We sampled the new foods at the 2024 NC State Fair. Here’s what to buy — and what to bypass
Among the thrill rides and carnival games, fair food has become its own sort of spectacle.
Defying decency and sometimes physics, this corner of the culinary universe always asks the big question: If you can’t deep fry it, are you sure you want to eat it?
The North Carolina State Fair will feature 72 new foods, drinks and desserts this year, with bologna fries and cheese puff nachos joining the menu alongside long-time favorites like ribbon fries, foot-long corn dogs and smoked turkey legs.
We sampled 30 of the new foods for media day, tasting our way through the deep-fried, sugar-coated and bacon-wrapped new offerings.
Here are my top three picks:
▪ Deep Fried Ribs from Lawrence & Perry BBQ, LLC: We all know a pork rib doesn’t need to be deep fried. We know this so deeply in our soul that until now no one has bothered to ask, “But should it be fried?” Apparently, yes. These baby back ribs are the ultimate finger food, with a thick crunchy breading wrapped around the porky succulence we all know and love. A sweet and tangy barbecue sauce is soaked into that crispy crust for some extra flavor.
▪ Alaskan King Crab Pop from Oak City Fish & Chips: How can you not feel like royalty strolling through the fair with king crab on a stick? Perfectly sweet king crab is dusted in peppery seasoning and a squeeze of lemon on this most indulgent of fair foods.
▪ NC Crab and Shrimp Bomb from Waypoint Oyster Bar: This fried ball glows a neon red from its Flamin’ Hot Cheeto crust, but inside is sweet crab and shrimp with ooey gooey cream cheese.
Ranking the rest
Cowboy Bites from Fat Boys BBQ: The ultimate fair food snack, deep-fried gobs of mac and cheese with brisket and a drizzle of barbecue sauce.
Korean BBQ Kimchi Nachos from Bulkogi Korean BBQ: This take on nachos delivers serious funk and spice with kimchi playing the main star among salsa, cheese and pickled jalapenos.
Jerk Pork Belly Bao from Cool Runnings Jamaican: This Caribbean fusion bite combines jerk flavors and pillowy bao buns. The pork is sweet and tender and the jerk sauce delivers the warm spices but not the heat here. This bite was voted the winner of the NC State Fair Media Day tasting.
Fried Hazelnut Croissant from LaFarm Bakery: This is for the Nutella fanatics out there. Here La Farm’s famous croissants get a state fair upgrade with a quick fry and a dusting of crunchy sugar.
Honey Butter Mozza Dog from GoldenKdog: This might be the evolution of the mozzarella stick. Here you get cheese on a stick with a crisp, crunchy coating and a sweet kick of honey butter. It dances around savory and sweet, but you won’t be missing marinara sauce.
Mexican Street Corn Potato from Spudastic Potato: In the fair food realm, where cheese and sugar glow in neon colors, this humble, baked potato stands out for its wholesomeness. Off-the-cob esquites and a baked potato don’t really have a lot to say to one another, but somehow the bite just works, with the corn adding sweetness to the earthy, buttery spud.
Monster Tots from Hot Chix: A tater tot can do no wrong, and these dressed with either buffalo sauce or bacon and cheese deliver on all the crispy, salty, fatty expectations one could ever have.
Sizzling Hot Funnel Cake from The Busy Beaver: The “hot” here refers to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which absolutely belong on a funnel cake. Here these funnel cakes weave a complex tapestry of savory and sweet, one topped with chocolate and spicy cheetos and another with cheese, all on crispy, sugary dough.
Fried Cheesy Croissant from La Farm Bakery: Yes a fried croissant is a beautiful thing, making the flakes even flakier with every bite. But the cheese is a little absent here, which may crumble any cheese-pull dreams.
Simba Dessert from Safari Eatz: This fried apple dessert a la mode eats like a crepe with sweet, chewy dough.
Bacon Cheeseburger Corn Dog from Pioneer Wagon: This is a really fun take on the corn dog, replacing the wiener with a cheeseburger, covered in cheese and more bacon than you think you deserve. But the burger could use some other textures, maybe some zippy chopped up pickles or onions mixed in.
Mema Mia from Ezzell’s Something Good: One of the most inventive dishes at the fair this year, here you have baked spaghetti deep fried and served on a bun with meat sauce and cole slaw. It’s fun and tasty, but the deep fry versus bread combo can make it feel heavy. Maybe next year spaghetti on a stick?
Big Bacon Wrapped in Cheese on a Stick from Bubba’s Bacon: Think fried mozzarella stick, but instead of a crispy breading you have crispy bacon around the gooey cheese. Simple, satisfying.
Battered Bologna Fries from Granny’s Country Kitchen: These crispy meat sticks likely deliver on their name and not much else. They likely won’t replace your love for french fries, but if you can’t get enough bologna this will likely be a new experience.
Tanghulu from The Candi Queen: One of the most beautiful bites you’re likely to find at the fair, bites of fruit are encased in perfectly clear sugar like an early spring bud caught by a late frost. It can be surprising how hard the sugar is at first, but it’s thin so you probably won’t break a tooth. The Candi Queen also candies popular snack cakes like oatmeal pies.
Pineapple Bowl from Brazilian Bowls: These rice bowls are a refreshing step away from the deep fryer. The best bites deliver a bit of char on the pork with a nugget of sweet pineapple and black beans.
Sausage & Peppers Egg Roll from Woody’s Wing Wagon: I love egg rolls at the fair, but is the invention better than the inspiration? Here you’ll still be wanting a Philly cheese when you’re done.
Minne Cookie Dough Pie from The Original Minneapple Pie: Kind of like deep-fried cookie dough, but in pie form. Everything you love about cookie dough, the crispy sugar and crunch of chocolate is alive and well in this pie, served with ice cream.
Trompi Al Pastor Stick from Las Gringas: Everyone’s favorite taco style, al pastor, is recreated on a stick here, with bites of pork piled up and topped with pineapple. While inventive, the flavors are a little muted from the inspiration.
S’more Pizza Cone from Kono Pizza: These handheld s’mores look like torches and it’s impossible not to hold them in the air triumphantly. It’s hard to recreate the smoky campfire, marshmallow and melty chocolate combo, but all of that is here, deep into the cone. The cone is kind of in the way, though, and would be better if somehow it could be graham cracker pizza dough.
Summerween Slush from Moose Joose Slush: It feels wrong to drink a creamsicle slush in October, but this one leans into its Halloween colorscape. It veers on the sweet side, which is amped up by a sprinkle of candy and a whole dunked creamsicle.
Strawberries & Cream Waffle Stick from Waffle Chix: Waffles on a stick is what fair foods are meant for, but here the strawberry syrup is neon red and sugary.
Birthday Cake Cookie Dough on a Stick from Kora’s Cookie Dough: A treat for funfetti lovers, these cake pops are wrapped in sprinkles and icing. If you’re not a die-hard dessert fan, brace yourself, this may be the sweetest bite you find at the fair.
Fried Fufu from Ethio-Ini Alkaline Cuisine: Dense and chewy fufu is best eaten with stews but seems to crumble in the fryer despite a spicy and herbaceous sauce.
Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Iced Tea from Tika Tea: Refreshing and subtly sweet (by sweet tea standards) with a nice balance of strawberry, with a skewer of chocolate dipped strawberries.
Crabcake Sammie from Fresh AF Vegan: These crabcakes deliver some crab flavor but could be helped by added texture inside the creamy fried balls.
This story was originally published October 14, 2024 at 2:56 PM with the headline "We sampled the new foods at the 2024 NC State Fair. Here’s what to buy — and what to bypass."
