Another year of voting is in the books as the 5th annual OceanCity.com Best of Ocean City® polls officially closed on February 28. As the longest running, most prestigious of their kind- and the only local contest where every business is eligible to win- the OceanCity.com Best of Ocean City® awards honor a company’s commitment to excellence over the course of the year, as determined by those who know and love Ocean City most- the people who live and vacation here.
During the competition, Ocean City fans from across the country took to the polls to cast votes for their favorite bars, restaurants, and businesses. And take to the polls they did. With over 143,100 votes cast across 41 categories, voter turnout for the Best of Ocean City® 2015 saw a 36% increase, making it the most successful year in the competition’s history- by far. Interestingly, Best Caramel Popcorn with 18,644 votes and Best Jet Ski Rental with 14,368 votes led all categories with the most participation.
“We are thrilled to see the passion of tens of thousands of Ocean City fanatics reflected in the polls,” said Ann Hillyer, CEO of StateVentures, the publisher of OceanCity.com. “It is a tremendous honor for us to give those who love Ocean City a platform to recognize their favorite places, and to help celebrate the businesses they choose.”
The 2015 Best of Ocean City competition saw 68 total business take home awards, each of which will receive a coveted Best of Ocean City® 2015 widow decal and certificate of achievement, and most importantly, bragging rights for the entire year.
After an impressive showing in last year’s competition, Seacrets had another dominating performance in 2015, taking home 4 awards, including Best Drinks, Best Daytime Entertainment, Best Live Music, and the highly coveted Best Bar Overall. Joining Seacrets with multiple awards are Fish Tales (Best Sunset View, Best Waterfront Dining), Dumser’s Dairlyand (Best Desserts, Best Ice Cream), Anthony’s Carryout (Best Subs, Best Carry-out), and Harrison’s Harbor Watch (Best Raw Bar and Best Boardwalk Sit-Down Restaurant).
“Being voted the Best of Ocean City means getting to look forward to all of the familiar faces who love eating at our shop year after year,” said Yesim Karaman, whose family owns the Golden Plate Sub Shop, which won ‘Best Boardwalk Stand’ in 2014 and 2015. “We love seeing repeat customers turn into friends and we’re proud that so many people love us, our family, and our delicious food, especially our funnel cakes and gyros!”
In addition to the winners chosen by Ocean City residents and tourists, OceanCity.com polled a group of local experts who collectively made their picks for the best in bars, restaurants, activities, and the Boardwalk as well. To view the complete lists of winners and see if your favorites made the cut, or to cast your votes for the Best of Ocean City® 2016, please visit: www.oceancity.com/best-of-ocean-city.
Finally, voting in the 2016 Best of Ocean City polls is now open, so make sure you visit https://www.oceancity.com/best-of-ocean-city-2016 to help your favorites get recognized.
