Notable new foods at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair ranked
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The 2024 Minnesota State Fair is here, and with it, all the fried food, sugary sweets and delectable drinks for which your heart and taste buds yearn.
With nearly three dozen new offerings and six new vendors, there will be plenty for fairgoers to sample. And the WCCO team is here to help you winnow your must-try list down to a manageable load.
Our digital team members are hitting the fair to sample some of the notable new offerings, and we're ranking them on a scale of 4 (must-try) to 1 (most disappointing).
4: Best of the best, and would be worth coming back to the fair to get in the years to come. Elbow your way to the front of the line!
3: Solid and/or intriguing work, and well worth giving a shot. You might find your personal new favorites among these.
2: Recommended, but with reservations. Take the plunge if it's really high on your list, otherwise maybe look elsewhere.
1: Maybe just stick to the standard cheese curds and mini donuts instead, this is a misuse of your caloric intake at the fair.
Click here to see last year's rankings.
Deep-Fried Ranch Dressing
Where to get: LuLu's Public House (at West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater)
What they promised: "Ranch dressing filling made with ranch seasoning, buttermilk and cream cheese in a panko shell, deep-fried and dusted with ranch powder. Served with a side of hot honey sauce crafted with Cry Baby Craig's hot sauce. (Vegetarian)."
What we got: The overpoweringly tangy ranch explodes out of the underwhelming breading on first bite. The hot honey sauce is excellent, but the foodstuff itself doesn't impress on its own. — Anthony Bettin
Rating: 2
Grilled Purple Sticky Rice
Where to get: Union Hmong Kitchen (at the International Bazaar, south wall, west corner)
What they promised: "Purple sticky rice grilled over an open flame until crunchy, then topped with choice of shredded Hmong beef jerky or pickled mushrooms. Garnished with fresh herbs and finished with Union Hmong Kitchen's Krunchy Chili Aioli. (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian option)."
What we got: This generously portioned offering-on-a-stick is one of the spicier items you'll find on the fairgrounds, thanks to the chili aioli with which it's topped. The rice is slightly dry and it's much too crumbly to actually eat on the stick, but the savory flavor is perfect. We tried the version topped with Hmong beef jerky and it's a perfect complement. — Anthony Bettin
Rating: 3
Patata Frita Focacciawich
Where to get: West End Creamery (at West End Market, northwest section)
What they promised: "'Patata Frita' kettle chip-flavored ice cream created by Minnesota Dairy Lab, sandwiched between focaccia bread from Wrecktangle Pizza. Topped with a blend of honey butter, kettle chips and herbs."
What we got: Chip-flavored ice cream with chips on top is...a lot of chip. You almost wish the ice cream was plain vanilla, just to add some sweetness to the mix. The focaccia is fantastic and spongy, though. — Anthony Bettin
Rating: 2
Afro Poppers
Where to get: Afro Deli (at the Food Building, on the east wall)
What they promised: "Bite-size pastries infused with an African blend of spices — ground vanilla, cardamom, ginger, cloves and nutmeg — deep-fried and coated with choice of coconut flakes, sugar or served plain. Topped with choice of drizzle — mango chutney, caramel or chocolate."
What we got: The mango chutney version, topped with coconut flakes, is nothing short of ambrosial. Sweet and crunchy, but also packing pure doughy satisfaction. This marks the second straight year Afro Deli has delivered a new offering that's well worth the line. Their sambusas' 2023 debut was equally impressive. — Stephen Swanson
Rating: 4
Buffalo Cheese Curd & Chicken Tacos
Where to get: Richie's Cheese Curd Tacos (north side of Judson Avenue between Liggett & Cough streets, outside the Sheep & Poultry Barn)
What they promised: "Fried buffalo-flavored cheese curds and chicken topped with blue cheese slaw, drizzled with buffalo sauce, and served in a fried flour shell."
What we got: The crispy shell is the real winner here, with the blue cheese slaw crowning a very satisfying addition to Richie's roster. While I wish there was another curd or two dropped in for the semi-steep price, this will certainly be a repeat eat. — Stephen Swanson
Rating: 3
Fried Bee-Nana Pie
Where to get: Sabino's Pizza Pies (at the Warner Coliseum, north side)
What they promised: "Handmade pie filled with Minnesota honey, fresh banana and Biscoff® cookie butter; battered and deep-fried."
What we got: Tears are falling on my keyboard as I type. I'm already wistful for this glorious treat. Upon first bite, I prepared my taste buds for unpleasant amounts of honey and cookie butter. I was wrong, folks. So, so, wrong. The synergy of locally grown honey, cookie butter and bananas is euphoric! — Stephen Swanson
Rating: 4
3 Piggy Pals on a Stick
Where to get: Sausage Sister & Me (in the Food Building, east wall)
What they promised: "Three smoked sausage slices wrapped in bacon, filled with a cream cheese mix, and drizzled with barbecue sauce. Topped with a jalapeño slice and served on-a-stick."
What we got: These porky little bites fit the bill enjoyment-wise. However, the $13 bill you'll pay is exorbitant since you'll scarf these baddies down in 25 seconds. Putting price and size aside, can't deny their scrumdiddlyumptiousness. — Stephen Swanson
Rating: 2
Ba'bacon Sour Cream + Onion
Where to get: Baba's (on the east side of Underwood Street between Lee and Randall avenues)
What they promised: "Sour cream and onion hummus topped with beef bacon, sumac tater tots, caramelized onions, scallions, French onion creme fraiche, black cumin seeds and chive oil. Served with pita puffs dusted with sour cream + onion powder. (Gluten-Free without pita puffs, Vegetarian without bacon)."
What we got: Baba's once again delivers with creamy, delicious hummus. The caramelized onion adds a bit of sweet, and the tots give the dish a little more crunch. This is a great snack if you're looking for something that's refreshing and you need a break from all the fried offerings of the fair — Aki Nace
Rating: 3
Raging Ball
Where to get: The Herbivorous Butcher (The southwestern corner of the food building)
What they promised: "Deep-fried sesame mochi dough ball with vegan cheeseburger filling. Made with house-made vegan burger mix, vegan cheddar cheese, grilled onions and pickles. Topped with bacon-flavored powdered sugar. (Gluten-Friendly, Vegan)"
What we got: The combination of the cheeseburger filling and the mochi ball is quite confusing both texturally and flavor-wise. The mochi isn't that chewy, and the filling inside is oversalted, with perhaps too many grilled onions. Unless you're really interested in trying this out, this is skippable. — Aki Nace
Rating: 2
Chile Mango Whip
Where to get: Tasti Whip (northwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street)
What they promised: "Mango Dole Soft Serve in a cup rimmed and topped with chamoy and Tajín. Garnished with a tamarind candy straw. Alternate flavors of Dole Soft Serve include pineapple, strawberry and lemon. (Gluten-Free, Vegan)"
What we got: This is a refreshing treat on a hot day that isn't overwhelmingly sweet, and comes with a nice salty, citrusy punch. At $12, however, it's a little too expensive for the amount you get. — Aki Nace
Rating: 3
Blazing Greek Bites
Where to get: Dino's Gyros (north side of Carnes Avenue, between Nelson and Underwood streets)
What they promised: "Deep-fried bites made from a blend of chickpeas, tomato, roasted red pepper, scallions and cayenne pepper. Served with a side of roasted red pepper hummus. (Gluten-Free, Vegan)"
What we got: This tot-like snack is quite heavy on the chickpeas if you're into that sort of thing and it's not quite as spicy as the name implies. The hummus is required because it's on the drier side. I did enjoy the fried texture on the outside, but overall I wasn't impressed. Please share this with a friend or friends because they are quite heavy! — Cole Premo
Rating: 2
Dill Pickle Tots
Where to get: Tot Boss (east side of Underwood Street between Wright and Dan Patch avenues)
What they promised: "Fried tater tots tossed in dill seasoning with a hint of vinegar flavor - like a dill pickle potato chip. (Vegan)"
What we got: These are simply straight-up tots tossed with dill pickle flavoring, but, other than being a bit on the salty side, it hits so nicely for this dill lover. I'd recommend the ranch or jalapeno ranch for dipping. — Cole Premo
Rating: 3
Cotton Candy Iced Tea
Where to get: Loon Lake Iced Tea (west side of Underwood Street between Wright and Dan Patch avenues)
What they promised: "Brewed butterfly pea flower tea sweetened with natural flavor and cane sugar. Garnished with a swirl of edible glitter and a rock candy swizzle stick to stir for a color-changing effect. (Gluten-Free, Caffeine-Free, Vegan)"
What we got: I was not expecting to like this so much. Considering the name, I was expecting an overwhelming amount of sweetness. But the cotton candy blueberry flavor comes through subtly, perfectly balanced by the iced tea. A great drink for a hot day. — Cole Premo
Rating: 4
Sweet Corn Cola Float
Where to get: Blue Moon Dine-In Theater (Northeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Chamber Street)
What they promised: "Minnesota-made sweet corn cola and sweet corn ice cream in a cup, finished with whipped cream, popping candy and house-made frozen caramel."
What we got: The Sweet Corn Cola Float is surprisingly not that sweet. I was worried this would make me sick to my stomach but it is surprisingly well-balanced with its flavors. I wasn't sure how to feel about the caramel going into it, but it adds a perfect salty-sweet punch to the float. Unfortunately, the popping candy kind of gets lost in everything else. The texture of the ice cream was also a bit to grainy for my palate — I much prefer a creamy smooth ice cream. All in all, I would only get this if you really want to try it. At $11 (or $12 if you pay with a card) it's not worth it if you're just casually interested. —Riley Moser
Rating: 2
Deep-Fried Halloumi Cheese
Where to get: Holy Land Deli (At the International Bazaar, southeast corner)
What they promised: "Halloumi cheese, crafted from a blend of sheep and goat milk, wrapped in pastry dough and deep-fried. Served with a side of sweet chili sauce. (Vegetarian)"
What we got: "The Deep-Fried Halloumi Cheese is way better than I could have ever imagined. Its outside crust is perfectly flaky and crispy while the inside is absolutely stuffed full of cheese — though I will admit not every piece is created equal in its cheesiness. The sauce adds a nice sweet spiciness to the savory cheese but it is also absolutely delicious without the sauce too. The only complaint I have is I wish there were more of them for the price! Nevertheless, I totally recommend it to any cheese lover. I fear I will be thinking about these for days. —Riley Moser
Rating: 3
Shroomy "Calamari"
Where to get: French Meadow Bakery & Cafe (North side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets)
What they promised: "Oyster mushrooms hand-breaded and deep-fried. Served with a side of chipotle sauce. (Gluten-Free, Vegan)"
What we got: The Shroomy "Calamari" is extremely crisp but most of the flavor from it comes from the chipotle sauce, in my opinion. The breading does have a bit of a spicy kick to it but that's about it. Though, to be fair, mushrooms aren't famously known for their flavor. The green onions are a nice garnish but they just kind of fall off in heaps. It is surprisingly filling so I suggest sharing it with friends. I will add that it's best enjoyed fresh. After sitting for more than five minutes, it gets a bit too chewy to be enjoyable. —Riley Moser
Rating: 2
Check back throughout the fair for more ratings.