NEWBERG, Ore. — More than 1,000 people had opinions about where to eat a taco, where to take a stroll, and where to get that last second gift in Newberg (and this year, Dundee). And boy do you all have some strong feelings.
A total of 1,084 people cast votes across 51 categories — from Best Burger Spot to Best Place to Watch a Sunset — contributing 32,177 individual votes in all. The average voter filled out nearly 30 of the 51 categories. And 153 people — about 14% of the total — answered every single one.
Just for reference, last year this competition saw 8,000 votes total. We saw a 400% increase in participation from one year to the next.
I want to quickly thanks three incredible local businesses who sponsored categories this year: Old Town Bar & Grill, Bronco Kelly’s, and Cornered Escape Rooms. These sponsorships mean I get to run this contest each year and surface all of our great local businesses, places, and organizations.
The Winningest Favorite
I wanted to try something new this year and figure out the top favorite of Newberg’s Favorites. Using a points system — three points for first place, two for second, one for third — one business pulled away from the field entirely.
Dos Mundos, the food cart operating out of Gills Point S Tire in Newberg, finished in the top three in five separate categories: Food Cart (first), Tacos (first), Mexican Food Spot (first), Lunch Spot (second), and Affordable Eats (second). That’s 13 points total — more than any other business in the competition.
For context: the second-place finishers, JEM 100 and Chapters Books & Coffee, each finished with 11 points. Both are beloved fixtures in their own right.
The Blowouts
Some categories weren’t contests.
The 99W Drive-In Theater won the Uniquely Newberg Experience category by 460 votes over second-place finisher Newberg Old Fashioned Festival. With 570 votes total, the Drive-In collected more than five times the votes of the runner-up. It’s the single most dominant first-place finish in the entire competition, and honestly, it makes a lot of sense as there isn’t another drive-in theater in this corner of Oregon.
Champoeg State Park ran away with Spot for a Picnic in similar fashion — 470 votes, a gap of 393 over second-place Rogers Landing. Champoeg is technically a state park outside Newberg’s city limits, but Newberg people clearly consider it their own. I know I take my family there every few weeks.
JEM 100 won the Burger Spot category by 270 votes. Rosmarino Osteria Italiana swept both Fine Dining and Date Night Spot. Bald Peak dominated Place to Watch a Sunset (again, a little out there but many Newbergians live up the hill). Pulp & Circumstance took Place to Grab a Gift with a 214-vote cushion.
The Photo Finish
Then there were the categories that gave us a recount, including one category that was victorious by — I’m not kidding — ONE VOTE.
Barley & Vine edged Old Town Bar & Grill in Newberg’s Favorite Bar category by one vote, 174 to 173, winning the category for the second consecutive year. I think this will be an increasingly competitive category each year.
Place to Take a Dog was nearly as close — Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery (179) beat Ewing Young Park (177) by two votes. The Cocktail Spot category had a four-vote margin between first and second.
The Businesses that were Everywhere
Beyond Dos Mundos, a handful of businesses made their presence felt across multiple categories.
JEM 100 finished in the top three in four categories — Community Supporter, Affordable Eats, Bakery & Sweets Spot, and Burger Spot.
Chapters Books & Coffee also landed in four top-three finishes: Place to Read, Place to Spend an Hour, Coffee Spot, and Place to Grab a Gift. Old Town Bar & Grill did the same across Bar, Cocktail Spot, Happy Hour, and — notably — Nonalcoholic Menu.
Red Hills Market, Chehalem Cultural Center, Barley & Vine, Lyrics Cafe, Chehalem Valley Brewing, and Lemon & Olive each appeared in three categories.
By the Numbers
A few other stats worth noting from the data:
The Specialty Market category drew the most votes of any in the competition, with 812 of 1,084 voters weighing in. The Women’s Salon category drew the fewest, at 357.
About 170 distinct businesses, organizations, and places were named across all 51 categories — a reminder that this community has no shortage of places worth talking about.
What’s Next
Winners will be celebrated across Newsberg’s platforms in the coming days, with individual category results highlighted in upcoming newsletters and social media posts. Winners will also receive a commemorative plaque to display at their place of business. Just give me a few days to get it all pulled together.
We’ll be doing this competition again next year, potentially a little earlier in the year when there is less going on (he says, frantically typing so he can get back to the other 8 stories published this week). I’ll likely slim down some of the categories that have been runaways for the past few years, and then add a few as our town has changed (live music venue is a must-add next year).
Thank you all so much for participating!
Newberg’s Favorites 2026
Results are based on 1,084 votes submitted during the 2026 Newberg’s Favorites voting period. Vote totals reflect open-text responses and may include minor spelling variants consolidated editorially. Stoller Family Estate and Stoller Wine Bar vote totals reflect a brand name change that occurred during the voting period; votes for both names have been combined. A business appearing in multiple category results is noted with a ★ multi badge.
