State Fair News

Dallas restaurants salute the State Fair with their own funky fare

CBD Provisions is doing fried Oreos.

CBD Provisions

As the State Fair of Texas readies for its 2024 debut, fairgoers are anticipating the dozens of new food items that have been added this year's lineup. But on those days you're not visiting the fair, you can still indulge, since some Dallas restaurants are joining in with their own renditions of State Fair-style food.

Here are restaurants where you can to find State Fair of Texas themed food and beverages with specials running from September 27-October 20. (And we'll be adding more as they come in.)

CBD Provisions restaurant at the Joule Dallas hotel in downtown Dallas has introduced two limited-time Fair-inspired dishes: loaded fries with smoked brisket and bacon; and deep-fried Oreos in cinnamon batter with cream cheese icing.

Chef Point Bar & Restaurant is bringing back their State Fair Bloody Mary, stacked with a turkey leg, corn on the cob, deep-fried PB&J, waffles, and more.

Community Beer Co. released its annual Funnel Cake Ale, a special State Fair-style brew it serves every year during State Fair time. It combines all of the sweet and toasty flavors of a funnel cake in a convenient beer. It was released on August 22 and will be available at both Community Beer on tap and in six-pack cans and at the State Fair of Texas.

Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa has $15 special bites, including The State Fair Poutine volcano salt fries topped with chopped brisket, BBQ sauce, scallions, cheddar cheese, and chopped onion; and blackberry cobbler, with white chocolate cream, cinnamon streusel, and graham cracker.

Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs will not only be at the State Fair of Texas, but it also has a food truck every Friday through Sunday from 11:30 am-7:30 pm at Klyde Warren Park, where it serves all six corny dogs including The Original, Jalapeño and Cheese, the turkey Bird Dog, and a veggie corny dog.

Flying Fish is offering a Larry’s Deep Fried Banana Pudding with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, powder sugar and topped with a vanilla cookie for $8; and alligator queso starting at $9 for a cup.

Lucky's Cafe has an $11 corn dog duo and fries paired with a $6 Cotton Candy Pilsner from Texas Ale Project.

Meddlesome Moth will offer several specials starting at $12 available after 4 pm, including Tex’s Blue Ribbon Feast, which is fried chicken, whipped sweet potatoes and marshmallow, cheddar mac and cheese, braised greens, and cornbread.

Pete's Dueling Piano Bar has a limited-time $14 cotton candy cosmopolitan featuring a lemon-flavored vodka-base, lemon juice, a splash of soda, and cotton candy-infused simple syrup.

Snuffer's is serving $8 chili cheese mini corn dogs topped with house-made chili, onions, cheddar, and jalapeños.

The Statler is all in on the fair: Overeasy will offer guests fried Monte Cristo bites for $16; Scout has funnel cake fries for $8; and Waterproof has a cotton candy cosmopolitan for $12.

UnaVida has a churro banana split, featuring fresh strawberries, Mexican vanilla ice cream, espresso chocolate sauce, brûléed bananas, caramel-filled churros, and fried candied peanuts for $12.

state-fair

Burger News

Northeast burger chain Slap Burger set to smash in Richardson

Slap Burger

Smash burger from Slap Burger, coming to DFW.

A buzzy burger concept from the Northeast is coming to Texas: Called Slap Burger, it's a small smash burger chain based in New Jersey, and it's opening its first Texas location in Richardson, at 888 S. Greenville Ave., in a center called the Arabian Village, taking over a space that was previously occupied by a CBD shop.

Slap Burger was founded in Paterson, New Jersey as a smash burger joint that adheres to the principles of halal, including using meat from halal purveyors and avoiding certain ingredients such as pork. (Their bacon and hot dogs are made from beef.) Halal has been increasing in popularity, due to both a growing Muslim population as well as a rising demand for "ethical" clean-label food.

Slap now has five locations in the Northeast — two in NJ and three in NY — as well as an expansion to Tampa, Florida.

They specialize in smash burgers, loaded hot chicken tenders, and cheese fries topped with slap sauce. They make a decadent banana pudding dessert, and they also keep late-night hours.

Their burgers are four ounces, featuring the lacy and crispy edges that are a signifier of a smash burger, topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and pickle on Martin's potato buns, which they toast on the outside, leaving the inside of the bun soft.

They do two other burger styles: the Slap’N Melt, which features cheese stuffed into a beef patty, then seared so the exterior is hard and the interior is melting cheese; and the Slap N Jack, a double patty burger with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and pepperjack cheese.

Other menu options include hot dogs, as well as fried chicken in a number of ways: as a sandwich with pickles and cole slaw on a griddled bun; as tenders; in a loaded platter over choice of mac & cheese or fries; or chicken & waffles, with choice of an Oreo or Fruity Pebbles waffle.

Alcohol is not allowed at a halal restaurant, but Slaps has house-made lemonade in a variety of flavors such as dragonfruit, strawberry, orange Curacao, and mango.

Shepherding the concept to DFW is Adam Shawish, the enterprising owner of Arabian Village, who is transforming the center into an exciting foodie destination with businesses such as Arwa Coffee, recognized as the first Yemeni-style coffee shop in DFW.

Shawish was inspired after visiting Slap Burger while on a trip to the Northeast, seeking interesting concepts that might make a good fit at the center.

"One night, my wife and I had already had dinner, but I was determined to try it and they were open late," Shawish says. "I fell in love with it on the first bite. Texas has a lot of burgers, but I said, 'This is my type of hamburger.' It's very simple, not mixed with anything, the buns are not too soggy — just a pure burger experience, not like anything else in Dallas-Fort Worth."

Shawish says that construction is underway and they hope to get it open by Christmas.

"My office is right next door," he says. "Every time I get ready to go home for the day, I ask the kids what they want for dinner, and I can't wait for Slap Burger to open so that I won't have to ask."

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