Owensboro Times is launching a voting competition next week to determine Owensboro-Daviess County’s favorite local restaurant. Here’s everything you need to know about how the competition — called “Eat Down the Street” — will work, including our list of eligible restaurants and categories.
ABOUT
Eat Down the Street is a voting contest to determine Owensboro-Daviess County’s favorite local restaurants, based solely on the votes cast in our poll. Comments on Facebook will not count as votes.
CATEGORIES
Restaurants will be divided into eight categories (listed below) chosen by Owensboro Times staff. Each of the next eight weeks will feature voting for a specific category. The winner of each category will advance to the championship week of voting at a later date, with that winner being declared the ultimate favorite restaurant.
VOTING (CATEGORY WEEK)
One category will be voted upon each week starting Aug. 9. Voting will open weekly at 12 a.m. on Monday and close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, with the winner being announced on Thursday. (For example, Best BBQ will be featured in Week 1. Voting will begin at 12 a.m. on Aug. 9 and close at 5 p.m. on Aug. 11. The winner will be announced on Aug. 12.)
VOTING (CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK)
The champions from each category will advance to a final week of voting. Voting will begin at 12 a.m. on Oct. 11 and close at 5 p.m. on Oct. 14. The winner will be announced on Oct. 15.
ELIGIBILITY
Restaurants must be active in Owensboro-Daviess County and locally owned, and must currently have a brick-and-mortar location Franchises will not be included. A franchise is considered a business with locations outside of Owensboro. Bars and food trucks will not be included (but we plan to conduct a similar voting contest for them at a later date).
- NOTE: If there is a restaurant on our list that you think is a franchise, or if there is a restaurant not on our list that you think should be, please contact us here by Aug. 13.
TIMELINE
- Category 1 (Barbecue) — Aug. 9-11
- Category 2 (Diner) — Aug. 16-18
- Category 3 (Pizza) — Aug. 23-25
- Category 4 (Mexican) — Aug. 30-Sept. 1
- Category 5 (International) — Sept. 6-8
- Category 6 (Burger/Drive-in) — Sept. 13-15
- Category 7 (Dine-in) — Sept. 20-22
- Category 8 (Coffee/Bakery) — Sept. 27-29
- Champions (Category winners) — Oct. 11-13
LIST OF RESTAURANTS (in no particular order)
Barbecue
- Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn
- Old Hickory Bar-B-Q
- Ole South Bar-B-Que
Diner
- O’Bryan’s Bar & Grill
- Millay’s Tavern & Grill
- Lucy’s Diner
- Madewell’s Corner Cafe
- The Dugout Diner
- Lizzie’s Diner
- Windy Hollow Restaurant
- The Country Ham
- Dee’s Diner
- Deloris’ Cafe
- Norman McDonald’s Country Drive-In
- Cadillac Restaurant and Grecian Pizza
- Mendy’s Kitchen
- Kelly Rae’s Country Cafe
- Colby’s Deli and Cafe
- Gene’s Health Foods (deli)
Pizza
- 54 Pizza Express
- Pizza by the Guy
- PeezO’s Pizza
- Fetta Specialty Pizza
- The Oven
- Y-Not Pizza and Wings
- Leaning Tower of Pizza
- JJ’s Pizza
Mexican
- Don Mario
- Ernesto’s Mexican Bar & Grill
- Real Hacienda
- El Tucan
- Mi Ranchito
- El Toribio
- El Veracruzana
- Los Nopales
- Papa Grande
- El Molcajete
- El Mezcal
International
- Chop Stick Chinese Hibachi Grill
- Pan Asian
- Mr. Wok Express
- Thai Food Owensboro
- Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant
- Wasabi 54
- Owensboro Karen Restaurant
- Gyro House
Burger/Drive-In
- Mil’s Dairy Drive In
- Wyndall’s Wonder Whip
- Gary’s Drive-In
- Big Dipper
- Ritzy’s
- Hayden’s Drive-In
Dine-in
- Colby’s Fine Food & Spirits
- Lure Seafood & Grill
- Famous Bistro
- Legends Sports Bar & Grill
- Niko’s Italian Cuisine
- Briarpatch
- Eat @ Bill’s (Bill’s Restaurant)
- Crab Party
- City Walk
- The Miller House
Coffee/Bakery
- The Spot Coffee and Finery
- The Creme Coffee House
- The CupCakery
- Overflow Cafe
- The Coffee Shoppe
- Rolling Pin Pastry Shop
- Koehler’s Bakery
- The Family Bakery
- Gramps Coffee and Donuts
- Niko’s Bakery and Cafe
- Maggie’s Cakes and More
- Wheatgrass Juice Bar
- Twelve Cities
- The Cottage Farmstand and Bakery Co.