Best of Blacksburg 2017

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February 27, 2017

COLLEGIATETIMES

2017

BEST BLACKSBURG of

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The results are in: Best of Blacksburg Our food columnist takes a look at the results of the Best of Blacksburg survey and offers her opinions and thoughts on the winners of the various categories.

MEGAN MAURY CHURCH food columnist

The people have spoken. Among all the food options in Blacksburg, over 1,000 people have voted on their favorites in a number of categories. This article will discuss the results from the sections voting on best sweets, late-night food, pizza, wings and breakfast, as well as the overall best restaurant.

Best Sweets

Campus Cookies was voted for this category by a small margin, narrowly beating out Gobble Cakes. The cookies are irresistible, but the prices are high, making Campus Cookies a rare delicacy for most of us college students. Despite our empty pockets, our stomachs and the ease of ordering online or through the app keep us coming back.

Campus Cookies is a company made by college students, for college students.

It started small by a then-sophomore at James Madison University and became popular — quick.

The Blacksburg location was the second one that opened. They bake madeto-order cookies with a variety of recipes and deliver them right to your door. We just got through the Valentine’s season, during which cookie bakers and delivery people work late hours to fill more cookie orders than usual.

Gobble Cakes, in a close second place, is a cupcake shop located on College Avenue near Gillie’s and Souvlaki. It is the only bakery in town that specializes in cupcakes, making its product popular.

However, its strange hours of operation make it hard to catch.

Other contenders in this section were Insomnia Cookies, Frosty Parrot and Cook Out, all of which offer class-A sweets.

Best Late-Night Food

In a college town where many businesses extend their hours to accommodate students, this is a section of high competition. However, Benny Marzano’s,

home of the Virginia Slice, won by a landslide.

When it’s 11 p.m., 28-inch pizzas and face-sized slices can’t be beat. Slices go for $4 or $5 with the constant options of cheese, pepperoni, sausage and the rotating monthly specials. In February, the specials were the tongue-blazing buffalo chicken and savory roasted red pepper and pesto.

The other contenders, whose compiled votes could not have beaten Benny’s, were Waffle House, D.P. Dough, Campus Cookies and Jimmy John’s.

Best Pizza

Benny’s also took this category, but not as strongly. It beat out Mellow Mushroom by just 64 votes.

My vote would have gone to Mellow Mushroom, which has a greater variety of more unique pizzas. However, Benny’s is a pizza-only, walk-in restaurant with much lower prices than Mellow Mushroom.

Located on Draper Road, nuzzled between Main Street and the edge of campus, this laid-back chain is a great place to grab pizza fast.

Best Place for Breakfast

Without fail, there is a line out the door of Gillie’s Restaurant for brunch on every Saturday and Sunday morning. Locals and visitors alike make the journey to this breakfast destination every day of the week. It is no surprise that Gillie’s won this category by a strong margin.

Unlike Benny’s, Gillie’s is not a chain.

It was opened by a Blacksburg woman in 1974 as an ice cream parlor, but is now a full restaurant.

The menu specializes in vegetarian options and seafood with emphasis on freshness. Gillie’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner most days of the week in addition to fan-favorite brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Classic breakfast/brunch favorites include the signature vegan potatoes, eggs cooked many ways, buttermilk pancakes, biscuits and grits.

Best Wings

The candidates for this category were all sports bars of some kind, but national chain Buffalo Wild Wings won by a significant margin. Located off of Prices Fork Road just a stone’s throw from campus, it is an easy dining experience for wing lovers and sports enthusiasts.

BWW — or B-dubs as it is frequently called — is home to some of the most popular meal deals in town. Starting with Wing Tuesdays, B-dubs offers half-priced wings all day. The popular Thursday option is 65-cent boneless wings all day.

Best Overall Restaurant

Blacksburg voters decided that Cabo Fish Taco is the overall best restaurant in town. This Tex-Mex restaurant is unique to Blacksburg and serves lunch, dinner and drinks. With specialty tacos to die for and a well-stocked bar, it is a highpriority destination for dates, groups, visitors, locals, students and game-day fans alike.

Cabo is on South Main Street in the middle of downtown. It has indoor seating, outdoor seating and frequent lines wrapping around the sidewalk during dinner. No reservation is needed, but get there early during rush hours.

Reviewers on Yelp, Facebook and TripAdvisor can’t say enough about the food and service at Cabo. Just reading them and seeing the zesty photos will have your stomach rumbling. The menu prices are higher than many Blacksburg options, but are considered to be well worth it by most fans of the restaurant — including the 248 who voted this to win.

The Cellar came in a close second in this section. It is also located at the heart of downtown on South Main Street and specializes in beer and pizza.

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Best place to get breakfast

Best international fare 1. Zeppoli’s

1. Gillie’s

2. Cafe de Bangkok

2. Joe’s Diner

3. Cafe MeKong

3. Our Daily Bread

4. India Garden

4. Lefty’s

5. Excellent Table

5. London Underground

Best burgers 1. Five Guys 2. Sharkey’s 3. Blacksburg Taphouse 5. PK’s

Best bakery

Best subs 1. Sub Station II 2. Souvlaki 3. Jimmy John’s 4. Sycamore Deli

Best Mexican fare 1. Cabo Fish Taco

1. Carol Lee Donuts

2. El Rodeo

2. Our Daily Bread

3. Chipotle

3. Next Door Bake Shop

4. Moe’s

4. Bollo’s

5. Qdoba

Best vegetarian fare 1. Gillie’s 2. The Cellar 3. Himalayan Curry Cafe

Best pizza 1. Benny Marzano’s

CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Gillie’s during the afternoon, Feb. 26, 2017.

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4. Lefty’s

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FOOD AND DINING

Best sushi 1. Green’s 2. Sake House 3. Poor Billy’s 4. Sushi Factory

Best wings 1. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. The Cellar

2. Sharkey’s

4. Domino’s

3. Bull & Bones

5. Papa John’s

4. PK’s

February 27, 2017 PAGE 3

2. Mellow Mushroom

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FOOD AND DINING Best delivery service 1. Jimmy John’s

2. The Cellar

5. Next Door Bake Shop

3. Bull & Bones

1. Top of the Stairs

4. 622 North

2. Hokie House

5. Black Hen

3. Sharkey’s

2. Campus Cookies 3. D.P. Dough

1. Campus Cookies

6. Lefty’s

4. River Mill

5. Sharkey’s

2. Gobble Cakes

7. Boudreaux’s

5. Champs

3. Insomia Cookies

8. Sharkey’s

6. PK’s

4. Frosty Parrot

9. Blacksburg Taphouse

7. Big Al’s

1. Benny Marzano’s 2. Waffle House 3. D.P. Dough collegiatetimes.com

Best sweets

4. PK’s

Best late-night food

4. Campus Cookies 5. Jimmy John’s

Best coffee 1. Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea 2. Starbucks 3. Idego

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Best overall bar

4. Bollo’s

5. Cookout

Best dining on campus 1. Turner Place 2. West End Market 3. Food Trucks 4. Owen’s 5. D2

Best overall restaurant 1. Cabo Fish Taco

CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Jimmy John’s during the afternoon, Feb. 26, 2017.

Best festival 1. Steppin’ Out 2. Blacksburg Brew Do

Best date spot 1. Frank’s Theatres Cinebowl and Grill

3. Relay For Life

2. Duck Pond

4. International Street Fair

3. The Lyric

5. Fork and Cork

4. Tech athletic event

Best hiking trail 1. The Cascades 2. McAfee’s Knob 3. Dragon’s Tooth 5. Devil’s Marbleyard

Best golf course & driving 1. Blacksburg Country Club

5. Moss Center for the Arts

Best happy hour 1. Hokie House 2. Sharkey’s collegiatetimes.com

4. Huckleberry Trail

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ENTERTAINMENT

3. The Cellar 4. Macado’s

Best karaoke 1. Top of the Stairs

2. Cox’s Driving Range

2. Champs

3. Pete Dye River Course

3. Bull & Bones

CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Top of the Stairs during the afternoon, Feb. 26, 2017.

February 27, 2017 PAGE 5

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ENTERTAINMENT

SERVICES

Best live music

Best salon or spa

3. Starlet Drive-in Theater

1. Hokie Hair

1. Kroger

2. Sycamore Deli

4. Regal at NRV Mall

2. Polished by Claire V

2. Oasis

3. Top Nails

3. Food Lion

4. Nail Bar

4. Eats

4. The Lyric 5. She-Sha

Best bar games 1. Hokie House 2. Champs 3. London Underground

Best place to watch sports 1. Buffalo Wild Wings 2. Champs 3. Sharkey’s 4. Bull & Bones

Best cocktail

4. Sharkey’s

1. Social House

5. Bull & Bones

2. Sharkey’s

Best place to see a movie 1. Frank’s Cinebowl and Grill

3. Top of the Stairs 4. Hokie House 5. Bull & Bones

5. Trivion

Best place to tan 1. Sun Tan City 2. Tan ‘N Tone 3. Tech Tan 4. Palm Beach Tan

Best gym

1. Vintage Cellar 2. Kroger 3. Zeppoli’s 4. Food Lion 5. Social House

Best beer selection 1. Vintage Cellar 2. The Cellar Six-Pax Store

2. InBalance Yoga

3. Kroger

3. The Weight Club

4. Blacksburg Taphouse

4. War Memorial Gym

5. Food Lion

Best place to get tattooed 1. Ancient Art Tattoo 2. Hot Rod Tattoo 3. Rendezvous

Best place to get copies 1. A-1 Copies

CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES The Moss Arts Center during the afternoon, Feb. 26, 2017.

Best wine selection

1. McComas Hall

5. Blacksburg Crossfit

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Best grocery store

1. Moss Center for the Arts 3. 622 North

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2. The Lyric

Best bookstore 1. Barnes and Noble 2. University Bookstore and Volume II 3. Tech Bookstore 4. Bookholders

Best place for flowers

2. Newman Library

1. D’Rose

3. UPS Store

2. Best Wishes

4. Kopy Korner

3. Uncommonly Gifted

Best jewlery stores 1. Capone’s 2. Kent Jewlers

Best place to buy sporting goods 1. Blue Ridge Mountain Sports

4. East Coasters Bike Shop

3. University Bookstore

5. High Peak Sportswear

4. Tech Bookstore

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SERVICES Best clothing store

3. Henebry’s

2. Runabout Sports

1. 310 Rosemont

4. Matrix Gallery Fine Crafts

3. Play it Again Sports

2. Mad Dog

Best apartment complex

3. Fringe Benefit

1. Foxridge

4. Chantilly Lace

2. The Edge

5. Bonomo’s

3. The Retreat

Best place to get VT gear

4. Maple Ridge 5. The Village 6. Terrace View

2. Alumni Hall

7. Pheasant Run

Looking for a summer internship or post graduation job in DC, MD or VA? During Spring Break come to the:

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1. Campus Emporium

TREVOR WHITE / COLLEGIATE TIMES The Village Phase II, Oct. 26, 2014.

Monday March 6th 2PM - 6PM

7054 Haycock Road, Falls Church, VA 22043

Register and submit your resume at CHRISTIAN STERLING / COLLEGIATE TIMES The Retreat in Blacksburg, Oct. 26, 2016.

NCRJobfair.org

February 27, 2017 PAGE 7

The Northern Virginia Center

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