The State Fair of Texas seems to get bigger and bolder every year. The food is getting more expensive, too. So we sent our largest team of tasters to take on the Big Tex Choice Awards finalists.
Our 10 Dallas Morning News tasters sampled a massive piece of pizza topped with french fries, cold cheesecake on a stick, crab-stuffed tater tots, sugary lemonade and more. We found much of the food to be very good — “surprisingly good,” as Dallas Morning News food reporter Imelda García said of our top-tasting dish, Deep Fried Pho.
We were shocked at some of the prices. If you were to buy all 10 Big Tex Choice Awards in 2023, as we did, the bill would come out to $176. That’s $9 more than the sum of the finalists in 2022 and $37 more than in 2021. And still, we have a sneaking suspicion that once you shell out cash or card for coupons, some of these dishes will actually seem like a deal. That all depends on how delicious they are, relative to price.
Here’s our list of the State Fair of Texas’ 10 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists, ranked.
Note: We did not rank all the new drinks and food at the State Fair; there are 31 of those. This list focuses on the 10 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists, the belles of this fried-food ball.
To eat your way through the State Fair of Texas in Dallas’ Fair Park, use this map.
#1. Deep Fried Pho — $24
Our top-tasting State Fair dish was also the most contentious. Deep Fried Pho got caught in hot oil when a social media storm in August 2023 questioned whether concessionaire Michelle Le’s fried pho idea was borrowed from another Dallas Vietnamese-owned business. It wasn’t. And now it’s time to celebrate: Go stand in that line on the Midway for a deep-fried tortilla stuffed with beef, noodles, herbs and bean sprouts. You’ll be hooked even before a bite, because of the smell of the rich broth. Our team of tasters loved that Deep Fried Pho told a family story in a single bite. And even with its high cost, we agree that Deep Fried Pho is the “best taste - savory” dish in 2023.
Said another way: Deep Fried Pho is “worth the drama,” García said.
Score: 4.35 out of 5
#2. Biscoff Delight — $15
First-time Big Tex Choice Awards finalist Stephen El Gidi’s Biscoff-dusted cheesecake is a cold delight on a hot day. This dish offered that “fun feeling of being on an airplane, getting that Biscoff cookie and knowing you’re going somewhere good,” said breaking news reporter Lana Ferguson. (Just swap the plane for a boot-scoot past Big Tex.) Food reporter Claire Ballor noted it was “meticulously made,” with not-too-sweet cheesecake encased by a Belgian chocolate shell and a crumble of Biscoff cookies. We’re two for two: Our opinion again matched the Big Tex Choice Awards judges’, who named Biscoff Delight as the “best taste - sweet” dish in 2023.
Score: 4.1 out of 5
#3. Loaded Fries Pizza — $15
If you think loaded fries plus pizza is too basic for the State Fair of Texas, you need to try Tom Grace’s Loaded Fries Pizza first. “Expectations were low,” admitted food editor Erin Booke. But she loved the bacon and green onion. I loved the garlicky crust. And the fries, sitting in a delicious and gooey smear of cheddar and ranch, give Snuffers vibes, special contributor Sydni Walker said. Just bring your own hot sauce if you want to zhuzh it up a notch. García said the Loaded Fries Pizza is the best value of all 10 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists. You could feed a family with one order — and you should.
Score: 3.9 out of 5
#4. Turkey Ribs! — $20
What’s a turkey rib? Who cares, when it tastes this good. Each chicken-fried piece of turkey shoulder comes on the bone, served with piping-hot fries and served with a choice: a side of gravy and chipotle/cranberry; or just barbecue sauce. We liked both, but the gravy felt like the right move for a dish that could moonlight as chicken-fried chicken at a Southern restaurant. “If you want to feel like an animal, this is the dish for you,” said deputy audience editor Sam Bonacci. In a good way.
Score: 3.8 out of 5
#5. OX’cellent Soul Roll — $22
Never before has a State Fair of Texas concessionaire served oxtail. First-time Big Tex Choice Awards finalists Kerston and Shawn Thorns laced their seasoned oxtail with smoked gouda, then rolled it into a spring roll and fried it. The group was mixed on this one: Booke called it dry and Ballor thought it was over-salted. Ferguson and Bonacci loved it, full stop. “This is the epitome of fair food, to me,” Bonacci said.
Score: 3.75 out of 5
Tie for #6. Fernie’s Fried Cherry Pie in the Sky — $15
In a world where we’re frying everything under the sun, a well-executed fried cherry pie can be heavenly. Dallas Morning News managing editor Amy Hollyfield rated Fernie’s Fried Cherry Pie in the Sky a perfect 5, saying it’s “delightful.” Indeed, the cherry filling was tart and not too sweet, and the shortbread cookie crumble added crunch. For those who think pie should come with a side of ice cream, this longtime Texas family is on it: Blue Bell homemade vanilla comes on the side, with a spoonful of cherries and a sqlurp of whipped cream. The late Wanda “Fernie” Winter, who brought funnel cakes to the State Fair of Texas more than 40 years ago, would be proud of her daughters, who created this dish.
Score: 3.55 out of 5
Tie for #6. Bourbon Banana Caramel Sopapillas — $20
If you like sweets, you might have to break this tie yourself by getting both the Fernie’s Fried Cherry Pie in the Sky and the Bourbon Banana Caramel Sopapillas. The sopapillas were sticky and sweet, especially loved by those who crave a banana-and-caramel combo. Booke found the cinnamon-sugar sopapillas to be tough to cut. Ballor called it “quite messy and quite generous” — which makes for a very shareable snack.
Judges in the annual contest named this dish “most creative.” We could find more creative options than this one.
Score: 3.55 out of 5
#8. Deep Fried Cheesy Crab Tater Bites — $16
Expectations were very high for concessionaire Isaac Rousso’s loaded tots smothered in spicy queso. They were fried beautifully and held up to the thick queso. But at a very hot State Fair of Texas, most in our group agreed that the Deep Fried Cheesy Crab Tater Bites were too heavy.
Score: 2.55 out of 5
#9. Trail-Ade — $14
The only drink that made the top 10 Big Tex Choice Awards seemed to underwhelm our sun-soaked tasters. And what a shame, because I found it so refreshing, while most said it was too sweet. (And, not the concessionaire’s fault, but it would be better pool-side, with vodka.) Trail-Ade is a mix of lemonade and fruit, plus cucumber and mint. Olivares said the cowboy boot cup was adorable and happily took it home — after others drank it dry.
Score: 2.2 out of 5
#10. Sweet Encanto — $15
We’ve got some not-so-sweet news on Sweet Encanto. This curious mish-mash of kiwi, strawberries and shredded coconut, laced with dulce de leche and sweetened condensed milk, was hard to eat. The waffle — more like a wafer, if you ask us — was soggy and boring. With each bite, the caramel squished out, creating a sugary mess. “There are just so many stands across this great big ol’ park,” Bonacci said. “This just didn’t do it for me.”
Score: 1.8 out of 5
The panel of judges: Claire Ballor, Sarah Blaskovich, Sam Bonacci, Erin Booke, Lana Ferguson, Imelda García, Amy Hollyfield, Valeria Olivares, Britton Peele and Sydni Walker.
Listen to an extended version of this taste test on our Eat Drink DFW podcast all about the State Fair of Texas.
