5,217 of you voted, and after multiple re-counts, Supreme Court challenges, and no small amount of gerrymandering, the results are in. Here are your favourite spaces, places, and people. Congratulations!

Don’t like what you see? Weigh in with #BestofWR.

And, thanks to you fine folks who voted, and who submitted #BestofWR nominations. This place would not be the same without you—see you next year! (Can’t get enough #BestofWR? Check out last year’s winners here.)

To jump to a section, click on the relevant link.

Food and Drink

Live, Work and Play

Notable Folks and Groups

Shopping and Business

Food and Drink

Best Sandwich:

Vincenzo’s Princess Café The Yeti

Best grilled cheese:

Cheeses Murphy Jane Bond Fo’ Cheezy

Best frozen treat:

R’Chyees Marble Slab Ambrosia Pastry

Best bakery:

City Café Honey Bakeshop Ambrosia Pastry

Best coffee shop:

DVLB Matter of Taste Café Pyrus

Best candy shop:

Sugar Mountain Candy, Candy, Candy Bo Dees

Best pizza:

Famoso City Café Breadheads

Best Chinese food:

Cameron’s Lai Lai Crystal Palace

Best Thai food (and a first-place Thai!):

Northern Thai & My Thai Thai Sun

Best Shawarma:

Shawerma Plus Mozy’s Ace Shawarma

Best beer selection:

Beer Town The Bent Elbow Jane Bond

Best cheap drink:

Ethel’s Phil’s Jack Burger

Best new restaurant:

Abe Erb White Rabbit Proof TWH Social

Best wine list:

Gilt Sole Proof MPC Public

Best Mexican food:

Holy Guacamole Taco Farm La Guanaquita

Best vegetarian:

Jane Bond Café Pyrus Empress of India

Best pulled pork:

Lancaster Smokehouse Ethel’s Hogtails

Best family restaurant:

Jack’s Taco Farm Fireside Empress of India

Best tea shop:

David’s Tea All Things Tea X Tea

Best burger:

The Works Frat Burger Harmony Lunch

Best breakfast:

Mel’s The Yeti Angie’s

Best patio:

Boathouse Huether Hotel Ethel’s

Best cheap eats:

Ethel’s Queen Street Commons Homestyle Diner

Best food truck:

West of Seoul Ish n’ Chips The Schmuck Truck

Best local beer:

King Street Saison (Block 3) Waterloo Dark (Waterloo Brewing Co.) SPA (Wellington)

Best local brewery:

Block 3 Abe Erb Innocente

Best cookie:

Honey Bakeshop Sabletine

Best donut:

City Café Debrodnik’s Jimmy’s Minis

Best cocktail:

Jane Bond White Rabbit Proof

Live, Work and Play

Best party of the year:

Oktoberfest Summer Lights Festival Steel Rails

Best place for a second date (a seven vote difference, between first and third!):

Apollo Cinema Princess Cinema Jane Bond

Best place to meet people:

DVLB Ethel’s Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre

Best LGBTQ bar:

The Order Jane Bond

Best community event:

Summer Lights Festival Multicultural Festival Oktoberfest

Best place to dance:

Starlight King Street during festivals The Order

Best live music:

Boathouse Starlight Maxwell’s

Best arts event:

Night\Shift Summer Lights Festival The Brush Off

Best gallery or museum:

THEMUSEUM Waterloo Region Museum KWAG

Best theatre company:

Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre Registry Theatre

Best karaoke:

Chainsaw (unanimous)

Best trivia night:

Princess Café Nerd Nite The Bomber

Best weekend fun:

Kitchener Farmer’s Market Tri-City Roller Derby Summer Lights Festival

Best gym/fitness:

Limitless Movati Depth Training

Best yoga:

Queen Street Yoga Moksha Bikram Yoga

Best sports venue:

The Aud Waterloo Recreation Complex Tri-City Roller Derby

Best place of worship/spirituality:

Creekside Church Matthew’s Lutheran Temple Shalom

Best bike trail:

Iron Horse Breslau Trail

Best place to read:

Victoria Park Waterloo Park

Best public space:

Victoria Park Waterloo Park Carl Zehr Square

Best park:

Victoria Park Waterloo Park Kiwanis Park

Best building:

The Tannery Perimeter Institute CIGI

Best space to work:

Kitchener Public Library The Tannery Velocity

Best place for meditation:

Victoria Park Waterloo Park Top of Chicopee

Best housing or condo community:

Bread and Roses Barrel Yards 100 Victoria

Best grade school:

Westmount Elizabeth Ziegler

Best secondary school:

KCI Forest Heights Rockway Mennonite Collegiate

Best post-secondary school:

UW Laurier Conestoga College

Best community centre:

Downtown Community Centre The Family Centre

Best festhallen:

Concordia Schwaben Alpine

Best view or vista:

McLennan Park Kitchener City Hall Balcony Homer Watson Park

Notable Folks and Groups

Best local author/writer:

Carrie Snyder Erin Bow Tasneem Jamal

Best local musician/band:

Alysha Brilla Safe as Houses Dan Howler

Best local artist:

Jennifer Gough Janice Lee Jon Johnson

Best bus driver:

Guy with giant beard Joe Donna

Best mover and shaker:

Fauzia Mazhar Melissa Durrell Charlene LeDuc

Best local blog or blogger:

Waterloo Honk Red Leather Booth AQ’s Blog and Grill

Best city councillor:

Diane Freeman Sarah Marsh Melissa Durrell

Best local politician:

Catherine Fife Berry Vrbanovic Melissa Durrell

Best sports team/organization:

Kitchener Rangers Tri-City Roller Derby KW United

Best social profit:

The Working Centre Facile Waterloo Region Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support

Best inspiration group:

KW Humane Society Neruda Arts ACCKWA

Best local reporter:

Amanda Grant Allison Leonard & Terry Pender (tie)

Best employer:

Bill McTavish Melissa Durrell Tim Sloss

Best front desk:

Julia Heyens (The Working Centre) Rita Mabermehl (Insight Eyecare) Penny Harvey (KWCF)

Best non-TCE publication:

Kitchener Post Alternatives Journal High Brau

Best development project:

The ION Barrel Yards

Best local ad campaign:

Live Local KW Insight Eyecare

Best designer:

Jon Johnson (unanimous)

Best server:

Caroline Wesley (Jane Bond) Renee Lees (Jane Bond) Kristyn Hanbidge (Proof)

Best radio station:

CBC KW 570 News CKWR

Best craftsperson or maker:

Jon Johnson Alistair MacLellan Agnes Niewiadomski

Best social media account:

@peopleofkw @theCommunityEd @bear4mayor

Best high-school teacher:

Tom O’Connor Jason Vander Meulen

Best post-secondary professional:

Shannon Dea (UW) Aimee Morrison (UW)

Best new musician or band:

Dan Howler Paradox Acquaintance

Best photographer:

Matt Smith Hilary Hould Camilleri Chris Kufske

Best beard:

DJ Charles Jon Johnson Bryn Ossington

Best music instructor:

Charlena Russell Dave Mansell Amanda Kind

Shopping and Business

Best butcher:

Bauer butcher Brady’s Charles Quality Meats

Best grocery store:

Vincenzo’s Central Fresh Dutchie’s

Best hardware store:

Home Hardware (Park Street) Home Hardware (Uptown)

Best bike shop:

King Street Cycles Black Arrow Recycle Cycles

Best record store (by five votes!):

Orange Monkey Encore Records

Best art store:

Curry’s The Art Store State of the Art

Best place to buy a sexy gift:

The Stag Shop The Love Shop

Best consignment store:

Styl Frugal Carousel Lustre & Oak

Best tattoo parlour:

Tora Tattoo Berlin Tattoo Way Cool

Best hair salon:

Brown Salon Element Oiseau

Best car dealership:

Grand River BMW Kitchener Nissan Bustard Chrysler

Best autobody/mechanic:

Gary’s Automotive Hillcrest Services Glenco Automotive

Best bookstore:

Words Worth Books Second Look Books Old Goat

Best company/organization to work at:

Insight Eyecare Durrell Communications

Best insurance:

Erb & Erb The Cooperators Josslin Insurance

Best legal firm:

Gowlings Kay Law

Best splurge:

Bhima’s Red House Gilt

Best local product:

Block 3 beer Cocoon Apothecary natural skincare products MB Publishing House notebooks

Best wedding shop or service:

Living Fresh Flowers Charmed Flowers Valentina Bridal

Best start-up:

Vidyard Videostream Grocera

Best web development:

Him & Her 10am Creative Ultimate Vision Web & IT

Best doctor/practice:

The Boardwalk Medical Centre Northfield Medical Tim Sloss

Best dentist/practice:

Toothworks Parker at Laurelwood Twin City Dental

Best eyecare: