Explore Your Best of Lake Minnetonka 2025 Winners

Summertime reigns supreme and so does our annual Readers’ Choice Poll.

Summer brings out the best—the best sun-drenched days spent diving into all things lake and pool related, visiting local trails and ice cream haunts or grounding ourselves with barefoot strolls through carpets of green grass or blankets of warm sand. And who’s up for spending evenings under a kaleidoscope of stars, listening to live music or watching fireworks pop and boom in celebration?

And summer also welcomes something our Readers (and our team!) look forward to each year: the results of our Best of Lake Minnetonka Readers’ Choice Poll, which is always found in our July issue. With more votes coming in than ever before, take a look at the local businesses, services and venues that our voters deem to be the very best! —Renée Stewart-Hester

Dining

Best Bakery

1. The Thirsty Whale Bakery
2. Red Bench Excelsior
3. yum! Kitchen and Bakery

Best Bar, Brewery or Distillery

1. Back Channel Brewing Co.
2. Excelsior Brewing Company
3. Unmapped Brewing Co.

Best Breakfast or Brunch

1. Benedict’s
2. The Grocer’s Table
3. Hazelwood Food + Drink

Best Burger

1. Red Cow
2. Parlour
3. The Lake Room

Best Dessert or Ice Cream

1. Licks Unlimited
2. Adele’s Frozen Custard
3. Lost Lake Creamery

Best International Cuisine

1. Yumi Sushi
2. Macanda
3. Kai’s Sushi & Grill

Best Locally Owned Coffee or Tea Shop

1. The Lobby Coffee & Leisure
2. Tie: Base Camp Coffee & Provisions; The Grocer’s Table

Best Outdoor Dining Space

1. Gianni’s Steakhouse & Seafood
2. CōV
3. 6Smith

Best Pizza

1. Olive’s Fresh Pizza Bar
2. Joey Nova’s Pizzeria Delicatessen
3. Punch

Best Plant-Based or Vegan Menu

1. Crisp & Green
2. Vitalist By Sarah H
3. DelSur Empanadas

Best Restaurant

1. Josefina
2. Eloise
3. CōV

Abode

Best Carpet and Flooring Store

1. Excelsior Paint & Design Carpet One
2. Carpet Resources
3. Innovative Flooring Design

Best Custom Home Builder

1. John Kraemer & Sons Inc.
2. Boyer Building Corporation
3. Nor-Son Custom Builders

Best Garden Center/Nursery

1. Tonkadale
2. Otten Bros. Garden Center & Landscaping
3. Bachman’s

Best Home Décor or Furniture Store

1. Timber & Tulip
2. General Store of Minnetonka
3. The Sitting Room

Best Interior Design Firm

1. O’Hara Interiors
2. Embellishments Design Studio
3. The Sitting Room

Best Landscape Design Service

1. Outdoor Excapes
2. Pleasant View Gardens
3. Southview Design

Best Remodeler

1. Boyer Building Corporation
2. John Kraemer & Sons Inc.
3. Lake Country Builders

Best Senior Living Residence

1. Tie: Folkestone; Lake Minnetonka Shores
2. The Waters of Excelsior

Self Care

Best Barbershop or Salon With Men’s Services

1. Twiggs Salon
2. 18|8
3. Barbers Inn

Best Boutique Fitness or Yoga Studio

1. Hola Yoga
2. Tie: Spirit of the Lake Yoga; YogaSix

Best Hair Salon

1. Twiggs Salon
2. Mérite House of Beauty
3. Juut Salonspa

Best Manicure and Pedicure

1. Twiggs Salon
2. Luna Nails
3. Mérite House of Beauty

Best Massage

1. The Brost Clinic
2. Fusion LifeSpa
3. Tie: Juut Salonspa; LivSkin MedSpa Laser

Best Med Spa

1. InnerBeauty Med Spa & Laser
2. LivSkin MedSpa Laser
3. Skin Rehab Aesthetics

Best Spa

1. Fusion LifeSpa
2. LivSkin MedSpa Laser
3. Face Foundrié

Wellness

Best Chiropractic Practice

1. The Brost Clinic
2. Thrive Chiropractic
3. Vaida Wellness Center

Best Cosmetic Surgery Practice

1. Kayan Plastic Surgery
2. Mesna Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Center
3. Edina Plastic Surgery

Best Dental Practice

1. Orono Dental Care
2. West Lakes Dentistry
3. Holger Dental Group

Best Dermatology Practice

1. Ecker Dermatology
2. Lakes Dermatology
3. Pinnacle Dermatology

Best Family Medicine Practice

1. Tie: Park Nicollet; Ridgeview Clinics
2. Northwest Family Clinics

Best Holistic Wellness Practice

1. The Brost Clinic
2. Champion Naturopathic Health
3. Skingevity Med Spa

Best OB-GYN Practice

1. OBGYN West
2. Western OB/GYN
3. Oakdale OBGYN

Best Orthodontic Practice

1. Lake Minnetonka Orthodontics
2. Anchored Orthodontics
3. Kottemann Orthodontics

Best Pediatric Practice

1. Wayzata Children’s Clinic
2. South Lake Pediatrics
3. Southdale Pediatric Associates

Best Physical Therapy Practice

1. Engage Physical Therapy and Wellness LLC
2. Twin Cities Orthopedics
3. Tie: Knewtson Health Group; Thrive Physical Therapy

Best Vision Care Practice

1. Art of Optiks
2. Southwest Eye Care
3. Tie: Look Minnetonka; Northwest Eye

Learning

Best Dance Studio

1. Creo Arts & Dance Conservatory
2. Tie: Esteem; Summit Dance Shoppe

Best Learning or Tutoring Center

1. Kay Tutoring
2. Bartel Tutoring & College Advising
3. Sylvan Learning

Best Preschool Program

1. Wayzata Community Church Nursery School
2. Discovery Center in Maple Plain
3. Lakes Area Discovery Center

Best Swim School or Lesson Provider

1. Foss Swim School
2. Goldfish Swim School
3. Tie: Life Time; Orono Community Education

Pet Care

Best Dog Park

1. Tie: Lake Minnewashta Regional Dog Park; Susan E. Lurton Park
2. Carver Park Reserve

Best Pet Boarding or Daycare Service

1. Adventure is Barking
2. Tie: Fusion Pet Retreat; Top Dog Country Club

Best Pet-Friendly Dining or Retail Businesses

1. Duke’s on 7
2. The Lakes Running Co.
3. McCormick’s Pub & Restaurant

Best Pet Grooming Service

1. Amber Paws Pet Grooming
2. Central Paws
3. Tie: Fusion Pet Retreat; Woofington

Best Veterinarian Practice

1. Minnetonka Animal Hospital
2. Westonka Animal Hospital
3. Long Lake Veterinary Clinic

Shops

Best Apparel Boutique

1. Ooh La La Boutique
2. EVEREVE
3. Tie: Amore & Fede; General Store of Minnetonka

Best Florist

1. Bayside Just Because …
2. Lilia Flower Boutique
3. Westdale Floral

Best Gift Shop

1. General Store of Minnetonka
2. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
3. Ooh La La Boutique

Best Jewelry Store

1. Graham Jewelers
2. Wayzata Jewelers
3. Gunderson’s

Best Specialty Food or Kitchen Store

1. General Store of Minnetonka
2. The Grocer’s Table
3. Tie: Kowalski’s Markets; Lakewinds Food Co-op

Leisure

Best Beach, Open Space or Park

1. Excelsior Commons
2. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
3. Wayzata Beach

Best Date Night Spot

1. Tie: 6Smith; Josefina
2. Tie: CōV; Gianni’s Steakhouse & Seafood

Best Outdoor Spot for Graduation Photos

1. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
2. Noerenberg Memorial Gardens
3. Excelsior Commons

Best Place for Family Activities

1. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
2. Lake Minnetonka
3. Excelsior Commons

Best of the West Metro

Best Alpine Hill or Nordic Ski Trail

1. Hyland Hills Ski Area
2. Baker Park Reserve
3. Theodore Wirth Regional Park

Best Alterations or Tailoring Service

1. Pin Tailor
2. Tie: Magic Tailor & Cleaner; Tara’s Sewing & Alterations

Best Biking or Hiking Trail

1. Dakota Rail Regional Trail
2. Luce Line State Trail
3. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Best Bridal or Formal Wear Store

1. Tie: Annika Bridal; The Visionary Bridal Atelier; The White Room

Best Electrician Service

1. JZ Electric
2. Milow Electric
3. Tie: Norske Electric; Randy’s Electric

Best Family Photographer

1. Emily John Photography
2. Tie: Jana Noonan Photography; Memories in Time Photography

Best Financial Services

1. 360 Financial
2. Tie: Edward Jones; The Layton Team at Focus Financial

Best Golf Course

1. Wayzata Country Club
2. Tie: Baker National Golf; Hazeltine National Golf Club

Best Heating and Cooling Service

1. Bonfe
2. Select Mechanical Services
3. Ditter Cooling, Heating & Electrical

Best Home Cleaning Service

1. Systems Family Concierge
2. Tie: Anchor Cleaning Company; Clean & Cozy

Best Home and Property Management Service

1. Rainbow Treecare, Lawncare and Pest Experts
2. Southview Design
3. reimagine

Best Language Immersion Program or School

1. Minnewashta Elementary
2. Excelsior Elementary
3. Deephaven Elementary

Best Law Practice

1. AND Law Offices PLLC
2. Morrison Sund PLLC
3. Sanford, Pierson, Thone & Strean

Best Local Concert Series

1. Concerts in the Commons
2. Lake Harriet Park Bandshell
3. Wayzata Symphony Orchestra

Best Music School

1. MacPhail Center for Music
2. Tie: Mount Calvary Academy of Music; The Music Coop

Best Outdoor Skating Rink

1. Klapprich Park & Field
2. Centennial Lakes Park
3. Cathcart Park

Best Plumbing Service

1. Krahls Plumbing
2. Hero Home Services

Best Private School

1. The Blake School
2. Breck School
3. Benilde-St. Margaret’s

Best Professional Theater

1. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
2. Tie: Guthrie Theater; Stages Theatre Company

Best Senior Portrait Photographer

1. Memories in Time Photography
2. Lisa Buck Photography
3. Jana Noonan Photography

Best Staycation Hotel

1. The Hotel Landing
2. Hotel Excelsior
3. The Beehive

Best Summer Camp

1. Lake Minnetonka Sailing School
2. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
3. Tie: Adventures in Cardboard; The STEM Lab of Minnesota

Best Venue to Watch Fourth of July Fireworks

1. Excelsior Commons
2. On a boat
3. Tie: Al & Alma’s; Maynards

Best Wedding Venue

1. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
2. Lafayette Club
3. Bavaria Downs

Best Winery

1. Schram Vineyards
2. Sovereign Estate
3. Mousse Sparkling Wine Co.