The State Fair of Texas is back! From September 26 to October 19, the fantastic fair will host a Texas-sized celebration of everything from rodeo events to football games, concerts, family-friendly shows, carnival fun, and more. A big slice of the fair is the food, filled with a plethora of colorful culinary vendors dishing out fabulous fair food. The only problem is, knowing what to get.
If you’re hoping to taste of the best of the best, the Texas State Fair has announced its Big Tex Choice Awards. Started in 2005, the awards highlights the tastiest, most creative, and unique concessions at the Texas State Fair. Categories include: savory, sweet, sipper, and most creative.
Best Savory Dishes at the State Fair of Texas
The Big Tex Choice Awards 2025 winner for the best taste in savory is the Crab & Mozzarella Arancini. Created by Stefan T. Nedwetzky, the Crab & Mozarella Arancini is made with Maryland Blue Crab meat blended with white rice, spring onion, mozzarella, red bell pepper, and lemon. The dish is served with homemade marinara. The dish can be found at Texapolitan Pizza adjacent to Big Tex in front of the Hall of State on Lone Star Blvd.
Runner-ups for the best savory, which are definitely worth trying include:
- Hans Brisket & Brew Stuffed Pretzels
- Deep Fried Deli Tacos
- Vietnamese Crunch Dog
- Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders
Best Sweet Dishes at the Fair
For those with a sweet tooth, the best dessert dish to try at the Texas State Fair, as selected by the Big Tex Choice Awards, is the Chill & Thrill Delight. Created by Tony and Terry Bednar, the dish is a spin on the famed Colombian Salpicon de Frutas, featuring a fruit-filled cup of watermelon, diced mango, grapes, pineapple, strawberries, and cantaloupe topped with shaved mango sorbet. Find the dish at Tony’s Taco Shop at the Tower Building Food Court.
Other sensational desserts to try at the Texas State Fair 2025 include:
- Candy Lemon Sour Face
- Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake
- Rousso’s Dubai Chocolate Funnel Cake Fries
- Tex’s Toast A La Mode
Best Drinks at the Texas State Fair
If you want to sip on something that isn’t ice cold beer, wine, or a margarita, the fair also features a dazzling selection of non-alcoholic libations. The Big Tex Choice Awards-winner for Sippers this year is the ultra-decadent Cookie Chaos Milkshake. Made with snickerdoodle chunks, two different types of Oreo cookies, a healthy scoop of cookie butter dough, and whipped cream, the milkshake is the over-the-top sweet beverage of your dreams. Find the dish at Big Al’s Grill, Cone’d, Fryed, Bluebonnet Roadhouse BBQ & Grill, and The Grove.
Other sippers worth sipping at the state fair include:
- Coconut Quadruple
- Hot Honeycomb Lemonade Shake Up
- Nevins Dirty Red Bull Arita (with alcohol)
- Poppin’ Boba Rita (with alcohol)
Most Creative Dishes at the State Fair of Texas 2025
The most creative dish of this year’s State Fair was also a runner-up in the savory category: the Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders created by Kendall Williams. Served on two panko-crusted deviled-egg halves in place of a bun, the sliders are made with an aged-cheddar and apple bacon on top of a seasoned Wagyu patty served with house-made sauce. Find the dish at the So Eggciting Deviled Eggs at the Tower Building Food Court.
Other creative dishes to try at the Texas State Fair include;
- Deep Fried Deli Tacos
- Brisket & Brew Stuffed Pretzels
- Vietnamese Crunch Dog