Celebrate your Best of White Bear Lake 2023 Readers’ Choice Poll winners and finalists!
It’s that time of the year again! Welcome to your annual Readers’ Choice Poll, White Bear Lake Magazine readers. This January, you showed up in droves to whitebearlakemag.com and shared your top picks in an array of categories—now the results are here.
If you look closely, you’ll see a couple of new additions to this year’s poll, including entirely new categories dedicated to self-care, shopping, services and leisure. We’ve also expanded beyond the White Bear Lake area, so you’ll meet winners from the region and state in our Best of the East Metro and Discover Minnesota categories.
Without further ado, let’s meet your winners and finalists!
Dining
Best Bakery
Runners-up: Key’s Cafe & Bakery, Cafe Cravings
Best Bar, Brewery or Distillery
Runners-up: The Alchemist, Cabin 61
Best Breakfast or Brunch
Runners-up: Cobblestone Café, Washington Square Bar & Grill
Best Desserts or Ice Cream
Runners-up: Acqua Restaurant & Bar, Orso Bianco Gelato
Best International Cuisine
Runners-up: Ban Thai Restaurant, Sam Thai Cuisine
Best Locally Owned Coffee Shop
Runners-up: The Wild Bean, Cafe Cravings
Best Outdoor Dining Space
Runners-up: Rudy’s Redeye Grill, Washington Square Bar & Grill
Best Plant-Based or Vegan Menu
Runners-up: Ingredients Café, Brickhouse Food and Drink
Best Restaurant
Runners-up: Brickhouse Food and Drink, Rudy’s Redeye Grill
Best Restaurant for a Power Lunch
Runners-up: EAT! @ Banning and 5th, Brickhouse Food and Drink
Best Takeout or Curbside Service
Runners-up: Alleycat’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Pizzeria Pezzo
Best Burger
Runners-up: The Burger Bar, Brickhouse Food and Drink
Best Chicken Sandwich
Runners-up: Alleycat’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Brickhouse Food and Drink
Best Pizza
Runners-up: Carbone’s Pizzeria, Pizza Man
Abode
Best Builder
Runners-up: Bald Eagle Construction, Pratt Homes
Best Carpet and Flooring Store
Runners-up: Suburban Floor Covering/Abbey Carpet, 651 Carpets
Best Garden Center
Runners-up: Costa Produce Farm and Greenhouse, White Bear Floral Shop & Greenhouse
Best Home Decor and Furniture Store
Runners-up: Haus Theory, GoodThings
Best Interior Design Firm
Runners-up: Blue Pencil Collective, Adorned Homes
Best Landscape Design Service
Clean Cut Outdoor Services, Longville Landscapes (tie)
Runner-up: GroundFX Lawn & Landscape, Inc.
Best Lawn Service
Runners-up: GroundFX Lawn & Landscape, Inc., Comstock & Sons
Best Locally Owned Hardware Store
Frattallone’s Hardware & Garden
Runners-up: Beisswenger’s Hardware & Power Equipment, North Heights Hardware Hank and Rental
Best Remodeler
Runners-up: Bald Eagle Construction, Cox Contracting, Yares Renovation Services
Best Senior Living Residence
Runners-up: St. Andrew’s Village, The Waters of White Bear Lake, Waverly Gardens
Self-Care
Best Barbershop
Runners-up: Indulge Salon & Spa, Revive Salon
Best Boutique Fitness or Yoga Studio
Runners-up: Fitness Focus, Summit Pilates & Training
Best Med Spa
Runners-up: Revive Salon, Advanced Esthetics Med Spa
Best Place for a Manicure and Pedicure
Runners-up: Sunbear Salon & Medical Spa, Lovely Nails
Best Salon Spa
Runners-up: Sunbear Salon & Medical Spa, Indulge Salon & Spa
Wellness
Best Allergy Practice
Runner-up: Midwest Allergy & Asthma
Best Chiropractic Practice
Runners-up: Soul Chiropractic, Lux Family Chiropractic, WomanWoRX
Best Cosmetic Dentistry Practice
Runners-up: White Bear Smiles, Orchard Dental Group
Best Dental Practice
Runners-up: Orchard Dental Group, White Bear Smiles
Best Dermatology Practice
Runners-up: Dermatology Consultants, Tareen Dermatology
Best Eye Care Practice
White Bear Eye Clinic & Optical
Runners-up: Birch Lake Eye Clinic, North Suburban Eye Specialists
Best Family Medicine Practice
Runners-up: HealthPartners Clinic, Synergy Family Physicians
Best Holistic Wellness Practice
Runners-up: Bloom Physical Therapy & Wellness, Soul Chiropractic
Best OB-GYN Practice
Runners-up: MetroPartners OBGYN Clinics, Entira Family Clinics
Best Orthodontic Practice
Runners-up: Signature Orthodontics, Great River Orthodontics
Best Orthopedic Practice
Runner-up: Twin Cities Orthopedics
Best Pediatric Practice
Runners-up: Children’s Minnesota Primary Care Clinic – Hugo, Northern Lights Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine
Learning
Best Dance Studio
Runners-up: Inspiration Performing Arts Center, White Bear Dance Center
Best Preschool Program
Runners-up: Kids Under Construction, Frassati Catholic Academy, White Bear Montessori School
Best Swim School or Lessons
Foss Swim School – Vadnais Heights
Runners-up: White Bear Area YMCA, Goldfish Swim School – Oakdale
Pet Care
Best Dog-Friendly Establishment
Runner-up: Admiral D’s Waterfront Tavern
Best Dog Park
Runner-up: White Bear Dog Beach
Best Pet Boarding or Daycare Service
Runners-up: Oneka Pet Resort, All Star Pet Hotel & Day Care
Best Pet Grooming Service
Chuck & Don’s Pet Food & Supplies
Runners-up: Goldwood Kennels, Jazzy Paws Dog Grooming
Best Veterinarian Practice
Runners-up: Lake Animal Hospital, Birch Lake Animal Hospital
Services
Best Accounting
Runners-up: Redpath, Zabel and Co.
Best Family Photographer
Amanda Jean Photography, Jenna Conlin Photography, Lisa Siddons
Best Law Practice
Runners-up: Sheila J. Kelly Law Firm, LLC, Fleming Law Firm
Best Mortgage Company
Runners-up: Guaranteed Rate Affinity, Title Smart, Inc.
Shops
Best Apparel Boutique
Runners-up: Primp, Upsy-Daisy
Best Florist
White Bear Floral Shop & Greenhouse
Runners-up: Lakeside Floral, Bachman’s
Best Gift Shop
Runners-up: Upsy-Daisy, Haus Theory
Best Jewelry Store
Runner-up: GoodThings
Best Specialty Kitchen or Foods Store
Runners-up: Sweetlife Lane, GoodThings
Leisure
Best Park, Open Space or Beach
Runners-up: Tamarack Nature Center, West Park
Best Place for a Date Night
Runners-up: Brickhouse Food and Drink, Mizu Japanese
Best Place for Family Activities
Tamarack Nature Center, West Park (tie)
Runners-up: Element Indoor Golf, White Bear Area YMCA
Best Place for an Outdoor Adventure
Runners-up: White Bear Lake, Tally’s Dockside
Best Place to Watch Fourth of July Fireworks
On the water at White Bear Lake
Runners-up: Memorial Beach, Optimist Beach, Tally’s Dockside
Best of the East Metro
Best Golf Course
Runners-up: White Bear Yacht Club, Manitou Ridge
Best Outdoor Skating or Hockey Rink
Mahtomedi Hockey Rinks
Runners-up: Podvin Park, The District Education Center – Mahtomedi
Best Private School
Runners-up: St. Jude of the Lake Catholic School, Frassati Catholic Academy
Best Speciality Athletic Store
Runners-up: Hisdahl’s, The Minnesotan
Best Staycation Hotel
Runners-up: Bear Country Inn, Hotel Crosby
Best Summer Camp
Hidden Pines Ranch, White Bear Area YMCA (tie)
Runner-up: Tamarack Nature Center
Best Theater Program
Runners-up: Ashland Productions, Children’s Performing Arts
Best Winery
Runners-up: Rustic Roots Winery, Saint Croix Vineyard, Two Silo Winery & Vineyard
Discover Minnesota
Best Campground
Runners-up: Afton State Park, Interstate State Park, Temperance River State Park
Best Entertainment Venue
Dellwood Country Club, First Avenue, Xcel Energy Center (tie)
Best Hiking or Biking Trail
Runners-up: Brown’s Creek State Trail, Tamarack Nature Center
Best Live Theater
Runners-up: Ordway, Guthrie Theater
Best Museum
Runners-up: Minnesota History Center, Science Museum of Minnesota
Best Music Venue
Runners-up: Tally’s Dockside, The Dugout Bar
Best Nordic Ski Trail or Alpine Hill
Runners-up: Lutsen Mountains, Tamarack Nature Center
Best Resort or Lodge
Runners-up: Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior, Breezy Point Resort, Cove Point Lodge, Larsmont Cottages
Best Wedding Photographer or Videographer
Runners-up: Kyra Lee Photography, Lisa Siddons
Best Wedding Venue
Runners-up: Dellwood Country Club, Kellerman’s Event Center
