This year's finalists in the FOOD & DRINK categories of FestivalSouth's 2020 Best of the Pine Belt competition, presented annually by Signature Magazine are:
Most-Affordable Meal
GrateFull Soul • Coney Island Cafe • Compadre’s • Pier 98 • Ward’s
Best Local Appetizer
Crabmeat Wontons from Crescent City Grill • Debris Fries from Keg & Barrel • Duck Wings from Brass Hat • Cheese Rolls from Glory Bound Gyro Co. • Craw-Shrimp Fries from Pier 98 • Fresh Rolls from Jutamas
Best Local Barbecue
Leatha’s BBQ• Murky Waters BBQ • Rose’s • Strick’s • Babe’s Backyard BBQ
Best Local Bar Ambience
Keg & Barrel • Brass Hat • Mahogany Bar • Sully’s • Thirsty Hippo • Branch
Best Local Barista
Jessie Bush at Java Moe’s • Mikayla Goss at Grin Coffee • Tayler Hensley at Equinox • Nicki White at Java Moe’s • Rachel Nicolosi at The Depot
Best Local Bartender
Nicci McNease at Brass Hat • Shawn McDaniel at Keg & Barrel • Allie Bass at Sully’s • Randall Morgan at Thirsty Hippo • Jordan Farrar at The Porter
Best Local Breakfast
The Midtowner • The Depot • South Mouth Deli• SouthBound Bagel & Coffee Shop • Waffle House
Best Local Brunch
Cotton Blues • Keg & Barrel • Chesterfield’s • The Depot • Patio 44 • Blu Jazz Cafe
Best Local Buffet
Movie Star • Super King • Indian Delight • Front Porch • Mack’s West • Strick’s
Best Local Chinese Restaurant
Best Wok • Super King • China Buffet • A&B Grocery • Yamato
Best Local Chips & Salsa
Compadre’s • Fuzzy’s Taco Shop • Del Sol • Papito’s • Mexican Kitchen
Best Local Coffee Shop
Equinox Coffee • The Ssipp Cafe • Java Moe’s • The Depot • T-Bones
Best Local Craft Cocktail
Bananas Foster Old Fashioned from Brass Hat • Prickly Pear Margarita from Pier 98 • Mississippi Mule from Keg & Barrel • Pecan Praline Old Fashioned from Brass Hat • The Bramble from Sully’s
Best Local Comfort Food
Keg & Barrel • Gratefull Soul • The Midtowner • Sully’s • Movie Star
Best Local Chicken Strips
Raising Cane’s • Cow & Coop’s • Nellie’s Chicken and Daiquiris • Pier 98 • Keg & Barrel
Best Local Crawfish
Rose’s • Pier 98 • Triangle Seafood • Poppa’s Original Wharf • South Mississippi Crawfish Company
Best Local Cupcake
Jody’s Bakery • Smallcakes • Gigi’s Cupcakes • The Depot • Amber Made It
Best Local Dessert
Cheesecake from Cotton Blues • White Chocolate Bread Pudding from Crescent City Grill • King Cake Bread Pudding from Crescent City Grill • Cheesecake Bread Pudding from Pier 98 • Pecan Cheesecake from Sully’s
Best Local Dive Bar
4th Street Bar • The Shop Downtown • Nick’s Ice House • Donanelle’s Bar & Grill • Sidelines
Best Local Ethnic Cuisine (Other)
Indian Delight • Jutama’s • Petra Café • Sake Cafe • Pho Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine
Best Local French Fries
Pier 98 • Keg & Barrel • Ward’s • Mugshots • Brass Hat
Best Local Hamburger
Pier 98 • Ed’s Burger Joint • Keg & Barrel • Mugshots • Fairley’s Wings & More
Best Local Happy Hour
Brass Hat • Fuzzy’s Taco Shop • Glory Bound Gyro Co. • Mahogany Bar • Sully’s
Best Local Hot Dog
Ed’s Burger Joint • Thirsty Hippo • Ward’s • Sam’s Club • Coney Island
Best Local Intimate Dining
Half Shell Oyster House • Mario’s • Purple Parrot • Jutamas • Sully’s
Best Late-Night Menu
4th Street Bar • Keg & Barrel • Mahogany Bar • Sidelines • The Porter
Best Local Chef
Robert St. John from New South Restaurant Group • Josh Glausier from Pier 98 • Josh Casper from The Depot • Don Webster from Sully’s Petal • Amanda Dale from Twisted Skillet
Best Local Mexican Restaurant
Compadre’s • Del Sol • Los Charros • Fuzzy’s Tacos • Papito’s • La Libertad No. 2
Best Local Milkshake
Ed’s Burger Joint • The Yard • Cook Out • Steak N’ Shake • Phillip’s Drive-In
Best New Local Restaurant
Mario’s Italian Restaurant & Bar • Pho Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine • Fika Swedish Café • Babe’s Backyard BBQ • The Juicy Crab
Best Place to Grab a Nightcap
Brass Hat • Keg & Barrel • Thirsty Hippo • The Porter • 4th Street Bar • Sideline’s
Best Local Pizza
Mario’s• Keg & Barrel • Mercury Pizza • Pier 98 • Pyro’s
Best Place to Cure a Hangover
The Front Porch • Keg & Barrel • The Midtowner • Waffle House • T-Bones
Best Restaurant Overall
Mario’s• Cotton Blues • Crescent City Grill • Sully’s • Keg & Barrel
Best Restaurant to Take Kids
Ed’s Burger Joint • Sully’s • The Front Porch • Steak N’ Shake • Pier 98
Best Restaurant to Take Parents
Cotton Blues • Chesterfield’s • Mario’s • Crescent City Grill • Sully’s
Best Place to Order a Salad
Salad Station • Newk’s Eatery • T-Bones Records & Cafe • Chesterfield’s • Twisted Skillet
Best Local Sandwich
Crabcake BLT from Brass Hat • Knuckle Sandwich from South Mouth Deli • Muffuletta from Pier 98 • Sweet & Smokey from Keg and Barrel • Shrimp Poboy from Triangle Seafood
Best Local Seafood Dish
Redfish Orleans from Half Shell Oyster House • Delacroix Pasta from Triangle Seafood • Fish Tacos from Keg & Barrel • NOLA Bowl from Chesterfield’s • Redfish Julie from Twisted Skillet
Best Local Service/Waitstaff
Brass Hat • Keg & Barrel • Crescent City Grill • Sully’s • Chesterfield’s
Best Local SnoCone Stand
Conni Cone • Snow Boogers • The Snowball Stand (Petal) • The Sno Stop • Alpine Snow (The green one on Adeline)
Best Local Soup
Corn and Crab Bisque from Crescent City Grill • Tomato Basil Soup from The Depot • Roasted Red Pepper & Gouda from T-Bones • Corn and Crab Bisque from Triangle Seafood • Pho from Pho Saigon
Best Place to Order a Steak
Donanelle’s Bar & Grill • Pier 98 • Sully’s • Chesterfield’s • The Loft (Laurel)
Best Place to Eat Sushi
Yamato • Rock N Roll Sushi • Sake Café • Sakura • Sky Sushi
Best Local Vegetarian Options
The Birdhouse Café • Jutamas • Thirsty Hippo • Fika Swedish Café • Indian Delight
Best Local Wings
Keg & Barrel • Murky Waters BBQ • Winged It • Fairley's Wings & More
For a full list of this year's nominees, click on the following links:
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