Dallas, September 27, 2025
News Summary
The State Fair of Texas kicked off by unveiling the finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards, showcasing a diverse range of innovative savory and sweet food items. Notable highlights include a Jewish-Mexican fusion taco earning top scores, as well as the introduction of a new drinks category. Judges evaluated the finalists based on taste, execution, and value, with a panel of experts providing insights and recommendations. The State Fair runs through October, promising attendees a blend of entertainment and culinary creativity.
Dallas — The State Fair of Texas unveiled new Big Tex Choice Award finalists on opening day, showcasing a wide range of creative savory and sweet items and introducing a new drinks category to the competition.
What happened
On opening day, a food team sampled the new winning foods at the State Fair of Texas, assisted by North Texas chefs Tiffany Derry and Dino Santonicola who provided expert opinions. A panel of five judges scored the 10 finalists of the Big Tex Choice Awards on a 1 to 5 scale, considering taste, execution, and value. A drinks category was added to the Big Tex Awards this year, but it wasn’t included in the taste test; judges did try the winner of the new Sipper category.
Top results and highlights
The top-scoring savory entry in the sampling was a Jewish-Mexican fusion taco from Smokey John’s filled with smoked pastrami, mashed potatoes, cheese, and chives, earning a score of 5/5. The taco is served with a jalapeño salsa that received praise for its flavor while also being notably spicy.
Other savory finalists showed a range of execution and flavor. Hans Mueller’s pretzel balls filled with brisket and beer cheese received a mixed score of 3.4/5 due to inconsistent baking. So Eggciting Deviled Eggs presented wagyu cheeseburger sliders that use deep-fried deviled egg halves as buns and earned a score of 3/5. Crab and mozzarella arancini were judged to be lacking in seasoning and received a low score of 1.6/5. A marinated pork skewer inspired by bún thịt nướn also lacked flavor and scored 1.6/5.
Sweet finalists
In the sweets category, a French toast–inspired dish topped with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream emerged as a top-scoring dessert, earning a score of 5/5. A loaded cheesecake cup that combined New-York-style cheesecake with Belgian chocolate and kataifi scored 3/5 despite its richness. Salpicon de Frutas, a Colombian dessert of mango sorbet over diced fruit available at Tony’s Taco Shop, scored 2.8/5. A frozen whole lemon coated in candy and sprinkled with Starbursts scored 2.4/5. A loaded dessert fries dish drizzled with Dubai chocolate was judged too greasy and scored 1.8/5.
Drinks and veteran vendors
The winning drink was a cookie butter milkshake topped with whipped cream, earning a score of 3/5. Binh Tran, a vendor who has participated in the State Fair for 25 years, has a finalist dish called Coconut Quadruple—a coconut-pineapple slushie. Tran’s booth is called Pineapple Man, where he sells drinks in whole pineapples and will offer the new coconut slushie this year.
Judging process
A panel of five judges scored the 10 finalists of the Big Tex Choice Awards on a 1 to 5 scale, considering taste, execution, and value. The judging emphasized a combination of flavor balance, how consistently a dish was prepared, and whether the portion and price offered clear value to fair visitors.
Event logistics
The State Fair runs from September 26 through October 19, featuring games, rides, and unique food offerings. Ticket prices for The State Fair range from $7 to $29, with special discounts available on weekdays.
Background
The Big Tex Choice Awards annually highlight new and inventive food and beverage items presented at the State Fair of Texas. This year’s additions included a separate drinks category intended to recognize beverage creativity, while the main awards continued to focus on handheld and plated food finalists. The field of 10 finalists covered a wide spectrum of culinary approaches, from fusion tacos and hearty barbecue fillings to experimental confections and frozen treats.
FAQ
- Who sampled the new winning foods at the State Fair of Texas?
- A food team sampled the new winning foods at the State Fair of Texas, assisted by North Texas chefs Tiffany Derry and Dino Santonicola who provided expert opinions.
- How were the finalists judged?
- A panel of five judges scored the 10 finalists of the Big Tex Choice Awards on a 1 to 5 scale, considering taste, execution, and value.
- Was there a drinks category this year?
- A drinks category was added to the Big Tex Awards this year, but it wasn’t included in the taste test; judges did try the winner of the new Sipper category.
- Which savory dish earned a top score?
- Smokey John’s introduced a Jewish-Mexican fusion taco filled with smoked pastrami, mashed potatoes, cheese, and chives, earning a score of 5/5.
- Which dessert earned a top score?
- A French toast–inspired dish topped with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream earned a score of 5/5.
- What drink won and what score did it receive?
- The winning drink was a cookie butter milkshake topped with whipped cream, earning a score of 3/5.
- Which vendor has a long history at the fair and what is their finalist?
- Binh Tran, a vendor who has participated in the State Fair for 25 years, has a finalist dish called Coconut Quadruple—a coconut-pineapple slushie.
- When does the State Fair run and what are ticket prices?
- The State Fair runs from September 26 through October 19, featuring games, rides, and unique food offerings.
- What are the ticket prices?
- Ticket prices for The State Fair range from $7 to $29, with special discounts available on weekdays.
| Dish / Item | Vendor / Booth | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish-Mexican fusion taco | Smokey John’s | 5/5 | Smoked pastrami, mashed potatoes, jalapeño salsa (spicy) |
| Pretzel balls with brisket and beer cheese | Hans Mueller | 3.4/5 | Inconsistent baking |
| Wagyu cheeseburger sliders (deviled egg buns) | So Eggciting Deviled Eggs | 3/5 | Deep-fried deviled egg halves used as buns |
| Crab and mozzarella arancini | Finalist entry | 1.6/5 | Found lacking in seasoning |
| Marinated pork skewer (bún thịt nướn inspired) | Finalist entry | 1.6/5 | Lacked flavor |
| French toast–inspired dessert | Sweet finalist | 5/5 | Topped with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream |
| Loaded cheesecake cup | Sweet finalist | 3/5 | New-York-style cheesecake, Belgian chocolate, kataifi |
| Salpicon de Frutas | Tony’s Taco Shop | 2.8/5 | Mango sorbet over diced fruit |
| Frozen whole lemon coated in candy | Sweet finalist | 2.4/5 | Sprinkled with Starbursts |
| Loaded dessert fries drizzled with Dubai chocolate | Sweet finalist | 1.8/5 | Deemed too greasy |
| Cookie butter milkshake (winning drink) | Drinks category winner | 3/5 | Topped with whipped cream |
| Coconut Quadruple (coconut-pineapple slushie) | Pineapple Man (Binh Tran) | Finalist | Vendor has participated in the State Fair for 25 years |
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Additional Resources
- Dallas Observer
- Wikipedia: State Fair of Texas
- Dallas News
- Google Search: State Fair of Texas 2025
- Texas Monthly
- Google Scholar: State Fair of Texas
- D Magazine
- Encyclopedia Britannica: State Fair of Texas
- CBS News
- Google News: State Fair 2025
Author: STAFF HERE DALLAS WRITER
DALLAS STAFF WRITER The DALLAS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREDallas.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Dallas, Dallas County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the State Fair of Texas, Deep Ellum Arts Festival, and Dallas International Film Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Dallas Regional Chamber and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, plus leading businesses in telecommunications, aviation, and semiconductors that power the local economy such as AT&T, Southwest Airlines, and Texas Instruments. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAustinTX.com, HERECollegeStation.com, HEREHouston.com, and HERESanAntonio.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Texas's dynamic landscape.
