Community Generosity Shines At The Critter Crawl In Williston

In a previous article, I told you about The Critter Crawl, held from Sept 15-21, which gave you the chance to discover the best food and drinks Williston has to offer. Each participating bar and grill featured an exclusive appetizer, crafted just for the Crawl.

And the best part? For every Critter Crawl appetizer purchased, 100% of the proceeds were donated directly to Mondak Animal Rescue, supporting their incredible work for animals in need. On top of that, $1 from every draft beer sold throughout the week also went to the organization.

Now, we want to give a HUGE shoutout to the participating businesses, 701 Chophouse, Rivers Edge Bar & Grill, and The Tavern at the Grand Williston! Without these amazing establishments, the Critter Crawl wouldn’t have been the success it was. The support helped raise crucial funds for the animals at Mondak Animal Rescue.

✨ Rivers Edge Bar & Grill took the top prize, raising an incredible $1,176! They wowed everyone with their adorable dog dish chili and cornbread-shaped bones—such a creative and tasty offering that had us all smiling. Selling 86 plates, their hard work and imagination paid off!

Photo by Mad Max

✨ 701 Chop House claimed second place with an impressive 62 plates sold. Their breaded hot dog creation was simply amazing—the crispy breading was the talk of the event!

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✨ The Tavern at the Grand Williston sold 57 plates, earning rave reviews for their perfectly seasoned chili paired with sour cream. In a tight competition, they also took home the Judges’ Choice Award after a tie-breaker, where we had to bring in a 9th secret judge to settle the score!

This was a brand-new event for Williston, and I'm eager to see these restaurants come back next year and grow the Critter Crawl into a beloved local tradition.

Here are the results according to Mondak Animal Rescue from The 2024 Critter Crawl:

Most Money Raised: Rivers Edge Bar & Grill ($1,176)
People’s Choice Best Dish: Rivers Edge Bar & Grill
Judges’ Choice Best Dish: The Tavern at the Grand Williston
Best Customer Service: “Jae” at The Grand Williston

Standout Employees:

Rivers Edge: Roxy, Emi, and Amber
Tavern: Jae and Kelsey
701 Chop House: Josh and Aliyona

Over the years, thousands of animals have come through Mondak's doors in need of safety, care, and a second chance. As the region’s only NO-KILL shelter, none of it would be possible without the support of our community. Events like this one make it all possible.