Here is a list of all the 1988 Simply the Best Categories and where the winning results can be found. Although we try to consistently group categories, we don’t always succeed especially if a category can fit into more than one group.
| Antiques | Shopping / Retail |
| Art Gallery | Places |
| Artist | People |
| Arts Organization | Places |
| Bagel | Food & Dining |
| Bakery | Food & Dining |
| Band | People |
| Barber Shop | Health / Beauty |
| Bartender | People |
| Beauty Salon | Health / Beauty |
| Best All Around Dining | Food & Dining |
| Bookstore | Shopping / Retail |
| Breakfast | Food & Dining |
| Brew Pub | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Burger | Food & Dining |
| Business Dinner | Food & Dining |
| Card Shop | Shopping / Retail |
| Caterer | Food & Dining |
| Charity Event | People |
| Cheap Date | Places |
| Children’s Clothes | Shopping / Retail |
| Chinese | Food & Dining |
| City Restaurant | Food & Dining |
| Coffee Shop | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Cool Gifts | Home & Garden |
| Crabcake | Food & Dining |
| Dance Club | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Day Spa | Health / Beauty |
| Decorator | Home & Garden |
| Department Store | Shopping / Retail |
| Dessert | Food & Dining |
| Diner | Food & Dining |
| Established Restaurant / Casual | Food & Dining |
| Established Restaurant / Fine Dining | Food & Dining |
| Expensive Date | Places |
| First Date Place | Places |
| Florist | Home & Garden |
| Furniture / Home Decor Store | Home & Garden |
| Garden Shop | Home & Garden |
| Golf Course (private) | Places |
| Golf Course (Public) | Places |
| Gourmet Coffee | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Grocery Store | Places |
| Happy Hour Bar | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Health Club | Health / Beauty |
| Health Food Store | Health / Beauty |
| Hoagie / Sub / Sandwich | Food & Dining |
| Home Improvement Store | Home & Garden |
| Hot Dog | Food & Dining |
| Indian | Food & Dining |
| Italian | Food & Dining |
| Japanese | Food & Dining |
| Jeweler | Shopping / Retail |
| Kids’ Attraction | Places |
| Local Celebrity | People |
| Martini | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Men’s Store | Shopping / Retail |
| Milkshake | Food & Dining |
| Mover and Shaker | People |
| Movie Theater | Places |
| Museum | Places |
| New Restaurant / Casual | Food & Dining |
| New Restaurant / Fine Dining | Food & Dining |
| Newscaster/Anchorperson | People |
| Personal Favorites | Food & Dining |
| Pizza | Food & Dining |
| Place To Live | Places |
| Place to Watch a Sunset | Places |
| Politician | People |
| Power Lunch | Food & Dining |
| Radio Station | People |
| Rainy Day Activity | Places |
| Special Event | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Specialty Shop | Shopping / Retail |
| Sports Bar | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Sports Celebrity | People |
| Suburban Restaurant | Food & Dining |
| Sunday Brunch | Food & Dining |
| Television Station | People |
| Thai | Food & Dining |
| Vegetarian | Food & Dining |
| Wine List | Drinks & Nightlife |
| Women’s Boutique | Shopping / Retail |