Voters choose the Best of Springfield in 43 categories

Voters have again picked their favorites in the Best of Springfield contest, with winners in 43 categories covering everything from food to services to first responders.

Here’s a look at some notable winners:

Speakeasy Ramen

Speakeasy Ramen finished first in Best Lunch Spot, second in Best Cocktail and Best Dine-In Restaurant and third in Best Customer Service in 2021. Speakeasy was also voted Best Lunch Spot and Best Dine-in Restaurant in 2020.

Brittany Waters saw a chance to change the image of ramen into a tasty and healthy variation when she opened Speakeasy Ramen in July 2019. What could’ve been a long shot has turned into a sure thing as the restaurant located at 365 Ludlow Ave. has proven to be one of Springfield’s recent business success stories.

Station 1

Station 1 finished first for Best Bar Food, second in Best Bar/Brewpub and third in Best Pizza and Best Wings/Chicken.

Situated directly across a fire station, it offers pizza, subs and sandwiches, wraps, chicken wings, salads and appetizers. A newly remodeled kitchen has improved the operation, as well.

Chris Chilton, aka DJ Chill

Chilton finished first in Best Band or DJ as DJ Chill and second in Best First Responder, a new category added this year.

In November, he will celebrate 24 years as a firefighter/paramedic for the city of Springfield Fire Rescue Division. His DJ travels have also taken him north to Milwaukee, south to Atlanta, east to Connecticut and all over the Buckeye State.

Young’s Jersey Dairy

Young’s Jersey Dairy won two categories, Best Ice Cream and Best Place for Kids Fun and finished second in Best Place to Take Visitors. The local institution continues to be a favorite in multiple areas.

Check out all of the winners in a special section inside the News-Sun today.


Special section inside

A special best of Springfield section has printed in today’s Springfield News-Sun with a full list of winners, stories on several notable winners and plenty of photos.

About the Author