State Fair News

Dallas restaurants hop on State Fair bandwagon with fun fried foods

Grits on a stick at Flying Fish

Raynor Brumfield

The annual State Fair of Texas ramps up its commitment to food offerings every year, and the 2025 event is epic — promising an astounding 35 new foods to try.

But Dallas restaurants are getting in on the action, too, offering their own State Fair-themed dishes and specials: from turkey legs to corn dogs, from funnelcake-flavored ale to grits on a stick.

All of these specials are available for the duration of the State Fair of Texas, which runs from September 26-October 19. Check out these Dallas restaurants offering their own State Fair-styled specials:

Community Beer
Local craft beer brewery has brought back its annual Funnel Cake Ale: a light, crisp, golden ale finished with a touch of vanilla. They're serving it on tap or to-go from their Taproom starting September 19, and it's also available at a number of local bars, restaurants, store shelves, and at the actual State Fair of Texas.

Crown Block
Restaurant atop Reunion Tower is doing "The Fair Affair," a funnel cake topped with crème fraîche and caviar.

Flying Fish
Louisiana-style seafood chain is offering two over-the-top menu specials: Grits on a Stick and Gumbo featuring grits deep fried on skewers and served in a bowl of seafood gumbo; and Deep Fried Strawberry Key Lime Pie.

Lochland's Irish Pub
Irish pub in northeast Dallas is going all out with a list of fair-inspired fare that includes Shepherd’s Balls — Lochland’s signature shepherd's pie rolled into balls and fried — plus foot-long corn dogs, smoked turkey legs, breakfast dogs (breakfast sausage dipped in pancake batter), funnel cake fries, and deep fried churros.

Luckys
Oak Lawn diner will offer State Fair Corn Dogs — two corn dogs served with fries — for $11. The restaurant will also offer Funnel Cake Ale from Texas Ale Project for $5.50.

Maple Leaf Diner
Canadian-themed North Dallas restaurant is doing five specials: Buffalo Fried Cheese Curd Five Cheese on Texas Toast, with pepper jack, American, Swiss, mozzarella, and buffalo-tossed cheddar cheese curds grilled between two pieces of Texas toast; pickle lemonade; Cotton Candy Mimosa; carnival burger with a beef patty, breaded cheddar cheese block, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, skewered with a corndog and served with mustard; and fried oreos.

Sheraton Dallas
Downtown Dallas hotel has teamed up with the legendary Fernie’s Funnel Cake to debut the Howdy Funnel Cake Cocktail, a whimsical, limited-time creation that's a mix of vanilla vodka, Fernie’s Funnel Cake Cream, Frangelico, and egg white — topped with whipped cream, graham cracker crumble, strawberries, an caramel. Available from September 26-October 19, at Open Palette, The Parlor, and Draft Sports Bar & Lounge.

The Stix Icehouse
McKinney's laid-back indoor-outdoor watering hole is hosting a State Fair-themed pop-up — a full-on experience with face painting, balloon animals, live music, and outdoor movies. There's a special menu featuring: Frito pie, "The Big Cheese" fried grilled cheese sandwich (Texas toast with cheddar and provolone, dipped in pancake batter and fried), a foot-long corny dog with a side of queso & BBQ sauce, a Mac Stack Burger topped with a fried mac & cheese ball, a Monster Dog deep fried hot dog topped with chipotle mayo, pickled jalapenos, onion rings, & BBQ sauce, plus funnel cake fries with chocolate and caramel syrup, Lucky's Doughnut deep fried in pancake batter, served with strawberry sauce; and funnelcake ale from Cummunity Brewing.

state fair

What Just Opened

Crazy wave of Dallas restaurants and bars have all just opened

Courtesy

1519 Main St.

The Dallas hospitality scene almost never sleeps and right now it's pulling an all-nighter, with a big slate of fresh openings, all of which have debuted within the past days, give or take.

Everyone's hustling to get their doors open in time for the holidays, and these establishments have all made it happen: From a cosmopolitan new lounge in downtown Dallas to a modern Asian restaurant in Plano to a bountiful AYCE Chinese seafood spot in Richardson, there's something here to pique everyone's interest and appetite.

1519 Main
Spectacular lounge is now open in downtown Dallas at 1519 Main St., in a nearly century-old building across from the Joule Dallas hotel where it's serving up stellar drinks in a space that's both cosmopolitan and low-key. The bar is from Hospitality Alliance, the company led by restaurant wunderkind Kevin Lillis, who helped create the original AT&T Discovery District. It's a stunning space with many original features like the rose-and-cream marble floors from the 1920s and the brick walls with signage from prior businesses in the space that dating back decades. The menu has cocktails from Brian Van Flandern, who oversaw the program at Per Se, The Carlyle Hotel, The Plaza Hotel, and Palm Court restaurant, and also has a homage menu featuring recipes from some of the most impactful but now closed cocktail lounges in the country. They're open Thursday-Saturday from 5 pm-12 am.

Centrale Italia
New concept from veteran restaurateur Patrick Colombo (Cru Wine Bar, Princi Italia) opened in November at Preston Hollow Village at Walnut Hill Lane and US-75 with a menu of wood-fired dishes, Neapolitan style pizza, pastas, and gelato made in-house. They're debuting brunch on Sunday December 7 and lunch on Monday December 8, with a menu that includes spicy meatball sub, chicken parm on toasted ciabatta, and a parmesan garlic cheeseburger with Wagyu beef and arugula. Salads include Little Gem Caesar, chopped salad with salami, prosciutto, and soppressata, and an Italian Cobb salad with chicken, Romaine, radicchio, avocado, beets, prosciutto, eggs, and Campari tomato in a creamy gorgonzola.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Restaurant in Richardson which just opened in the former Maxim's space is an all-you-can-eat sushi/seafood buffet featuring a daily rotating menu with 300-plus items from various Asian cuisines. There are oysters, crab legs, lobster, sushi bar, ramen bar, dumplings bar, skewers bar, noodles, stir-fries, and Chinese dishes both Cantonese and Sichuan, such as spicy boiled beef and kung pao chicken. Plus dim sum and desserts such as precision-cut layer cakes and a chocolate fondue station where you can dip strawberries and other fruit. (The lobster and crab are available at dinner and weekends only, not at lunch.) The price is $20 at lunch, $30 at dinner on weeknighs, and $35 all weekend long.

Jashan
Indian ambitious new Indian restaurant with a one-of-a-kind menu offering has opened at Plano's Legacy North with a chef team who are bringing flavors from cities and regions across India, from Dehli's fried potato tikkis to pepper chicken from the south. For those seeking something truly unique, Jahsan also offer a Dil Se menu — an omakase-style tasting, available in 7- or 13-course versions, featuring a procession of these flavors, letting guests discover the stories of these cities in one visit.

La Stella Italian Steakhouse
Stupendous Italian restaurant just opened at a storied North Dallas address at 14655 Dallas Pkwy. in the former Lawry's space, where it stands as a bigger, grander spinoff of its sibling La Stella Cucina, the Italian restaurant in Dallas' Design District. The menu is an expanded version of the original: combining Italian seafood and a chophouse, plus an accompanying music lounge for live entertainment.

LuLu Modern Chinese
Glamorous new Asian restaurant just opened in Plano at 3310 Dallas Pkwy. #121, with a goal is to bring an authentic and modern Chinese American dining experience. The menu features classics like Peking duck, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), and seafood executed with spices and recipes from various regions of China — from Shanghai to the Pan Asian continent. The 4,300-square-foot space features a subtle lounge theme — a place you can dine or grab tequila shots over a soundtrack of '90s hip-hop and pop, plus craft cocktails, and a serious collection of sake and wine — but not what you'd typically find at a Chinese restaurant.

Mendocino Farms
California chain known for creative sandwiches, salads, soups, and other healthy fare, has opened its newest DFW-area location — the sixth — at NorthPark Center, joining Addison, downtown Dallas, Plano, Preston Hollow, and Dallas' West Village. With its casual but upscale menu, featuring staples such as the Chicken & Hummus Crunch Wrap — as well as seasonal offerings like the November to Remember sandwich with turkey, mozzarella, mushroom & turkey sausage stuffing, spicy cranberry chutney, and Romaine on toasted cranberry walnut wheat bread — NorthPark seems like a perfect fit.

Old Ferry Donut
Doughnut shop chain from Korea entered the U.S. in 2023, with five locations in California. Now they've made their Texas debut in Carrollton at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #215, Their doughnuts are unique: They have a slightly chewier, more bready texture than the fluffy texture of a Krispy Kreme, and are a little less sweet than traditional American doughnuts. Many of their doughnuts have fillings, made from premium ingredients. The menu includes old-school flavors such as Boston Cream, Original Glaze, and Cinnamon Sugar — but also new-school flavors like White Chocolate Sesame, Earl Gray, and Matcha Cream.

Roots Chicken Shak
Fried chicken restaurant concept from celebrity chef Tiffany Derry, just opened a location at 3748 Belt Line Rd. #118, in a former Einstein's Bagels on the southeast corner of Marsh Lane. There are chicken wings, tenders, nuggets, and sandwiches on sweet potato buns. Derry opened the first Roots Chicken Shack at Plano's Legacy Food Hall in 2017, but the Addison location is owned by franchisees.

Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice
Halal BBQ spot which originated in Pilot Point is in soft opening mode at a new second location in Plano at 3201 Alma Dr., just west of US-75, where they'll be open from 11 am–3 pm or sell out. There's likely to be a line, because BBQ places like to have a line, but the Yearby's in Pilot Point also earned a slot on Texas Monthly’s 50 Best list for 2025.

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