Here are readers’ favorite new restaurants in southwest Illinois, according to poll results

And the results are in!

Since the last update in the favorite new restaurant of 2023 (so far), the standings did not change much.

But there was enough activity to make a difference for a few of the places.

Here are the results:

Favorite new go-to restaurants:

First Place - Clara B’s Kitchen Table - 28% of the votes

OK, to be fair, Clara B’s isn’t new-new.

Originally located on East Main Street in downtown Belleville, Clara B’s temporarily closed up shop at the end of last year in preparation of moving to its current location inside LongStory Coffee.

The popular eatery started as a food truck and opened at 106 E. Main St. in February 2022.

As Clara B’s grew in popularity, it outgrew its location, prompting owner Jodie Ferguson to look for a new – and bigger – location.

“We couldn’t accommodate people who wanted to dine with us,” Ferguson said in December.

She also said that the lack of space in the East Main Street location negatively affected the catering side of her business.

The East Main Street location closed in early December.

As the new kitchen project progressed inside LongStory Coffee, Ferguson continued running the business from the food truck and gradually started offering breakfast items at the coffee shop.

In May, Clara B’s fully reopened at 732 S. Illinois St. in Belleville and serves breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday.

In addition, the food truck operation is still going strong and can be seen around the area.

Most recently, the truck was at the Freeburg Fall Market and in downtown Belleville’s Public Square.

Follow the Facebook page for upcoming events and info about Clara B’s Kitchen Table.

Second Place - Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant - 22% of the votes

If you haven’t been to Los Amigos yet, you’re missing out.

You can find Los Amigos at the former Horseshoe Restaurant & Lounge, located at 950 Talon Drive in O’Fallon.

The menu has a lot of options, including some veggie-friendly dishes.

The staff is great too. One waiter recognized the husband and me from when we frequented another Mexican restaurant. It’s nice to be remembered.

Even if you aren’t in the mood for a full meal, at least check it out – it’s a nice place – and enjoy some chips & guac and a margarita or two.

Los Amigos opened in late April and joins other locations that include Carlyle, Greenville and a few others.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

For info, updates or a menu, take a look at losamigosofallon.com or facebook.com/LosAmigosinOfallon.

The rest of the results:

• Reine (Edwardsville) - 15%

• Grüv Bistro & Wine Bar (Belleville) - 11%

• Marco’s Express (Swansea) - 11%

• Sneaky’s Bar & Burger Joint - 9%

• Steel Town Burgers (Granite City) - 4%

• Followed by Clean Eatz (Belleville), Fusion Bar & Restaurant (Fairview Heights) and Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun (Belleville)

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As for the second part of the poll, here are the rankings for favorite new café, bakery or dessert place:

First Place - Crumbl Cookies - 29% of the votes

Crumbl Cookies opened in May at 3760 Green Mount Crossing Drive in Shiloh under the ownership of identical twin sisters Adrienne and Jacqueline Parrish.

The arrival of the Shiloh location was welcomed by folks in the community, who were – based on multiple Facebook comments – excited about trying the cookies on offer.

Crumbl offers a selection of more than 275 rotating cookie flavors, six at a time and changing each week.

The hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to midnight Friday-Saturday.

Check out crumblcookies.com or facebook.com/crumblcookies for more info.

Second Place - Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery - 26%

The Missouri-based ice creamery opened its first Illinois location in June at Trace on the Parkway in Edwardsville.

Sold by the scoop or pint, there are many unique and original flavors available, and it seems like new ones are often being added.

Descriptions of the available (and interesting) flavors are listed on the website. Each one also lists allergens and points out which ones are vegan friendly.

Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery is located at 6185 Bennett Drive in Edwardsville.

Hours are noon to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and noon to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

For more info, call 618-685-1234, visit clementinescreamery.com or follow the Facebook page.

And the rest:

• Holy Crepes! (Swansea) - 21%

• Azúcar, Old City Bakery (Collinsville) - 8%

• Oh So Sweet Bakery (Carlyle) - 8%

• Followed by Sweet Little Things (East Alton), Alibi Cookies (Edwardsville) and Matt’s Café (Belleville)

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I’d like to get some feedback on this and previous restaurant polls.

Do you find them fun? What do you think of the format? What should be done differently?

Please send feedback to us at newsroom@bnd.com.

Thank you for participating in this latest poll and for reading the BND!