Happy silver anniversary! This year, we are celebrating our 25th San Diego’s Best Union-Tribune readers poll, which recognizes the best San Diego has to offer. What better way to emerge from these challenging times than to recognize our local businesses for all they do?

As we have done for the past 25 years, we opened nominations to our readers and let them select their favorite businesses. After narrowing the list to those businesses that received the greatest number of nominations, we opened the voting phase to determine the top choices in more than 200 categories as the “Best” in San Diego County.

This section includes a comprehensive overview list of the top choices and is a great reference for places to shop, dine and visit. We also include San Diego’s “Favorites,” businesses that made it through the nomination phase and onto the final ballot but did not receive the most votes.

As in 2020, we are spotlighting four businesses that have distinguished themselves during the pandemic. They are being recognized for their efforts in going above and beyond to help the community and their employees during this challenging time. We thank the Union-Tribune’s Community Advisory Board, the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, the Asian Business Association of San Diego and the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for their help in the nomination and selection process for this special recognition.

We encourage you to support these local businesses; they need you now more than ever.

From all of us at The San Diego Union-Tribune, we appreciate your loyal readership and your participation in this year’s San Diego’s Best.

Stay safe and enjoy!