Austin Fit Magazine's "The Best of 2018"

By AFM Team – November 30, 2018
Photo by Brian Fitzsimmons

Our readers voted in a variety of categories to voice some of their favorite stores, people, gyms, eateries — all the components of a fit and healthy lifestyle. If your favorite didn’t make the list, let your voice be heard next year and vote for your favorite. 


Lifestyle

Best Store for Fitness Apparel and Gear 

  1. RIDE Indoor Cycling
  2. Outdoor Voices 
    *NEW WINNER
  3. Academy *Has placed six years running!

 

Best Spa Experience

  1. Milk + Honey
    *Has placed FIRST six years running!
  2. Viva Day Spa
    *Has placed six years running!
  3. The W Hotel Away Spa

 

Best Hotel

  1. The W
  2. South Congress Hotel
  3. The Four Seasons

 

 

Best Nonprofit

  1. Austin Pets Alive!  (pictured above)
  2. The Gazelle Foundation
  3. The Flatwater Foundation

 

Best Running Shop

*NEW CATEGORY

  1. Rogue Running
  2. The Loop Running Supply
  3. Fleet Feet

 

Best Bike Shop 

  1. Bicycle Sport Shop
    *Has placed six years running!
  2. Mellow Johnny’s
    *Has placed six years running!
  3. Bicycle World

 

 

Best Outdoor Spot

  1. Zilker Park (pictured above)
  2. Barton Springs
  3. Lady Bird Lake (AKA Town Lake)

 

Best Veterinarian 

  1. PAZ
  2. Austin Urban Pet
  3. Firehouse

 

Best Pet Food Store

  1. Tomlinson’s
  2. Healthy Pet
  3. Bark ‘n Purr

 

Best Live Music Venue

*NEW CATEGORY

  1. ACL Live Moody Theater 
  2. Stubb’s
  3. The Mohawk

 

 

Best Local Artist

*NEW CATEGORY

  1. Bob Schneider (pictured above)
  2. Willie Nelson
  3. Shakey Graves

 

Healthiest Teacher

*NEW CATEGORY

  1. Nicole Seltman 
  2. Holly Phinney
  3. Paul Smith

 

Nutrition

 

 

Best Smoothie Shop

  1. JuiceLand (pictured above)
    *Has placed FIRST six years running!
  2. The Soup Peddler
  3. Daily Juice
    *Has placed six years running!

 

Best Coffee Shop

  1. Summer Moon 
  2. Epoch
  3. Starbucks

 

Best Food Truck

  1. Garbo’s
  2. Chi’lantro
  3. Gourdough’s

 

Best Taco

  1. Torchy’s Tacos
  2. Tacodeli
  3. Veracruz All Natural

 

Best Healthy Restaurant

  1. True Food Kitchen
  2. Flower Child
  3. Picnik

 

 

Best Indulgence

*NEW CATEGORY

  1. Uchi  (pictured above)
  2. Chuy’s
  3. Jeffrey’s

 

Best Bar

  1. Whisler’s
  2. Gibson Street Bar
  3. Mean Eyed Cat

 

 

Best Local Wine, Beer or Spirit

  1. Tito’s Handmade Vodka (pictured above)
  2. Deep Eddy Vodka
  3. Austin Eastciders

 

Best Farmers’ Market

*NEW CATEGORY

  1. Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller
  2. SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown
  3. Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline Mall

 

Best Nutritionist/Dietician

  1. Carly Pollack (Nutritional Wisdom)
    *Has placed FIRST five years running!
  2. Natalie Picchetti-Moos
  3. Brooke Zigler
    *NEW WINNER

 

Fitness

Best Gym

  1. Camp Gladiator
  2. Gold’s Gym
  3. Lifetime Fitness

 

Best Bootcamp 

  1. Camp Gladiator
  2. Stronghorn Fitness
  3. HEAT Bootcamp

 

 

Best Strength and Conditioning Gym

  1. CG Arena (pictured above)
  2. Bear Creek Performance Training
  3. UpReach CrossFit​  *NEW WINNER

 

Best Boxing/MMA Gym 

  1. Knockout
  2. Lions Krav Maga
    *NEW WINNER
  3. Onnit

 

Best Yoga Studio

  1. Yoga Yoga
  2. Black Swan Yoga
    *Has placed seven years running!
  3. CorePower Yoga

 

Best Barre Studio

  1. MOD Fitness
  2. Pure Barre
    *Has placed seven years running!
  3. barre3
    *Has placed six years running!

 

 

Best Pilates Studio

  1. Pure Pilates Austin (pictured above)
  2. The Lagree Studio
    *NEW WINNER
  3. Pilates Bodies & Barre

 

Best Cycling Studio

  1. RIDE Indoor Cycling 
  2. LOVE Cycling Studio
  3. Soul Cycle

 

Best Youth Fitness Organization

  1. CG Victory
  2. YMCA
  3. Lions Krav Maga

 

 

Best Free Community Workout 

  1. Stronghorn Sweat Sessions (pictured above)
    *Has placed six years running!
  2. Camp Gladiator
  3. UpReach Crossfit

 

Best Personal Trainer

  1. Izzy El-Ubaydy 
  2. Kim Eagle
    *First/Second place winner six years running!
  3. Mike O’Hara
    *Has placed six years running!

 

Best Yoga Instructor

  1. Raina Gradford​
    *NEW WINNER 
  2. Gustavo Padron
  3. Gillian West
    *NEW WINNER

 

Best Pilates Instructor

  1. Tobie Funte
  2. Caitlin Fennessy
    *NEW WINNER
  3. Vlada Sheber

 

Best Barre Instructor

  1. Shannon Pike
  2. Anika Jones 
    *NEW WINNER
  3. Holly Phinney

 

Best Cycling Instructor 

  1. Alana Woolf
  2. Megan Knight
  3. Frank Nicholas

 

 

Best Running Coach 

  1. Gilbert Tuhabonye (pictured above)
    *Has placed FIRST six years running!
  2. Chris McClung
  3. Pamela Gagot

 

Best Group Fitness Instructor

  1. Frank Nicholas
  2. David Garza
  3. Justin Adams

 

Best Health and Fitness Ambassador

  1. Caprice Richards
  2. Jess Martin
  3. Izzy El-Ubaydy

 

Hardest Workout

  1. Stronghorn Fitness 
  2. Tara Fredell- RIDE class
  3. Camp Gladiator

 

Best Road Race

  1. Cap10k 
  2. Run For Water
    *Has placed six years running!
  3. ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot

 

Best Triathlon

  1. Life Time Tri CapTex
  2. The Rookie Triathlon
  3. Jack’s Generic Triathlon
    *Has placed six years running!

 

Best Trail Running Race

  1. Texas Switchback Trail Race (TrailRoots)
  2. Bandera Endurance Trail Run (Tejas Trails)
  3. Sky Island (Spectrum Trail Racing)

 

Best Cycling Event

  1. BP MS 150
  2. Lifetime Driveway Series
  3. LIVESTRONG Challenge

 

Best Adventure Race 

  1. Spartan Race
  2. Tough Mudder
  3. Spread Your Wings Adventure Race
    *NEW WINNER

 

 

Best Fitness Competition

  1. Austin’s Fittest (pictured above)
  2. Horrible Hundred
  3. CG Games

 

Wellness

 

 

Best Hospital

  1. St. David’s Medical Center (pictured above)
  2. Seton Healthcare
  3. Dell Children’s Medical Center 
    *NEW WINNER

 

Best Dermatologist 

  1. Dr. Amy McClung
  2. Dr. Renee Snyder
  3. Dr. Lisa Rhodes
    *NEW WINNER

 

Best Physical Therapist

  1. Quantum Physical Therapy (Dr. Brenda Walk)
  2. Mondo Sports Therapy (Dr. Pieter Kroon and Dr. Katie Gwyn)
  3. Generator Athlete Lab (Dr. Jessica Tranchina)
    *NEW WINNER

 

Best OBGYN

  1. Dr. Christopher Seeker
    *Has placed FIRST five years running!
  2. Drs. Jason AND Michelle Gooch
  3. Dr. Marco Uribe

 

Best Pediatrician

  1. Dr. Samuel Mirrop and Dr. Jaime Ramirez *TIE*
  2. Dr. Ari Brown
  3. Dr. Leigh Grady

 

Best Orthopedic

  1. Dr. Matthew Driscoll
  2. Dr. Shelby Carter
  3. Dr. S. Brent Brotzman

 

Best Cosmetic Surgeon

  1. Dr. Ned Snyder IV
  2. Dr. Ashley Gordon
  3. Dr. Rocco Piazza

 

Best Dentist

  1. Summer Rydel, DDS
  2. Bryan Smith, DDS
  3. Nazim K. Shahi, DDS

 

 

Best Acupuncturist

  1. Lucas Brown (pictured above)
    *NEW WINNER
  2. Matthew Kirsch
  3. Aaron Rubinstein

 

Best Massage Therapist

  1. Nick Picchetti
  2. Brent Holloway
    *NEW WINNER
  3. Michelle Hittner and Tammy Marquez *TIE*

 

Best Chiropractor

  1. Dr. Noah J. Moos
  2. Dr. John Tuggle​
    *Has placed six years running! 
  3. Dr. Daniel Gonzalez

 

Best Med Spa

  1. Mint and Thyme 
  2. Muse MedSpa​
    *NEW WINNER
  3. La Vie En Rainey
    *NEW WINNER

 

Best Mental Health Professional

  1. John Howard, MA 
  2. Dr. Tracy Carver, PhD
  3. Casey Lepper, LMFT

 

 
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