Opinion | The best and worst foods I tried at the Iowa State Fair
The Iowa State Fair is often known for its wide variety of food to try, from the good to the bad to the just plain weird.
Hailey Peck
This year's fair was no different, with more than 200 food and drink vendors and 84 new foods alone, there was certainly not a lack of options to choose from. From butter-dipped ice cream cones to mac and cheese donuts, here’s a list of foods my friends and I collectively tried at the state fair, ranked from worst to best.
The Iowa State Fair runs through Sunday.
Fried dill pickle cheese curds, shown at the 2023 Iowa State Fair, brought an unctuous, cheesy mouthfeel but would have been better with actual pickles.
Butter-Dipped Ice Cream Cone
Concession: Coney’s Corner
Price: $6
Rating: 3/10
A photo of the butter-dipped ice cream cone at the Iowa State Fair.
While I didn’t have high expectations for a butter-dipped ice cream cone, I did think there was a world where it would be a pleasant surprise. Instead, it was worse than I expected.
Now, for those who love the taste of salt and sticks of butter, it would make for the perfect treat. While I like both those items when there is a time and place, ice cream is not one of them.
I expected the cone to be dipped in a hard shell that was butter flavored, sort of like the chocolate-covered ones. Instead, it was truly a cone of vanilla ice cream dipped into melted butter.
The best way to describe the butter coating is if someone shredded a frozen stick of butter and cohesively covered the ice cream in the shreds.
Now, this cone got the ranking of 3/10 because while it was not good, it still could have been worse. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re in it for the experience, but it is something that is manageable and doesn’t cause a knee-jerk reaction spit take.
One good thing about the cone was that the butter was easy enough to take off, so the ice cream could be salvaged and enjoyed.
PB&J Corn Dog
Concession: The Sampler Corn Dog Stand
Price: $10
Rating: 6/10
A photo of the PB&J corn dog at the 2026 Iowa State Fair
The peanut butter and jelly corn dog caught me by surprise. Ever since I saw it announced on the new foods list, I was more than skeptical. I truly thought I was going to hate every second of trying the corn dog drizzled with peanut butter and jelly.
Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. While it’s probably not something I would go out of my way to buy again, it wasn’t half bad. At first taking a bite with just the jelly and peanut butter was odd. The peanut butter was fine, but when the sweetness of the jelly kicked in, it was a little weird.
However, the corn dog came with a side of butter and syrup, which upon first glance I was incredibly confused by.
Dipping the corn dog into the syrup elevated the taste significantly. I can’t fully explain why, but it was almost like the butter and syrup canceled out the jelly, making it taste more like a breakfast sausage than a true corn dog.
For this reason, the corn dog gets a 6/10. It wasn’t bad. Not the best thing in the world and probably something I only need to try once, but fairly tasty, nonetheless.
Ultimate Brisket Mac and Cheese Donut
Concession: The Rib Shack
Price: $7
Rating: 7.5/10
A photo of the ultimate brisket mac and cheese donut at the 2026 Iowa State Fair.
This one surprised me. As someone who is not a big fan of smoked meat and barbecue, the brisket was scary to me.
While I stand by the fact that brisket is still not really my thing, the doughnut was still really good. There were a lot of ways I envisioned the doughnut going wrong, first and foremost by it being a glazed doughnut.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the donut was actually a cake doughnut with the mac and cheese stuffed inside. It gave a similar taste to fried mac and cheese bites.
On top of the doughnut was a sweet barbecue sauce and a pile of brisket topped with a jalapeno or two.
Overall, I really enjoyed the donut and thought it was a really good mix for something that at face value seems a little scary.
It gets a 7.5/10 rating, but mostly for the fact that there were foods that were better stacked up against it rather than for a lack of taste.
Porky Parm Gnocchi
Concession: Destination Grille
Price: $14
Rating: 8/10
A photo of the porky parm gnocchi at the 2026 Iowa State Fair.
The Porky Parm Gnocchi was voted as a top-three finalist for Best New Food at the fair and for good reason. This gnocchi was absolutely amazing and tasted like something that would be served at a high-end restaurant.
Plus, it came with a little plastic pig, so what’s not to like? The Porky Parm Gnocchi is gnocchi topped with a pesto drizzle, parmesan cream sauce, Graziano sausage and fresh parsley.
It is an explosion of flavor in your mouth in the best way possible. My only complaint about the dish is how heavy it is.
While the taste is fabulous, it is not something I really want to eat after standing out in the heat all day.
We struggled to finish the dish, not for lack of love but rather to protect our stomachs later on. For that reason, it gets an 8/10. Something I would 100% buy again, but maybe in a restaurant setting versus a fair setting.
Garlic Ranch Pickle Pizza
Concession: Leimon’s Pizzeria
Price: $8
Rating: 8/10
A photo of the garlic ranch pickle pizza at the 2026 Iowa State Fair.
The Garlic Ranch Pickle Pizza is something I discovered by accident. After rounding out a long day at the fair, all I wanted was something tried and true, like a slice of pizza. Plus, the booth was conveniently located on the way to the exit.
While I had plans to just get a regular slice of pepperoni or cheese, I saw the sign for the garlic ranch pickle slice and thought, well, when in Rome.
Now, I’ve learned this one seems a little weird to a lot of people. I didn't find it that odd. I love garlic, I love ranch and I love pickles, so I thought, what’s not to like?
And I am so glad I took the chance. The pizza has a garlic ranch sauce base with pickle slices and cheese. After it comes out of the oven, the pizza is drizzled with ranch, creating one of my new favorite kinds of pizza.
This one gets a rating of 8/10 as well. While the pizza was amazing and I have had it multiple times, there were things that were better.
Patriotic Molten Lava Celebration
Concession: Bauder’s Ice Cream
Price: $12
Rating: 9/10
The aftermath of the patriotic molten lava celebration at the 2026 Iowa State Fair. The dessert did not survive long enough for a before photo.
The patriotic molten lava celebration feels pretty self-explanatory. Who doesn’t love a good dessert?
The treat is a chocolate lava cake on top of a raspberry topping. On top of the lava cake sits two scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and red, white and blue sprinkles.
I will say that the dessert is fairly large, so be ready to indulge your sweet tooth, but it is worth every bite. The lava cake melts in your mouth and it is all around just a classic, good dessert.
This one gets a 9/10 because it’s a solid treat all the way around.
Garlic Dill Pickle Cheese Curds
Concession: Brad & Harry’s Cheese Curds
Price: $9
Rating: 9.5/10
A photo of the garlic dill pickle cheese curds at the 2026 Iowa State Fair.
The garlic dill pickle cheese curds almost took the No. 1 spot. As a true Midwesterner, I love a good cheese curd and, as previously mentioned, also love garlic and pickles.
I had my eyes on these from the minute the new fair food list was announced, knowing they were going to be a must-try. They did not disappoint.
While super greasy food isn’t my favorite, I didn’t care when it came to these cheese curds. They have certainly been a repeat buy so far.
They are all around just a really solid deep-fried cheese curd that I could, for better or worse, sit and eat all day. For this reason, it gets 9.5/10.
Deep-Fried Bacon Brisket Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese
Concession: What’s Your Cheez?
Price: $14
Rating: 10/10
A photo of the deep-fried bacon brisket mac and cheese grilled cheese at the 2026 Iowa State Fair.
The deep-fried bacon brisket mac and cheese grilled cheese looks like a heart attack waiting to happen. That being said, it gets a 10/10, no notes.
This was another fluke find. One of my friends saw someone order it and decided it was a necessity, and after tasting it, I couldn’t agree more.
The sandwich also comes with a side of raspberry chipotle sauce, which elevates the flavors to a new level I cannot put into words.
My recommendation is to definitely try a sandwich, but unless you’ve been saving your appetite for only the sandwich, make sure to bring someone to share it with.
This is the only food where every person in the group agreed on a rating. It was simply that good.
