Neighbors in the U.S. voted for about 750,000 local businesses in the 2026 Nextdoor Fave Awards. Every neighborhood now has its own list, available in the Nextdoor app and at nextdoor.com/fave_awards_winners.
Top-voted winners include Stan’s Donut Shop in Santa Clara, Calif.; Tower Cafe in Sacramento, Calif.; Round Rock Donuts in Round Rock, Texas; Portofino Pizza and Pasta in Parker, Colo.; and Original Word of Mouth in Venice, Fla.
Voting ran from September 4 to September 30 across 20 categories, and only votes from verified neighbors in that window counted. Winners are chosen neighborhood by neighborhood and category by category. In each one, the three businesses with the most votes from neighbors in the surrounding area win, and a business needs at least three votes to qualify. Only businesses within travel distance of a neighborhood can win there, so the lists reflect places neighbors can reach. If fewer than three businesses qualify in a category, that category has fewer winners.
Winning took more this year. Only votes cast during the campaign counted, so a business that won in a previous year started from zero. Each neighborhood's list can look different from the one next door, which is why the businesses on yours are the ones your neighbors picked.
Each neighborhood gets its own list of the businesses its neighbors know and trust, from restaurants to plumbers. The list a few miles away can look different from yours, which is why the businesses on it are the ones your neighbors picked.
Voting starts fresh each year, so a business that won before began this campaign with no votes.
Every vote comes from a verified neighbor with a real name and address. Businesses cannot pay Nextdoor for Faves or votes, and no purchase or payment of any kind improves a business’s chance of winning. Faves build all year, with each one signaling that a neighbor vouches for a business. The more Faves a business has, the more it stands out in Search and in the Local Faves hub. Faves on Nextdoor now number nearly 78 million in the U.S.
Finding the winners near you
Open the Nextdoor app and find your neighborhood’s Local Faves list, or browse winners at nextdoor.com/fave_awards_winners. Because the lists are built neighborhood by neighborhood, the top three in your area may differ from a place a few miles away.
Winners receive a Fave Awards trophy badge on their Nextdoor Business Page and higher placement in neighbor search results, whether or not the page is claimed. A storefront sticker and a downloadable Winner's Kit help them share the news. Owners who want to pitch their local paper can start with this blog post. More about the awards is at business.nextdoor.com/en-us/small-business/fave-awards.