COVINGTON, Ky. – Covington’s growing reputation as a premier dining destination has earned even more national recognition, as The Local Palate magazine has named the city one of the Top Fifteen Culinary Towns in the South for 2026.
The honor places Covington alongside notable food destinations from across the region as part of The Local Palate’s annual search for the South’s best culinary town.
Now, residents, visitors, and food lovers can help Covington claim the top spot.
The public is invited to participate in The Local Palate’s Readers’ Poll, which is open from July 6 through July 10 at www.thelocalpalate.com. Voters will help narrow the field from 15 towns to three finalists. Those three communities will then advance to a second round of voting, open July 13 through July 17, to determine the overall winner.
The winning city will be featured on the cover of The Best Culinary Towns in the South special edition, which will be released on December 15, 2026.
“Covington’s culinary scene has become one of our community’s defining strengths,” Mayor Ron Washington said. “From award-winning restaurants to neighborhood favorites, our local businesses have created a dining culture that attracts visitors from throughout the region and beyond. We’re honored to be recognized and encourage everyone to vote for Covington.”
To determine this year’s Top Fifteen Culinary Towns, editors at The Local Palate researched more than 40 small towns across the South, spanning from Maryland to Florida and west to Texas. Eligible communities had populations under 450,000 residents.
Editors evaluated a wide range of factors, including restaurants, bars, cafés, farmers markets, educational food experiences, coffee shops, kitchen and home goods retailers, wine shops, food trucks, festivals, and other culinary offerings.
Covington’s inclusion reflects years of investment and growth in the city’s food and beverage scene. The city is home to a diverse collection of locally owned restaurants, bakeries, breweries, coffee shops, and specialty food businesses that continue to draw regional and national attention.
The Top Fifteen Culinary Towns competing for this year’s title are:
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Bluffton, South Carolina
- Charleston, West Virginia
- Clayton, Georgia
- Covington, Kentucky
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Hyattsville, Maryland
- Johnson City, Tennessee
- Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Natchez, Mississippi
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Orlando, Florida
- Round Top, Texas
- Staunton, Virginia
Residents and supporters can vote by visiting www.thelocalpalate.com during the voting period.