The 2026 Queensland Day Awards, branded 'All the Best' and organised by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, collected 75,000 unique votes over roughly two months to crown the state's best food and drink businesses. Queensland Day falls on June 6, and the results land with enough cultural weight to be worth taking seriously. But a popularity contest is still a popularity contest: mobilise your social media following and you're a good chance of placing. So which winners actually earned it? Our food editor has opinions.
What Are the 2026 Queensland Day Awards, and Why Do 75,000 Votes Matter?
The All the Best competition is the Department of the Premier and Cabinet's annual exercise in Queensland boosterism, running across food, beverage, beaches, florists, and a handful of category-specific slots like banh mi. It is, by design, a lighthearted public vote rather than a judged award. Businesses that ran hard on social media had a structural advantage, and the results reflect that.
That said, 75,000 unique votes across the 2026 Queensland Day Awards is not nothing. The sheer participation means the shortlists function as a reasonable proxy for community enthusiasm, and in several categories the crowd got it right. The useful question isn't whether the awards are credible in a Michelin sense, they're not trying to be, but whether the winners are worth your time and money. In most categories, at least one or two placers are.
The categories covered include cafes, bakeries, banh mi, butchers, burgers, pizza, pubs and brewpubs, and ice cream. Winners are spread across Brisbane's inner suburbs and outer reaches, with one Toowoomba entrant making the cut. What follows is a category-by-category read on where the crowd got it right, where they didn't, and where the real value sits in the placings.
Peer Set Snapshot
Business | Category | Placing | Location | Editor's Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Farmhouse | Cafes | Winner | Kedron, Brisbane | Endorsed, one of the northside's best full-service cafes |
The Baker's Duck | Bakeries | Winner | Toowoomba | Endorsed, quality held after 2023 ownership change |
Julius | Pizza | 3rd place | Fish Lane, Brisbane | Top pick, editor rates it among Brisbane's best pizza |
Gelato Messina | Ice Cream | Winner | Brisbane | Reliable but not revelatory, strong local alternatives exist |
La Macelleria | Ice Cream | Not placed | Brisbane | Named as a recommended alternative to Messina |
Anita | Ice Cream | Not placed | Brisbane | Named as a recommended alternative to Messina |
Nom Nom | Ice Cream | Not placed | Brisbane | Named as a recommended alternative to Messina |
Milani Minus Eight Degrees | Ice Cream | Not placed | Brisbane | Named as a recommended alternative to Messina |
The 2026 Queensland Day Awards Winners Our Food Editor Endorses
Not every winner needs scrutiny. A handful of the 2026 Queensland Day Awards results are straightforward endorsements: the crowd voted for places that are among the best in their category, full stop.
Farmhouse in Kedron is the cafes winner and the call is solid. Opened in 2017 partly as a tribute to Farmer Joe's, the produce store and community hub that closed in the same space in 2009, Farmhouse has grown well past its origins. It is, by most accounts, one of the best full-service cafes on Brisbane's northside. If you're already in the area, this is not a detour; it's a destination.
The Baker's Duck in Toowoomba winning bakeries is equally defensible. It changed ownership in 2023 but has held its standard: precisely baked pastries, flaky pies, and sourdough that justifies a stop on any weekend road trip west. For visitors passing through Toowoomba, this is a real reason to leave the highway.
Julius on Fish Lane placing third in the pizza category is the result that deserves the most attention from this list. Our food editor rates it among the best pizza in Brisbane, the pasta is also worth ordering, and third place in a popularity contest undersells it. If you visit one pizza spot from this entire list, Julius is the pick.
Gelato Messina winning ice cream is a reliable result rather than a revelatory one. It is consistently good. Worth knowing: the source notes a strong field of Brisbane alternatives including La Macelleria, Anita, Nom Nom, and Milani Minus Eight Degrees, so if Messina has a queue, you have options.
Category by Category: Cafes, Bakeries, Pizza, Pubs, and More
Cafes: Farmhouse, Kedron. Opened in 2017, the backstory about Farmer Joe's gives it community roots, but what keeps people coming back is the food and the room. One of the northside's best full-service options. No reservations needed for most cafe visits, but expect a wait on weekend mornings.
Bakeries: The Baker's Duck, Toowoomba. An icon in its city. The 2023 ownership change didn't dent the quality. If you're driving the Toowoomba range on a weekend, build in a stop. The pies and sourdough are the draws.
Banh mi: Banh Mi Factory, Zillmere. Banh Mi Factory is better known in some circles for its Austin Street outlet in Newstead, but the Zillmere location is the one that took the 2026 Queensland Day Awards title. Both outlets are worth visiting. Second-placed Darra Takeaway on Railway Parade is a serious contender in its own right, it rivals the neighbouring Scotts Road Takeaway for best on the strip. Third-placed My Street Food in Woolloongabba has advocates in the industry, including Maris Cook and Jesse Stevens of Hello Please, which is as good a co-sign as any in Brisbane right now.
Butchers: Rode Meats, Stafford Heights. The butcher category played out as a 'ButcherTok' battle between Rode Meats and The Bellmere Butcher, with Rode Meats placing first and The Bellmere Butcher second. Rode Meats has a particular following among northside barbecue enthusiasts. If you're planning a weekend cook, either is worth the trip depending on which side of the city you're on.
Burgers: Just Poppy's, Goodna (second place). The burgers category winner isn't named in our sourcing, but second-placed Just Poppy's in Goodna is the result worth flagging. Having moved from Riverhills, it now operates with 69 burgers on the menu, old-school Australian-style, not smash patties. Third-placed Mr Jeebus in Tingalpa, formerly known as Benz on Miller, covers the American-style end of the spectrum and is rated among the better options in that format across Brisbane.
Pizza: Munja Pizza, Wynnum (winner); Julius on Fish Lane (third). Munja Pizza in Wynnum won the category. Our food editor hasn't visited, but notes enough reliable co-signs to suggest it's more than a local loyalty vote. Second-placed Proper Pizza Cafe and Bar in Jindalee also hasn't been assessed firsthand. The confident call here is Julius on Fish Lane in third: it is a known quantity, consistently rated, and worth the trip from anywhere in Brisbane.
Pubs and brewpubs: Landers Pocket (winner); Slipstream (third). Brewpubs are included in the pub category, which is the right call given how thoroughly they've replaced traditional local boozers across Queensland. Landers Pocket won, and it's a good venue, but our food editor rates third-placed Slipstream as the stronger everyday pick. Landers Pocket skews more destination or occasion; Slipstream works as a regular local. If you're choosing between them for a casual afternoon, that's the distinction that matters.
Ice cream: Gelato Messina (winner). A crowd-pleasing result. Messina is consistent and the win is defensible. The broader Brisbane ice cream field, La Macelleria, Anita, Nom Nom, Milani Minus Eight Degrees, means you're not short of alternatives if you want to explore beyond the winner.
Which Winners Are Worth the Detour from Brisbane?
Most of the 2026 Queensland Day Awards winners are within Brisbane's suburban spread, which makes planning a multi-stop visit straightforward. A few require more deliberate effort.
The Baker's Duck in Toowoomba is the only winner that demands genuine travel, roughly 90 minutes west of Brisbane's CBD. It's worth it if you're already heading that way, or if a Toowoomba day trip is on your radar. Treat it as the anchor of a morning in the city rather than a standalone drive.
Munja Pizza in Wynnum sits about 20 minutes east of the CBD, which counts as a detour for inner-city residents but is manageable. Given the co-signs the source references, it's worth the trip if pizza is your focus, though Julius on Fish Lane, which is closer to the city on Fish Lane in South Brisbane, remains the safer bet for visitors with limited time.
Just Poppy's in Goodna is roughly 25 minutes southwest of the CBD. The 69-burger menu and old-school Australian format make it a specific kind of pilgrimage, if that's your thing, it's worth the drive. If you're already in the western suburbs, it's an easy addition.
For northside visitors, Farmhouse in Kedron and Rode Meats in Stafford Heights sit close enough to combine in a single morning: cafe breakfast at Farmhouse, then a butcher run at Rode Meats for the weekend cook. Banh Mi Factory's Zillmere outlet is also on the northside, making a three-stop northside loop practical.
The inner-city concentration, Julius on Fish Lane in South Brisbane, My Street Food in Woolloongabba, Gelato Messina across multiple locations, means visitors staying centrally can cover several categories without a car.
How to Plan Your Queensland Day Food Crawl Around the 2026 Winners
Queensland Day on June 6 falls on a Friday in 2026, which gives you a long weekend to work with. Here's how to sequence the winners without doubling back unnecessarily.
Northside morning: Start at Farmhouse in Kedron for breakfast or brunch, full-service cafe, no need to rush. From there, Rode Meats in Stafford Heights is a short drive for butcher supplies. If you want to add banh mi to the run, Banh Mi Factory's Zillmere outlet completes a tight northside triangle.
Inner south afternoon: Julius on Fish Lane in South Brisbane is the pizza anchor for an afternoon session. My Street Food in Woolloongabba is close enough to add as a lunch stop before the pizza. Gelato Messina has multiple Brisbane locations for a post-meal finish.
Brewpub evening: The Slipstream versus Landers Pocket question depends on your preference. For a casual end to the day with locals, Slipstream is the pick based on our food editor's read. Landers Pocket suits a more planned evening out.
Weekend day trip: If you're extending the long weekend, The Baker's Duck in Toowoomba anchors a Saturday morning drive. Pair it with whatever else Toowoomba has on your list, the bakery alone justifies the trip if pastry is your priority.
The 2026 Queensland Day Awards won't replace a Michelin guide, and they're not trying to. But with 75,000 votes filtering the state's food and drink businesses down to a shortlist, and an editorial layer applied on top, the results give you a working map of where Queensland is eating well right now. The categories to watch in future years are pizza and banh mi, both shortlists suggest Brisbane's quality in those formats is moving faster than the awards have caught up with.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the 2026 Queensland Day Awards announced?
The 2026 Queensland Day Awards are tied to Queensland Day, which falls on June 6. Results are released around that date each year by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
How are the 2026 Queensland Day Awards winners decided?
Winners are determined by public vote rather than a panel of judges. The 2026 Queensland Day Awards collected 75,000 unique votes over roughly two months, meaning businesses with large or engaged social media followings had a structural advantage.
Which 2026 Queensland Day Awards winners are actually worth visiting?
According to our food editor, the most credible winners include Farmhouse in Kedron (cafes), The Baker's Duck in Toowoomba (bakeries), and Gelato Messina (ice cream). Julius on Fish Lane, which placed third in pizza, is singled out as the most underrated result and the top recommendation from the entire list.
What categories are covered in the Queensland Day Awards?
The All the Best competition covers cafes, bakeries, banh mi, butchers, burgers, pizza, pubs and brewpubs, and ice cream, among other category-specific slots. Winners span Brisbane's inner suburbs and outer areas, with at least one Toowoomba entrant in the 2026 results.
