READERS' PICK: Buddy's doesn't do anything innovative with the food it makes and its menu is almost completely indistinguishable from that of its sister restaurant, Keaton's Grill, but its popularity is unquestioned. While some naysayers may claim that even a traditional British food restaurant would become popular if it were placed in the über-trendy Crossroads Festival, one taste of Buddy's Chicken Sonoma or classic hamburger will silence all critics.
READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Bison Witches, 326 N. Fourth Ave. The epitome of casual dining, Bison Witches seduces you into wandering in after work for that one happy-hour drink, in your loosened tie or your cutoff jeans, and staying for a big ol' bread bowl of spinach and artichoke dip and chips, a four- or five-layer sandwich delight in any flavor (including Wildcat, Miss Pris and the Green Turkey) and a few more rounds of that daily drink special. How do they do it? Casual, my friends, casual. This is just a bar, with just a few booths, with just enough barstools to keep it crowded, and just enough of a menu to keep you eating and drinking all week long. And all those subliminable messages sure do help. Bison Witches.
