RALEIGH — The State Fair returns Thursday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 26, bringing the smells, sights and sounds that have made it a fall tradition for generations — plus a few new flavors you’ll want to hunt down before enjoying nearly 100 rides including new editions – if you dare – the Colossus, The Flip Side and Kamikaze.
On Monday’s “Deep Fried Media Day,” the finest fair foods were rolled out for sampling, and this year’s lineup is bolder than ever. The fried, the stacked and the unexpected all make an appearance, from lamb chops and shawarma burgers to pizza croissants and a barbecue-stuffed doughnut.
We wish we could’ve eaten everything, but here’s the best we could muster:
Leading the lineup is the Golden K-Dog — a Korean-style corn dog deep-fried to a perfect golden crisp and rolled in your choice of toppings like sugar, potato or spicy hot-Cheeto crumbs. Crispy outside, gooey inside, it’s exactly the kind of fair food that earns its name.If you’re craving something heartier, Lawrence & Perry Barbeque brings Deep-Fried Lamb Chops, breaded, fried and drizzled with a balsamic honey maple glaze, finished with dried mint. Neomonde Mediterranean adds an international twist with the Carolina Shawarma Burger, layering beefand lamb with coleslaw, spiced barbecue sauce and jalapeños on a toasted brioche bun.
Barbecue makes its way into plenty of creative corners. Fat Boys BBQ’s Cowgirl Bites mix pimento cheese and pulled pork into fried, sauce-drizzled bites, while Hickory Tree Turkey BBQ’s Stuffed Turkey Leg hides Mexican street corn and cotija cheese inside a massive smoked drumstick.
If comfort food’s your thing, Hot Chix Hotcakes & Chicken delivers the Chicken Caesar Mac Stack — layers of mac and cheese, fried chicken, Caesar dressing, parmesan andcrushed Cheez-Its. Lee’s Kitchen goes soulful with Oxtail Fried Rice, and Chick-N-Que’s Dirty Duck Bowl piles on duck, dirty rice, peppers and onions with chili sauce and crispy wonton chips.
You’ll also find plenty of international flavor: Cool Runnings Jamaican serves up a fiery Jerk Trio of jerk pork, jerk barbecue chicken and jerk pork belly tacos, while Arepa Loca LLC’s La Montanera (The Country Girl) layers pork belly, rice, beans and chorizo inside a warm arepa.
D&J Concessions has the BBQ Doughnut; a glazed doughnut stuffed with pulled pork and smoky sauce. The Cheese Curd Shack fries up Home Style Ranch Cheese Curds, LaFarm Bakery rolls out a Pizza Croissant, and Oak City Fish and Chips delivers a Swordfish Pop — fried swordfish bites on a stick, drizzled with their “special addictive sauce.”
Fair Director Kent Yelverton emceed the afternoon tasting. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said the food lineup captures the spirit of the fair: “It’s where North Carolina’s creativity shows up on a plate,” he said. “Our food vendors represent the best mix of tradition and innovation you’ll find anywhere.”
Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson focused on keeping the fun safe. “We want people to have the confidence to ride, eat and enjoy without worrying,” he said. “Our inspectors will be on-site every hour the fair is open, checking rides and making sure operations are safe so families can focus on the memories, not the mechanics.”
Whether it’s jerk pork, fried cheese curds or that golden Korean corn dog everyone’s talking about, this year’s State Fair menu offers one guarantee — you won’t leave hungry, and you probably won’t leave clean.
Top 5 Foods to Try at the 2025 NC State Fair
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Golden K-Dog
A Korean-style corn dog fried to perfection and rolled in your choice of potato, sugar or spicy crumbs. Melty, crunchy and impossible to eat neatly. -
Deep-Fried Lamb Chops – Lawrence & Perry Barbeque
Breaded and fried lamb chops with balsamic honey maple glaze and a hint of dried mint. -
Carolina Shawarma Burger – Neomonde Mediterranean
Lamb-and-beef shawarma meets Carolina barbecue in a handheld meal that could win best mashup. -
Chicken Caesar Mac Stack – Hot Chix Hotcakes & Chicken Mac and cheese, fried chicken and Caesar dressing, all topped with Cheez-It dust for extra crunch.
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BBQ Doughnut – D&J Concessions
A glazed doughnut stuffed with smoky pulled pork. Sweet, salty and unapologetically fair worthy.
Dirty Cheerwine and Deep-Fried Lamb Chops: Lawrence & Perry BBQ of Warren County won Best Fried Savory Food for theirDeep-Fried Lamb Chop, while D&J Concessions drew crowds with their BBQ Doughnut.
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