Readers' Poll Results

Best of Baltimore Readers’ Poll Results 2020

You voted, and now, here are your picks for the best that Baltimore has to offer.

You voted, and now without further ado, here are the results of our 2020 Best of Baltimore Readers’ Poll! Thanks to everyone who voted, and don’t forget to subscribe now or pick up a copy of our annual “Best of Baltimore” issue to see who our editors chose.

 

Presented by:

Arts & Culture

Artist

Winner: J.B. Shepard
Runners-up: Matt Murhead; TT the Artist

Band

Winner: Signal 13
Runners-up: When the Thunder Comes; Future Islands

Bookstore

Winner: The Ivy Bookshop
Runners-up: Greedy Reads; Atomic Books

Creative Space

Winner: Creative Alliance
Runners-up: Graffiti Alley; Motor House

Dance Party

Winner: Save Your Soul
Runners-up: WERQ with Purple Dynamo; The Crown

Exhibit

Winner: Undesign the Redline
Runners-up: Elizabeth Catlett: Artist as Activist 

Festival

Winner: Artscape
Runners-up: Hampdenfest; Honfest

Gallery

Winner: Crystal Moll Gallery
Runners-up: Y:ART; Current Space

Instagram

Winner: @killercatbaltimore
Runners-up: @themodestflorist; @eatmorebaltimore

Museum

Winner: The Baltimore Museum of Art
Runners-up: The Walters Art Museum; The American Visionary Arts Museum

Music Venue

Winner: Club 66
Runners-up: Ottobar; Ram’s Head Live

Musician

Winner: Chris Jacobs
Runners-up: Dan Deacon; Eze Jackson

Play or Performance

Winner: Pride and Prejudice (Peabody Opera)
Runners-up: Hamilton (Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center); Wicked (Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center)

Poet

Winner: Kondwani Fidel
Runners-up: Black Chakra

Street Art

Winner: Black Lives Matter Mural (Patterson Park)
Runners-up: Black Trans Lives Matter (Charles Village); Dog Avenue (Hampden)

Theater (Movie)

Winner: Senator Theatre
Runners-up: The Charles Theater; The Rotunda Cinebistro

Theater (Live)

Winner: Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center
Runners-up: Center Stage; Everyman Theater

Writer

Winner: D. Watkins
Runners-up: Laura Lippman; Anne Tyler

Food & Drink

Bagel

Winner: Towson Hot Bagels
Runners-up: Uber Bagels; Goldberg’s Bagels

Bakery

Winner: Cake by Jason
Runners-up: Fenwick Bakery; Woodlea Bakery

Bar

Winner: Wet City
Runners-up: Michael’s Cafe; Don’t Know Tavern

Bartender

Winner: Scott Jones (Wet City)
Runners-up: Tod Coleman (Nepenthe Brewing Co.); Lisa Davis (Hon Bar)

Breakfast

Winner: Miss Shirley’s Café
Runners-up: Blue Moon Café; Iron Rooster

Brunch

Winner: Food Market
Runners-up: Gunther & Co.; Gertrude’s

Brewery

Winners: Union Craft Brewing
Runners-up: Key Brewing Co.; Nepenthe Brewing Co.

Burger

Winner: Abbey Burger Bistro
Runners-up: Hamilton Tavern; Clark Burger

Chef

Winner: Brendon Hudson (Liliahna)
Runners-up: Cindy Wolf (Charleston); Zack Mills (True Chesapeake Oyster Co.)

Cocktails

Winner: Bluebird Cocktail Room & Pub
Runners-up: Dutch Courage; Clavel

Coffee

Winner: Zeke’s Coffee
Runners-up: Ceremony Coffee Roasters; Baltimore Coffee & Tea

Crabs

Winner: Conrad’s Crabs & Seafood
Runners-up: LP Steamers; Captain James Landing

Farmers’ Market

Winner: Waverly Farmers’ Market
Runners-up: JFX Farmers’ Market & Bazaar; Fells Point Farmers’ Market

Fine Dining

Winner: Charleston
Runners-up: True Chesapeake Oyster Co. and The Prime Rib (tie)

Food Truck

Winner: Gypsy Queen
Runners-up: Kooper’s Chowhound; Jimmy’s Famous Seafood

Food Hall

Winner: R. House
Runners-up: Mt. Vernon Marketplace; Cross Street Market

Ice Cream

Winner: The Charmery
Runners-up: Taharka Bros.; Bmore Licks

Lunch

Winner: Atwater’s and DiPasquales (tie)
Runners-up: Ekiben; Stone Mill Bakery

Outdoor Dining

Winner: Citron
Runners-up: Nick’s Fish House; Gunther & Co.

Snowball

Winner: Snoasis
Runners-up: Quality Snowballs; Ice Queens

Vegetarian

Winner: Land of Kush
Runners-up: Golden West Cafe; One World Cafe

Winery

Winner: Boordy
Runners-up: Old Westminster; Black Ankle

Lifestyle & Home

Auto Repair

Winner: Sherwood Auto Repair
Runners-up: Hollenshade’s Auto Repair Service; K&S Mechanics

Contractor (Home)

Winner: Allstar Appliance Repair
Runners-up: Pyle Fence Company; White Knight Remodeling Company

Dry Cleaning

Winner: J&J Alteration & Cleaning
Runners-up: Sanitate Dry Cleaners; Federal Hill Cleaners

Electrician

Winner: Walter Electric, LLC
Runner-up: Clinton Electric; Dynamo Electric

Fitness Instructor

Winner: Sonja Burns (WERQ Fitness)
Runners-up: Ali True-Smith (True Balance Studio); Reese Ashe (Reflex Functional Fitness)

Florist

Winner: Radebaugh Florist and Greenhouses
Runners-up: Flowers & Fancies; Local Colors Flowers

Furniture Store

Winner: Su Casa
Runners-up: Wishbone Reserve; Arhaus

Grocery Store

Winner: Wegmans
Runners-up: Eddies; MOM’s Organic Market

Gym

Winner: Brick Bodies
Runners-up: True Balance Studio; Reflex Functional Fitness

Handyman

Winner: The Baltimore Handyman Company
Runners-up: Hamby’s Handyman Services

HVAC

Winner: Perry Hall Heating and Air Conditioning, PIPCO, and BlueDot (tie)

Kids’ Clothing

Winner: The Pied Piper
Runners-up: Wee Chic Boutique; Carters

Landscaping

Winner: Maxalea, Inc.
Runners-up: Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping; Lerch Brothers, LLC

Men’s Clothing

Winner: JS Edwards
Runners-up: Christopher Schafer Clothier; Different Regard

Personal Trainer

Winner: Guy Cragwell (Federal Hill Fitness)
Runners-up: Ali True Smith (True Balance Studio); Oksana Koval (Fitness by Oxy)

Pet Care

Winner: BEK Petsitting
Runners-up: Snazzy Jazzy; Best Friends Fur Ever

Plumber

Winner: Saffer Plumbing & Electric
Runners-up: Len The Plumber; Bruce Solomon Plumbing, Heating & Air

Salon

Winner: Form Salon
Runners-up: Mallia’s Salon & Spa; Studio 921

Shoe Store

Winner: Van Dyke and Bacon
Runners-up: Matava; Poppy and Stella

Sporting Goods

Winner: Dick’s Sporting Goods
Runners-up: Princeton Sports; Charm City Run

Toy Store

Winner: Shenanigans
Runners-up: Amuse Toys

Veterinarian

Winner: Ruxton Animal Hospital
Runners-up: Timonium Animal Hospital; Eastern Animal Hospital

Women’s Clothing

Winner: Brightside Boutique
Runners-up: South Moon Under; Sassanova

Yoga Studio

Winner: YogaWorks
Runners-up: Core Power; Yoga on York

Outdoors & Sports

Biking Trail

Winner: NCR
Runners-up: Patapsco Valley State Park; B&A Trail

Campground

Winner: Assateague National Park
Runners-up: Elk Neck State Park and Rocky Gap State Park (tie)

Dog Park

Winner: Paw Point Dog Park at Lake Roland
Runners-up: Patterson Park Dog Park; Canton Dog Park

Hiking Trail

Winner: Oregon Ridge Park
Runners-up: Irvine Nature Center; Loch Raven Reservoir

Oriole

Winner: Trey Mancini
Runners-up: Chris Davis; Hanser Alberto

Park

Winner: Patterson Park
Runners-up: Druid Hill Park; Riverside Park

Place to Paddle

Winner: Gunpowder State Park
Runners-up: Loch Raven Reservoir; Middle River Park

Pool

Winner: Padonia Swim Club
Runners-up: Sparrows Point CC; Meadowbrook

Raven

Winner: Lamar Jackson
Runners-up: Justin Tucker; Mark Ingram

Race

Winner: Baltimore Running Festival
Runners-up: Under Armour Charles Street 12; Kinetic Sculpture Race

Rec League

Winner: Volo City
Runners-up: Lutherville Timonium Recreation Council; Towson Recreation

Running Trail

Winner: NCR Trail
Runners-up: Irvine Nature Center; Inner Harbor Promenade

Sports Team

Winner: Baltimore Ravens
Runners-up: Baltimore Orioles; Baltimore Blast

Urban Garden

Winner: Sherwood Gardens
Runner-up: Whitlock Farms; Cylburn Arboretum

News & Media*

Columnist

Winner: Dan Rodricks
Runners-up: Dan Clark; Justin Fenton

Community Group

Winner: B & Dee’s Baltimore Love
Runners-up: Hack Baltimore and Baltimore Ceasefire (tie)

Facebook Page

Winner: Canton Neighbors
Runners-up: Baltimore Supper Club; Justin Berk Weather

News Website

Winner: WBAL-TV 11
Runners-up: Baltimore Brew; Baltimore Fishbowl

Photographer

Winner: Devin Allen
Runners-up: The Puptrait Studio; Joseph M. Giordano

Podcast

Winner: No Pix After Dark
Runners-up: Baltimore Positive; The City that Breeds

Politician

Winner: Gov. Larry Hogan
Runners-up: City Council President Brandon Scott; Councilman Zeke Cohen

Publication

Winner: Bmore Art
Runners-up: Pressbox; Baltimore Business Journal

Radio Show Host

Winner: Clarence Mitchell IV (WBAL)
Runners-up: Tom Hall (WYPR) and Laurie DeYoung (WPOC) (tie)

Radio Station

Winner: WYPR
Runners-up: WTMD; 93.1 WPOC

Reporter

Winner: Jayne Miller (WBAL)
Runners-up: Joy Lepola (WBFF); Justin Fenton (The Sun)

TV Broadcaster

Winner: Stan Stovall (WBAL)
Runners-up: Megan Gilliland (WBFF); Denise Koch (CBS)

Twitter Account

Winner: @MrTrashWheel
Runners-up: @ScanthePolice

*Baltimore magazine has recused itself from these results.