We survived taste-testing this year's weirdest Florida State Fair foods
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Clockwise from top left: The gourmet chocolate bacon cheesecake on a stick, baked ziti on a stick, pierogi sliders, and hot honey chicken grilled cheese. Photos: Kathryn Varn and Yacob Reyes/Axios, courtesy of Maya Levy
We set out once again to taste-test the chaotic new food and drink choices at the Florida State Fair.
State of play: We both skipped breakfast and met up around 1pm with stomachs growling. Yacob's fiancée, Maya, came along to be an extra set of tastebuds.
- We started to feel woozy after nine stops — exactly where we fell off last year. Perhaps our bodies are trying to tell us something…
Yes, but: For you, our readers, we pressed on, making it through 13 of the 27 items highlighted in this year's visitor's guide. That's basically half!
- Here's the rundown:
🍝 Baked ziti on a stick
The concessions worker told us to let the ziti cool down a bit before walking around with it, which seems contrary to the on-the-go spirit of foods on sticks.
- Good pasta, though.
The verdict: 🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at All American Concessions.
🍩 Chocolate-dunked Bavarian doughnut
Absolutely delicious, no notes. (We mean that literally: Our Google Doc does not mention this doughnut.) But it was rare, we were there, we remember it all too well (in a good way).
The verdict: 🎡🎡🎡🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Peachey's Baking Co.
🍬 Cotton candy tea
Reviews include "tastes like cough syrup" (Maya) and "gross" (Yacob). Kathryn, a 32-year-old child who still loves cotton candy, was pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the flavor.
The verdict: 🎡🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Tiki Tea.
🥒 Fried pickle mac and cheese
Yacob crowns this the biggest letdown. It had, on paper, all the makings of a pungent burp — like last year's glorious cheddar pickle crunch pizza.
- But it served up stale breading, bland cheese and collective heartbreak.
The verdict: 0/5.
- Find it at Chester's Gators & Taters.
🥓 Gourmet chocolate bacon cheesecake on a stick
Kathryn went at this one alone and had to stop herself from eating the entire slice. But on principle, the bacon-and-sweets craze has gone too far.
The verdict: 🎡🎡🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Funky Flamingo.
🐔 Hot honey chicken grilled cheese
Nestled between buttery, crisp buns lies the perfect harmony of sweetness and spiciness, complemented by tender chunks of chicken and melted cheese — a mouthwatering sandwich you'll crave again and again.
The verdict: 🎡🎡🎡🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Sunshine Concessions.
🌶️ Jalapeño popper fries
It's a bucket of fries topped with a drizzle of cream cheese and a scattering of jalapeños — and surprisingly, it works. The cream cheese tones down the heat, making it easier to stretch your lemonade.
- But fair warning, this is heavy, rocks-in-your-stomach kind of food — definitely something to share.
The verdict: 🎡🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Lemonade and More.
🥟 Pierogi sliders
She's cheesy, she's hearty, she's messy. She's a three-bite burger with potato and cheese pierogies as buns that you didn't know you needed.
- Normally we'd complain about small portions, but it's the perfect snack to leave room for, well, *gestures wildly*.
The verdict: 🎡🎡🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Macken's Sliders.
🥨 Pretzel-rolled corn on the cob
What do you get when you take corn, drench it in mayonnaise and roll it in a crushed pile of arguably the blandest chip on the planet?
- An uninspired take on elote that has no place on this list.
The verdict: 🎡/5.
- Find it at Miller & Co. Concessions.
🥮 Salted caramel cinnamon bun
This cinnamon bun brought to mind Paul Hollywood and his grand tradition of sticking his fingers in baked goods and declaring them "underbaked" or "stodgy."
- Yummy topping, though.
The verdict: 🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Cinnamon Saloon.
🌯 Soul food egg roll
The soul-food to egg-roll ratio was off — Maya bit in and got nothing but shell. Yacob started strong with a 4 on his first bite, but between the grease slick and a collard green landslide, the rating plummeted to a sad, greasy 2.
The verdict: 🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Eggroll Love.
🍓 Strawberries and cream cinnamon roll
In the battle of the cinnamon rolls, this one was king. We just wish it had fresh strawberries, which we're realizing makes us sound like avocado toast millennials, but we digress.
The verdict: 🎡🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Grandma Brown's Cinnamon Rolls.
🍦 Strawberry shortcake crunch
It's vanilla soft serve in a waffle cone — simple, sure, but there's comfort in the familiar. Or, as Kathryn said, it's just basic as hell.
The verdict: 🎡🎡/5.
- Find it at Polar Bear Concessions.