- James Ballentine Uptown VFW (MPLS)
- Delano American Legion Post 377 (Delano)
Best(est) VFW/American Legion
- American Legion Post 320 (Hopkins)
- American Legion Anoka Post 102 (Anoka)
- Palmer Lake VFW Post 3915 (Brooklyn Park)
- Chanhassen American Legion Post 580
- Kraus-Hartig WFV Post 6587 (Spring Lake Park)
Best(est) Liquor Store
- Cub Wine & Spirits (Multiple Locations)
- MGM Liquor (Multiple Locations)
- Morelli’s (St Paul)
- Rod’s Liquors (Cannon Falls)
- Napa Valley Liquors (Otsego)
Best(est) Record Store
- Down in the Valley (Golden Valley)
- Electric Fetus (MPLS)
- Know Name Records (Richfield)
- Barely Brothers Records (St. Paul)
- White Bear Lake Records (WBL)
Best(est) Concert Venue
- Armory
- First Ave
- Medina Entertainment Center
- Xcel Energy Center
- Target Center
Best(est) Local Tribute Band (Besides Hairball)
- Sabbatage (Black Sabbath)
- Rough House
- ELnO (Electric Light Orchestra)
- Xpedition
- Wicked Garden
Best(est) Late Night Bowling Alley
- Bryant Lake Bowl (MPLS)
- Pinstripes (Edina)
- Park Taven (St. Louis Park)
- Blainbrook (Blaine)
- Bogart’s (Apple Valley)
Best(est) Indoor Pickleball Venue
- Pickle In The Middle (Brooklyn Park)
- Lucky Shots (NE MPLS)
- Pints & Paddle (Maple Grove)
- Mega Pickleball (Minnetonka)
- Minneapolis Pickleball Club (MPLS)
Best(est) State Park
- Jay Cooke State Park
- Tettegouche State Park
- Itasca State Park
- Interstate State Park
- Gooseberry Falls State Park
- Fort Snelling State Park
Best(est) Dog Park
- Minnehaha Dog Park (MPLS)
- Battle Creek (Maplewood)
- Murphy-Hanrehan (Savage)
- Bassett Creek (Crystal)
- Crow Hassan Park Reserve (Rogers)
Best(est) Coaster
- Wild Thing (Valleyfair)
- Renegade (Valleyfair)
- Rock Bottom Plunge (Nickelodeon Universe)
- Timber Twister Alpine Coaster (Spirit Mountain)
- Miller High Life Coaster (your favorite bar)
Best(est) Car Wash
- Crew Carwash (Multiple Locations)
- Bobby & Steve’s Auto World (Multiple Locations)
- Tidal Wave Auto Spa (Multiple Locations)
- Shine Car Wash (Coon Rapids)
- Wash Me Self Serve Car Wash (Multiple Locations)
Best(est) Gas Station Coffee
- Kwik Trip
- Holiday
- Speedway
- Casey’s
- Shell
Best(est) place to renew your tabs
- Columbia Heights License Center
- Anoka Driver and Vehicle Services Exam Station
- Lakeville License Center
- Inver Grove License Center
- White Bear Lake License Bureau
Best(est) Truck Stop
- Petro Travel Center (Albert Lea)
- McStop (Lakeville)
- Flying J Travel Center (Northfield)
- Love’s Travel Stop (Rockville)
- Olson’s Truck Stop (Clearwater)
Best(est) Lake for Pontooning
- Lake Minnetonka (Minnetonka)
- Lake George (Oak Grove)
- White Bear Lake (WBL)
- Madison Lake (Madison)
- Lake Pepin (Pepin)
Best(est) Golf Course
- Hazeltine National (Chaska)
- Minnesota National Golf Club & Resort (McGregor)
- Mississippi National Golf Links (Red Wing)
- Madden’s (Brainerd)
- Izatys Golf Resort (Mille Lacs)
Best(est) Motorcycle Ride/Rally
- The Flood Run
- Dirty Rotten Bikerfest
- A.B.A.T.E of Minnesota State Rally
- Lady Riders of MN International Female Ride Day
- Annual Ride for Boobies and Beyond
Best(est) Womens Sports Team
- Minnesota Lynx (Basketball)
- PWHL Minnesota (Hockey)
- Minnesota Vixen (Football)
- Minnesota Aurora FC (Soccer)
- Minnesota Strike (“Ultimate” aka Ultimate Frisbee)
- Twin Cities Amazons (Rugby)
- North Star Roller Derby
Best(est) Current Athlete from Minnesota
- Chet Holmgren (Minnehaha Academy/OKC Thunder)
- Suni Lee (St. Paul/US Olympic Gymnastics Team)
- Frank Ragnow (Chanhassen/Detroit Lions)
- Paige Bueckers (Hopkins/UCONN Huskies)
- Jessie Diggins (Afton/US Olympic Cross Country Ski Team)
- Brock Faber (Maple Grove/Wild)
Best(est) Local Comedian (picks from Candice)
- Chad Daniels
- Mary Mack
- Nate Abshire
- Greg Coleman
- Bryan Miller
Best(est) Local Celebrity
- Goldy Gopher
- Wally the Beer Man
- Fancy Ray McCloney
- Gordon Bombay
- Lou Nanne
Best(est) High School Rivalry
- Rush City / Pine City
- Edina / Wayzata
- Woodbury/East Ridge
- Andover / Anoka
- Everyone / Edina
Best(est) Minnesota Company Slogan
- “Born in the Land of Sky Blue Waters” (Hamm’s)
- “Ho Ho Ho” (Green Giant Frozen Vegetables)
- “Silly Rabbit… Trix are for Kids” (Trix – General Mills)
- “Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve fried it” (SPAM/Hormel)
- “Life’s short. Stay Awake for It.” (Caribou Coffee)
Best(est) TV Show Set in Minnesota
- Mary Tyler Moore
- Coach
- Fargo
- Little House on the Prairie
- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
Best(est) Minnesota-ism
- “Ope!”
- “You Betcha”
- “Uff-dah”
- “I’m just gonna squeeze right by ya…”
- “Dontcha know”
Best(est) Reason to Envy Wisconsin
- Get to buy the cool fireworks
- Cheese Curd Festival
- Spotted Cow
- The Dells
- Ability to select franchise QBs
Best(est) Way to Make Sconnies Jealous
- THC infused gummies
- THC infused seltzers
- THC infused chocolate
- THC infused ice cream
- Remind them MacGyver is from here
Best(est) Date
- 5/11/1858
- 8/1/1978
- 11/11/1981
- 10/26/1991
- 8/1/2023
- April 25th…because it’s not too hot, not too cold. All you need is a light jacket.
Best(est) Side-Gig for a 92KQRS DJ
- Doobie Dasher (trademark pending)
- Marc-Andre Fleury’s assistant prankster
- Steve Gorman’s drum tech
- Quality control at Shell’s Brewery
- Taste tester for 7th Avenue Pizza
Check out the categories and winners from 2022 and from 2023.