December 2019
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AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
• December 2019
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Think about the places you shop and the places you eat. The friendly faces and unique businesses that make Aurora what it is. When things are going well, they are there with a smile. When the community is in need, they are there to lend a helping hand. Our local businesses make us who we are. They are what our community is built upon. That’s what makes our Best of the Fox lists so special. It’s a time we can honor the businesses in our communities for what they do for us. Each year, we ask our readers to point out the best of them. And we publish that list in our Best of the Fox readers’ choice contests. We are very excited to have been able to bring this contest to Aurora this year. Last month, we asked readers to tell us how they felt. In this section, we have compiled the winners. We appreciate our readers for taking the time to provide
their input as this is an important distinction for area businesses that they should take pride in winning. Through our online survey, readers have picked out their goto businesses in many different categories, from restaurants to pet groomers to everything else you can imagine. This is a task our readers take on with serious dedication. Our readers always come through again, as more than 14,000 votes were tallied for these special companies. Today, we are pleased to announce winners in the 2019 Aurora Best of the Fox contest. In the following pages, you’ll find the businesses that our readers care about the most. As always, the favorite food categories were some of the most popular. The best festival, bar, pizza, tacos and breakfast categories had the most votes. Congratulations to all of the winners who placed in the 2019 Aurora Best of the Fox contest.
THANKS A
e t t a “L ” for voting us one of the be best coffee shops in Aurora!
! u o Y k n Tha
for Voting Us The Best Flooring Option!
1 Year NO INTEREST financing is available on purchases over $1499.
SM-CL1727787
14 West Downer Place, Aurora (630) 844-1418 www.tredwellcoffee.com
SM-CL1727135
1049 W Orchard Rd, North Aurora, IL • 630.892.8600 716 W State St, Geneva, IL • 630.232.8600 www.douglascarpetone.com
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One of the Best
- Art Gallery - Deli/Sandwich Shop Endiro Coffee
Karaoke
Live Theatre
Travel Agency
Best
Best
Best
Best
Aurora Public Art Commission
Miss Lee's
Paramount Theatre
Buchner Travel
One of the Best Endiro Coffee Gary Brown Art
One of the Best Mike & Denise's Pizzeria & Pub Parkside Lanes
One of the Best Riverfront Playhouse Comedy Shrine
One of the Best Magical Memory Planner, Debi White Multiciajes Gutierrez Inc.
Festival
Live Music
Museum/Cultural
Best
Best
Best
Blues on the Fox First Fridays
The Venue
SciTech Hands on Museum
One of the Best RiverEdge Park River's Edge Bar & Grill
One of the Best Grand Army-Republic Memorial Aurora Regional Fire Museum
One of the Best Alley Art Fest
• December 2019
Best - Coffee Shop - Breakfast - Outdoor Patio/Dining - Dining of the Waterfront
Art Gallery
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AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
H ART GALLERY H MUSEUM/CULTURAL H
AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
• December 2019
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DINING
H BANQUET FACILITY H BAR H BBQ RIBS H BREAKFAST H CRAFT BREWERY H
BEST Bar & Burger ONE OF THE BEST
- Craft Brewery - Bloody Mary - Kid’s Menu Gillerson’s Grubbery
Banquet Facility
Bloody Marys
Caterer (off-site)
Craft Brewery
Best
Best
Best
Best
Two Brothers Roundhouse
Spartan House
Two Brothers Roundhouse
One of the Best Gaslite Manor Banquets La Michoacana Ice Cream Gomez
One of the Best Gillerson's Grubbery
Reuland Food Services & Delicatessen
Bar
Best
Breakfast
Best
Endiro Coffee
Gillerson's Grubbery
One of the Best Harner's Bakery, Restaurant & Catering Jake's Bagels & Deli
One of the Best Spartan House Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant
BBQ Ribs Best Noonan's One of the Best The Patio Southbank Original Barbeque
Burger Best Gillerson's Grubbery One of the Best Spartan House Crusade Burger Bar
One of the Best El Paso Grande Harner’s Bakery, Restaurant & Catering
Coffee Shop Best Endiro Coffee One of the Best Tredwell Coffee MOKA Coffee
One of the Best Gillerson's Grubbery Hardware Sutainable Gastropub and Brewery
Deli/Sandwich Shop Best Jake's Bagels & Deli One of the Best Endiro Coffee Don Walker's Sandwich Center
Dining on the Waterfront Best Endiro Coffee One of the Best La Quinta De Los Reyes Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant
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• December 2019
BEST Deli/Sandwich Shop Jake’s Bagels & Deli
Donut Shop
Hot Dog
Outdoor Patio/Dining
Steakhouse
Best
Best
Best
Best
Harner's Bakery Restaurant & Catering
Portillo's
Endiro Coffee
Texas Roadhouse
One of the Best Papa G's Don Walker's Sandwich Center
One of the Best Two Brothers Roundhouse Spartan House
One of the Best Fairbanks Steakhouse The Turf Room
Ice Cream
Pizza
Tacos
One of the Best La Chicanita Bakery Dimple’s
Fine Dining Best The Turf Room One of the Best Basil's Greek Dining El Jefe
Fish Fry Best Bulldog Ale House One of the Best Phoenix Club Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant
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AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
DINING
H DONUT SHOP H FISH FRY H HOT DOG H SPORTS BAR H STEAKHOUSE H
Best
Best
Best
Banana Split
Ach-N-Lou's Pizza Pub
Taqueria El Tio & Restaurant
One of the Best Charlie's Silver Spoon Creamery La Michoacan Ice Cream Gomez
One of the Best Gourmet Pizza Corporation Gario’s AND Raimondo’s tied
One of the Best Jalisco Tacos Autentico Tecalitlan Restaurant
Kids Menu
Sports Bar
Best
Best
Colonial Café
Spartan House
One of the Best Gillerson's Grubbery Denny's
One of the Best Buffalo Wild Wings AC's Pub
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PERSONAL SERVICES
H ACUPUNCTURE H CHIROPRACTOR H DENTIST H
AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
• December 2019
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BEST Tattoo Shop Chi-Town Effects Tattoo
BEST Barbershop Gentleman’s Parlour
Barbershop
Hair Salon
Preschool
Best
Best
Best
Gentleman's Parlour
Do or Dye Designs
Montessori Children's Garden
One of the Best Leon’s Barber Shop The Big Boss Barber Shop
One of the Best Whitney's Love Nail & Beuty Bar Salon en Bleu
One of the Best Mommy and Aiden Academy Wesley Preschool
Day Spa
Photographer
Tattoo Shop
Best
Best
Best
Whitney's Love Nail & Beuty Bar
Latrice Murphy Design & Photography
Chi-Town Effects Tattoo
One of the Best Pure Skin Solutions Calla Lilly Salon
One of the Best Gracie G Photography Payton's Photography
One of the Best Skin of a Different Color Artistic Theories Tattoo & Gallery
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AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
PET CARE
H PET GROOMER H PET KENNEL H PET STORE H
Pet Groomer Best Hairy Beast Dog Pawlour One of the Best Poochie Love Dog Spa Healthy Pet Aurora
Pet Kennel Best Orchard Road Animal Hospital One of the Best Bark-a-Lounge Pet Salon Poochie Love Dog Spa
Pet Store
Hairy Beast Dog Pawlour
2 0 1 9 Best
s
DEC 13
CHARLIE BROWNN CHRISTMAS
DEC 20
Miss Lee’s Lounge
215 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora 630-906-6671
Gyjapzszy
CHANSON DU CHAT
DEC 15
aeyrt d i l o H Conc
FOX VALLEY JAZZ BIG BAND
DEC 21
ly l i b a k RocBlues CASH BOX B KINGS
THEMUSICVENUE.ORG ORG
SM-CL1727173
•
MADE IN AURORA
ge A l l A
Fun atmosphere with Eastside Cafe Pizza and drinks!
Il l i n o i s
DEC 8
BONNIE KOLOC KOL
Join us every Friday 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. with DJ Charlie Betz
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Fogleknd Holildbauym A Le
DEC 7
to our customers for voting us Best Karaoke!
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T BEER | SELE SELECT GREAT SOUND | CRAFT CT WINE
SM-CL1727212
One of the Best Healthy Pet Aurora PetPeople
s
Pet Supplies Plus
• December 2019
Best Pet Groomer
Best
21 S BROADWAY, AURORA, IL | 331.212.8490
H
RECREATION
H BIKE SHOP H BIRTHDAY PARTY VENUE H BOWLING H GOLF COURSE H
AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
• December 2019
8
Best Bike Shop
Best Martial Arts
Pedal & Spoke, Ltd.
Jess Torres Boxing Club
Bike Shop
Bowling
Golf Course
Swim Lessons
Best
Best
Best
Best
Pedal & Spoke, Ltd.
Parkside Lanes
Phillips Park Golf Course
Vaughan Athletic Center
One of the Best All Spoked Up
One of the Best Funway St. Paul's Lanes
One of the Best Orchard Valley Golf Course & Banquet Hall Aurora Country Club
One of the Best Bear Paddle Swim School Swim with Bill, Marmion
Birthday Party Venue Best Luigi's Pizza & Fun Center One of the Best Escape Strategy
Dance Studio Best Dream Academy of Dance One of the Best AKA Dance Studio Paramount School of the Arts
Martial Arts Best Jess Torres Boxing Club One of the Best Brown's Dragonfire Martial Arts Carlson Gracie MMA
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AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
RETAIL/HOUSE & HOME H APPLIANCE REPAIR H FLOORING H MOVERS H
• December 2019
Best Appliance Repair Leonardi Appliance
Appliance Repair
Flooring
Home Décor
Thrift/Resale
Best
Best
Best
Best
Leonardi Appliance
Douglas Carpet One
More Polish Pottery
Thrift & Dollar Inc
One of the Best Appliance Repair Aurora Isras Appliance
One of the Best Floor & Décor Flooring Guys of Illinois
One of the Best Wyckwood House Branch Gardens Warehouse 55
One of the Best Warehouse 55 Community Thrift Store
Carpet Cleaner
Garden Center
Best
Best
The Right Guy Carpet Cleaning
Branch Gardens
One of the Best Fox Valley Carpet Cleaning Royal Treatment Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
One of the Best The Growing Place Garden Center Schaefer Greenhouses
Movers Best Two Brothers Moving One of the Best Two Men and a Truck
THANK YOU •
•
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Pet Store & Pet Groomers in the Aurora Area
Au
oi
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e 19 B st of th e 20
For Voting Us One of the Best
Awards ice ho
AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
• December 2019
10
r o ra , I l li n
TThank hank you you to to our our customers custtomeers ffor or voting u One of the the uss One Best Bestt Breakfasts Breakfasts andd the the he n Best Deli / Sandwich Shop in the Aurora Best of the FFox ox competition.. At Jake’s all of our bagels are ma made from scratch and steam-baked daily. aily. ai Because the bagels are steamed amed am and not boiled they’re soft both on the inside and out. Jake’s Bagels & Deli 220 North Broadway Aurora, IL 60505 Phone/Fax: 630.906.0332 SM-CL1727296
2620 N Farnsworth Ave. Aurora, IL 60502 630.851.5187 healthypetaurora.com
Hit it! Find it! and Hit it again at “Phillips Park!”
SM-CL1727145
• 3-hole Youth Links • Proud supporter of “Youth on Course” • Weekly Specials
Phillips Park G.C. / 1001 Hill Avenue • Aurora, IL / Golf Shop: 630.256.3760 / www.phillipsparkaurora.com
• December 2019
• 18-hole championship golf course • Practice putting green • Grass tee driving range
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AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
Discover and Golf at the Best Kept Secret in the Fox Valley!
• December 2019
12
AURORA BEST OF THE FOX | ShawMediaIllinois.com
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• P i z z a s • G a m e s • L a s e r Ta g • B i r t h d a y Pa r t i e s • 99 M a ke yo u r 2 Fr e e Fr e e $ 5 . 0 0 Monday’s Laser tag 2 L a r ge 1 t o p p i n g ga m e c a r d
ga m e c a r d
With the Purchase of a $15 game card Offer cannot be combined with any others Expires. 1.31.20
39.
passes
With the Purchase of a $30 gift card Offer cannot be combined with any others Expires. 1.31.20
M a ke a 7 ’ ’ p i z z a , 16 oz. drink $ 5 ga m e c a r d
Fo r o n l y 9 . 9 9
P i z z a s , 1 L a r ge
S p a g h e t t i o r M o s t a c cl i 1 L a r ge B r e a d s t i ck , 1 pizza cookie, 1 2-liter soda.
Offer cannot be combined with any others Expires. 1.31.20