3 Piggy Pals On-A-Stick- $12 from Sausage Sisters & Me
4 bucks a bite. But it's a decent bite. Bacon is crispy, sausage is meaty, jalapeno gives it a little kick
and the sauce is sweet. Wouldn't get it again at that price point though.
Afro Poppers- $6 from Afro Deli, 2024
Options were chocolate, Mango, or hot sauce drizzle. Can get coated in coconut and supposedly
cinnamon and sugar but that was missing. These were pretty much just donut holes. A little dry.
Nothing special.
Good sauce and flavors, wish the tuna was in smaller pieces, good wontons. Would definitely get
poke after trying this.
All Quacked Up- $12 from Hideaway Speakeasy, 2022
You know, it’s not bad. The ham’s good, the egg is perfectly basted. But it def
feels like something
we could make at home, and an open-faced runny egg sammich
is not something we come to the
fair for.
Bacon Up Pup- $7 at Granny's Kitchen Fudge Puppies, 2017
Ok so we really liked the fudge puppy part of this, but the bacon detracted from it. We wished we
were eating the turtle one instead. It was so fresh the whipped cream was melting on the way
back to the table
Banana Foster French Toast- $9.25 at Hamline Church Dining Hall, 2018
It was fine, no big deal. Bananas weren't ripened enough, caramel sauce was good.
Banana Nutella Crepes- $10 at the Crepes
Stand, 2022
A new to us food. The Crepe itself was really good. Packie hates bananas and
Sarah really only
likes ripe bananas, so it tasted “too green” to her. Also
expected it to be warm. Would definitely try
a different crepe in the future.
BBQ Split-$12 from Mama D's, 2018
The BBQ was excellent but the mac was mediocre and the slaw tasted strongly of parsley. Would
try their pulled pork sandwiches.
Beer Brat Buddies- $7 at Sausage Sisters, 2016
Good brats and soft pretzel buns, but we could probably make them at home
Rather bland, not much flavor to the pork belly and the jelly didn’t come through at all. Mostly
just tasted the slaw. Meh.
Bison Bites- $8.75 at Giggles, 2021
We were pretty split on these. Some of us liked them and some of us didn’t so the grade rounded
Good flavor. Lean meat made it a little dry. Was also cold.
Bowl o' Dough- $8 at Blue Moon Dine-in Theater, 2017
This was just... we wish this was better. The best part was the potato chip followed by the sea salt
ice milk (aka salted ice cream)
Breakfast Buddy Bowl- $8 at Lulu's Public House, 2017
The first taste had the flavor of something burnt or maybe a smoke flavor. It was off-putting to
most of us. Could use a bigger punch of flavor. It was pretty meh
Breakfast Sausage Corn Dog- unknown vendor and price, 2013
Not bad, pretty similar in taste to a corn dog. Maple syrup really made it
Buffalo Chicken Doughscuits- $12.75 from Blue Barn, 2021
than a biscuit with the addition of donut but I guess not. Wavers between savory and sweet which
some of us like and some don’t. Did not taste buffalo at all.
Perfectly serviceable, no real criticisms but nothing in particular stands out about the food. Good
flavors, nice with the honey drizzle, and the coleslaw was actually pretty nice.
The avocado actually didn’t do any favors as it negated the effect of the candied bacon. Feels like
something we could make at home
Carolina Pit Smoked Brisket Taco- $9 at Shanghai'd Henri's, 2019
It was light, but really dry. Needed more frosting to offset it. Kids might like it, can be
personalized.
Sarah and Anne are not fans of French Onion Soup (they gave it a C), but could appreciate the
quality of this item. Packie loved it! (gave a B). Juicy, melty, cheesy delight with savory juices
and chewy monkey bread. It was great you guys!
Cheesy Nacho Corn on the Cob- $? at Texas Steakout, 2017
It's like someone said "You know what could be harder to eat? Nachos. Let's throw it on corn on
the cob."
Flavor was fine, but it loses points for being sloppy and slimy
First, could we just have one for six dollars? We liked the wrap, but filling was a little dry.
You know- this was actually not bad- even Sarah enjoyed it some. Flavors were good- has a kick.
Where they earn a C is execution. They were pre-assembled so the chips were already soggy. If
we’d had chips on the side then it’d be a different story.
Chili Chocolate Ice Cream- $? at R&R Ice Cream, 2013
Good whipped chocolate ice cream with a slow devastating burn. How do you burn me ice
cream?
Chocolate Dessert Salami- $? at Sausage Sisters, 2014
OK. Rich with good orange flavor
This was fine. Nice and smooth when mixed together and the soda made for an interesting buzz,
but the flavor was kind of mild.
Chocolate Popover with Peanut Butter Spread- $6 at Lulu's Public House, 2017
Peanut butter good. So good, you can't really taste the pastry or the chocolate. If you love peanut
butter, you might enjoy this
Cookie Dough on a Stick- Oreo Fudge Flavor for $5, Chocolate Dipped is $1, Peanuts is another $1, from Cookie Dough on a Stick, 2019
Deep Fried Haloumi- $10 from Holy Land, 2024
Eh. It was fine. Honestly the best part was the sweet chili dip. Doesn't have much flavor otherwise.
Was fried well- nice and crispy, cheese was salty. Packie liked it the more he ate it.
Deep Fried Ranch- $12 at Lulu's, 2024
First off, waited in line for over 30 min for these in the rain, so color me (Sarah) pissed. Made a lot of
new friends also in line, also pissed.
These were disappointing. Less pastry filled with ranch and more pastry filled with cream cheese
that's dusted with ranch. Have to wait for them to cool off or risk molten mouth.
Dill Pickle Tots- $8 for a regular from Tot Boss, 2024
You know what? Tot Boss continues to make excellent tator tots- that's what it has going for it. But
we just wanted the flavor to be more punchy- if you're gonna do it, go all in. Otherwise might as well
just get regular tots.
Perfectly serviceable. Good value. Fun. Wouldn’t go out of our way to get again, but would share
if someone wanted to share.
Duck Bacon Wontons- $8.50 at Giggles Campfire Grill, 2017
They were ok, too much cream cheese, first time we got something that wasn't amazing from
Giggles. As an added, devastating note, they got ride of the chicken fried bacon. A dark year.
Eclair Pair- $25 for both, or $15 for lobster and $12 for Bahn Mi, 2024
A! For the Lobster!
C (Packie would give a B) for the Bahn Mi
Lobster one is packed full of lobster. Slight heat but flavorful and tender. Like a smaller version of
their excellent lobster roll.
Bahn Mi has a good meaty flavor. Packie really liked it, but Anne and Sarah wouldn't get it again (we
liked it fine).
Packie's least favorite thing for both is actually the eclair shells.
Esquites and Agua de Sandia Loca- $8 each from New Vendor El Burrito Mercado, 2024
Sarah and Packie don't eat esquites so it's just me. I had heard the esquites were excellent here and it
was good but I probs wouldn't get again. I liked the drink a lot but Sarah and Packie complained it
was too spicy so just really grinding my gears here.
Fall Guy Breakfast Panini- $8 at The Hideaway Speakeasy, 2017
Ugh. Wtf is up with a food vendor on the 2nd floor of the Grandstand? And why do they get to
feature 3 new foods?
Anyway. The cheapest and the best of the 3, it still is just a regular old breakfast sammich that is
nothing special, especially in the flavor department
Feta Bites- $5.50 at Dino's Gyros, 2019
Might have given this a B if not for the exorbitant price. Fresh, decent flavor, and good crackers.
Fried Taco on a Stick- $12 from Taco Cat, 2019
We were all across the board on this one. Sarah hates Mexican food, Anne thought it was too spicy,
and I really liked it. Real crispy, with a spicy green sauce drizzled on the outside and meaty filling
inside (it also came in vegetarian, but they don't let you mix and match)
Perfectly Serviceable. Sort of like a Grape Ape
C. Nothing special, tasted perfectly fine if you like this sort of thing. Strawberries were juicy and
sweet, but they left the tops on, which is dumb
General Tso's Chicken Taco- $12 from Tacocat, 2018
Chicken was nice and crispy but there was pretty much no sauce. Also super expensive.
Ham and Pickle Roll-up on a Potato Skin- $8.75 from Route 66 Roadhouse Chicken, 2024
Unfortunately felt overwhelmed by the pickle. The chips didn't come through at all. But the tato skin
was great and makes us want to try their regular ones.
Also wtf $.75. Just round up to a dollar- make it easier for everyone.
The Hot Hen- $8 from RC BBQ, 2019
The sweet potato fries were not bad, but the russet potato ones were not very good. A little too
spicy too. Probably would not get again.
We disagreed on this so we averaged out to a C+. Sloppy, too much parsley, double wrapped in
tortillas so a lot of tortilla in each bite. But the overall flavors were pretty good and we would try
one of the other varieties
Irish Tater Kegs- $8 from O'Gara's, 2018
Not bad. Texture was great and we finished it. We're just not that big Reuben fans (if you are,
you'd probably like it more than we did).
Irish Whiskey Boneless Wings- $8 from O'Gara's, 2019
either sweeter or tangier. Pretty good heat level.
Mediocre at best. Not really worth the money. The sauce is horsey sauce so if you don’t like that
you’re SOL (they definitely need sauce)
and hurt our teeth. But all around flavors were good.
Italian Bomba Sandwich- $8.25 at Mancini's al Fresco, 2017
We liked the meatiness and the mouth feel but wasn't very flavorful. And some of the meat was
cold. Also, don't you dare call it the Boomba
#goaheadandorderitthatway #seehowthatfuckinggoes
Joey Mary- $8 from Brim, 2019
Koshari- $15 (for beef) from Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine, 2024
To be honest, this could be a B, we are just not sure we'd need to get it again since it is not typically
what we want at the fair. All that said, this was very flavorful with a lot of nice elements. Even the
chickpeas added a nice texture and the beef was well flavored.
First- unimpressed that it’s prepackaged and purchased from a wholesaler. This was…interesting?
We liked the nits and creaminess, but there was a flavor (the saffron?) that was interesting and kind
of weird. We would like to try a different flavor maybe.
the lemon curd was great, though.
A cold pressed coffee with heavy whipping cream and pure maple syrup. A very smooth and
slightly sweet, cold coffee. Packie rather liked it, and even Sarah and Anne who don't like coffee
thought it was ok. Nice energy boost
“Meat”and Balls Marinara- $12 from French
Meadow Bakery, 2022
good meat texture- Anne was not a fan of the flavor (and Sarah was not a fan of the red sauce).
Smelled great.
Meatloaf Hash- $8.25 at Blue Barn, 2015
Too many peppers, but if that's your thing then not too bad
Memphis Totchos- $9 at Snack House, 2017
Let's be clear, they were potato rounds, not tots. Our opinions were very mixed on this and it
averaged out to a C. The sauce tasted more like peanut butter than like a Thai peanut sauce, and
the bananas were overpowering, but the potatoes were salty and bacon was good
Unofficial new food. This was fine. It maybe sat under the heat lamp too long so the crust dried
out a bit too much. But Green Mill is good at making that pizza flavors pop.
Fine if you like cold coffee drinks. But Brim's Joey Mary was better
Mini Variety Cheesecurd Bucket- $18 from Solem Concessions, 2021 Wow are these the most expensive cheesecurds ever?? No bc they had a $25 option also. Variety pack includes Original, Ranch, Cajun, and Garlic. All curds are good but the price edges these out of the running, and there are superior options elsewhere.
Mocha Madness Shave Ice- $10 from Minnesnowii Shave Ice, 2024
This was ok. You might like it if you really love coffee flavors. The snow cream topping is always
hella nice. The theater of watching them assemble it was hampered by my having to stand in the rain
while I watched.
B- the elote filling was good corn flavor and they didn’t skimp on the toppings.
C- the chipotle chicken filling was king of dry and the toppings didn’t help.
Nixtamal & Wild Rice Bowl- $15 (for both kinds of dumpling plus cricket topping) from Indigenous Food Lab, 2024
We liked it more than our grade reflects, and that's purely because it's not something we typically
want to eat at the fair. But besides that both dumplings were excellent. The crickets are a must
because they add crunchiness. The mix is a little bland. Would eat again, just not at the fair.
The sausage and bread were real good, but the muffaletta was cold and overpowering and kind of
took over the whole coney. Damn shame.
Paella with Fried Egg- $17 from Paella Depot, 2024
This was pretty good, though a bit pricey. Nice flavors, the over-easy egg is a must have, very filling.
If we didn't get paella regularly, I'd probably hit this up again.
We were pretty split on this. The sourness is great and refreshing but it has an odd finish that we
didn’t overly like and reminded us of applesauce. But we drank it all.
PB Bacon Cakes- $12.75 at Blue Barn, 2024
Listen. This peanut butter whipped cream is incredible. The bacon pancakes are just a vessel to
shovel that into your mouth.
Surprisingly they were able to get the bacon crispy in the pancakes. Also not sure how you're
supposed to eat these since you can't cut through bacon with a fork, but you can't eat a whole piece
either. Idk. But honestly we didn't need them anyway- PBWC forever.
Pina Colada- $8 at Manny's Tortas, year unknown
New to us in 2017 but not new to the fair, this virgin pina colada was made fresh from the cored
out pineapple. Too much pulp, no enough coconut flavor, and it left us wishing it was alcoholic
Pizza Dough Balls- $7 at Tino's, 2018
This non-featured new food item was alright. Balls of fried pizza dough with red sauce and lots
of mozzarella cheese. Sauce was ok but a bit too tangy, and the cheese wasn't melted.
Pizza Tots- $? at Green Mill, 2014
Not bad. Good sauce, texture interesting
Pork Belly Sliders- unknown vendor and price, 2013
Not bad, good flavor, a bit pricey. BBQ taste with crunchy coleslaw
Porketta Pig Wings- $? at Famous Daves, 2013
Tender with subtle seasoning. Nicely cooked, good meat flavor, but a little bland in Packie’s
opinion
Prime Rib Taco- unknown vendor and price, 2014
Packie really liked it- tasted like a fajita with some good spicy flavor. Sarah and Anne were not
fans- all they could taste were peppers.
Really fresh, flavor was not bad, the arepa was crispy. Was surprised it came cold. Kind of on the
fence for this one between a C and a B.
Raging Ball- $14 from Herbivorous Butcher, 2024
Real mixed feelings and opinions on this despite our initial fears. The sesame ball outside was very
crispy, though the mochi needs to be thinner. Actually the most palatable their "meat" (schmeat?) has
been thus far. All in all not too bad and decent flavor, though Packie didn't like the sweetness.
New to us (thanks Lauren and Michelle!) Yeah it was fine but ours was clearly overdone- crunchy
through and through. Also wanted some more drizzle for sweetness. Would’ve prob rated a B if
Chewy as opposed to crispy. Wrapper was a bit too thick. But flavors were not bad, even though
we don’t like reubens. Packie is mad at them because he hit his knew on the barrel table.
expected. BUT. Service was great AND THEY HAVE A FOOD SLIDE.
Shroomy "Calamari"-and Black Currant Iced Tea- $12 and $7 from French Meadow Bakery, 2024
The batter on these shrooms was great. Very light tempura. But they had no flavor, which meant the
only thing we tasted was the dip which had a bit of heat to it. We ate them all though, but probably
wouldn't get them again.
Once again the Iced Tea was utterly flavorless. A 7 buck water
Sheep Dog- $8 at Lamb Shoppe, 2016
This averaged out to a C (Packie gave it a B, Sarah a D). Just a bunch of crap on what seems like
might be a good dog.
Dipping sauce was almost too spicy for some of us. Fritters were a little soft but not bad. Literally
no line.
Sidecar Sandwich- $11 from the Hideaway Speakeasy, 2021
Grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and orange marmalade. The marmalade was divisive, some
didn’t think it worked with the sandwich, others liked it. A decent grilled cheese sandwich with quality cheeses, but nothing special in execution or flavor. Probably the cheapest thing we have ever gotten from the Speakeasy.
Slow Roasted Pork Mole Tamale- $10 at Tejas Express, 2017
Not bad, but not great. The pork and mole was good, the tamale was meh. Not a lot of food for
that much moolah.
C. Funnel cake was overdone, and it was exactly like we thought it would be- stuff slapped on a
Funnel Cake with no understanding of what makes a s’more GOOD. Still tasty bc it’s a Funnel Cake, but eh
Snow Cap Mini Waffle Sundae- $6 from Hamline Church Dining Hall, 2019
The sausage is great (like it always is from Sausage Sisters) but it's nothing special. You don't
need the corn on it but without that it's just a hotdog
SPAM Curds- $7 at The SPAM Stand, 2016
Expensive for what you get. Packie personally hated these with all the passion he gives to SPAM.
Sarah and Anne thought they were surprisingly good, with nice breading. Packie doesn’t know
about those two…
Spicy Pork Bowl- $9 at The Blue Barn, 2016
Perfectly Serviceable. Wouldn’t need to get again
Strawberry Donut Delight- $6 at The Strawberry Patch, 2016
Sold out on the First Day! Okay. Nothing special. The strawberries were really cold, the whipped
cream was from a can
Swedish Ice Cream Sundae- $8 by Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall, 2024
C. So we were a little spread out here. Sarah likes jam, ice cream, crunchy stuff on ice cream and
would
give it a B. But also SOMEHOW she got sick (no one knows how), and her palate may be unreliable.
Packie was hard pressed to have feelings about it at all and was very middle of the road.
Anne actively disliked the bitterness of the jam and would go C/D.
So we landed on a C.
In other news, Peachey's donuts is not even open yet and the line is already halfway down the Fine
Arts building. So I guess get here at 7 and get in line if you want one this year.
This had a great cream cheese flavor, and the crepe was soft, smooth and wonderful. We just
wished it had been a little sweeter.
Sweet Corn Blueberry Eclair- $6.50 at Farmer's Union, 2017
The blueberry glaze was really intense, the cream didn't have much flavor other than a slight corn
aftertaste, and the kernza flour pastry was not great
Sweet Corn Chocolates- $7 at Honey Candy Stand, 2017
Sarah would've rated these lower but we all had differing opinions on this one. What we all
agreed on, though, was that $7 for 3 tiny bonbons was fucking ridiculous
Sweet Corn Corndog- $6 ($3 with coup) at some place that Sarah forgot to record, year unknown
This was new to us but apparently it was the go-to thing to try this year. The batter was nicely
sweet- could really taste the corn. But there was too much of it and the hot dog was tough and
overcooked. Fix these problems and it would be great.
Sweetie Cakes- $7 at Sweetie Cakes, 2018
We got the peanut butter and chocolate one. A little over-sweet, and not much of a peanut butter
flavor. Toffee bits were great.
Tailspin- $11 from The Hangar, 2019
had injector 'needles' and an excessive amount of plastic that received a bunch of backlash- and
The Hangar did the decent thing and actually listened to feedback), and in case you missed it it's
"BBQ sauce, french-fried onions and coleslaw, layered over pulled pork, elote, Oaxaca cheese on a
hash brown waffle". We think this might be just too much stuff.
We liked the thinness and crispness of crust. Had a slight kick. A little small for the price.
Ultimately it just felt like nbd.
Texture was amazing! Filling was a bit intense. Wish it had a dipping sauce to ease that down a bit.
Sausage was fine, fennel bun was pretty darn good. Packie liked the relish a lot but others did
not.
Turkey Kristo- $16 at Farmer's Union, 2024
Another offering with jam. It's our third one. Out of the four we've eaten. Maybe that was the theme
all along.
The bread is so crispy and good. But as a whole the Sammy is bland. Can't taste much of anything
and honestly could use more jam. Also really fucking expensive for a not large Sandwich. If we're
gonna spend $16 at the Farmer's Union, we'll get the schnitzel.
Refreshing and sweet, the ginger and turmeric make for some interesting flavors. A fun drink to
try. Pretty ginger forward.
Up North Puff Pastry- $8 at Sausage Sisters & Me, 2018
Puff pastry was good, filling was not bad but wish there was more of it.
A solid burger with cheese and bacon with two waffles and syrup to dip. Very tasty and actually nice with the syrup, however the waffles were cold, like they were made in advance and not kept warm. Rather off-putting.
Wild Rice Meatballs with Lingonberry Sauce- $11.95 Hamline Church Dining Hall, 2017
Good, standard Swedish meatballs. About the same as you get at Ikea. A fair amount of food for
the price (came with a roll, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes with gravy). Nice seating and A.C. in
the dining hall
Wrangler Waffle Burger- $12 from Nordic Waffle, 2024
There wasn't a whole lot to say about this one. Burger and waffle. We each took a bite and that was
enough. Got disillusioned a bit watching them crack open a can of caramelized onions while I waited
in line.
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