If you want to try all eight of the fried food finalists at the State Fair of Texas, that'll set you back $60, or 120 coupons in Big Tex bucks. But you probably don't want to drop 60 big ones on all of that, especially since it doesn't include a Fletcher's corn dog (a must-have) or a ride on the Texas Star (get your Instagram account ready).
We at the Dallas Morning News sent eight eager eaters to try eight new dishes. The hope is to guide you toward the frieds that will leave you satisfied. See what's in each of the eight new dishes here.
A note: On the whole, we found this year's fried foods to be less exciting than in years past. Many dishes were "good"; only a few were great. That's an even better reason to save your $60 and read (and watch) on:
The winner: Chicken-fried loaded baked potato
Without question, the group favorite was the chicken-fried loaded baked potato. One order includes three fried nuggets filled with baked potato, butter, bacon and cheddar cheese. Each comes with a ranch/sour cream sauce on the site. Beer and cocktails editor Tiney Ricciardi said they tasted "like potato chicken nuggets," and Digital Events Editor Shannon Sutlief said the filling was "like a twice-baked potato." I say every sports bar in town needs to be serving these delicious little bites. Score: 3.7 points out of 4. $7, or 14 coupons. Two locations under the Texas SkyWay
2. Funnel Cake Ale
Crowned "most creative," our team agreed that the Funnel Cake Ale was a refreshing addition to this year's fried foods, despite the fact that it is neither fried nor food. (It even received high ranks despite Digital Editor Britton Peele's "zero" vote because he doesn't like beer.) If you order it, be sure you get a glass with a powdered sugar rim; the slightly sweet aftertaste makes it. Score: 3.3 points out of 4. $7, or 14 coupons. Two locations: near the Coliseum and in the Centennial Building
3. Fried Sriracha balls
These spicy -- but not too spicy -- little bites make for a great item to share. Each piece is stuffed with shredded chicken, corn, green chiles, tomatoes and Sriracha sauce, then fried. Our Rand Duren isn't a big fan of spicy food but liked the "smooth burn" at the end -- so don't get scared away if you're not into hot. Ricciardi thought it tasted like spicy cornbread. The only way to make this dish better would be if it came with a side of queso for dipping. Because queso. Score: 3.3 points out of 4. $7, or 14 coupons. Two locations: in the food court and near the Esplanade
4. Fried Gulf shrimp boil
Very few of us gave high marks to fried Gulf shrimp boil, which won this year's "best taste" award. The dish did, however, capture the whole-meal-on-a-plate better than last year's Thanksgiving Dinner, we decided. Here's the problem: Each battered ball has a shrimp tail sticking out, with the tail still on. Pull it out and the ball falls apart. Leave it in and you risk taking a bite of the inedible tail. The remoulade on the side was a great addition, though. But don't share this one; it's messy. Score: 3.1 points out of 4. $8.5, or 17 coupons. One location: near Big Tex
5. Deep-fried Texas Bluebonnet
Stand down, Texans: No bluebonnets were harmed in the making of this dish. Deep-fried Texas bluebonnet is a fried blueberry muffin stuffed with cream cheese, blueberries and white chocolate chips. If you can find the river of cream cheese in the middle, that'll be your best bite. It's a "knockout" then, says Senior Digital Entertainment Editor Amanda Wilkins. (Said another way: a "sponge of delicious awesome," says Ricciardi.) No cream cheese in your bite? It's just a blueberry muffin. Score: 2.4 points out of 4. $7, or 14 coupons. Two locations: near Magnolia Beer Lounge or in Cotton Bowl Plaza.
6. Deep-fried "breakfast for dinner"
Our scores ranged from excellent to terrible on this one, so if you like breakfast, you might love it. The eggroll-like exterior had eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, ham, onion, cheddar and cinnamon roll bits inside. It was served with a side of salsa or country gravy. The fair reports it should also come with pico-queso dip, but we asked for some and didn't get any. The dish tastes like a good breakfast burrito from a fast-food place. A stop at Jack in the Box would be way cheaper, though: This was the most expensive item we tried, at 20 coupons or a whopping $10. Score: 2.4 points out of 4. Two locations: near the entrance to the Texas Star and behind the Texas Star.
7. Fried Sweet Texas
If you're fryin' our state, it better be good. Fried Sweet Texas doesn't quite hit the mark. It's filled with pecan pie, peach cobbler and buttermilk pie, then deep fried and served with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream on the side. We tasted different pie fillings depending on the bite, but no one seemed to get all three together. We were most interested in the ice cream. Score: 2.2 points out of 4. $7.50, or 15 coupons. Two locations: near the Coliseum and in the Centennial Building
8. Twisted Texas Taco
Don't fry brisket, y'all. The Twisted Texas Taco is a hunk of deep-fried brisket in a tortilla with cheese, fried okra and slaw. It's a massive meal -- certainly a good value -- but our team of eight still didn't want to finish it. The brisket was dry. All ingredients together, it tasted like a Frito pie in a tortilla, but we'd rather eat a Frito pie. $6, or 12 coupons. Score: 2.1 points out of 4. Two locations: just south of Big Tex or near the Embarcadero building
EXTRA: Fried Brisket: We had to test the theory that you shouldn't fry brisket, so we tried new dish "fried brisket," which didn't make the cut as a fried food finalist but seemed promising. Same story here: Frying brisket does not make it taste better. It dried out the meat and made us long for real brisket. Or a turkey leg. Or a corn dog. Just not fried brisket. Score: 1.7 points out of 4. $8, or 16 coupons, found near petting zoo
EXTRA: Fried PBJ with banana and bacon: Fried peanut butter and jelly is delicious; we knew that already from past trips to the fair. Add banana and bacon and it's still delicious, though neither addition made this fried sammie markedly more spectacular. If you're into the fried PB and J, stick with the traditional; it'll be just as good, and likely cheaper. Score: 3 points out of 4. $7.50, or 15 coupons, found near petting zoo
**Methodology: Each of the eight samplers ranked each food on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 as poor and 4 as excellent. An average was calculated for each dish. Plates were not meant to compete with one another during our taste-test; a tester was welcome to give as many 4s or 1s as they chose.
Plan your life
The fair runs until Oct. 19. Exhibit buildings open daily at 10 a.m. They close Fridays through Mondays at 10 p.m. and Tuesdays through Thursdays at 9 p.m. Museum and midway hours vary; call 214-565-9931 for more information.
The fair is located in the 277-acre Fair Park, just off Interstate 30, southeast of downtown Dallas.
Tickets cost $17 general admission, $13 for children under 48 inches tall and ages 60 and older, free for children 2 and younger. Click here to learn how to get discounts.
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