Here is the final installment of our Readers Poll 2015.
Here is the final installment of our Readers Poll 2015. Check out the rest of the winners in f=”https://rvamag.comarticles/full/25467/rvamags-readers-poll-2015-winners-part-1″>Part 1 and Part 2.
Favorite Local Bar to Get a Craft Beer: Mekong
Starting out humbly as a small, but tasty Vietnamese restaurant, Mekong has blossomed and served the community not only as as great place for pho and other classic Vietnamese dishes, but the ultimate bar to get a craft beer in Richmond. Now in its 20th year, Mekong has been named best beer bar in America a couple times in a row and rightfully so. They started out just dabbling in the craft beer scene, and graduated to 50 plus beers on tap today.
Favorite Local Spot to Get Whiskey: McCormack’s Whiskey Grill
Boasting one of RVA’s largest whiskey walls, McCormack’s offers classic cocktails alongside new favorites along with home cooked meal options in a cool, quiet atmosphere. For all you whiskey fans out there, this is the place to wet your whistle, because if you haven’t seen their shelves on shelves of whiskey, I suggest you head over there and check out what they have to offer.
Favorite Local Spot to Get Tequila: En Su Boca
The aromas of this Mexican restaurant might draw you in, but the tequila is the reason you stay! With over 30 types of tequila and funky and creative cocktails all incorporating the delicious liquor, En Su Boca is every tequila lover’s dream. And sunrise. And possibly weird morning depending on how much you have. 😉
Favorite Local Spot to Get a Cocktail: The Roosevelt
Craft beer is easy to find here these days, it has taken over the city. But when it comes to finding a good cocktail, that was a little bit harder. Church Hill’s The Roosevelt stood out above the rest with Richmonders with their extensive list of cocktails from the classics like The Manhattan to originals like “The Seersucker” and “The Danville Rattlesnake.”
Favorite Local Dive Bar: Bamboo Cafe
Richmond’s got a lot of old wateringholes around town, but our readers managed to pick Bamboo Cafe as their favorite dive. This little Mulberry Street bar is quiet and relaxed and always pours a good strong drink and serves decent food. The people are chill and you can usually find some musicians or artists hanging around in there. It’s the go-to place if you want to a strong drink and don’t want to deal with all the other loud, crazy, obnoxious bargoers around town.
Favorite Local Spot to Go Dancing: Balliceaux:
It recently got some upgrades, but Balliceaux’s backroom has been the hot spot for hipsters and young people to shake their thing for years. They always have a diverse, ever-changing music lineup from DJs to bands. I think one of the first times I went, they had a DJ mixing James Brown songs with a black and white reel behind him with footage of a young Brown himself getting down. The atmosphere is funky and fun and it’s a great place to let loose…or watch other people let loose.
Favorite Local Late Night Hang Out: Sticky Rice
Its second win on our list this year. This time its not for its food. This sushi bar turns into a pretty cool spot at night for Richmonders to grab a PBR or other beer and maybe some tots after a long night of drinking somewhere else. You can usually see people hanging out outside or waiting to get in as you drive down West Main Street. Between their weekly video game tournaments, karaoke, trivia, and “Blingo” this place has something for everyone looking for something fun to do late night.
Favorite Local Art Gallery: Gallery5
It’s no surprise that Gallery5 in Jackson Ward was picked as Richmond’s favorite art gallery. They constantly have cool events going on and they’re always different, the art and performance gallery has really become a staple to RVA and brought so much culture to the city. Hosting everything from burlesque, to bands, to comedy, dance, theater, poetry, and of course art exhibits and so much more, Gallery5 has more than earned their place as top performance art venue.
Favorite Local Venue for Live Music: The National
Pulling huge national acts as well as local musicians and bands, The National is able to appeal to music fans of all ages. With shows every night of the week, from EDM, to rap, to pure rock and roll and more, this venue will continue to be Richmond’s go to place for shows.
Favorite Local Theatre Company: Richmond Triangle Players
Since 1993, RTP has produced almost 100 plays including several world premieres, presented international cabaret artists, and hosted workshops. Now in its 20th season, RTP is still the only theater company of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region. Their efforts welcome a wide audience with a focus on works relevant to the LGBTQ community that has not gone unnoticed.
Favorite Local Theatre: Byrd Theatre
The 1,300-seat Byrd Theatre is a State and National Historic landmark. With 80 years of entertainment under its belt, there’s a reason everyone in Richmond and even tourists keep flocking to this theatre in the age of Netflix and Hulu. Today, patrons only pay $1.99 to see a movie and any weekend night you can see the line all the way down the block of people young, old, families, and everyone in between catching the latest flick and enjoying the beauty and nostalgia that The Byrd Theatre Company.
Favorite Local Festival: The Richmond Folk Festival
Richmond has a festival for everything these days. Beer, bacon, wings, watermelon, I could go on for days, but I don’t want to bore you. But the Richmond Folk Festival has been the one that’s managed to not only keep going each year, but get bigger and better as the years go by as well. Just surpassing its 11th year, the Richmond Folk Festival drew nearly 200,000 people. Why did Richmond pick it as its favorite? Well its the most diverse music festival that we have. It’s not just folk music. The festival has seen Irish and Cajun bands, a Cambodian dance troupe, a ton of blues singers, tap dancers, gospel and last year hip hop legend Grandmaster Flash graced us with his presence. It’s a no brainer this was picked as Richmond’s favorite festival.
Favorite Local Tattoo Shop: River City Tattoo Shop
Tattoos have become a part of Richmond’s culture. They are more than just artwork or design you seen on someone’s body every now and then. They are woven into the fabric of our city, giving it meaning and beauty. They also serve as a constant conversation piece. The city is overflowing with tattoo shops at this point, but River City’s Tattoo Shop beat out the rest of the competition. Since 2002, River City Tattoo has provided custom tattoo designs as well as thousands of designs to choose from to help you create the perfect tattoo. Check out some of their work on their Facebook-it’s sick.
Favorite Local Coffee Shop: Lamplighter Roasting Company
With three locations, Lamplighter holds a special place in the hearts of Richmond coffee lovers. Their small, but warm and inviting atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious coffee drinks combined with their laid back outdoor hang out area and screened in porch make this a perfect place to snuggle up with a cup of joe with your significant other, hold a relaxed business meeting with colleagues or have an afternoon of laughs with friends.
Check out the rest of the winners in f=”https://rvamag.comarticles/full/25467/rvamags-readers-poll-2015-winners-part-1″>Part 1 and Part 2.
