We’re in for a State Fair of Texas food fight in 2024. During a taste test of the famous, new foods at the State Fair, two of the winning foods landed at the bottom of our list.
The results of our taste test on Opening Day at the State Fair led us to one conclusion: We respectfully disagree with the judges who previously selected winners of this annual food contest.
I mean, y’all tried those hot chicken pancake poppers? We love ‘em.
In our taste test, nine Dallas Morning News journalists tasted the 10 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists. The effort is simple: We try all these foods so you don’t have to. You could spend $154 on all 10 items, or you could spend a fraction of that on the best of the best.
Speaking of saving money, keep this list handy for how to score discounts at the fair.
Note: We did not rank all 36 of the new drinks and food at the State Fair. This list focuses on the 10 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists, the most high-profile new items of 2024.
#1: Hot Chick-in-Pancake Poppers — $15
Dallas restaurant owner Palmer Fortune has himself a winner, winner, chicken dinner with his fried-food treat, Hot Chick-in-Pancake Poppers. He takes Nashville hot chicken — and it is hot — and mixes it with pimento cheese, rolls it into a ball, dips it in pancake batter, and deep-fries it. A drizzle of Sriracha honey lands on top.
“It’s really smart,” said food writer Claire Ballor. “If you like a hot chicken sandwich, this is really on-brand.” Nearly all of our tasters praised the generous amount of shredded chicken in each fried bite. Audience journalist Carmina Tiscareño liked its large portion size and shareability.
If you can handle spice, don’t miss this dish. It’s available at just one stand at the State Fair. Use this map to find all 10 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists.
Score: 4.6 out of 5
#2: Drowning Taquitos — $20
You might think a trio of corn tortillas, stuffed with chicken and deep-fried, then plunked into a cup of sauce might make for a soggy situation. Not these Drowning Taquitos: They were crisp, hot and delicious even after we walked them halfway through the fair. Food writer Imelda García wanted more spice, and fortunately, the stand hands out a mini side of spicy tomatillo salsa for free if you ask.
“I would take a spoon and eat the leftovers,” Ballor said of guacamole, jalapenos, sour cream, pico, Cotija cheese and more left in the bottom of the cup.
Score: 4.2 out of 5
#3: Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick — $16
Is sugary bacon, served on a stick, too on-the-nose for the State Fair? No way. Our tasters loved concessionaire Isaac Rousso’s latest stunt, and State Fair taste-test team member Britton Peele noted that Rousso definitely “understood the assignment.” This 12-inch slab of bacon is the only winning Big Tex Choice Award dish we thought was worth your money. (It was awarded “best taste - sweet” in August 2024. Well deserved.)
“The combination of salty and sweet really works here,” said City Hall reporter Everton Bailey. We argued over who got the last bites.
Score: 4 out of 5
#4: Nevins Nutty Bar-Laska — $11
Another best dessert in the bunch comes from a fair family celebrating 75 years as concessionaires. Nevins Nutty Bar-Laska is an expertly-crafted ice cream bar that somehow didn’t melt in the Texas heat. This vanilla ice cream bar coated in chocolate and nuts gets a delicious upgrade with the addition of toasted marshmallow, two Oreos, strawberry sauce and freeze-dried strawberry pieces. It’s sweet and creamy and messy, in all the right ways.
News managing editor Amy Hollyfield said it was her favorite fair food of the year. “It’s the perfect bite,” she said.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
#5: Hippie Chips — $12
“If you like a nacho, you might like this,” Ballor said. Indeed, the Hippie Chips are a better version of a ho-hum nacho. Or a maybe they’re like potato skins, but crunchy. Wavy potato chips come loaded with ranch or blue cheese, then topped with bacon, green onions and Sriracha. They were undeniably delicious, but food editor Anna Butler questioned whether they are creative enough.
It’s also tough to get the perfect bite, Peele said. When you do, the salt, spice and cheese are a happy throuple.
Score: 3.2 out of 5
#6: Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs — $22
Fried barbecue, what’s not to love? Well, these deep-fried balls of potatoes, bacon, brisket and cheese have a marketing problem. This is a potato dish with brisket in it, not the other way around. If these bombs would lean into their potato provenance, there’s plenty to like, our food team said. But barbecue? This ain’t it.
Breaking news reporter Lana Ferguson told the rest of us to cool it. “Potatoes are my favorite food group,” she said. She scored it 5 out of 5, but she was the only one.
Score: 3.1 out of 5
#7: Tropical Two-Step Punch — $14 or $24
It’s tough to be the only drink in a Ferris wheel of fried-food “bombs,” but the Tropical Two-Step Punch can carry its weight. Each cup comes with a colorful array of cut-up fruit and juice made of pineapple, watermelon, mango, cantaloupe, strawberries and other more. For an extra $10, customers can add alcohol — though the drink was so refreshing, salty and sweet that it didn’t need much else.
Even though no one had criticism for the Two-Step Punch, it seemed like a fun-to-have option rather than a must-get.
Score: 2.8 out of 5
#8: Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignetffle — $12
In a world of cronuts and brookies, the Beignetffle has some work to do. This sweet dish is trying to be too many things at once: It is made with beignet batter, cooked in a waffle iron, with strawberry filling on top like it’s a Pop-Tart. Sprinkles and whipped cream give it childlike flair.
Bailey declared the Beignetffle “the best thing I ate,” but he admits: “The branding is all wrong.” It isn’t a beignet or a Pop-Tart. More challenging still, it’s tough to travel with this searing-hot waffle that causes the whipped cream to melt immediately.
Score: 2.2 out of 5
#9: Dominican Fritura Dog — $16
The Dominican dog, winner of “best taste - savory” by a panel of judges, confounded our Dallas Morning News tasting team. Is it a corny dog? Only on the outside. And it’s what’s on the inside that counts: a surprising checkerboard of cheese and Dominican salami with a crumble of garlic plantain chips and pink-colored “secret” sauce on top.
“It looks more exciting than it tastes,” Peele said. García wanted more cilantro. We’ll give it a bunch of (imaginary) stars for creativity.
Score: 2.16 out of 5
#10: Texas Sugar Rush Pickles — $20
Crowned “most creative” in August 2024, the Texas Sugar Rush Pickles are creative. But they’re not pickles. This item is a cup of dry cereal that comes topped with a scoop of ice cream, cotton candy, lollipops and a pickle slice, coated in cotton candy. There wasn’t enough pickle for everyone to try, so most of us ate a dusty mouthful of cereal and shrugged.
We agreed: Maybe kids would like it.
Score: 1.3 out of 5
The panel of judges: Everton Bailey, Claire Ballor, Sarah Blaskovich, Anna Butler, Lana Ferguson, Imelda García, Amy Hollyfield, Britton Peele and Carmina Tiscareño.
Listen to an extended version of this taste test on our Eat Drink DFW podcast next week.
