We tried 10 popular Indiana State Fair foods and ranked them from worst to best
How your day at the Indiana State Fair goes depends a lot on your choice of food. But how can you make the best decisions, knowing your number of steps and stomach will limited by 90-degree heat?
You can rely on a group of reporters, who are always happy to accommodate when it requires eating. (You should see our record of obliterating office treats.)
On the first day of the fair, we fanned out to taste foods old and new, including dueling pizzas, dishes that take the state's beloved pork to new heights and vegetarian options. Here are our opinions on 10 of them, ranked from worst (one star) to best (five stars).
10. Sun King Cookie Ale
Urick Concessions in the Taproom across from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. $14. 1 star.
The Sun King Cookie Ale is a beverage we recommend you avoid. The beer, although unique in taste and eye-catching, misses the mark. The tinge of sweetness mixed with the bitterness you find in most beers creates an odd flavor that left us shaking our heads. It costs $14, so make sure to order something else off the menu.
— Nic Napier
9. Cheeto Corn
Cantina Louies by Meatball Factory near Indiana Farmers Coliseum. $8. 2 stars.
The combination of Flamin' Hot and regular Cheetos embedded into buttery sweet corn bites appears promising. But aside from the lovely ear of corn, the dish lacked enough of the crunchy flavor to tingle taste buds. More crushed Cheetos could amend that.
— Domenica Bongiovanni
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8. Street Corn Pizza
Swains Pizza on a Stick between the Indiana Arts Building and West Pavilion. $10. 3 stars.
The combination of soft crust, white sauce, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses make a nice bed to showcase the lime and perfectly roasted corn. It tends more toward corn-topped bread than pizza with punch.
— Domenica Bongiovanni
7. Scorpion Pizza
Swain's Concessions near the parakeet encounter. $12.50. 3 stars.
Ever thought of topping your pizza with bugs? It’s surprisingly underwhelming. The most exciting part of eating the scorpion pizza — your choice of cheese or pepperoni pizza garnished with two small presumably fried scorpions — was the two minutes of reaching my finger toward it before pulling away as if it could burn me. After finally pulling myself together enough to take the first bite, however, the scorpion had no taste and instead just felt like crispy fried shallots. Not a bad texture, but there are definitely easier, cheaper and less mentally disturbing ways to achieve it. I still ate the second scorpion because I felt bad.
— Miranda Jeyaretnam
6. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Corn
Fairlivin Concessions near Indiana Farmers Coliseum. $8. 3 stars.
Fairlivin serves up a cup of buttered, shredded sweet corn, topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and cream cheese frosting. I grew up eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch, so I definitely wanted to like this. The flavors ended up working together better than I expected, but the combination of corn/cereal/frosting textures kind of weirded me out. But overall, I’d say if you have a sweet tooth, it’s worth giving this a try.
— Tory Basile
First time at the Fair: I didn't know what a Hoosier was. Then I went to the Indiana State Fair
5. Pickle Pizza
Swain's Concessions near the parakeet encounter. $12.50. 3.5 stars.
The pickle pizza is a little treat for those who gravitate toward briny things in their daily lives (me). The flavor of the pickles goes well with the ranch dressing and the general breadiness of the slice. The pickle pizza begs the age-old question: How many pickles is too many pickles? The answer: Maybe I'll know after a second slice.
— Miranda Jeyaretnam
4. S'mores Funnel Cake
LT Concessions between the Indiana Arts Building and West Pavilion. $10. 4 stars.
Gooey chocolate and crunchy graham cracker pieces rule the toppings, but the marshmallow drizzle pulls forward as the bite nears completion. The dessert best serves those with a sweet tooth, but it (thankfully) refrains from bludgeoning us with sugar.
— Domenica Bongiovanni
3. Dirty Hippie Tots
Red Frazier Bison near Pioneer Village. 4 Stars. $15.
As a non-meat eater, the task of finding a meal at the state fair isn’t the easiest. Menu highlights often read something like: Try our pork shoulder, breaded with pork rinds, dusted with bacon bits and dipped in beef juice. But the dirty hippie tots from Red Frazier Bison — which I was told are named to poke fun at the vegetarians who order them — bathe perfectly crispy tater tots with fried Brussels sprouts, nacho cheese, hot sauce and green onions. I’m rating 4/5 stars because handing over $15 for tater tots truthfully hurt my pockets and my soul.
— Tory Basile
2. Elote Street Corn Pizza
Ginocchios Pizza by the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand. $10. 5 stars.
The light crust deserves honors first. It almost mimics a crispy tortilla upon which a just-right amount of mozzarella, crunchy corn and spicy sauce rest. Bites are at their best when a jalapeno slice and ranch tortilla-chip shard are involved.
— Domenica Bongiovanni
1. Buffalo Pork-n-Mac
Nitro Hog BBQ near Indiana Farmers Coliseum. $15. 5 stars.
The noodles offer the real surprise here. Coated in white and yellow American cheese, they lie in wait under a generous heap of tender pork. When everyone intermingles, the pasta's mild flavor plays well with the bold buffalo sauce. Sprinkle on a little dry rub from Nitro Hog's nearby table for extra smoky-salty crunch.
— Domenica Bongiovanni
Contact Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Email IndyStar reporter Nic Napier at nnapier@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana State Fair foods 2023: We rank 10 dishes from worst to best
