Editor’s Note:
As part of our annual review process, OceanCity.com is currently auditing voting activity across all Best of Ocean City® categories. Any fraudulent, automated, or manipulated votes will be removed before winners are finalized, ensuring that the results continue to reflect the true voice of the Ocean City community.
Best of Ocean City®: Why OceanCity.com Remains Ocean City’s Most Trusted People’s Choice Awards
Best of Ocean City® is different.
For more than two decades, OceanCity.com’s Best of Ocean City® has been helping visitors and locals discover the best restaurants, bars, things to do, shops, and Boardwalk businesses in Ocean City, Maryland.
In a world filled with “best of” contests, sponsored rankings, and paid awards, Best of Ocean City® remains committed to a simple principle:
The winners are chosen by the people—not by advertising dollars.
Businesses cannot buy a win. They cannot sponsor a category to improve their chances. They cannot pay for placement in the results.
Every Best of Ocean City® winner earns recognition through the support of voters who participate throughout the year.
That commitment to fairness is why Best of Ocean City® has become one of the most trusted resources for anyone looking for the best things to do, places to eat, and places on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.
How Best of Ocean City® Voting Works
Unlike many contests that open for only a few days or weeks, Best of Ocean City® voting remains open for nearly an entire year.
Anyone can participate, and voters can cast votes once each week for their favorite Ocean City businesses.
This long voting period allows thousands of residents, vacationers, second homeowners, seasonal workers, and repeat visitors to participate.
The result is a larger and more representative sample of opinions than a short-term voting contest.
When visitors search for the best restaurants in Ocean City, the best bars, the best things to do and the Best of the Boardwalk, they can feel confident that the Best of Ocean City® results reflect the voices of real customers and community members.
Protecting the Integrity of the Vote
Maintaining the integrity of Best of Ocean City® has always been one of our highest priorities.
We currently use CrowdSignal to record and analyze votes across hundreds of categories.
Over the years, we have continuously refined our voting safeguards to ensure the results remain accurate and trustworthy.
Several years ago, we discovered attempts to manipulate voting activity. In response, we strengthened our systems by implementing additional protections, including:
- Captcha verification on selected polls
- Monitoring for unusual voting patterns
- Removal of suspicious voting clusters
- Review of voting activity originating from the same IP addresses
- Analysis of voting behavior occurring within seconds of account registrations
- Ongoing manual review of irregular activity
These measures have helped ensure that legitimate voters remain the deciding factor in every category.
New Challenges in the Age of AI
Technology continues to evolve, and unfortunately, so do attempts to manipulate online contests.
During this year’s voting process, we identified voting activity that appears to have been generated through automated methods designed to artificially inflate vote totals.
Fortunately, our review procedures detected these suspicious patterns.
We have already identified and isolated the affected votes and are conducting a comprehensive review of voting activity across all categories before finalizing the results.
Our goal is not simply to announce winners. Our goal is to ensure that every winner truly earned their recognition through legitimate community support.
What Happens When We Find Fraudulent Voting?
As part of our annual review process, OceanCity.com will thoroughly audit voting activity before the final Best of Ocean City® winners are announced.
Any votes determined to be fraudulent, automated, artificially generated, or otherwise in violation of our voting guidelines will be removed from the final totals.
In addition, any business that benefits from voting activity determined to be fraudulent, automated, or manipulated may be subject to disqualification.
Businesses associated with significant or repeated vote manipulation may:
- Be removed from the final results
- Be disqualified from the current year’s competition
- Be prohibited from participating in future Best of Ocean City® contests
We do not take these actions lightly.
However, protecting the integrity of the contest is more important than protecting any individual result.
Why Best of Ocean City® Matters
Every year, tens of thousands of visitors use Best of Ocean City® to plan their vacations and make decisions about where to spend their time and money. You can see the 2025 winners at that link and download the winners onto your phone so it’s easy to find the best restaurant when you are hungry, or the best thing to do on a rainy day when the weather is bad.
People use the results to find:
- The best restaurants in Ocean City, Maryland
- The best bars and nightlife
- The best seafood restaurants
- The best family attractions
- The best happy hours
- The best outdoor dining
- The best shopping and local services
The value of Best of Ocean City® comes from trust.
When someone wins a Best of Ocean City® award, visitors should know that recognition was earned honestly through the support of customers and fans—not through advertising, sponsorships, or artificial voting.
That trust is something we have spent years building, and it is something we will continue to protect.
Thank You to the Ocean City Community
The overwhelming majority of businesses participate fairly and enthusiastically. Likewise, the overwhelming majority of votes come from genuine supporters who simply want to recognize the businesses they love.
We are grateful to every voter who takes a few minutes each week to participate.
Your votes help visitors discover great businesses, reward exceptional service, and celebrate the people who make Ocean City such a special place.
Because of your participation, Best of Ocean City® remains the most trusted source for identifying the very best of Ocean City, Maryland.
Best of Ocean City® 2026 Timeline
Best of Ocean City® Photo Contest
Photo Submission Period
- Hundreds of entries have already been submitted
- Submission deadline: June 7
Public Voting Round
- OceanCity.com will select approximately 20-30 of the best photo entries
- Public voting: June 8 – June 14
Championship Round
- Top 5 photos advance to the final round
- Public voting: June 15 – June 20
Winner Announcement
- Best of Ocean City® Photo Contest winner announced: June 22
Best of Ocean City® Voting
Voting Closes
- Best of Ocean City® polls will close during the week of July 6
Winners Announced
- Official Best of Ocean City® winners announced: July 15
2027 Voting Opens
- Voting for the 2027 Best of Ocean City® Awards will open immediately when the 2026 winners are announced, allowing residents and visitors to begin supporting their favorites for next year.
At OceanCity.com, our commitment remains unchanged: to provide the most accurate, trusted, and community-driven Best of Ocean City® results possible.
When you want to know who the community truly considers the best, look to the Best of Ocean City® winners.
