2025 Fair Food Review

It’s finally fair week in Iowa, and I have been so excited for the food! The fair is definitely one of my favorite times of year because we get together as a family, and we go look through all the buildings and eat basically as much food as we can! So, here is a rating of all 23 food/drinks that I tried this week at the Iowa State Fair! And, I have pictures of all of the foods I tried in the same order that they are listed!

Corn Dog ★★★★★

Loved this! We always start the day with a corn dog, and they’re always so perfectly crispy and has a classic flavor combination!

Egg on a Stick ★★★★★

I’ve always loved this! I especially like the seasoning that they give you, because it adds some flavor more than just an egg, you know? Plus, it’s free! I think I had maybe 3 or 4? Definitely a classic!

Fountain Fizz Dirty Soda ★★★★★

I think that this was also a new drink this year, and it was a spicy cherry soda, coconut flavoring, cream, and a maraschino cherry. I loved this! I liked how it was different than a classic Dirty Dr. Pepper, and the spicy cherry flavor was perfect!

Fried Mac and Cheese Bites ★★★★★

I got these 3 out of the 4 days that I went to the fair, and they’re so good! They give you a break from all the sweet treats or the heavier treats that make you feel super sick. And, they’re filling too! You can get them with ranch or cheese to dip them in, and I wish I tried them with the cheese, but I like them plain!

Iowa Sunset Drink ★★★★★

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would! This is the BEST drink at the fair!! It’s reasonably priced for what it is, and it tastes incredible! It’s fresh squeezed orange juice, Starry, and a bit of grenadine. I think I had like 5 or 6 of these! I voted this to be the best new drink at the fair because of how truly refreshing it was. With sugary drinks, they sometimes leave you more thirsty than you were, but I genuinely thought this was just as refreshing as drinking water. 10 out of 10 would recommend! (I might try to make this at home, too)

Island Noodles ★★★★★

I’m not sure if these are new or not, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen these before? They were so good though! I thought it was great for when you’re ready for an actual meal rather than small snacks. They also came in a good sized container where you get what you pay for! The veggies that were in it were cooked perfectly, and the noodles had an incredible sauce on them! The only thing I think is missing is pineapple! I think that would add the perfect touch of sweetness in with the savory noodles. Now that I’m really thinking about them, I want more…

Lemonade ★★★★★

Always a classic! Fair lemonade is the perfect combination between sweet and sour, and is very refreshing on a hot day.

Watermelon ★★★★★

My number 1 pregnancy craving right now! It was perfectly sweet and juicy, and definitely refreshing when it got super hot!

Apple Pie Float ★★★★☆

I would honestly give this a 4.5 star rating if I was able to! It was so good!! I just wish it had more slushy and less ice cream because it made it too thick to drink in my opinion. I will say, the pie crumbles that they put on top and in the bottom were the perfect amount of sweet and salty! I loved this drink and I would get it again

Apple Slushy ★★★★☆

It was my first time trying this! I really liked it, but it wasn’t anything super special to write home about. I did like how it was refreshing, but it was basically just an apple juice slushy. I would get it again, though!

Barksdale’s Bucket of Cookies ★★★★☆

Another fair classic! These aren’t usually a staple that we need every time we go to the fair, but sometimes, getting a bucket of cookies is fun to take home and either eat throughout the rest of the fair week or, if you get them later, you can enjoy them after the fair is over! I didn’t get to try these until I got home, so they were a little dry. I think that’s more of a personal error, rather than a fair error though! These cookies are always so good, and I love them!

Bubbly’s Bubble Gum Soda ★★★★☆

The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars is because I thought it could be a tad bit sweeter. My mom tried this, too, and she thought it was the perfect amount of not-too-sweet. I will say, as you get more towards the bottom, the bubble gum flavor becomes more present and you get the flavor in the ice too.

Deep Fried Oreos ★★★★☆

Oh my goodness, I always have to get this every year! They are so good! You definitely have to share them though, you get 6 per order, and I’m usually only able to eat one or two because they’re super sweet.

Pork Chop on a Stick ★★★★☆

Every year when we go as a family, we have this as our lunch. I would usually give it a 5 star rating, however, this year I thought it was a little bland. This could also be pregnancy hormones where the flavor is just different to me, but for the most part, everything else was the same? And it could be the one that I got. They were very tender and easy to eat, and I would still get another one next year! (I forgot a picture of mine, so I got one of my mom’s)

Choc-O-Taters ★★★☆☆

I thought this sounded like an absolutely disgusting combination… mashed potatoes, coconut flakes, and powdered sugar, dipped in dark chocolate, and topped with a raspberry and lemon glaze. And, to be honest, it wasn’t the greatest… I thought it tasted like a mounds bar, but I would definitely not get it again. it’s an odd combination but surprisingly not awful? I don’t know, I have mixed opinions!

Deep Fried Bubblegum ★★★☆☆

I had never heard of this treat until I saw someone post it on TikTok. It’s a marshmallow dipped in bubble gum infused funnel cake batter, and bubble gum flavored icing. It’s $10 and you get 2, so I shared with my boyfriend. It was good! I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it had a really nice and soft texture. It was super sweet, and I feel like if I were to have more than 1, I would maybe feel sick.

Fried PB&J ★★★☆☆

So good! I thought it was a little too heavy, and I think it needs something added, but I’m not sure what it is.

Hot Beef Sundae ★★★☆☆

Honestly, this was really good, but not for a hot and sunny day. It did come topped with a cherry tomato, but I ate it before I got a picture! I think it captures the Midwest perfectly, but not a great fair food.

Pink Dragon ★★★☆☆

I really liked this drink! I just wish that the whipped cream was replaced with cold foam or like a liquid ice cream mix? I don’t know if that makes sense? If I’m by the stand again next year, I would get it again, but it wouldn’t be a drink where I say “I need this!”

Apple Crisp Taco ★★☆☆☆

My boyfriend got this, and let me have a few bites, so I didn’t get the whole thing. I liked what I had, but I thought it was too sweet for me. I think the shell is fried pie crust, and then you get ice cream and apple pie filling on top. It was good, but again, not my favorite!

Cotton Candy ★★☆☆☆

We got this on the top floor of the Ag Building, and they had a bunch of flavors! Out of the 3 that we tried, the Orange Dreamsicle was my favorite. The Mexican Hot Chocolate flavor was good, but even my boyfriend thought it was too spicy. I did like the Blueberry Jam flavor, however it wouldn’t be a go-to for me! (I also did not get a picture of the blueberry jam cotton candy)

Pickled Pink ★★☆☆☆

I wish I was able to do a half star because it truly wasn’t awful, I just thought there was way too much pickle flavor. You get pink lemonade, pickle juice, and a pickle in this drink, and it was good for the first few sips and then you get the pickle flavor and it overpowers the lemonade. If I had the opportunity to revise it, I would leave out the pickle juice and just have the pickle in the lemonade and let that flavor be absorbed.

Tater Tots ★☆☆☆☆

I needed something to fill my stomach at the time, but these tater tots were not it. They were dry, and had no flavor. I had to get ranch to dip them in, and even that didn’t help.

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