So who won?
In years past, that would have been a pretty simple answer. Best of San Antonio was a cut-and-dry majority-rules affair, meaning that businesses with the most engaged or dedicated fanbase (or the ones smart enough to do vote-for-us specials, figure out how to bot-bomb our poll, or find some other way to goose the results) took home top honors. At its best, it reflected the true will of the people and even sometimes pushed this city’s overlooked gems into the spotlight. At its worst, we might have to write glowingly, and with a straight face, about some awful, stinky hookah bar or lame sandwich spot the public inexplicably picked as “best” that year.
So this year is different. Think of what you hold in your hands (or read on your screen) as a more multifaceted tool for finding San Antonio’s best food, dive bars, drag queens, bookstores, yoga studios and everything in between. Our exhaustive Readers’ Choice listings will tell you how your fellow San Antonians voted. Sprinkled throughout the issue is basically everything else that we here at the Current are really into right now. As you’ll see, in some categories we couldn’t even settle on a single winner. You’re that good, San Antonio.
So check out our picks and the reader's choice winners for Around Town, People, Food & Drink, Shopping and Nightlife. See how they compare to the opinions of the many thousands of you who voted in our online poll. Debate, argue, discover, and if you think we’ve missed a critical business, person or place that makes this city awesome — you know what, you’re probably right. Vote next year. Mobilize the masses to vote early and often. Help us find this city’s next best thing.