Hard to Swallow

List of best state fairs for foodies dishes shocking ranking for Texas

State Fair Big Tex finalist brisket and brew pretzels

The Brisket & Brew Stuffed Pretzels were a finalist in this year's Big Tex Choice Awards.

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

For many people, the State Fair of Texas is about one thing: food. Be it a classic Fletcher's Corny Dog or one of the outrageous inventions from the Big Tex Choice Awards, the No. 2 thing on each attendee's mind is what delicious morsels they're going to consume while at Fair Park (No. 1 is a selfie with Big Tex).

So it comes as a bit of a surprise that a new ranking from — and take this with a grain of margarita salt — "travel experts" has put our State Fair at No. 7 on its list of Top State Fairs for Foodies in the U.S.

These so-called experts are the team at SIXT, a car rental and transportation company headquartered in Germany. They took Blue Ribbon Group’s 2025 list of the best state fairs in America — where the State Fair of Texas is ranked fourth overall, by the way — and scored each fair based on food vendor variety, overall size, affordability, and length of festivities. In these rankings, more food vendors, larger size, longer run time, and lower cost all contributed to a higher score.

It should be noted that, of the top 25, our State Fair runs the longest (24 days) and receives the highest number of TikTok views (a whopping 7.4 million).

The list's top fair, the Tulsa State Fair, only runs 11 days and pulls in 110,000 TikTok views. However, it does boast 440 food vendors to our 166, and its entry cost is $2 higher than ours. Both fairs pull in an average of 100,000 people a day.

Also ranking above Texas are state fairs in New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa, Washington state, and Wisconsin. Rounding out the top 10 are Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

It's not clear if any of these fairs display the depth and breadth of food options that our State Fair does, nor if they have ever tried to deep-fry butter, but as we previously pointed out:

This year, the State Fair of Texas has an additional 35 new beverages and bites to try. The fair itself runs from September 26-October 19, which spans 24 days. If you're a conscientious foodie, that means going to the fair every day and trying 1.3 snacks every time you go — and that's not even factoring in the Big Tex winners.

That certainly sounds like a foodie's dream to us.

state fair fair food big tex winners big tex choice awards rankings state fair of texas

Patio time

5 best restaurant patios in Dallas to hit on a warm spring day in 2026

Taco Y Vino

Award-winning patio at Taco Y Vino

Dallas is facing a sunny and warm spell, and that can only mean one thing: It's time to hit the patio. In a search for the best patio, deciding factors include sunshine, comfortable accommodations, an engaging view, and something good to eat and drink.

You'll find all of that at these five Dallas hotspots — one for every neighborhood, whether you're in Oak Cliff or Uptown Dallas, Plano or Addison, or good old Greenville Avenue.

Here are five patios to check out now that the weather's good:

Libertine Bar
Venerable low-key bar has an impressive selection of beer; great food like their irresistible battered portobello fries with jalapeno ranch; a bountiful brunch; and endless specials including steak night on Tuesdays, trivia night on Thursdays, and a generous happy hour Tuesday-Friday. Their street-facing patio has a fun chill vibe, and there is truly no better ringside seat to the action, sometimes rowdy, on Greenville Avenue.

Rose Cafe
Uptown cafe is an indoor-outdoor restaurant which transitions throughout the day, from pastry and coffee at breakfast to cocktails after work. (They also have some of the best made pastries in town.) The surprising decor features florals and soft pink hues pastry or brunch, and enjoying vibrant cocktails with friends. It's located right off the Katy Trail so the views are a given.

Taco y Vino
The patio at this beloved taco-and-wine restaurant in Oak Cliff is so spectacular, it has won awards: namely, a CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Best Patio in 2024. For tacos, they have 11 varieties, which you can get in a killer special: A bottle of wine and six tacos for $35, available any time. Or try one of their cool cocktails such as the frozen Kalimoxto, a refreshing combination of red wine and Coca Cola. In 2025, they opened a second location in downtown Garland, bringing their primo patio action to the east side of town.

Far Out
Restaurant in renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park has become known in the past year among the foodie set as the place for whom acclaimed chef Misti Norris has created a new menu with dishes like crispy pig ears and lemongrass duck confit salad. (It has earned two nominations, in fact - for Chef of the Year and Best New Restaurant - in the 2026 Tastemaker Awards.) But Far Out also has a charming patio that runs along the exterior, with a Southwestern/Santa Fe vibe that includes tasteful furniture and a big collection of cacti and other desert-style plants — a serene spot in the middle of the city.

Stix Icehouse
Restaurant-bar in McKinney sitting on a 14-acre spread is really more like a park and event center with a restaurant attached. With their extensive outdoor facilities, they're a family-friendly getaway, with a second-story deck for food and drink, and a sprawling backyard area with a basketball hoop, lawn, and trees. Their menu is quintessential Texas, with burgers, Frito pie, chicken-fried steak, nachos, and loaded fries. Drinks, including a frozen margarita and a salted caramel espresso martini, top out at $12.

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