Best place to volunteer 1. Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma 2. Central Oklahoma Humane Society 3. Infant Crisis Services, Inc. 4. Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity 5. Sunbeam Family Services
Best business that gives back 1. S&B’s Burger Joint, several metro locations 2. Paycom 3. Fowler Auto Group 4. The Pump Bar 5. Homes by Taber
Best free entertainment 1. Festival of the Arts, Arts Council Oklahoma City, 500 Couch Drive 2. Myriad Botanical Gardens 3. Paseo Arts Festival 4. Sonic Summer Movies on the Lawn at Myriad Botanical Gardens 5. Sunday Twilight Concert Series
Best live music club 1. UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. Fifth St. 2. The Blue Note Lounge 3. VZD Restaurant & Bar 4. 89th Street - OKC 5. Opolis
Best concert venue 1. Chesapeake Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave. 2. The Zoo Amphitheatre 3. Civic Center Music Hall 4. The Criterion 5. Tower Theater
Best public art/mural 1. New Zealand Thunder player Steven Adams mural on The Paramount building in Film Row, 701 W. Sheridan Ave. 2. Plaza Walls project in 16th Street Plaza District 3. Welcome to Uptown mural on Pizzeria Gusto building in Uptown 23rd 4. Cultivation mural at EK Gaylord Boulevard and W. Reno Avenue by Jason Pawley 5. Flamenco Memorial to John L. Belt in Paseo Arts District
Best place to buy local art 1. Paseo Arts District, Paseo St. from NW 28th St. and N. Walker Ave. to NW 30th St. and N. Dewey Ave. 2. Festival of the Arts, Arts Council Oklahoma City 3. DNA Galleries 4. Mind Bender Tattoo and Fine Art Gallery 5. JRB Art at the Elms
Best museum 1. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place 2. Oklahoma City Museum of Art 3. Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum 4. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 5. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
Best fine jewelry 1. BC Clark Jewelers, several metro locations 2. Naifeh Fine Jewelry 3. Mitchener Farrand 4. Scott Gordon Jeweler/Gemologist 5. C.J.’s Jewelers
Best thrift store 1. Bad Granny’s Bazaar, 1759 NW 16th St. 2. Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma 3. Uptown Thrift 4. Nearly New 5. The Salvation Army Central Oklahoma Area Command
Best clothing consignment 1. Daisy Exchange, several metro locations 2. Bad Granny’s Bazaar 3. Nearly New 4. Clothes Mentor 5. The Bottom Drawer
Best furniture 1. Urban Farmhouse Designs, 400 S. Western Ave. 2. Mathis Brothers Furniture 3. Bob Mills Furniture & Mattress Store 4. K&N Interior Consignment 5. Ashley Furniture HomeStore
Best women’s clothing boutique 1. Blue Seven, 7518 N. May Ave., Suite A 2. Lush Fashion Lounge 3. Balliets 4. Bow & Arrow Boutique 5. The Black Scintilla
Best place to dine before a show 1. Cheever’s Cafe, 2409 N. Hudson Ave. 2. Mahogany Prime Steakhouse 3. Republic Gastropub 4. The Pump Bar 5. Museum Cafe
Best place for continuing education 1. University of Oklahoma (OU), 660 Parrington Oval, Norman 2. University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) 3. Oklahoma State University Oklahoma City (OSU-OKC) 4. Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) 5. Francis Tuttle Technology Center
Best place to get fit 1. YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, several metro locations 2. Lake Hefner 3. 10Gym 4. Barre3 5. Four Star Fitness
Best bicycle shop 1. Al’s Bicycles, several metro locations 2. Schlegel Bicycles 3. Wheeler Dealer Bicycle Shop 4. Charley’s Bicycle Laboratory 5. Melonbike
Best med spa 1. Cottonwood Salon and Spa, 35 E. 33rd St., Edmond 2. Renaissance Salon and Spa 3. Mariposa Aesthetics & Laser Center 4. Udånder 5. Bliss Medical Spa
Best place to get an aesthetic update 1. Cottonwood Salon and Spa, 35 E. 33rd St., Edmond 2. Dr. Tim R. Love M.D. 3. Mariposa Aesthetics & Laser Center 4. Advanced Aesthetics 5. Bliss Medical Spa
Best place to fix your smile 1. Orthodontic Associates, several metro locations 2. Dental Depot 3. OKC Smiles 4. Gentle Dental 5. Dental 32
Best local district 1. Bricktown, area west of EK S Gaylord Blvd., around Reno Ave. 2. Midtown 3. 16th Street Plaza District 4. Paseo Arts District 5. Uptown 23rd District
Best naughty business 1. Christie’s Toy Box, several metro locations 2. Dollhouse Lounge & Burlesque 3. Night Trips 4. Red Dog Cafe 5. Oklahoma Gentlemens Club
Best new retail establishment 1. Commonplace Books, 1325 N. Walker Ave. 2. Past Perfect OKC 3. The Creative Studio 4. Fashion Lion 5. Nhu Avenue
Best nonprofit 1. Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, 3355 S. Purdue Ave. 2. Infant Crisis Services, Inc. 3. Mutt Misfits Animal Rescue Society 4. Positive Tomorrows 5. Sunbeam Family Services
Best vapor shop 1. OKC Vapes, 3710 NW 50th St. 2. Vapor World 3. The Vape Bar 4. Liquid Vapor Lounge 5. Party Moore
Best place to buy a vehicle 1. Bob Howard Auto Group, several metro locations 2. Bob Moore Auto Group 3. Fowler Auto Group 4. Hudiburg Auto Group 5. Joe Cooper Auto Group
Best pet-friendly patio 1. The Bleu Garten, 301 NW 10th St. 2. Louie’s Grill & Bar 3. The Pump Bar 4. Fassler Hall 5. Fat Dog Kitchen & Bar
Best place to treat your pet 1. Midtown Mutts Dog Park, 407 W. Park Place 2. Paw OK Dog Park 3. A1 Pet Emporium 4. Neel Veterinary Hospital 5. The Pump Bar
Best place to hike with your dog 1. Bert Cooper Trails (Formerly Lake Hefner Trails), around Lake Hefner between NW Grand Blvd. and N. Hefner Road 2. Lake Arcadia Trails 3. Lake Thunderbird State Park Clear Bay Recreation Area Trail System 4. Bluff Creek Park 5. Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge
Best credit union 1. Tinker Federal Credit Union, several metro locations 2. Weokie Credit Union 3. Oklahoma Employees Credit Union 4. Communication Federal Credit Union 5. Municipal Employees Credit Union
Best casino for gambling 1. Riverwind Casino, 1544 W. State Highway 9, Norman 2. WinStar World Casino 3. Remington Park Racing & Casino 4. Grand Casino Hotel & Resort 5. Newcastle Casino
Best casino for live entertainment 1. Riverwind Casino, 1544 W. State Highway 9, Norman 2. WinStar World Casino 3. Grand Casino Hotel & Resort 4. Firelake Casino 5. Remington Park Racing & Casino
Best LGBT bar or club 1. HiLo Club, 1221 NW 50th St. 2. The Boom! 3. The Copa 4. Tramps 5. Partners
Best post-game or post-concert spot 1. Bricktown Brewery, several metro locations 2. The Pump Bar 3. The Mont 4. TapWerks Ale House 5. Whiskey Chicks
Best farmers market or farm stand 1. OSU-OKC Farmers Market, 400 N. Portland Ave. 2. Farmers Public Market 3. Edmond Farmers Market 4. Uptown Farmers Market 5. Norman Farm Market
Best optical shop 1. Sam’s Optical, several metro locations 2. Midtown Optical 3. Warby Parker Showroom at Shop Good 4. Black Optical 5. Cornerstone Eyecare
Best florist 1. Trochta’s Flowers & Garden Center, 6700 N. Broadway Ext. 2. Capitol Hill Florist 3. New Leaf Florist 4. A Date with Iris 5. Floral and Hardy
Best tourist attraction 1. Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, 620 N. Harvey Ave. 2. Bricktown, Area west of S. EK Gaylord Blvd. 3. Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden 4. Wheeler Ferris Wheel 5. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Best public bathroom 1. OnCue, several metro locations 2. City Bites 3. Love’s Country Store 4. The Pump Bar 5. Myriad Botanical Gardens
Best bar for live music 1. The Blue Note Lounge, 2408 N. Robinson Ave. 2. Michael Murphy’s Dueling Pianos 3. VZD Restaurant & Bar 4. JJ’s Alley 5. The Deli
Best open mic/comedy night 1. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave. 2. Sauced on Paseo 3. VZD Restaurant & Bar 4. JJ’s Alley 5. District House
Best bowling alley 1. Dust Bowl Lanes & Lounge, 421 NW 10th St. 2. Heritage Lanes 3. HeyDay 4. Meridian Lanes 5. Sooner Bowling Center
Best place for a kid’s party 1. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place 2. Andy Alligator’s Fun Park 3. Jump!Zone Party and Play Centers 4. HeyDay 5. Sooner Bowling Center
Best place for a grown-up’s party 1. Paint N’ Cheers, 1614 N. Gatewood Ave. 2. The Bleu Garten 3. Fassler Hall 4. Dust Bowl Lanes & Lounge 5. The Pump Bar
Return to Best of OKC 2017 introduction page.
View party pictures from the August 22nd event at The Criterion.
