It was all smiles at Lou’s Lounge at the Dole Mansion in Crystal Lake Thursday evening as hundreds of business owners filled the space to celebrate their wins as the community’s favorites.
This year’s Best of the Fox award celebration, recognized by Shaw Local and the Northwest Herald, presented 165 categories for a total of 495 awards with over 82,000 votes cast online. Three businesses or organizations – a “Best Of” winner and two “One of the Best” honorees – were recognized in each category.
The 2026 awards mark 24 years of recognizing the best the area has to offer, Shaw Media Publisher Laura Shaw said.
“Best of the Fox is a great opportunity to celebrate the businesses and people who make McHenry County special,” she said. “It’s especially meaningful because the winners are chosen by our readers.”
The winners included small businesses that got their start at the McHenry Riverwalk Shoppes. Starting in 2023, the tiny shops program serves as a retail incubator.
After spending two years at the Riverwalk Shoppes, AteaCo Coffee & Tea opened its permanent brick-and-mortar location at 1323 Riverside Drive in McHenry earlier this year. Owners Neshwa Rajeh and Atik Altahif took home this year’s best coffee shop award.
AteaCo specializes in specialty teas, single-origin coffees and pastries while creating a sober-friendly community space. Rajeh said she couldn’t believe they won and initially thought the announcement email was spam.
“Honestly, it’s truly humbling. We’re so surprised,” she said. “The community support has been so great.”
Another tiny shop took home best bookstore for the second year in a row. Hello Darling Books and Beyond, an independent, romance-focused bookshop, is in its second year at the McHenry shops.
Owner Tina Lawrence, also known as Tina Bree, one of the Star 105.5 radio morning show hosts, said it’s fulfilling and rewarding to own the bookstore that so many people enjoy.
“We’re so happy, we’re so proud,” she said. “We have the best community.”
See a complete list of 2026 Best of the Fox honorees, to be announced soon, and check out past winners at shawlocal.com/best-of-the-fox.
Written by Michelle Meyer, Northwest Herald Reporter.
