Lindey's crowned as best Columbus restaurant, Ray Ray's withdraws from competition ??????

The people have spoken!

Our readers have selected Lindey's as the winner of the Columbus best restaurants bracket!

The 40-year-old German Village fixture received more votes than finals opponent Ray Ray's Hog Pit, which pulled out of the competition on Wednesday ? four weeks after the game began.

"Although the winner is still not decided, we feel it is only right to pull ourselves from this nomination to be respectful and shine a light on actual restaurants in the Columbus area," Ray Ray's said in a statement to the Dispatch.

"We truly are flattered by making it so far in the bracket but a restaurant is defined as 'a place where people pay to sit and eat meals that are cooked and served on the premises.' Our operations are strictly food trucks and drive-thrus, so we do not fall under the restaurant category."

The Dispatch launched the bracket on Feb. 27. We asked for nominations and narrowed those down to 32 restaurants.

Many thanks to our readers for voting, and congratulations to Lindey's!

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Best restaurant in Columbus: Vote for your favorite restaurant