The State Fair's Big Tex Choice Awards: 15 Finalists, 6-Word Reviews

The State Fair of Texas doesn't start until late September, but the menu is already lining up. Here is a look at the finalists.

By Lauren Drewes Daniels

August 6, 2025

$Image: Big tex choice awards$

The 15 finalists for the State Fair's annual Big Tex Choice Awards. Jordan Maddox

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Back in June, the folks at the State Fair of Texas, who know a lot about fried foods, chose 30 semi-finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards, the annual awards that crown the best of the best. These creative fried masterpieces were judged on four food elements: uniqueness, creativity, presentation and taste.

Today, in the wee hours of dawn, 15 finalists were announced. From these, three winners will be chosen in late August; one each for savory and sweet, and then an overall winner. These are a big deal because these food items are always the most sought-after at the fairgrounds, with long lines and high expectations. It's sort of like watching a competitive cooking show play out in front of you. If the winning concessionaire works it right, they also stand to make a lot of moolah.

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Dubai chocolate is everyhwere these days, including atop funnel cakes at the State Fair of Texas

State Fair of Texas

Vegas books are open, so we hear. Pick your winners and see what happens on Aug. 21. The State Fair will run from Sept. 26 through Oct. 19, and you can already purchase season passes and FLEX tickets.

When we first introduced the semifinalists last month, we gave them each a six-word review, which we're sticking with here, along with the concessionaires who created the item.

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These little bundles of joy are stuffed with brisket.

State Fair of Texas

SAVORY FINALISTS

Brisket & Brew Stuffed Pretzels (Glen & Sherri Kusak): brisket, sharp cheddar beer cheese, pretzel

Crab & Mozzarella Arancini (Stefan T. Nedwetzky): crab, mozzarella, lemon, black pepper, fried

Deep Fried Deli Tacos (Brent & Juan Reaves): pastrami, mashed taters, cheese, tortilla, fried

Vietnamese Crunch Dog (The Le Family): Asian corn dog, banh mi crumbs

Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders (Kendall Williams): six-word name does the trick

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Why aren't we all using Texas toast for French toast?

State Fair of Texas

SWEET FINALISTS

Candy Lemon Sour Face (Chef Heather J. Perkins): sweet, sour, tart, candy-coated lemon

Chill & Thrill Delight (Tony and Terry Bednar): Colombian-inspired sweet and tangy drink

Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake (Stephen El Gidi): Belgian chocolate, pistachio spread, kataifi, cheesecake

Rousso’s Dubai Chocolate Funnel Cake Fries (Isaac and Joey Rousso): funnel cake marries Dubai chocolate. Congrats.

Tex’s Toast á la Mode (Michelle and Jayse Edwards): French toast, ice cream, caramel, cinnamon

SIPPER FINALISTS

Coconut Quadruple (Binh Tran and My Vo): tropical slushy and ice cream, coconut

Cookie Chaos Milkshake (Brad Weiss): cookies, cookies, cookies, cookies, cookies, unapologetic

Hot Honeycomb Lemonade Shake Up (Tom Grace): real honeycomb, jalapeno lemonade with booze

Nevins Dirty Red Bull Tex-arita (Josey Nevins Mayes and Tami Jo Nevins Mayes): Too much Red Bull. Clam down.

Poppin' Boba Rita (Justin Martinez): wine-infused boba pearls, mango margarita

Lauren Drewes Daniels is the food editor of the Dallas Observer. She started working as a freelance writer in 2013 and became editor in 2021. She covers Dallas' evolving dining scene, the many openings and closings as well as trends and breaking news. She oversees annual lists including Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants and contributes to the Best of Dallas. If you have a tip about an amazing pastry, pie or taco, let her know.

A message from Food & Drink Editor Lauren Drewes Daniels: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Dallas' evolving dining scene and the latest culinary innovations our community offers.

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