By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor, Mary Thurmond | Photo Editor
For some, deciding what to eat at the fair is simple. Once it’s in sight, they make a beeline for the stand of turkey legs they’ve been hankering for all year, or the taco truck that sells the most underrated birria of all time. However, for first-time fairgoers or straight-up indecisive folk, the list of over 20 food vendors at the fair this year can be intimidating. And that fear is valid. No one wants to end up paying $15 for a food that ends up in the trash after two bites, or a half-sipped drink that is now dripping condensation all over your hand.
We took the liberty of braving the fair food waters this year, trying a few of the most beloved and wackiest carnival staples. Here are our ratings based on price, size, flavor, quality and presentation.
Root beer
Straight from the spouts of Pecos Pete’s truck, this root beer was both sweet and refreshing. The truck offers a variety of natural sodas and teas for customers to try, with free refills for the rest of the night and discounted refills for the rest of the week. The catch? There’s a down payment on a souvenir mug, with prices ranging from around $20-$40. Though there are several sizes to suit different thirst levels, and if you plan on visiting the fair multiple times this week, I’d say the product is worth the price.
Of the six flavors, we tried “Roundrock Root beer” and “Hutto Huckleberry.” These sodas are sweet, but not overwhelming enough that one sip causes your mouth to feel full of sugar. While the tin mug is quite fun to look at and matches the wild west theme of the truck, we found it a bit annoying to constantly swat flies away from our cold drink. Overall, we rate this drink a 3.5/5.
Lemonade
Brightly lit and impossible to miss, these lemonade stands are a fairground staple. With giant signs advertising “Jumbo Corn Dogs,” “Fresh Squeezed Lemonade” and “Fresh Brewed Iced Tea,” it’s the kind of place you walk up to without thinking. The lemonade comes in a tall, red and yellow cup, poured over ice and made to order. It’s sweet, tart and disappears fast. Cheap refills, no fancy mug, but for $9 and $5 refills, it’s a sure way to cool down during a hot day at the fair.
The lemonade was sweet, but not like the lemonade you’ll get from Chick-fil-A or out of a jug. With fresh-squeezed lemons and real sugar, it’s something completely different than what we’re used to. This drink is a classic, and we believe it’s hard to beat. This drink gets a 4.0/5 on our scale.
Turkey Leg
We must admit, our expectations for the famous fair turkey leg were not by any means exceeded. Our hunk of meat was purchased from the “Texas to the Bone Turkey Legs” stand. While the leg was humongous and more than enough for one person, it was quite salty, chewy and not very tender at all. It also cost a whopping $20. However, it was piping hot and fresh off the roaster, so not too many complaints here.
As long as you’re OK with a little extra salt on your turkey leg, we conclude that this particular fair food is worth the purchase, and therefore scores a 2.5/5 on our scale. Just be sure to bring wipes or hand sanitizer to clean your hands after your hearty meal!
Corn dog
You can’t go wrong with a good old corndog, and this one was proof of that. This corn dog came on a stick about a foot long, for a reasonable price of $10. The breading on the outside was slightly sweet and crispy, and the dog inside was hot and savory. Drizzle a little ketchup and mustard on top, and you’re golden.
Overall, the corn dog is coming in at a solid 5/5 in ratings.
Deep Fried Twinkie
If you’re looking for a wildcard dessert to wrap up your fair food tasting session, you’ve got to try something from Fry Dat, a vendor that fries everything from pickles to ice cream. We personally recommend the deep-fried Twinkies, with $7 for a single or $10 for two.
If this dessert sounds a little suspect to you, you’ve got to trust us on this. These cream-filled fingers are sweet, hot (don’t burn yourself!) and topped with powdery goodness, all served in a cute little paper basket. Make sure to grab some napkins before walking away, or you might walk around the fairgrounds the rest of the night unaware of the powdered sugar on your lips.
After careful consideration, we determined that this deep-fried finale to our food escapade deserves a 4.5/5.
