My preferred mech is in my small town. I have a strong preference for "keep it local" for as much as I can do. Been with him for over 100k miles on our two cars. This was word of mouth recommendations from everyone I know here. I simply asked around. Everyone was quick to recommend. So, I decided to make him my guy. He has been great for all our needs. He and his crew are car enthusiasts. I {reluctantly} recommend him to others even though it makes it harder to get on his schedule.
Prior to this, I was at a big-name shop near where I work for convenience. The guy was a bit of a sheister, but, even a sheister will do good work if you show loyalty.