Best Dallas restaurants for dining out and brunch on New Year's Day 2023

State Fair foodies, rejoice: The State Fair of Texas has unveiled a whopping 40 new food and beverage options for attendees to try at this year's big event.

Earlier this summer, CultureMap joined the esteemed judging panel to evaluate the talented finalists and winners for the 22nd annual Big Tex Choice Awards, but there's a seemingly endless number of inventive delicacies on the menu this year.

The fair runs for 24 days this fall — September 25 through October 18 — so there's plenty of time to activate your second stomach and indulge in everything this year's food vendors have to offer.

Here are all the outrageous new foods and drinks to try at the 2026 State Fair of Texas:

3D Fruit Ice Cream – Yumi Ice Cream Co. at the Fairgrounds
Creamy mango or peach ice cream dipped in a thin chocolate shell shaped like a peach or mango.

All Shook Up – Highland Park Soda Fountain in the Tower Building
A milkshake made with a combination of banana pudding ice cream and rich peanut butter sauce. Topped with a peanut butter cookie, thick and crispy bacon, caramel drizzle, fluffy whipped cream, and a cherry on top.

Buffalo Breaded Cheese Curds – Texapolitan Pizza on Grand Ave.
Cheese curds tossed in Buffalo sauce, served fresh.

Butter-Dipped Toffee Crunch Nutty Bar – Nevins Nutty Bar on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Nevins Ice Cream on Nimitz Dr.
Nevins signature ice cream Nutty Bar drenched in salted butter and rolled in a mixture of toffee pieces and peanuts, coated with a thick drizzle of velvety caramel, and topped with crushed Ritz crackers.

Candy Watermelon – Chamoy Treats on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
A giant ice-cold slice of watermelon wrapped in six feet of Fruit by the Foot, covered in sour Chamoy, and topped with Tajín.

Chan's Signature Pho Burger – Chan's Chicken on a Stick on Coliseum Dr.
A beef burger infused with authentic Vietnamese pho spices and topped with fresh herbs. Instead of mustard and ketchup, the pho burger is served with hoisin sauce and Sriracha.

Chicken Fried Steak Biscuit – Rousso's Fat Bacon on First Ave., Holy Biscuit in the Tower Building, and The Old Mill at Grand Ave.
A Southern-style chicken fried steak biscuit topped with homemade bacon gravy.

Cotton Candy Cooler – Mac Loaded on Nimitz Dr.
A frozen lemonade made with cotton candy syrup and topped with cotton candy sprinkles.

Cubano Flatbread – Old Mill on Grand Ave.
Stone-fired flatbread brushed with mojito butter glaze, topped with slow-roasted Cuban pork, shredded ham, diced pickles, and melted Swiss cheese. Served with mojito sauce.

Deep Fried Bourbon Banana Bread – Eat Crispies on Midway
Hand-cut homemade-style banana bread that gets rolled into a ball, battered, and deep fried. Served with a drizzle of bourbon brown sugar caramel sauce and dusted with powdered sugar.

Deep Fried Ranch – Tracy's Long Fries on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
A pocket-sized breaded and deep-fried snack stuffed with creamy ranch sauce.

Deep Fried Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake – Fusion BBQ & Wings in the Tower Building
A thick slice of sponge cake soaked in French toast batter, lightly coated in tempura, and fried until golden brown, then soaked in a homemade Thai tea tres leches blend. Served with homemade vanilla bean whipped cream and topped with fresh strawberries and boba pearls.

Dirty Dr Pepper Do-Si-Do Float – Dippin Dots Ice Cream on the Funway
A cold Dr Pepper with a drizzle of creamy coconut, topped with Dr Pepper Dippin' Dots, fresh lime, whipped cream, red sprinkles, and a Dr Pepper jellybean. Served with a straw and a spoon for sipping and scooping.

Ferris Wheel Fizz – Cajun Swamp Treats on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
A refreshing drink that combines Sprite, lemonade, and blue raspberry syrup with a strawberry glazed rim and topped with Nerds Gummy Clusters ice cubes with an additional gummy garnish.

Fettuccine Nutella Crepe – Crepes and Co. in the Tower Building
Crepes sliced into ribbons, drizzled with Nutella, and topped with fresh seasonal fruit and whipped cream.

Focaccia alla Porchetta e Salsa Verde – EATALY in Cotton Bowl Plaza
Soft house-made focaccia layered with slow-roasted porchetta and drizzled with salsa verde.

Foot-long Fries – Tracy's Concessions on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
A foot-long, deep-fried, mashed potato-style fry that's seasoned and drizzled with customer's choice of sauce and seasoning.

Fried Broccoli – Thee Kitchen Beast on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Tempura-battered, deep-fried broccoli drizzled in honey garlic sauce.

Fried Butter Chicken – Naan Better on Grand Ave.
Chicken potstickers fried and tossed in butter chicken sauce (tomato gravy) served over basmati rice.

Fried Gobbler Roll – Hans Mueller on Nimitz Dr., Farm Pac on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and Borracho Nacho Bar in Cotton Bowl Plaza
A hand-rolled and deep-fried egg roll stuffed with smoked chopped turkey leg meat, fire-roasted corn, sweet peppers, cream cheese, and savory seasonings. Served with a choice of sweet and spicy honey hot sauce or creamy cilantro sauce.

Fried Green Tomato Lobster Bruschetta – Lobster Lounge on Grand Ave.
Fried green tomatoes topped with lobster salad, chopped tomato, and balsamic glaze.

Frozen Ranch Water 250 – The Beer Barn in Cotton Bowl Plaza
A swirl of original, blueberry, and strawberry frozen ranch waters.

Limonata Fresca Float – Granny's by the Coliseum and Foot Long Corn Dogs on Grand Ave.
A sun-ripened Italian lemonade mixed with fresh watermelon purée, topped with Italian lemon sorbet and served in a lemon sugar-rimmed cup, garnished with fresh mint.

Loaded Lone Star Rings – The Dock on Nimitz Dr. and Fernie’s Funnel Cake Factory on Grand Ave.
Crispy onion rings, spicy jalapeño popper filling, and beef fajitas served with Texas pickles and Fernie's secret sauce.

Love Me Jam Sandwich – Highland Park Soda Fountain in the Tower Building
A Southern-style sandwich made up of grilled Texas toast, peanut butter, homemade banana jam, thick-cut bacon, and crushed potato chips.

Mango Strawberry Shortcake – Rita's Italian Ice in the Tower Building
A dessert that layers vanilla custard, mango strawberry ice, and Nilla Wafer cookie crumbles. Topped with a scoop of custard and a Nilla Wafer cookie.

Matcha Parfait – Sandoitchi in the Tower Building
A sponge cake with matcha layers piled with fresh seasonal fruit.

Midnight Ruby Rush – Tony's Taco Shop in the Tower Building
A refreshing drink with hibiscus, fresh strawberries, frosted foam, mint, and a Chamoy rim.

Mini Smoked Turkey Leg – Hans Mueller stands on Nimitz Dr.
A mini smoked turkey leg cured with the same spices as a holiday ham.

Mixed Fruits Tanghulu – Tanghulu in the Tower Building
A traditional Chinese snack on a skewer made up of strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, and green grapes, coated in a thin sugar shell.

New Orleans Nachos – A Taste of New Orleans on Grand Ave. and ATNO's Bayou Kitchen in the Tower Building
Crawfish etoufee served over kettle-style chips and topped with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and jalapeños.

The Niece – Smith Spot BBQ in the Tower Building
A grilled cheese brisket sandwich on French toast with bacon and scallions, dusted with powdered sugar and bourbon sauce.

Not'cho Average Sundae – Southside Steaks and Cakes in Cotton Bowl Plaza
A waffle bowl filled with Dorito Nacho Cheese chips, steamed rice, grilled chicken cheesesteak, and RoTel Famous Queso Dip. Drizzled with hot honey, secret sauce, and topped with applewood bacon crumbles.

The PBR (Pickles, Bacon, Ranch) – Stay Cheesy in the Tower Building
A grilled cheddar and mozzarella cheese sandwich on sourdough bread, topped with pickles, bacon, and ranch. Served with hand-cut fries.

Rude Boy Yaki Noodles – Doc's Street Grill on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Stir-fried yakisoba noodles, shrimp, carrots, scallions, ginger, and bell peppers in a spicy fusion sauce.

Soft Serve Smoked Peach Bourbon Smash – Stiffler’s Moms Cookie Factory on the Funway and Stiffler’s Music Lounge
A dessert that infuses Texas Post Oak-smoked whiskey with a peach bellini prosecco base and vanilla soft serve, served in a fair cup with a chili-lime salt and chamoy rim. Garnished with a peach ring. The Soft Serve Smoked Peach Bourbon Smash is also available as a mocktail.

Spicy Carbonara Ramen Korean Corn Dog – Korean Corn Dogs by the Coliseum
A signature Korean corn dog wrapped in crispy Buldak Ramen Carbonara noodles and drizzled with Buldak Ramen Carbonara sauce and cheese powder.

Texas Brisket Pierogies – Pierogizilla on the Funway
Fried potato and cheese pierogies topped with Texas smoked brisket, creamy lime signature sauce, pickled red onions, pickled Fresno peppers, and fresh cilantro.

Triple Chocolate Flautas – Palmer's Hot Chicken on the Midway
Brownies, molten fudge, and melted chocolate chips get stuffed into crispy corn tortillas, then fried until golden and finished with whipped cream, a chocolate drizzle, and chocolate sprinkles.

Twinkle Twinkle Brisket Star – Smokey Johnz Deli in Cotton Bowl Plaza & Smokey John's on Nimitz Dr. and the Funway
Hollowed out Twinkies get filled with a savory mix of slow-smoked brisket, bacon, fresh jalapeños, and cream cheese. The Twinkies are dipped in a "special" batter, coated in panko breadcrumbs, and deep fried. Served with a drizzle of raspberry chipotle sauce and topped with bacon crumbles and slices of fresh jalapeño.

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

Foot-long fries.