Published on February 12th, 2023 | by TLV News

The Townies 2023 Local Favorites Awards Results

Each year we collect votes online and on paper ballots for The Local Favorites Awards, and each year we are surprised by some of the results. Oxford folks are opinionated! We love seeing so many of our friends here on the list, and we hope you enjoy reading about it. If your favorite didn’t win, there’s always next year—it’s true that those who campaign do better in the polls. Congratulations to all of this year’s Townies!

RESTAURANT

Ajax Diner
Saint Leo
Volta
SoLa
Moe’s
Snackbar
City Grocery
Proud Larry’s
McEwen’s
Tarasque

BAR

Funkys
City Grocery
Penny Bar
Bar Muse
The Library
Blind Pig
Growler
Snackbar
Rafters
Saint Leo

PIZZA

Funkys
Saint Leo
FergnDan’s
Lost Pizza Co.
Fox’s Pizza
Marco’s
Pizzashop
Proud Larry’s
Square Pizza
Rosati’s

FINE DINING

City Grocery
Saint Leo
McEwen’s
Snackbar
Oxford Grillehouse
Lenora’s
Boure
GRIT
SoLa
Yugo

PATIO/DECK

Volta
City Grocery
Proud Larry’s
Boure
Funkys
Harrison’s
Lamar Yard
The Library
The Coop @ The Graduate
Opa!

BURGER

Handy Andy
Oxford Burger Co.
Phillip’s Grocery
Rafters
Mugshots
Proud Larry’s
Ajax
Snackbar
Bim Bam Burgers
Good Day Café

MEXICAN FOOD

Uno Mas
El Agave
El Charro
La Perla
El Mariachi
Los Parrilleros
Sleepy Cactus
Mundo Latino
Karlee’s
El Colibri

LOCAL BUSINESS

Neilson’s
Square Books
My Favorite Shoes
Funkys
Sleepy Cactus
Moe’s
Volta
Burn Bootcamp
Chicory Market
Pitner Office Supply

ASIAN FOOD

Jinsei
Toyo
Rice and Spice

HM: Zaap, Noodle Bowl, Kabuki, H20, Yugo

COCKTAILS

Bar Muse
Saint Leo
Snackbar
City Grocery
The Sipp
SoLa
Boure
Jinsei
Volta
The Coop at the Graduate

BARBEQUE

Moe’s
B’s BBQ
Handy Andy

HM: Lamar Yard, K’s

BAKERY

Bottletree
Bremmas + The Cakery
Heartbreak Coffee

HM: Community Donuts, R&R Cookies, Smallcakes

BARTENDER

Elliot Willard City Grocery
Peyton Attaway Funkys
Joe Stinchcomb Bar Muse

HM: Jayde Taylor (Funkys); Steve Malon (Summit); Andy Douglas (SoLa); Dylan Ferris (Penny Bar & Growler); Kyle Kelly (Penny Bar)

BEER SELECTION

The Growler
Blind Pig
The Cooler at Larson’s Cash Saver

HM: Proud Larry’s, Funkys

CHICKEN/WINGS

Moe’s
Southern Coop
Rooster’s

HM: Jinsei, Buffalo Wild Wings, Guthrie’s, Abner’s, City Grocery, Rockhouse

CRAWFISH

Landshark
Major Cajun Crawfish Co.
Crawdad Hole

BREAKFAST

Big Bad Breakfast
First Watch
The Beacon

HM: Sleepy Cactus, Waffle House, Bottletree Bakery, Heartbreak Coffee

BRUNCH

Big Bad Breakfast
Grit
Saint Leo

HM: SoLa, First Watch, McEwen’s, Sleepy Cactus, Rafters

CATERING

A&N Catering
Taylor Grocery
My Michelle’s

HM: Moe’s, Elizabeth Heiskell, South Depot, Volta, Tallahatchie Gourmet

COFFEE

Heartbreak
High Point
Caffecitos

HM: Common Ground, Bottletree, Big Bad Breakfast

CHEF/COOK

Erika Lipe SoLa
Vishwesh Bhatt Snackbar
John Stokes Tarasque Cucina

HM: Tay Johnson (Funkys); Alexandra Santiago (Sleepy Cactus); Eric Tait (City Grocery)

DELIVERY SERVICE

Fetcht
DoorDash
Uber

HM: Bite Squad, Take a Break

DESSERT

YaYa’s
Oxford Creamery
Snackbar (pastry chef Mary Reagan Starrett)

HM: City Hall Cheesecake, Insomnia Cookies, Boure, City Grocery

DOORMAN

Maurice Pomerlee Penny Bar
Wood Security
Shaw Security

HM: Frankie “Four Fingers” Shughart, Haj (Funkys), Matt Frankel (Funkys)

FRIES

Saint Leo
Snackbar
Proud Larry’s

HM: Volta, City Grocery, Rooster’s, Ajax Diner

SUSHI

Toyo
Jinsei
Kabuki

HM: Kroger, Noodle Bowl

HAPPY HOUR

City Grocery
Snackbar
Volta

HM: Moe’s, Proud Larry’s, The Library, Boure, Blind Pig, Saint Leo, Uno Mas

SOUL FOOD

Ajax
Mama Jo’s
Moe’s

HM: Tallahatchie Gourmet, Cash Saver, B’s BBQ, The Beacon

LATE NIGHT FOOD

Chicken on a Stick Four Corners Chevron
Cookout
Uno Mas

HM: Taco Bell, Square Pizza, Guthrie’s

MARGARITA

Volta
El Agave
Uno Mas

HM: El Charro, SoLa, El Mariachi

SALAD

Volta
Proud Larry’s
Newk’s

HM: Ajax, Blind Pig, Boure, Greenline, Oby’s, Saint Leo

SANDWICH

Blind Pig
Obys
Newk’s

HM: Proud Larrys’, Ajax, Boure, Good Day, Moe’s

VEGETARIAN FOOD

Ajax
Volta
Living Foods

HM: Rice and Spice, Heartbreak Coffee, Noodle Bowl, Zaap

SERVER

Stephen Downing Volta
Terry Moon City Grocery
Ali Willimont Ajax

HM: Anna Tomlinson (Funkys), Mandy Holland Hunter (Volta), Victoria (City Grocery), Hannah Jacoby (Ajax), Jessica Boyd (Volta), Chelsea Brock (Snackbar)

STEAK

Oxford Grillehouse
Lenora’s
King’s Steakhouse

HM: City Grocery, Snackbar, Ajax, The Sizzler, Como Steakhouse, McEwen’s, Grit, SoLa

VEGETARIAN FOOD

Ajax
Volta
Living Foods

HM: Rice and Spice, Heartbreak Coffee, Noodle Bowl, Zaap

BOSS

John Allgood Moe’s BBQ
Brooke Krizbai Volta
Randy Yates Ajax

HM: Alexandra Santiago (Sleepy Cactus), Lee Harris, (Funky’s), Will Lewis (Neilson’s), Erika Lipe (SoLa)

MARKET

Chicory
Oxford Community Market
Larson’s Cash Saver

HM: Kroger, Midtown Farmers Market

FARM/FARMER

Bost Farm
Billy Ray Brown Brown Family Dairy
Doug Davis Yoknabottoms Farms

HM: Poultry in Motion, Home Place Pastures, Faulkner Farms, Farmstead Florals

FOOD TRUCK

Caffecitos
Wiggly’s
Fergndan’s

HM: Sunday’s Best, El Colibri, Jake’s BBQ, Uno Mas, Taylor Grocery, Karlee’s

LIQUOR STORE

Star Package
Campus Wines & Spirits
High Cotton Wine & Spirits

HM: Social Wine & Whiskey, Magnolia Liquors, Rebel Wine & Spirits, Kiamie Package

MARKET

Chicory
Oxford Community Market
Larson’s Cash Saver

HM: Kroger, Midtown Farmers Market

MUSIC SHOP / SCHOOL

The End of All Music
Roxford University
Ron’s Music Center

HM: Rebel Music, Oxford House of Music

RADIO STATION

95.5 WOXD The Bullseye
92.1 WUMS
98.5 WZLQ

HM: 105.1 WJDX, 91.7 WVSD

SALON

La Rousse
The Parlor
Amara

HM: Nail Bar, Emma J Salon, Hair Port, La Mystique, Nolan Taylor

STYLIST

Lisa Tatum The Parlor
Dallas Culpit, RK Beauty
Margaret Hood, Nolan Taylor

HM: Christy Parker, Jennifer Lasky, Leigh Taylor

SMOKE / VAPE SHOP

Spring Street Cigars
Slacker Supply
Vapor Maven

HM: Cloud 9, Hempville

HORN PLAYER

Jeff Callaway
Adam Davenport
Daniel Hodges

HM: Casey Lipe

NEW BUSINESS

Opa!
Waffle House
Caffecitos

HM: Good Day Cafe, Los Parrilleros, Sleepy Cactus, el Colibri

MOST MISSED BUSINESS

Local Color
Soulshine
Two Stick

HM: The Warehouse, Don Panchos, The Gin, Hoka Theatre, Hawaiian Poke, Mistillis Cafe

ACTOR

Morgan Freeman
Johnny McPhail
Bill Perry Jr.

HM: Rhes Low, Susan McPhail

TATTOOIST

Doug Hollis
Brian Shives
Cody Rardin

LOCAL BAND

Teardrop City
Madrik
Southern Groove Redemption

HM: Bass Drum of Death, Mustache, Haggard Collins, Happy Landing, Kudzu Kings, SoulTones, Bark, Tyler Keith, Blue Mountain

NEW BAND

Proud Hound
Highland Sunday
Red Orbs

ART GALLERY

Southside Gallery
University Museum
The Powerhouse

HM: Treehouse Gallery, Bozart’s

PHOTOGRAPHER

Jim Hendrix
Bruce Newman
Daneel Ferreira

HM: Paul Gandy, Joe Worthem, Joey Brent, John Cofield, Gaetano Catelli

VISUAL ARTIST

Anne Scott Barrett
Cindy Aune
Alice Hamill

HM: Abby Noie, Blair Hobbs, Glenn Ray Tutor, Jere Allen, Johnathan Kent Adams, Katherine Butler, Lee Harper, Robert Malone, Seth Kellum

BASS PLAYER

Kane Harrell Proud Hound
Greg Johnson The Blues Archive
Laurie Stirratt Teardrop City

HM: Dave Woolworth, Jesse Martin, Patrick Mink

COMEDIAN

Luke Blackburn
Bruce Butler
Connor King

HM: Joe Stinchcomb, Logan Little

DJ/EMCEE

Jim Dees
Logan Little
Max Victory

HM: Jacova Jenkins, DJ Mario

DRUMMER

Justin Webb Proud Hound
Lee Ingram
Matt Cutlip

HM: Kenny Graeber, Joe Wells, Isaac Harrelson, Shane Prewitt

KEYBOARDIST /PIANIST

Bill Perry Jr.
Anita Ludlow
Eric Carlton

HM: Robert Chaffe, Matt Moore, Damien Wash, Tate Moore

VOCALIST

Brady Bramlett
Conner Alexander
Zechariah Tillotson

HM: Tate Moore, Effie Burt, Damien Wash, Kody Harrell

FILMMAKER

Antonio Tarrell
Thad Lee
Bill Perry Jr.

HM: Tyler Keith, Joe York, Matt Wymer, Logan Hudson

GUITARIST

Conner Alexander Proud Hound
Haggard Collins
Kody Harrell Proud Hound

HM: Jason Cain, Will Smith, Eric Deaton, Kenny Brown, Tyler Keith, George McConnell

ATHLETE

Quinshon Judkins
Tim Elko
JJ Peagues

HM: Jackson Dart, KD Hill

SONGWRITER

Zechariah Tillotson
Danny Sharpe
Conner Alexander

HM: Kody Harrell, Tate Moore, Moon Pie Curtis, Tyler Kieth

MOST UNDERRATED MUSICIAN

Clay Jones
Conner Alexander
Will Griffith

HM: David Bridgers, Kane Harrell, Damein Wash

ENTERTAINMENT / EVENT VENUE

Proud Larry’s
The Lyric Theatre
Ford Center

HM: Lamar Yard, The Library, Rockhouse Live, Rooster’s, Powerhouse

ATTORNEY

Kevin W. Frye
Swayze Alford
Josh Turner

HM: James B Justice, Rhea Tannehill, Matt McKenzie, Mitchell Driskell, Tiffany Kilpatrick, Ray Garrett

CELEBRITY SIGHTING

Eli Manning
Morgan Freeman
Dolly Parton

HM: Ace Atkins, Archie Manning, Chuck Liddell

COACH

Lane Kiffin Ole Miss Football
Mike Bianco Ole Miss Baseball
Yolett McPhee-McCuin Ole Miss Women’s Basketball

COMMUNITY LEADER

Bradley Roberson
Mike Bianco
Robyn Tannehill

HM: Wayne Andrews, Chris McAlilly

HEALTHCARE WORKER

Philip Loria
David Bridgers
Dr. Dabbs

HM: Jeff Dennis, Rachel Sledge

REALTOR

Shea Turner Foxx
Cherie Matthews
Midge McCay

HM: Blake Thompson, Brooke Worthy, John Welty, Brian Flint, Carla Davis, Mary Aquino

TOWNIE

Bruce Newman
Randy Yates
Jim Dees

HM: Jake Fondren, Randy Weeks, Lanair Baker, Chris (Huntsman) from Rooster’s, Daniel Hodges, Dylan Faris

WRITER

Ace Atkins
Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Randy Weeks

HM: Wright Thompson, Beth Ann Fennelly, Jack Pendarvis, Tyler Keith, Lee Durkee

TEACHER/PROFESSOR

Roy Thurston
Jason Cain
Alexandria Kerwin

HM: Emily Maples

TAXI/UBER

Roy Watson – Roy Boy Taxi
Keith Moore
Austin Blake

LOCAL EVENT

Double Decker Festival
Tailgating in The Grove
Oxford Film Festival

HM: One Night Stand at Ole Miss Motel, North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, Ole Miss Football

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

Annual Oxford Christmas Parade
Premier Lanes
Malco Theatre

HM: Holly Jolly Holidays, Avent Park, Ole Miss sports, Double Decker, Lamar Yard

CHURCH

College Hill Presbyterian
Community Church of Oxford
Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church

HM: Grace Bible Church, Oxford University United Methodist Church, St. John the Evangelist Catholic

NEW ADDITION TO TOWN

Waffle House
Bar Muse
Caffecitos

HM: Opa!, Sleepy Cactus

PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE

Volta
Boure
Saint Leo

HM: Ajax, City Grocery, Jinsei, Lenora’s, Sleepy Cactus, SoLa, The Grove

PUBLIC ART

Yokna Sculpture Trail
Princess Hoka Mural
Welcome to Oxford Mural

MISSISSIPPI BRAND

Wonderbird Spirits
Blue Delta Jeans
Cathead Vodka

HM: Viking Range, McCarty Pottery, Hoover Sauce

Tags: 2023, bars, Local Favorites Awards, Mississippi, Oxford, Restaurants, The Local Favorites Awards, The Townies

About the Author

TLV News The Local Voice is a bimonthly entertainment guide and newspaper based in Oxford, Mississippi, covering and distributed in North Central Mississippi, including Oxford, Ole Miss, Taylor, Abbeville, Water Valley, Lafayette County, Yalobusha County, and parts of Panola County, Marshall County, and Tupelo . The Local Voice is distributed free to over 255 locations in North Mississippi and also available as a full color PDF download worldwide on the internet.