Best of Central Oregon 2024
It’s August, and as we write this, eyeballs are glued to TV screens around the world, watching the titans of sport show off their athletic prowess. But once the Summer Olympic Games end on Aug. 11, it will be time, once again, for the titans of Central Oregon to emerge victorious — sharing their Herculean…
Best New Food Cart in Redmond
Husband and wife, Basilio Serrano and Claudia Mora, make it no secret how blessed and grateful they feel to be able to serve the hungry Redmond community from their downtown side alley food cart, located outside of Kobold Brewing’s The Vault. Their 14-month-old business, El Imperio Mexican Food, earned the most votes for Best New…
Best Margarita
As soon as I arrived at Hola’s downtown Bend location, I was met with two gigantic margaritas, the Mexican Martini and the Desert Cactus, one of which the staff promptly put into our giant Best of Central Oregon goblet for sampling. The lively staff was there to tell me all about the many margaritas that…
Best Dessert in Redmond
Who would think that a master’s degree in art history could lead to a career in making scrumptious cupcakes? Ida’s Cupcake Cafe garnered the most votes for the new category, Best Desert in Redmond, and owner Autumn Persinger says her art background has contributed greatly to her success. Coming up with so many different flavors…
Best Non-Alcoholic Beer
Set on a small hill facing the Cascade mountain range, Crux Fermentation Project is a brewpub for both locals and visitors, offering refreshing beers and a variety of food trucks outside. Non-Alcoholic beers are on the rise, and Crux Fermentation Project has created a completely rebranded lineup of non-alcoholic brews with striking outdoor-themed labeling and…
Best Bookstore
To be a truly remarkable bookstore is to find an alchemical balance that can’t really be explained to someone with only a passing interest in the literary arts. Bookstores have outlasted most CD shops, video stores and video game stops and remained near-sacrosanct spaces for people to search for knowledge, enlightenment and some good old-fashioned…
Best Japanese
Chef Justin Cook started in the restaurant business in 1986 and has focused on sushi since 1993. Opening River West’s Kanpai almost two decades ago in February 2005, Cook describes the vibe of his bamboo-adorned sushi joint as, “busy, but chill. We’re all about the locals and creating a positive culture for our team and…
Best Bar/Brewpub in Sisters
Whether you’re a local, a visitor passing through or en route to the wilderness, chances are you’ve stopped by The Barn in Sisters for a delicious bite to eat or drink. The Barn is a rustic, charming taphouse located in the heart of Sisters featuring a food truck lot, live music and refreshing beverages. Daniel…
Best Wings
At this point, Bend has so many pubs, breweries and restaurants in general, that it’s almost harder to find a place that doesn’t serve wings than one that does. Upscale bistros, dive bars, Asian fusion kitchens…they all have their own take on the wing, and some do it much, much better than others. When choosing…
La ciudad de Bend elige el diseño del puente Hawthorne
Una iniciativa para aumentar la conexión y crear cruces de avenidas más seguras para los ciclistas y peatones está en marcha a medida que el Ayuntamiento de Bend prosigue con un concepto de diseño para el cruce elevado en la avenida Hawthorne. El 9 de agosto, la mayoría de los concejales de la ciudad de…
Best Sandwich/Deli
Bend has a lot of sandwiches. Several are downright mediocre, some are pretty damn good, but only one or two are genuinely great. For the last several years in a row, Valentine’s Deli has won the award for Best Sandwich and, for anyone who has ever enjoyed a lunch there, it’s easy to understand why:…
Staff Picks
Staff Picks are chosen by our staff! Even though this issue plays up the Greek theme, this is not Athens (the birthplace of democracy) and no one voted in these categories. Our team of titans just chose them, to be cheeky. That is all. Best Smoke Spot: Bend is a stoner’s delight By Julianna LaFollette…
Best Law Firm
David Rosen founded High Desert Law, a personal injury law firm, after experiencing an accident himself. “When I was 25, I was hit by a car while riding my bike resulting in a fractured knee among other injuries,” Rosen tells. “When I started High Desert Law, my goal was to provide for clients what I…
Best Happy Hour in Sunriver
From classic cocktails to curated infusions and delicious food in an amiable environment, the Owl’s Nest in Sunriver has its patrons covered, particularly when it comes to happy hour. Sunday through Thursday 2- 6pm, in the months from September to May, restaurant-goers can enjoy $1 off drafts, wine by the glass or well cocktails and…
Best Roofing Company
Winter of 2017 was harsh. Carlos Simpson remembers heavy snowfall and saw an opportunity… for his daughter, “to earn some extra cash for her Pokémon hobby,” he tells. “So I took her through our neighborhood on Awbrey Butte to offer to shovel some driveways and walkways. She certainly earned plenty shoveling snow, but what struck…
Best Gym
Outdoor and indoor pools, numerous daily classes, sauna and steam rooms, two weight rooms and a host of ball courts… While some gyms offer one or two of those things, the Athletic Club of Bend has it all. Situated on a large campus close to Century Drive, since 1991 the Athletic Club has held a…
Best Dog training
Since 1999, Dancin’ Woofs has offered a friendly place for doggy day care and training. The business has ongoing doggy day care and a mixture of different training classes, from group puppy classes and basic skills classes to one-on-one training. Kristin Kerner, the current owner, went from a client to an employee in 2004 and…
Best TV Personality
Emily Kirk, known to many for her great attitude and upbeat personality, has been on Central Oregonians’ TVs for nearly nine years. Kirk grew up in Portland and started her journalism career in college at the University of Oregon. While her dream was always to go into sports reporting, she eventually tried her hand at…
Best Bartender
D&D Bar & Grill, one of Bend’s oldest and most notorious bars, is celebrated for its homey neighborhood tavern atmosphere, stiff drinks and as a popular destination for the Friday and Saturday night bar-hopping crowd. A familiar face to regulars is Buck Bales, one of Bend’s beloved bartenders who continues to pour memories and drinks.…
Best Social Media Account
What is essentially a time capsule of Bend, Instagram account Loot the Deschutes offers a look into what people have dropped in the Deschutes River. The people behind the account help people reconnect with those lost valuables. I sat down by the river with the three friends, Miranda Eubank, Kea Eubank and Lled Smith, who…
Best Open Mic
With not one but two open mic nights every week, Silver Moon Brewing offers a platform for performers to try new material or just get some experience in front of a live audience. Every Sunday, longtime Bend musician Jeshua Marshall hosts a music-focused open mic from 4:30 to 8pm, while Mondays are reserved for comedy,…
Best Place to Remote Work
As remote work becomes more of the norm, coworking spaces are emerging as vital hubs for productivity and community. This year, we introduced “Best Place to Remote Work” as a new category in the Source Weekly’s Best of Central Oregon readers’ poll. Coworking spaces often provide Wi-Fi, printers, conference rooms and quiet spaces for phone…
Best Food Cart Lot & Best Bar in Redmond
Despite the numerous Best of Central Oregon awards their Redmond hangout has earned, the owners of Blacksmith Public House insist it is not about them, but the business itself and the community it serves. To drive home that point, Michael and Molly Kosakowski were adamant about refusing to be photographed for this story. “It’s not…
Best Lodging in Redmond
The hotel on Redmond’s downtown Sixth Street, originally built in 1906, offers guests a piece of history. The building guests see standing today was built in 1928, after the original two-story wood structure burned down a year prior. While the establishment has served as a hotel for about 90% of its lifetime, it’s certainly gone…
Best Hair Salon in Redmond
In Hawaiian, “Ka Nui” means “The Greatest,” and that rings especially true for this 10-year-old hair salon that has earned First Place in the new category of Best Hair Salon in Redmond. This translation is gleaned from Ka Nui promotional material that goes on to state, “We pride ourselves in being the greatest self that…
