The State Fair of Texas, renowned for its culinary creativity, has announced the finalists for the 2025 Big Tex Choice Awards, showcasing innovative dishes and drinks that will be available at the fair from September 26 to October 19 at Fair Park.
The annual competition, a tradition since 2005, highlights concessionaires’ bold creations across savory, sweet, and sipper categories. Winners will be revealed on August 21 after a live tasting by judges. The Big Tex Choice Awards are sponsored this year by the Karbach Brewing Company.
Savory Finalists
- Brisket & Brew Stuffed Pretzels (Glen & Sherri Kusak): Slow-smoked brisket and beer cheese made with sharp cheddar and hearty brew are encased in hand-rolled pretzel dough, baked with sea salt for a crispy, gooey bite. Served with spicy mustard or BBQ sauce, it pairs with Karbach’s Ziegenbock.
- Crab & Mozzarella Arancini (Stefan T. Nedwetzky): Handcrafted rice balls blend Maryland Blue Crab, mozzarella, white rice, spring onion, red bell pepper, lemon, and herbs like garlic and basil. Coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried, they come with marinara sauce and pair with Karbach’s Hopadillo IPA.
- Deep Fried Deli Tacos (Brent & Juan Reaves): Peppery pastrami, mashed potatoes, white cheese, and chives are tucked into a corn tortilla, deep-fried, and served with a spicy green sauce. This deli-taqueria fusion pairs with Karbach’s Ranch Water Hard Seltzer.
- Vietnamese Crunch Dog (The Le Family): A corn dog reimagined with marinated meat in a fluffy batter, coated with panko and bánh mì crumbs, deep-fried, and topped with sriracha mayo and pickled veggies. It pairs with Karbach’s Hopadillo Juicy IPA.
- Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders (Kendall Williams): Cajun-seasoned Wagyu patties with cheddar and applewood bacon are sandwiched between panko-crusted, deep-fried deviled egg halves. Served with a ketchup-inspired sauce, they pair with Karbach’s Hopadillo IPA.
Sweet Finalists
- Candy Lemon Sour Face (Chef Heather J. Perkins): A candy-coated lemon delivers a sweet-sour punch, offering a tart rollercoaster of flavors. It pairs with Karbach’s Love Street.
- Chill & Thrill Delight (Tony & Terry Bednar): A Texas-sized cup of diced mango, pineapple, watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, and strawberries in watermelon juice with lime, topped with mango sorbet. It pairs with Karbach’s Hopadillo Juicy IPA.
- Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake (Stephen El Gidi): Layers of Belgian chocolate, pistachio spread, kataifi, tahini, and New York-style cheesecake are topped with chocolate drizzle, pistachio cream, and crushed pistachios. It pairs with Karbach’s Ziegenbock.
- Rousso’s Dubai Chocolate Funnel Cake Fries (Isaac & Joey Rousso): Funnel cake strips drizzled with Belgian chocolate, pistachio cream, and knafeh pastry pieces offer a nutty, crispy treat. They pair with Karbach’s Ziegenbock.
- Tex’s Toast á la Mode (Michelle & Jayse Edwards): A French toast bake with Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream, caramel, maple syrup, and cinnamon cereal crunch provides a comforting, sweet bite. It pairs with Karbach’s Ranch Water Hard Seltzer.
Sipper Finalists
- Coconut Quadruple (Binh Tran & My Vo): A fresh young coconut filled with a coconut slushy, topped with coconut soft-serve and flakes, delivers a tropical escape.
- Cookie Chaos Milkshake (Brad Weiss): A cookie butter milkshake with snickerdoodle, Golden Oreo, and classic Oreo pieces, topped with whipped cream, Biscoff cookie dough, and a cookie butter drizzle, rimmed with crushed Biscoff.
- Hot Honeycomb Lemonade Shake Up (Tom Grace): Fresh-squeezed lemonade with honey and jalapeños, rimmed with chamoy and Tajin, and topped with honeycomb. An alcohol option elevates the kick.
- Nevins Dirty Red Bull® Tex-Arita (Josey Nevins Mayes & Tami Jo Nevins Mayes): A layered cocktail with sweet cream liquor, Blue Razz Pop Rocks, Watermelon and Blueberry Red Bull margarita, topped with more Pop Rocks, blueberries, and watermelon.
- Poppin’ Boba Rita (Justin Martinez): A frozen lime margarita with mango or strawberry wine-infused boba pearls, optionally enhanced with creamy foam, coconut syrup, and a Tajin rim.
More than 2 million expected visitors to the 2025 State Fair of Texas, themed “Texas Shines Bright,” will have the opportunity to savor these finalist entries — whether they win the competition or not — during the nation’s largest state fair.