For the second year in a row, we asked readers of So Salem to pick The Best of Salem. The votes poured in; more than three times as many as last year. In some cases, we had repeat winners, and we’ve noted those with an asterisk (*). But we also had some new winners — and some new categories, too.
So without further ado, here’s who you picked as this year’s Best Of . . .

Best reason for living in Salem
1. The people*
2. Schools
3. Small town feel

Best place for breakfast:
1. Famous Anthony’s*
2. Pancake House
3. Denny’s

Best coffee:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea *
2. Starbuck’s
3. McDonald’s

Best iced tea:
1. McDonald’s *
2. Hardee’s
3. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea

Best pizza:
1. Frank’s *
2. Pizza Hut
3. Pizza Pasta Pit

Best place for lunch:
1. Mac and Bob’s*
2. Macado’s
3. Famous Anthony’s

Best place for a fancy meal:
1. Mama Maria’s *
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. Teaberry’s

Best restaurant to take the kids:
1. Famous Anthony’s
2. McDonald’s
3. Mac and Bob’s

Best happy hour:
1. Macado’s *
2. Awful Arthur’s
3. Mac and Bob’s

Best place to go after a game:
1.Mac & Bob’s *
2. Allsports Café
3. Macado’s

Best teacher:
1. Chastity Harden (Glenvar High)
2. Sherri Shupe (Andrew Lewis)
3. Ray Moore (Salem High)

Best bus driver:
1. Donna Stover
2. Cheryl Sweeney (Bus 12 – West Salem Elem. School)
3. Mikey Wimmer

Best school staff member:
1. Lisa Moeller (Salem High School)
2. Trina Bateman (Salem High School)
3. Scott Habeeb (Salem High School)

Best hair salon:
1. Hair Designs Unlimited *
2. Hollywood Hair & Nails
3. Pampered & Polished Salon and Day Spa

Best nail salon:
1. Natural Nails
2. Tony’s Nails
3. Hollywood Hair & Nails

Best place to get pampered: *New Category*
1. Hair Designs Unlimited
2. Hollywood Hair & Nails
3. Taylor Salon

Best car wash:
1. $3 Car Wash *
2. Sheetz
3. Swif-T Quik Mart

Best place to get your car fixed:
1. Pillis Brothers *
2. Speedee
3. Certified Collision Repair

Best place to buy a car: *New Category*
1. Candy Automotive
2. Hart Motors
3. Berglund

Best lawyer
1. Skip Lautenschlager
2. Charlie Phillips
3. Ray Byrd

Best plumbing/electrical/handyman
1. Don Driver *
2. Mike Farmer
3. Cline Electrical

Best lawn service or landscaping service:
1. GreenUP*
2. Tru Green
3. Lee Foley

Best place to shop for antiques:
1. Charlotte’s Web *
2. Buy the Season
3. Mainstreet Primitives

Best bargains:
1. Walmart
2. Big Lots
3. KidStuff

Best place to buy unique gifts:
1. Countryside Classics
2. Buy The Season
3. Oh My Stars

Best place to buy fresh food:
1. Farmers Market *
2. Kroger
3. Capt’n Paul’s Seafood

Best place to buy tailgating supplies: *New Category*
1. Walmart
2. Gobbler Gear
3. Kroger

Best place to buy Salem gear: *New Category*
1. Spartan Silk Screen
2. Walgreen’s
3. Walmart

Best place to buy women’s fashions:
1. Cato
2. Millie’s
3. Because Girls Will Be Girls

Best dry cleaner:
1. Skyline Cleaners*
2. Peacock Cleaners
3. VA Cleaners

Best jeweler:
1. RM Johnson & Sons*
2. Amhrein’s
3. Grandma’s Attic

Best florist:
1. Jobe Florist*
2. Marizel’s
3. King’s Florist

Best veterinarian:
1. DeRolf Animal Hospital*
2. Animal Care of Salem
3. Hanging Rock Animal Hospital

Best convenience store:
1. Sheetz*
2. Apple Market
3. Swift-T

Best insurance agent:
1. Don Bishop*
2. Darrell Holland (State Farm)
3. Roger Rakes (Allstate)

Best real estate agent:
1. Scooter Darnall (RE/MAX)
2. Janie Whitlow (The Real Estate Group)
3. Egon Hofmann (Barker Realty)

Best pet grooming/pet sitting/pet boarding service:
1. Carvins Cove Bed and Biscuit*
2. Classy Pets
3. About Pets Center

Best frame shop: *New Category*
1. Graphics Etc.
2. Picture Frame Outlet/Blue Ridge Moulding
3. The Frame Connection

Best customer service: *New Category*
1. Hair Designs Unlimited
2. Jobe Florist
3. Speedee Oil Change

Best value for the money: *New Category*
1. Hair Designs Unlimited
2. Classic Floors
3. KidStuff

Best place for a first date:
1. Mac & Bob’s*
2. Mama Maria’s
3. Applebee’s

Best place for a family hike:
1. Green Hill Park *
2. McAfee’s Knob
3. Dragon’s Tooth

Best place to go for a bike ride:
1. Green Hill Park*
2. Carvin’s Cove
3. Hanging Rock Trail

Best spot for a picnic:
1. Green Hill Park
2. Longwood Park
3. Duck Pond

Best preschool or day care:
1. Fellowship Community Church
2. Mini World
3. St. Anne’s Pre-school

Best dentist: *New category*
1. Dr. Nate Stephens
2. Dr. Sprinkle
3. Dr. Caroline Wallace

Best pharmacy: *New Category*
1. Walgreens
2. Brooks-Byrd
3. CVS

Best family physician: *New Category*
1. Victor Bell
2. John Priddy, MD – West Salem Family Practice
3./ Dr. Mark Taylor (Carilion) and Dr. Charles Lamb (tie)

Best place to go for financial advice:
1. Paul Curran (Edward Jones)
2. Hyer Financial
3. Larry Campbell @ Fellowship Community Church

Best real estate firm/brokerage: *New Category*
1. Barker Realty
2. Young Realty
3. The Real Estate Group

Best place to keep fit:
1. YMCA*
2. Salem Fitness & Wellness Center
3. Curves

Best apartment community: *New category*
1. Salem Wood Apartments
2. Riverwalk
3. Stonegate

Best place for music lessons:
1. Ridenhour *
2. Christian Life International
3. The Piano School

Best place to access wi-fi:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea *
2. Starbuck’s
3. McDonald’s

Best local politician:
1. Morgan Griffith, House of Delegates *
2. Lee Eubanks, business owner
3. Randy Foley, Salem mayor

Best fishing spot: (new category)
1. Roanoke River
2. Green Hill Park
3. Duck Pond

Best coach (non-school sports):
1. Billy Utz
2. Mike Jones
3. Sherry Stinson

Best sporting event *new category*
1. Salem Red Sox games
2. Salem High School football games
3. Stagg Bowl

Best coach (school sports):
1. Randall Sell, Salem High School wrestling
2. Steve Magenbauer, Salem High School football
3. Kevin Garst, Salem High School basketball

Best school event – high school:
1. Salem football*
2. Glenvar Groovy Teens
3. Opus concert

Best school event – elementary and middle school:
1. South Salem beach party
2. ALMS talent show and Ft. Lewis carnival (tie)
3. South Salem Carnival

Best place to go trick-or-treating:
1. Woodbridge*
2. Fellowship Community Church
3. Karen Hills

Best place to take relatives from out of town:
1. The Homeplace
2. Mac and Bob’s
3. The Ol Mule Hot Dog Company

Best place to meet new people:
1. Fellowship Community Church
2, Church
3. The Ol Mule Hot Dog Company

Best church outreach program:
1. Fellowship Community Church*
2. Bethel Baptist
3. First United Methodist Church

Best park:
1. Longwood Park*
2. Green Hill Park
3. Moyer Sports Complex

Best place to take the kids for the day:
1. Longwood Park*
2. Green Hill Park
3. Thunder Valley

Best community event:
1. Olde Salem Days *
2. Salem After Five
3. Community Day at Fellowship Community Church

Best event at the Salem Civic Center: (new category)
1. Salem Fair
2. Roanoke Valley Horse Show
3. Home Show

Best place to hear local music:
1. Fellowship Community Church
2. Awful Arthur’s
3. Salem After Five

Best parks and rec. activity:
1. Salem After Five *
2. Basketball
3. Football

Best new thing in Salem in the past year:
1. The Ol Mule Hot Dog Company
2. Lowe’s
3. Teaberry’s

Best thing not on this list
1. The Ol Mule Hot Dog Company
2. Scott & Ellie’s Ice Cream
3. Anna Metheny Photography