Another year, another round of winners in the INDY ’s much-imitated, never-replicated Best of the Triangle contest, where you tell us who’s the best of the best in our beloved region.
While Best of the Triangle has been running for two decades now, astute readers and INDY fans will notice that we’re doing things a little differently. Instead of presenting all winners in all categories, ranging from restaurants, bars, and yoga studios to hair salons, museums, and preschools, all at once, we’re running individual contests and presenting winners in different categories one county at a time—Wake, Durham, and Orange and Chatham—now, we’re on Orange and Chatham Counties.
This year’s list of Orange and Chatham winners, as voted by our readers, is a wonderful reflection of the community in Orange and Chatham Counties and all that they have to offer. You could make a perfect local day—or several—out of dining at the restaurants, touring the parks and museums, and shopping at all the stores for which our readers cast their ballots. There’s so much else to do, too: catch a show, a play, or a movie at one of Orange and Chatham’s premier venues, drop in at a bookstore, or support a local nonprofit.
Thank you for nominating and voting for all of your favorites! Congratulations to all of the finalists in Orange and Chatham who will receive our coveted star decal to display in their windows. Winners will also receive a poster to display in their shop.
Look forward to celebrating all of our winners in all three counties in our special-edition paper in December.
Sarah Edwards Culture Editor
Best alcoholic cocktails The Crunkleton
Runners-up: Belltree Cocktail Club, Eno River Brewing
Best Bagel Brandwein’s Bagels
Runners-up: The Phoenix Bakery, Bruegger’s
Best Bakery Guglhupf Bake Shop
Runners-up: Kim’s Bake Shop, The Phoenix Bakery
Best Barbecue Hillsborough BBQ Company
Runners-up: The Pig, Allen & Son Bar-B-Que
Best beer retail store Beer Study
Runners-up: Weaver Street Market, House of Hops-Pittsboro
Best biscuits Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen
Runners-up: Rise Carrboro, Neal’s Deli
Best brewery Eno River Brewery
Runners-up: bmc brewing, Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery – Chapel Hill
Best brunch restaurant Cafe Root Cellar Pittsboro
Runners-up: Small B&B Cafe, Grata Diner
Best burger Al’s Burger Shack
Runners-up: Town Hall Burger and Beer, Shake Shack Chapel Hill
Best Catering Mediterranean Deli, Bakery and Catering
Runners-up: Al’s Burger Shack, Beau Catering
Best cheap eats Mediterranean Deli, Bakery and Catering
Runners-up: Breadman’s, Al’s Burger Shack
Best Cheese Shop The Cheese Shop
Runners-up: Weaver Street Market, (Tied for 2nd) Boxcar Handmade Cheese & Trader Joe’s, Chapel Hill Creamery
Best Chinese Restaurant Jade Palace Restaurant
Runners-up: Gourmet Kingdom, Red Lotus
Best Coffee Shop Caffè Driade
Runners-up: Open Eye Cafe, Cup A Joe
Best Desserts Guglhupf Bake Shop
Runners-up: Kim’s Bake Shop, Crumbl
Best Draft Selection Wooden Nickel Pub
Runners-up: House of Hops-Pittsboro, Eno River Brewing
Best Ethnic Grocery Store Mediterranean Deli, Bakery and Catering
Runners-up: Lupitas Meat Market and Taqueria, Mikyin’s Asian Market
Best Food Truck Tacos Los Altos
Runners-up: Bulkogi Food Truck, Drunken Noodles
Best Indian Restaurant Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe
Runners-up: Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar, Nomad
Best Italian Restaurant Pizzeria Mercato
Runners-up: Magone Italian Grill, Pieros
Best Japanese Restaurant Akai Hana Japanese Restaurant
Runners-up: Spicy 9, Sushi Nikko
Best Late Night Meal – Past 10 p.m. Wooden Nickel Pub
Runners-up: Time Out, Northside
Best Mexican Restaurant Fiesta Grill Restaurant
Runners-up: Monterrey Mexican Grill, Mi Cancun
Best Neighborhood Bar Eno River Brewery
Runners-up: Orange County Social Club, House of Hops-Pittsboro
Best New Restaurant La Montana
Runners-up: J Dubs Po-Boys, Raising Cane’s
Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks Wooden Nickel Pub
Runners-up: Eno River Brewing, Boro Beverage
Best Pizza Pizzeria Mercato
Runners-up: Italian Pizzeria III, Alfredo’s Pizza Villa
Best Seafood Squid’s Restaurant
Runners-up: Postal Fish Co., Saratoga Grill
Best Small Plates/Tapas Glasshalfull
Runners-up: Lucha Tigre, The Beagle
Best Southern Food Mama Dip’s
Runners-up: Wooden Nickel Pub, Cafe Root Cellar, Timeout
Best Sushi Akai Hana Japanese Restaurant
Runners-up: Spicy 9, Sushi Niko
Best Thai Restaurant Cham Thai
Runners-up: Thai Station, Thai Palace
Best Vegetarian Eatery Mediterranean Deli, Bakery and Catering
Runners-up: Spotted Dog, Kim’s Bake Shop
Best Wine List Rocks + Acid
Runners-up: Bluebird, Vino, House of Hops
Best Wine Retail Store Hillsborough Wine Company
Runners-up: Rocks + Acid, Vino’s Wine Shop
Best Wings Wooden Nickel Pub
Runners-up: Heavenly Buffaloes, Carolina Brewery
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Best Arboretum or Garden North Carolina Botanical Garden
Runners-up: Montrose, Hartley Henge
Best Dance Venue Best Dance Venue
Cat’s Cradle
Runners-up: The Kraken, Still Life Chapel Hill
Best Golf Course Finley
Runners-up: Occoneechee Golf Club, Preserve at Jordan lake
Best Hotel Colonial Inn
Runners-up: Siena, Graduate Chapel Hill
Best Hotel Lounge Carolina Inn
Runners-up: Siena, Graduate Chapel Hill
Best Karaoke Place/Event Wooden Nickel Pub
Runners-up: Northside District, House of Hops Music Bingo
Best Place to People Watch Weaver St. Market Carrboro
Runners-up: Franklin Street, Shakori Hills Grassroot Grassroots Festival
Best Preschool/Early Education Program Learning Outside
Runners-up: Schoolhouse of Wonder, Binkley Preschool
Best Sports Bar Wooden Nickel Pub
Runners-up: Runners-up: Carolina Brewery, House of Hops, Four Corners
Best Summer Camp Carolina Friends School
Runners-up: Learning Outside, Schoolhouse of Wonder
Best Trivia Bar/Event Hammered Trivia @ Haw River Tap & Table
Runners-up: Eno River Brewing Trivia
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Best Chef Leslie Chartier, The Travelling Cafe & John Horn, Wooden Nickel Pub
Runners-up: Sera Cuni at Root Cellar Cafe
Best DJ DJ Wilder
Runners-up: DJ Special K House of Hops, Mista Illz Marcus Ward
Best Draft-Slinger Kacie Walker, House of Hops (Pittsboro)
Runners-up: James Peery at The Kraken, Vicky Bacskay at House of Hops
Best Kids NonProfit Schoolhouse of Wonder
Runners-up: Extraordinary Ventures
Best Local Activist Group Orange County CFAC
Runners-up: Hillsborough Progressives Taking Action, Love Chapel Hill
Best Mixologist Britton Murray, Wooden Nickel Pub
Runners-up: Zach White at The Belltree, Jess Donnell at Northside District
Best NonProfit B3 Coffee
Runners-up: Extraordinary Ventures, Inc., Schoolhouse of Wonder
Best Politician Graig Meyer
Runners-up: Jamezetta Bedford, Meaghun Darab
Best Reason to Leave DURHAM County Rising prices
Runners-up: Traffic, Chatham Park
Best Reason to Love DURHAM County The vibes
Runners-up: Green areas, College county
Best Use of Public Money Schools
Runners-up: Affordable Housing, Hillsborough Skate Park
Biggest Waste of Public Money Developer Incentives
Runners-up: Construction on Estes, VinFast
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Best Barber Shop Friendly Barber Shop
Runner-up: Midway Barber Shop, Cadle’s Barber Shop
Best Childcare Schoolhouse of Wonder
Runners-up: Casa Club Spanish Immersion, Harvest Learning Center
Best Chiropractic Practice Carolina Spine Specialists
Runners-up: NC Chiropractic, Circle City Chiro
Best Dental Practice Holman Family Dental Care
Runners-up: Carrboro Family Dentistry, Cornerstone Family Dentistry
Best Dermatological Practice Chapel Hill Dermatology
Runners-up: UNC Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center at Southern Village, Central Dermatology Center
Best Gym UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont
Runners-up: Planet Fitness Chapel Hill, O2 Fitness Chapel Hill – North Chatham
Best Hair Salon Mina’s Studio
Runners-up: Great Clips, Ashlyn & Co
Best Holistic Medicine UNC Integrative Medicine
Runners-up: Holistic Health & Medicine, Integrative Functional Medicine
Best Massage Therapist Carole L Pope, LMBT # 12671
Runners-up: Jenn Browning, Valory Hicks
Best Pediatric Practice Chapel Hill Pediatrics
Runners-up: Therapy Smarts, Inc., Emerge Pediatric Therapy
Best Spa Hillsborough Day Spa
Runners-up: The Spa at Ferrington, Edge Salon and Wellness
Best Veterinary Practice Carrboro Plaza Veterinary Clinic
Runners-up: Hope Crossing Animal Hospital, Vine Veterinary Hospital
Best Women’s Health Practice Chapel Hill OBGYN
Runners-up: Planned Parenthood, The UNC Family Medicine Center at Chapel Hill
Best Yoga Studio Franklin Street Yoga Center
Runners-up: Loving Kindness, YogaSix
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Best Attorney Cedar Grove Law
Runners-up: Paynter Law, Kim K. Steffan
Best Auto Dealer Mark Jacobson Toyota (Serving Orange County)
Runners-up: University Ford Chapel Hill, ABW Imports
Best Auto Mechanic Braxton Tire
Runners-up: Sturdivants, J & W Automotive
Best CBD/Head Shop Carolina Hemp Hut – Hillsborough Dispensary
Runners-up: Cannabliss, Maxx Vape & Juul
Best Clothing Consignment My Secret Closet
Runners-up: Rumors, Second Bloom Thrift Shop
Best Dance Studio Monarch Movement Company
Runners-up: Hillsborough Cheer, Dance, and Gymnastics, Ballet School of Chapel Hill
Best Dog Boarding Top Dog
Runners-up: Green beagle lodge, Doggie Day Spa, Love Overboard
Best Dog Grooming Hair of the Dog Grooming Studio
Runners-up: Eno Animal Hospital, Livy’s Lavish Self Wash & Grooming
Best Dog Training Top Dog
Runners-up: Cheery Dogs, Ryan Ford- Dog Training Camp USA
Best Dog Walking Kimie’s Kritters LLC
Runners-up: Walk & Wag, Peace of Mind Pet Sitting
Best Electrician Bonneville Electric
Runner-up: Klassic Electrical Services Inc., Robert Rockett at Triangle Electric
Best HVAC Company Boer Brothers
Runners-up: Tri Tech Services, Chatham Heating and Air
Best Insurance Company Bonnie Rose, NC Farm Bureau
Runner-up: Pam Herndon State Farm, High and Rubish
Best Jeweler/Jewelry Store Melissa Designer Jewelry
Runners-up: Womancraft Fine Handcrafted Gifts, Rings True
Best Landscaper Roots & Sproots
Runners-up: Hillsborough Landscaping, Jeremy Mullis
Best Local Bookstore Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill
Runners-up: Golden Fig Books, Circle City Books & Music
Best New Business Eno River Brewing
Runners-up: Anne and Arthur Fine Art Supply, Finders and Seekers Emporium
Best Painters Gonzalez
Runners-up: Tar Heel Painters, Matias Painting
Best Place to Buy Locally Made Art Womancraft Fine Handcrafted Gifts
Runners-up: Gold Hand Gallery, Peel Gallery + Photo Lab
Best Real Estate Company Weaver Street Realty
Runners-up: Triangle Key by Flex Realty, Premier Agents Network
Best Realtor (Individual’s Name) Terri Turner
Runners-up: Carla Sartor, James Blackburn
Best Vintage Store Rumors
Runners-up: Reclamation Home Furnishings, Carlisle and Linny Vintage Jewelry
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Best Art Gallery FRANK Gallery
Runners-up: Womancraft Fine Handcrafted Gifts, Peel Gallery + Photo Lab
Best Art Museum Ackland Art Museum
Best Comedy Club/Event Yonder: Southern Cocktails and Brew
Runners-up: The Plant, Cold Brew Comedy
Best Drag Show/Event Carrboro Pride
Runners-up: Drag show w/Kiki Diamond & Friends, Cafe Root Cellar
Best Electronic Concert Venue Cat’s Cradle
Best Film Theatre Venue/Event Chelsea Theater
Runners-up: Lumina, Center Theater Company
Best Local/Regional Podcast WCHL
Runners-up: Aye-aye Pod (Duke Lemur Center), Inside Carolina: A UNC athletics podcast
Best Radio Station WUNC
Runners-up: WCHL, WHUP
Best Theatre Company Playmaker Theatre, UNC, Chapel Hill
Runners-up: Center Theatre Company, Company Carolina
Best Unplugged Concert Venue Cat’s Cradle
Runners-up: Community Church Concerts, Nash Street Tavern
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