Review: Fried Foods at 2013 State Fair of Texas

Almost every fried food I ate this year ranged from quite tasty to downright outstanding! With so many award-winning fried foods and so-so fried foods from past years still available, plus 23 new fried foods in 2013, deciding which fried foods to eat can be overwhelming. That's where experience comes in—not just my own years of fair food tasting experiences, but everything I hear and read about other people's opinions. With all those things considered, I scouted out the fried foods I felt might be the best tasting this year and complied the lists and commentary below, plus this heavenly collage:

The 9 best fried foods I ate at the State Fair of Texas in 2013.

2013 Fried Foods in Order of My Most Recommended:

Click for full reviews and large photos of each item on Instagram.

The top 4 are my must-have recommendations for anyone who already enjoys the not-fried versions of these foods.

1. Cuban Roll
2. Milky Way
3. Grilled Cheese
4. Butter
5. Shrimp & Grits
6. Red Velvet Cupcake
7. Thanksgiving Dinner
8. Spaghetti & Meatballs
9. Jambalaya
10. Nutella
11. "Cool Aid" Pickle (not a kid-friendly food)

Fried Food I Recommend, But Couldn't Fit in This Year:

I've tasted all of these before except the burrito, so I recommend these if you aren't interested in some of the above items.

• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• King Ranch Casserole
• Meatloaf
• Cookie Dough
• Oreos
• Chocolate Chip Burrito

Dallas Foodie's cheap trick to stay hydrated: Find one of multiple booths that sell nothing but iced tea and the drinks in spinning machines (lemonade?). Their clear, unmarked 16 oz. cup of sweet or unsweet iced tea is the cheapest drink you can buy at 4 coupons ($2). But here's the kicker: an iced tea refill in your same cup is only 2 coupons ($1), but a water fountain refill is FREE! Compare this to a bottle of water for 7 coupons ($3.50) or a bottle of soda for 8 coupons ($4). I drank 3 full glasses, which cost me a grand total of $2 instead of $12 in soda. If you're paying to hydrate a whole family, buying drinks could get expensive very quickly!

Interesting Food Facts about the State Fair of Texas

• FRITOS were introduced here in 1936.
• Fletcher's invented the corny dog here in 1942.
• Dr. Pepper (1885), Coca-Cola (1897), and Pepsi Cola (1898) were introduced to Texans at early state fairs, which helped these sodas become as popular as they are today.
• The first fair foods included complete home-cooked meals, all provided by volunteer social organizations and church groups.
• You could bring your own picnic basket to eat at the fair in the late 1800s.

I'd like to thank the fair for providing free admission and a parking pass for myself and a lucky fan, and one food booth named "Southern Fried Chicken", who provided free food as noted in my Instagram captions.