30 State Fair Fried-Food Semifinalists: 6-Word Reviews for Each

The Big Tex Choice Awards started in 2005 with a simple goal: create bold and unique foods for fairgoers each year. Then fry 'em up.

This annual event, which culminates in three final winners — best sweet, savory and overall — attracts throngs of people who sometimes wait in line for hours and spend more than a reasonable amount of money on said foods. But what even is reasonable? Or money?

Just after midnight, the folks at the State Fair announced the 2025 finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards. The contest kicked off in June with a record-breaking 76 entries from 50 different concessionaires. (To submit a food, you must have been a concessionaire at the Fair for at least one year.) They whittled the field down to 30 semifinalists. In mid-August, there will be another round of judging and the finalists will be chosen.

All foods are based on three main factors: fairgoer appeal, creativity and taste. Here's a quick breakdown of the 30 semifinalists, all with exactly six-word descriptions. One hint: Dubai chocolate has arrived.

Brisket and Brew Stuffed Pretzels: brisket, sharp cheddar beer cheese, pretzel

Candy Lemon Sour Face: sweet, sour, tart, candy-coated lemon

Chill & Thrill Delight: Colombian-inspired sweet and tangy drink

Churro Cheesecake Jalapeño Popper: jalapeno and cheesecake filling with churros

Coconut Quadruple: tropical slushy and ice cream, coconut

Colada Limonada: frozen lemonade, creamy coconut, mini-umbrella

Cookie Chaos Milkshake: cookies, cookies, cookies, cookies, cookies, unapologetic

Crab & Mozzarella Arancini: crab, mozzarella, lemon, black pepper, fried

Decadent Dubai Chocolate Dream: pistachio kataifi, chocolate, strawberries, ice cream

Deep Fried Deli Tacos: pastrami, mashed taters, cheese, tortilla, fried

Dirty Red Bull® Tex-arita: Too much Red Bull. Clam down.

Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake: Belgian chocolate, pistachio spread, kataifi, cheesecake

Dubai Chocolate Funnel Cake Fries: funnel cake marries Dubai chocolate. Congrats.

El Cono Loco: Tex-Mex chicken spaghetti, queso, bread cone

Hot Honeycomb Lemonade Shake Up: real honeycomb jalapeno lemonade with booze

Meat Lovers Crunchy Calzone: tortilla stuffed with cheese, meats, fried

Pop-Elotes: like loaded elotes, but as popcorn

Poppin' Boba Rita: wine-infused boba pearls, mango margarita

Pop Rocks® Margarita: no one should drink Pop Rocks

Russell’s Key Lime Pie Bombs: Key lime pie dipped and fried

Texa-misu: tiramisu and espresso, frozen "cremespresso." Yum.

Texas Smoked Brisket Crepe: brisket in a crepe with cheese

Texas Water: This needs a new name. Tropical.

Tex’s Toast á la Mode: French toast, ice cream, caramel, cinnamon

Ube Rice-Cream Crunch: Filipino ube, rice, puff and pop

Vietnamese Crunch Dog: Asian corn dog, banh mi crumbs

Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders: six-word name does the trick

What on Earth is This?: UFO-shaped smash burger, onion rings

Yabba Dabba Doo: Sprite, fruit, Skittles, Lemonheads, dirty soda