In honor of the 15th anniversary of Best of Columbia, let’s take a little trip down memory lane. In the first year of Best Of, our March 2007 issue, Sycamore won Best New Restaurant, Jim Riek won Best Male TV News Anchor and Gumby’s won Best Use of Ranch Dressing (shoutout to Pokey Stix)! And in remembrance of people and places no longer with us, Darwin Hindman won Best Local Politician, Boone Tavern won Best Brunch and Lucy’s Corner Café won Best Breakfast.
Fast forward to 2013 and David Spear won Favorite Visual Artist — you may just see him have another brush with fame as part of our Editors’ Picks in this issue —well-known Nascar native Carl Edwards won Favorite Athlete and the Food Bank’s can-do Peggy Kirkpatrick was the Favorite Do-Gooder.
But, perhaps a trip back to the past isn’t what you were looking for on this page. Maybe it’s more of a trip back to the future, to dig in and find out who the Best of Columbia is this year.
After more than 23,000 votes across 68 different categories, we are so excited to share this year’s winners with you. We tried to give you our best — hope we don’t disappoint!
Food & Drink
BBQ
Gold: Como Smoke & Fire
Silver: Lutz’s BBQ
Bronze: D. Rowe’s Restaurant & Bar
Pizza
Gold: Shakespeare’s Pizza
Silver: Pizza Tree
Bronze: G&D Pizzaria
Burger
Gold: Just Jeff’s
Silver: Booches Billiard Hall
Bronze: Billiards on Broadway
Breakfast
Gold: Café Berlin
Silver: The Broadway Diner
Bronze: Ernie’s Café & Steakhouse
Mexican
Gold: Las Margaritas
Silver: Taqueria Don Pancho
Bronze: Casa Maria’s Mexican Cantina
Ice Cream/Frozen Custard
Gold: Andy’s
Silver: Sparky’s
Bronze: Randy’s
Brewery/Distillery/Winery
Gold: Logboat Brewing Co.
Silver: Flat Branch Pub & Brewing
Bronze: Les Bourgeois
Steak
Gold: CC’s City Broiler
Silver: G&D Steak House
Bronze: Chris McD’s
Outdoor Dining
Gold: Flat Branch
Silver: Las Margaritas
Bronze: Les Bourgeois
Coffee
Gold: The Grind
Silver: Lakota
Bronze: Love Coffee
Food Truck
Gold: Ozark Mountain Biscuit
Silver: Lilly’s Cantina
Bronze: Big Daddy’s BBQ
Dessert
Gold: Gooey Butter Cake – Murry’s
Silver: White Choc Strawberry Pie – Peggy Jean’s
Bronze: Crème Brulee – Chris McD’s
Curbside Takeout
Gold: Hoss’s Market & Rotisserie
Silver: Flat Branch Pub & Brewing
Bronze: The Pasta Factory
Margarita
Gold: Lime Margarita – Las Margaritas
Silver: Mango Habanero – Casa Maria’s
Bronze: Tiger Blood – 44 Canteen
Vegan/Vegeterian Eatery
Gold: Main Squeeze
Silver: BeetBox
Bronze: Nourish Cafés & Market
Onion Rings
Gold: Murry’s
Silver: Just Jeff’s
Bronze: D Rowe’s Restaurant & Bar
Asian Restaurant
Gold: Bangkok Gardens
Silver: Jina Yoo’s
Bronze: House of Chow
People
Chef
Gold: Dustin Norem – CC’s City Broiler
Silver: Chris McDonnell – Chris McD’s
Bronze: Myah Greene – Park Restaurant
Radio Personality
Gold: Scotty Cox
Silver: Shags
Bronze: Cosmo
Local TV Personality
Gold: Kenton Gewecke – KOMU
Silver: Emily Spain – KOMU
Bronze: Deborah Kendrick – KMIZ
Best Social Media Influencer
Gold: Cortney Bohr Vogel
Silver: Natalie Wier
Bronze: Polly Conner & Rachel Tiemeyer
Volunteer/Community Influencer
Gold: Jane Williams –
Love Columbia
Silver: John Wampler – Lizzy’s Walk of Faith
Bronze: Jen Wheeler – City of Refuge
Bartender
Gold: Molly Sutton –
Logboat Brewing Co.
Silver: Eddie Mendoza – Delia’s Mexican Grill
Bronze: Andrew Ruth – Barred Owl
Entrepreneur
Gold: Adam Wheeler –Big Tree Medical Home
Silver: Nic Parks – Silverball/Level Up
Bronze: Francisco Esquivel – Las Margaritas
CEO
Gold: Nate Long –
Veterans United
Silver: Jabbok Schlacks – Equipment Share
Bronze: Matt Moore – Shelter Insurance
Wedding Photographer
Gold: Schaefer Photography
Silver: SilverBox Photographers
Bronze: Art & Soul Photography
Fitness Instructor/personal trainer
Gold: Jen’s Get Fit Group
Silver: MacKenzie Wells Fitness
Bronze: Jerrell Jackson – API Project Fitness
Realtor
Gold: Katie Wagner & Erin Hendershott – 573 home team
Silver: The Klempkes – Iron Gate Real Estate
Bronze: Megan Walters – Homes by Megan
Financial Advisor
Gold: Jared Reynolds – WR Wealth
Silver: Denise Nelson – Accounting Plus
Bronze: Gina Mauller-Crane – Edward Jones
Attorney
Gold: Jeff Hilbrenner – Harper, Evans, Wade
& Netemeyer
Silver: Tyson Mutrux – Mutrux Family Law
Bronze: Andrew Popplewell – Eng & Woods
Tattoo Artist
Gold: Cassandra Stokes – Stone Crow Studio
Silver: Roxane Jeffries – Living Canvas
Bronze: Casey Paul Maddox – Iron Tiger
Insurance Agent
Gold: Phyllis Nichols – State
Farm Insurance
Silver: Nancy Allison – Shelter Insurance
Bronze: Cody Thorne – Naught-Naught
Insurance Agency
Services
Towing Company
Gold: Tiger Towing
Silver: Doug Perry Towing
Bronze: I-70 Towing
Lawn Care
Gold: Columbia Lawn Guys
Silver: Rost Landscaping
Bronze: Salter Lawn Service
Auto Repair Shop
Gold: Mutrux Automotive
Silver: Big O Tires
Bronze: Plaza Tire
Construction Company
Gold: Emery Sapp & Sons
Silver: Coil Construction
Bronze: Hemme Construction
Pet Day Care/Boarding
Gold: Creekside Pet Center
Silver: Woof’s Play & Stay
Bronze: Dog Daze Playcare
Customer Service
Gold: Macadoodles
Silver: Central Bank of Boone County
Bronze: Mutrux Automotive
Home Remodeling
Gold: TrueSon Exteriors and Interiors
Silver: Precision Construction
Bronze: Heartland Home Remodeling
COVID Pivot
Gold: Columbia Farmers Market
Silver: Logboat Brewing Co.
Bronze: BeetBox
Wait Staff
Gold: CC’s City Broiler
Silver: 44 Canteen
Bronze: Angelo’s Pizza & Steak House
Pet Supplies/Groomer
Gold: Lizzi & Rocco’s
Silver: Treats Unleashed
Bronze: All Dogs N Cats
Home Repair
Gold: Chapman Heating and Air
Silver: Star Heating and Air TIED with MasterTech
Bronze: Brian Wear Plumbing
Insurance Agency/Group
Gold: Shelter Insurance
Silver: State Farm Insurance
Bronze: Columbia Insurance Group
Pest Control
Gold: Steve’s Pest Control
Silver: Wingate Pest and Lawn LLC
Bronze: Atkins Inc.
Car Wash
Gold: Club Car Wash
Silver: Gaines Car Detailing
Bronze: Columbia Mall Car Wash
Wellness
Best Chiropractor
Gold: Chelsey Aitken-Wren – Columbia Chiropractic Center
Silver: Arminta Phelps – Achieve
Balance Chiropractic
Bronze: Ashley Emel – Compass Chiropractic
Retirement Living
Gold: Lenoir Woods
Silver: Bluff Creek Terrace
Bronze: The Terrace
Hair Stylist
Gold: Colissa Nole – Salon Nefisa
Silver: Melissa Kinkade – One Seven Hair and Permanent Cosmetics
Bronze: Allie Linder – Bella Salon
Mental Health Resource
Gold: Compass Health Network
Silver: Burrell Behavioral Health
Bronze: CenterPointe Hospital of Columbia
Place for a Massage
Gold: Riversong Spa and Salon
Silver: Massage Luxe
Bronze: Hands of Healing Touch
Dentist/Orthodontist
Gold: Steve Taylor – Central Missouri Orthodontics
Silver: Kent Willett – Willett Dental Associates
Bronze: Chase Patton – Chase Patton DDS
Hospital
Gold: Boone Health
Silver: Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Bronze: University Hospital
Specialty Health Care
Gold: Columbia Orthopaedic Group
Silver: Advanced Radiology
Bronze: Liberty Family Medicine
Eye care
Gold: Columbia Eye Consultants
Silver: Eye Care of Columbia
Bronze: Andrew Stone Optometry
Supplements
Gold: Clover’s Natural Market
Silver: Supplement Superstore
Bronze: NutriShop
Local Favorites
Place to take a visitor
Gold: Cooper’s Landing
Silver: Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
Bronze: Flat Branch Pub & Brewing’s Patio
Local Radio Show
Gold: Liz & Scotty In The Morning
Silver: Cosmo & Lauren Y107 Morning Show
Bronze: The Morning Shag with Shags and Trevor
Place to Hear Live Music
Gold: The Blue Note
Silver: Rose Music Hall
Bronze: Cooper’s Landing
Girls Night Out
Gold: Les Bourgeois Bistro
Silver: Paint the Town
Bronze: The Roof
Place to Buy Women’s Apparel
Gold: My Sister’s Circus
Silver: Fringe Boutique
Bronze: The Southern Rose
Place to Buy Shoes
Gold: Dryer’s Shoe Store
Silver: American Shoe
Bronze: Fleet Feet Sports
Best Place to Buy Jewelry
Gold: L.C. Betz Jewelers
Silver: Buchroeders Jewelers
Bronze: Poppy
Best Place you Missed During Covid
Gold: Ragtag Cinema
Silver: Rose Music Hall
Bronze: Midway Golf & Games
Best Place to buy home décor
Gold: Plume
Silver: Poppy
Bronze: Hockman Interiors
Best Place to Work
Gold: Veterans United home loans
Silver: Equipment Share
Bronze: MFA Oil
Best Kids’ ActivitIes
Gold: Sky Zone
Silver: Cosmo Park
Bronze: Level Up
Best Place to Buy a Car
Gold: Drewing Automotive
Silver: Bob McCosh
Bronze: Columbia Honda
