Florida State Fair Food 2025- It’s Pretty Much a Bust.
The Florida State Fair is packed with rows and rows of freaky fried vittles from dozens of vendors. It smells so good!
It’s February, so it’s time for my annual trek to east Tampa to sample the newly minted Florida State Fair food 2025. Going in, I have some expectations: first, there will be an abundance of fried food. Secondly, someone will inevitably mix chocolate and bacon, as that has become a gold standard for over-the-top midway creations.
This year’s food sleuths include Lauren Peace, Sharon Kennedy Wynne, Will Wynne, and Andy Huse
Like last year, Tampa Bay Times reporter Sharon Kennedy Wynne and I have agreed to attend together, bouncing off one another’s food-related thoughts (and sarcasm). One of my biggest challenges as a food writer is my inability to consume mass quantities in one sitting, so we recruit additional foodies to join us. This year, Andy Huse, food book author and historian, has agreed to embark on this fair food adventure. Times reporter Lauren Peace, bringing a vegetarian perspective, is also part of the crew. Sharon’s son Will, who seems to have the entire fairgrounds mapped out in his head, also joins us.
Going in, my expectations are high. I seek out food that exists at the intersection of absurdity and deliciousness. Who wouldn’t be intrigued by a deep-fried pickle mac & cheese combo? It’s one of the featured plates this year.
With 27 specialties listed online and in the program, some dishes appear to be tired retreads, while others seem chomp-worthy. We each select an item we deem deserving of a taste and set out into the wilds of the midway. One of the first things that hit me is the intoxicating smell of fried onions and green peppers wafting through the air. Let’s do this!
Our first stop is the roasted corn booth featuring Mexican street corn—a personal favorite when executed well. There are three options: regular, corn rolled in pretzels, and firecracker, an ear rolled in Flamin Hot® Cheetos. We are here for the featured pretzel corn, but I’m disappointed. What might otherwise be a crunchy bite is soggy because the pretzels soaked up the butter and don’t render much pretzel flavor. The Flamin Hot® is much better, with crispy bits of Cheetos inspired by the hot cheese coating mixing and the warm, sweet corn. I’ll have another bite….
Regular, pretzel, and firecracker street corn hot off the grill
The Flamin Hot® Cheeto corn is much better, with crispy bits of Cheetos inspired by the hot cheese coating mixing with the warm, sweet corn
Next, the aforementioned deep-fried pickle mac & cheese sounds promising. I envision a crispy fried pickle bringing an acidic punch to creamy mac & cheese. It’s a let-down, though, especially for $18! The dish consists of what appears to be store-bought mac & cheese with bits of limp-crusted fried pickle. It lacks crunch, tang, and richness. Elevating the cheese quality, using better noodles, and ensuring the pickle is truly deep-fried crispy could have saved this dish.
Fried Pickle Mac and Cheese- mac and cheese mixed with a breaded and fried dill pickle, topped with Ranch dressing drizzle
It could have been so much more with a crispier pickle coating and better ingredients.
Determined to find a standout, we visit Macken’s Specialty Sliders for their pierogi slider—a small beef burger topped with grilled onions, sour cream, and chives, nestled between two potato and cheese pierogies. Again, it’s an admirable effort with enormous potential, but the missing jalapeno jam, which would have made this a top contender, makes it meh.
Macken’s Pierogi slider with missing jalapeno jam.
Not giving up, we try baked ziti on a stick, though I temper my expectations. The dish consists of rigatoni noodles in marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and sprinkled with parsley. Ultimately, skewering pasta is just a party trick since it’s the only thing unique about this $20 treat. It doesn’t justify its featured fair food status.
Baked Ziti on a Stick- Rigatoni noodles with marinara sauce, topped with shredded mozzarella.
Without the stick, it's just a small serving of rigatoni.
Things begin to look up with the gourmet chocolate bacon cheesecake on a stick. This dessert consists of a slice of frozen New York-style cheesecake on a skewer, dipped in chocolate, rolled in bacon bits, and drizzled with caramel and white chocolate. (See, I knew there would be chocolate and bacon.) It’s a unanimous hit. The salty bacon contrasts with the firm chocolate shell, enhancing the cheesecake’s velvety texture. Everyone wants more.
Chocolate Bacon Cheesecake- New York-style cheesecake on a stick, dipped in chocolate, and rolled in bacon, with white chocolate and caramel drizzle
Look at those beautiful innards! Velvety cheesecake on a graham cracker crust, all surrounded by crunchy chocolate, caramel, and salty bacon.
The whimsically named Dad Bod, $22 with baked beans, is a brisket burger patty, smoked pork belly, barbecue pulled pork, cheese, and pork belly jam on a toasted brioche bun. This is clearly an exercise in excess with pork on pork on cheese on beef and a perfect example of the absurdity I am used to with fair food. It’s another winner. The barbecued pulled pork is a tasty addition to an over-the-top bacon cheeseburger.
Dad Bod- Brisket burger patty, smoked pork belly, barbecue pulled pork, cheese, and pork belly jam on a toasted brioche bun. Thick slices of pork belly and BBQ pulled pork elevate this bacon cheeseburger
We are all stuffed, but I want to make one last stop. The promotional photo of the soul food egg roll got my attention. It is a crispy brown, deep-fried eggroll stuffed with chunks of grilled chicken, creamy mac & cheese, and savory collards. Unfortunately, it’s another disappointment. The eggroll we were delivered barely resembles the photo, with the multi-layered eggroll wrapper (it should only be one layer) soggy, thick, and chewy, and the ingredients looking nothing like the misleading (probably AI-generated -which should be forbidden) food-styled promotional pic. It is bland and soul-less. The beef and cheese eggroll is the same; it’s a great idea with poor execution. Ugh!
The Florida State Fair’s misleading promotional photo of the soul food egg roll.
Here's the real deal. Soul Food Egg Roll- deep-fried egg roll with grilled chicken, creamy mac and cheese, and collard greens
Overall, much of this year’s fair food falls flat, and some is a full fail. Granted, it’s the first day, and vendors may need time to refine their offerings. But c’mon guys, it’s show time. I am not sure if they still have a contest for vendors to compete for who will be featured at the fair, but someone missed the mark. By now, the dishes should be tweaked and ready for the big dance.
That said, don’t take my word for it—try it yourself. If you’re unsure where to start, there’s an app for that. The fair organizers have smartly developed a free app that showcases food options, entertainment schedules, agriculture exhibits, and, most importantly, a fairground map. Check it out at floridastatefair.com/fair/entertainment, or download it from your phone’s app store.
Classic fair food remains a highlight for those who prefer tradition over trendiness. Some of the best stuff isn’t the edgy foodie food. Memories are made when families share corn dogs, elephant ears, candy apples, cotton candy, and those massive turkey legs.
Starting February 7th, eating contests will feature different fair foods every day at 3:00 on the midway stage. For instance, on February 8th, there’s a baked potato eating contest; on the 9th, a donut eating contest; and on the 14th, a fried Oreo eating contest. Sign up at the gate between 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Details can be found in the app and on the website.
The Florida State Fair always offers an adventure in food—for better or worse. Whether you seek the familiar or the outrageous, there’s something for every fairgoer willing to take a bite.