More Fried Foods

Here are the 10 finalists for 2017 State Fair of Texas fried food awards

State Fair of Texas, froot loops, Big Tex food finalist

Put your money on the Froot Loops.

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

It's good news for the Froot Loops. The 10 finalists have been named for the 13th Annual Big Tex Choice Awards food competition, aka the State Fair of Texas' fried food awards, and the fried Froot Loops — which we rooted for in our semifinalist story — made the cut. Is there a betting pool on this thing?

Other notable final entries include fried Texas sheet cake, and fried chicken noodle soup on a stick, reminiscent of the "fried Thanksgiving dinner" of 2013 — or wait, is it more like the "picnic on a stick" of 2012?

For the first time, three winners will receive awards, instead of two. Previously, it was "Best Taste" and "Most Creative." Now they've broken Best Taste into Sweet and Savory. They've also expanded the field of finalists from eight to 10. It's all designed to pump up the volume. Winners will be chosen, as usual, on Labor Day weekend.

Here are the finalists:

Deep Fried Chicken Noodle Soup on a Stick, by Sherry and Chris Howard
Homestyle chicken noodle soup is deep fried and served on a stick. Each bite size ball will have an indention for a spoonful of savory broth sauce which is offered in a disposable plastic cup. Each dish is served with a side of crackers.

Deep Fried Froot Loops, by Gracie and Milton Whitley
Sweetened Froot Loops are folded into whipped marshmallow, dipped in batter, fried, then topped with glaze and powdered sugar. Just give them the award now and get it over with.

Fat Smooth, by Tami Nevins-Mayes
Three "Belgium" (surely they mean Belgian) mini cream puffs on a skewer are dipped in a Café Du Monde beignet batter, fried, powdered sugared, and drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce.

Fernie's Fried Texas Sheet Cake, by Winter Family Concessions
Fudgy chocolate brownie cake is coated in panko and ground cocoa puffs and fried, so that it has a crunchy outside and a molten center. The chocolate icing is infused with Dr. Pepper. Add chopped Texas pecans, whipped cream, and a strawberry, which they are saying will be carved to mimic a Lady Bird Johnson rose.

Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Burger, by Tom Grace and Edna Sutton
On this burger, buns are replaced with two funnel cakes that are fried to a golden crunch. There is also bacon and queso, and a dusting of powdered sugar, because apparently powdered sugar must be dusted on everything at the State Fair.

Gulf Coast Fish Bowl, by Clint Probst
This is a whimsical cocktail that seems to be served in a round plastic cup that's meant to look like an aquarium. Maybe that's just for the contest and they'll serve it in a more enviro-friendly package. It has Nerds candy "gravel" on the bottom, ice, blue alcoholic punch, Swedish Fish floating within, and a pineapple slice on top.

Pinot Noir Popcorn, by The Parish Family
Cheddar-cheese flavored kettle corn is dusted with a Pinot Noir burgundy wine powder. Unfortunately, it seems that it will be served in a large plastic goblet. Hopefully that is just for show, and at the Fair, the Parish Family will serve it in a paper box.

Surfin' Turfin' Tator Boat, by Melissa and David Harrison
This is a high-end stuffed baked potato filled with lobster and steak. Both are stuffed into the potato, which already has melted garlic butter, then topped with cheddar and romano cheeses. It comes with a side of lemon butter for dipping that seems a tad bit extraneous.

Texas Fajita Fries, by Nick Bert
These are meat "fries" made of breaded beef fajita strips, seasoned with a Sriracha spice mix and served in a bread cone. Which itself is presented on a bed of fried onions and jalapeños. With a side of pico de gallo and a sour cream guacamole hot sauce. That seems like a lot going on. Maybe that's why they say, "Texas fajita fries can be enjoyed as a sandwich or individually like french fries."

The Tamale Donut, by Justin Martinez
This takes the ingredients of a pork tamale and serves them in a doughnut shape. Pork carnitas are blended with authentic masa, hand-formed into the circular doughnut shape, fried until crispy on the outside and soft inside, then drizzled with creamy jalapeno salsa. Can you call something a doughnut (not "donut," OK?) just because it's tubular in shape? Apparently, yes.

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Best Happy Hours

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 special happy hours for September

Malai Kitchen

This is a most distinguished edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly column bringing news of the best happy hours around. Distinguished, because these aren't just the cheapest deals. These happy hours are all a little extra, whether it's gourmet chef-driven food, unique location, or a special Korean twist.

Here are the best happy hour destinations for September 2026:

Cipher Lounge
Unique new entertainment venue and lounge in downtown McKinney is an escape room-plus-restaurant and bar, combining food, cocktails, and escape-room experiences under one roof. The Cipher Lounge is not your typical bar or escape room. The lounge boasts a sophisticated atmosphere with craft cocktails and upscale bites. You can stop in before or after the escape room, but you can also just come in for food and drink. And fortunately, they do a happy hour Wednesday-Friday from 2-6 pm with $3 off flatbreads & dips, $3 off well cocktails, $2 off domestic beers, and $1 off import and craft beers.

Malai Kitchen
Small local chain specializing in southeast Asian cuisine is a perennial, with four locations including the original at West Village in Uptown Dallas. They recently expanded their already generous happy hour with more to eat and more to drink, still with the same scratch-made kitchen behind all of it. Signature cocktails are $4 off. Their celebrated house-brewed beer is $6, and their happy hour wines are a cut above: Aveleda Vinho Verde white from Portugal, and Vina Eguia Tempranillo red from Spain, $8 per glass. Bites are $8 or two for $15 including Vietnamese meatballs, cucumber salad, shishito peppers, grilled satay, fried imperial rolls, spicy edamame, Thai chicken wings, and potstickers. Hours are Monday-Friday 3-6 pm, and all day Sunday.

Nuri Steakhouse
Korean steakhouse in Uptown recently launched "Geonbae Hour," its elevated take on happy hour, inspired by the Korean tradition of “Geonbae,” meaning cheers. Featured bites include oysters, bulgogi beef tacos, steak tartare cigar, and truffle popcorn, $7 to $9, plus a Wagyu burger with kimchi-glazed bacon and white cheddar for $20. Drinks include their unique renditions of classic drinks like an old-fashioned, margarita, and negroni for $10; plus beer, wine, and soju, the Korean spirit. It's offered Monday-Thursday 4- 6 pm and all day Sunday.

Two Hands
Australian-style all-day cafe founded in New York, which opened a location at The Quad in 2025, has what it calls a "snacky hour," which is short and to the point: a smashburger for $10, plus $10 cocktails, $3 off glasses of wine (including red, white, and sparkling), and $5 draft beer. Cocktails include martinis (dry or dirty), espresso martini, margarita, aperol spritz, old-fashioned, Negroni, and bloody Mary. Snacky hour is offered every day from 4-6 pm.

Written By the Seasons
Chef-driven concept has two locations in Dallas: Bishop Arts and The Quad. Both host an admirable happy hour 3:30-5 pm Monday-Saturday, with half-off on bottles of wine and significant snacks, including some of their signature dishes. There are smoked Texas pecans, cheese & charcuterie board, boquerones with arugula & crostini, mutabal (the middle-Eastern eggplant dip) with olives and crispy flatbread, and their acclaimed kimchi pancakes, priced from $5 to $12. There's also a burger with American cheese, and a veggie sandwich with cucumber, avocado, daikon sprouts, and shaved carrots on wheat — both $18.

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