Best on the Block: the island's annual awards
Every summer, the people who actually eat, drink, swim, and stay on Block Island vote for the best of it: the lobster roll, the beach, the mudslide, the room with the view. No panels, no pay-to-play, no sponsored crowns — just ballots, counted, and the arguments they start at every bar on Water Street.
Winners get the badge for the window and a year of bragging rights. Readers get the only best-of list on the island with an electorate behind it. And when a champion falls — three did in 2026 — everyone gets a story.
The results
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Best on the Block 2026: three champions dethroned
The 2026 Best on the Block results are in — and three of last year's winners lost their crowns. Every category, every winner, and the upsets.
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Best on the Block 2025: the winners
The first Best on the Block awards: island favorites voted by the people who actually live, eat, and swim here. Every 2025 winner, category by category.
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Vote in the next cycle →
Ballots open each summer. Winners announced in late July, badges on doors by August.
Won a category?
Winners receive the year's badge — a printable decal for the window and an embeddable web badge that links to your results page. Email news@getblockisland.com for your badge kit.
Good questions
- How does Best on the Block voting work?
- One ballot per person, open to everyone — islanders, regulars, and visitors who have opinions and the receipts to back them. Voting opens in summer; winners are announced in late July. Businesses cannot buy placement, sponsor a category, or influence results.
- Who counts the votes?
- We do, with basic ballot-stuffing controls (one vote per email). The full methodology note lives with each year’s results. When a race is close, we say so.