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Wild and wonderful new foods, drinks debut at the 2025 Iowa State Fair
You may want to try some of this year’s weirdest, most novel standouts
Aug. 8, 2025 3:47 pm, Updated: Aug. 11, 2025 7:49 am
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DES MOINES — “Fair Sweet Fair” is the name of the game in this year’s Iowa State Fair theme.
But you’d be selling yourself short if you stopped at sweet.
Salty, crunchy, doughy, fresh, savory, creamy, bubbly, chewy — take your pick of adjectives among this year’s newest novelties.
Oh — and don’t forget “weird.”
All’s fair in the game of Iowa State fare. See our thoughts on this year’s contenders before choosing your own adventure.
1. Saigon Lobster Bomb by Saigonais Cuisine
This creation isn’t new — at least not to its creators.
The Saigon Lobster Bomb from Vietnamese vendor Saigonais Cuisine is a treat adapted from Vietnamese and Chinese culture — the Banh Tom Chien.
In Asia, it would be made with head-on shrimp. But in Iowa, the creators didn’t think that would go over so well.
Down the street on the fairgrounds, decadent lobster rolls are going for $100. While lobster isn’t a widely used meat in most Asian cuisine, they wanted to make lobster an accessible treat — not just for fancy meals.
While the owners are humble about their new dish, I believe it’s the definition of innovation among a sea of compounded novelties and dishes created partly for shock value — a form of advertising in a crowded field.
A golden batter crust surprised my teeth with a dense, doughy underbelly right below the crunchy surface. Fresh cilantro, pickled daikon and shredded carrots come to life on the tongue with swirls of sweet Hoisin that disarms the Sriracha sauce, turning the punctuation from an exclamation point into a semicolon that makes you return for another bite.
Each element holds up without getting soggy or limp.
“It carries so well because it stays crispy,” said Tony Truong, co-owner of Saigonais Cuisine. “It’s finger-licking good.”
Unlike other lobster novelties at the fair that arrive to great fanfare with social media influencers, such as the lobster corn dog, this interpretation is arriving quietly with a quality composition that’s too nuanced to make loud headlines.
It’s a paragon of the American story — taking elements from multiple cultures and transforming them into something entirely new.
2. The Butcher’s Donut by Destination Grille
With a “Fair Sweet Fair” theme this year, creators Mark and Jonnann Hanrahan wanted to do something sweet that could please everyone. That includes the farmers every year requesting new flavors with more meat, Jonnann said.
When I read all the hearty meats in the description — bacon, ground beef, Graziano sausage — I envisioned a very chunky snack. But this presentation is quite neat and tidy, with finely minced meats encrusting the doughnut.
A symphony of savory meat notes compete for attention with a pleasantly dense mouthfeel. The glaze is adjacent to a sweet and sour sauce or hamball glaze. A raspy, peppery voice from the Graziano sausage commands my attention as I chew.
Then, queso cheese drizzled on top and the sweet glaze work perfectly in tandem — to my surprise. A tortilla chip stuck to the bottom of my first bite adds a proper crunch and dash of salt, punctuating this bite with serendipity.
You’re probably going to judge this by its name and description, but be sure to give it a fair shot with a proper taste.
3. Choc-O-Taters by Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association
This year’s offering from a mainstay vendor in the Agriculture Building is very different from its typical treats with berries or ice cream, and that’s exactly why they chose it.
Boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes form these “tots” with a higher proportion of coconut before being frozen and dipped in chocolate. On top, lemon and raspberry is piped in zigzags to look like ketchup and mustard.
The chocolate is rich and smooth, adjusting to melt on my tongue on contact after being pulled from the freezer.
The potato blends seamlessly with the coconut, adding cohesion and a more buffered texture to the coconut. Judging by taste, you wouldn’t even know it’s there.
It’s a novel idea with cheeky presentation that demonstrates range from this creator. Just as important, it’s refreshing on a hot day.
4. Deep Fried Banana Cream Pie by Taylor Concessions
After doing desserts for three years, owner Preston Taylor wanted to try something with banana.
The name is slightly misleading, as there is no cream or pie in this. Just banana. Taylor said the battered banana’s carmelization in the fryer “almost tastes like a cream pie.”
I agree with the operative word — almost.
Well dusted accoutrements of graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar add a velvet mouthfeel, alongside the chocolate sauce on top.
The banana is soft, gooey and slightly caramelized under the batter. If you squint your tongue, you can kind of taste a banana cream pie.
Still, it’s a decent new treat incorporating an underutilized fruit at the State Fair.
5. State Fair Nerds Beer at The Depot
This new custom brew from Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines makes good on inspiration that started at the Iowa State Fair’s rival, the Minnesota State Fair.
Brandon Shroeder from The Depot said he was inspired by similar work up there, where a green caramel apple beer caught his eye.
And if they can do that, why not a Nerds beer?
“We don’t steal ideas, but we replicate what other fairs do around the country,” he said.
Bright and colorful with a deep orange hue, this looks like what would happen if Willy Wonka had a brewery instead of a chocolate factory. Crushed rainbow Nerds on the rim take on the sticky consistency of a Nerds Rope as they ooze down the side of the cup.
I love a good sour and a sweet beer. This is so sweet that I started sipping at it cautiously — it can be dangerous for the wrong person.
Each sip has a heavy permeation of orange and lemon with hints of lime and grapefruit.
If you love sweet beers and approach this with a sense of whimsy, you will probably enjoy it. If you like your beer to have a little bite, find something else.
6. Double Bacon Cheeseburger Balls by Bacon Box
Bacon Box works on their Iowa State Fair concoctions years in advance. When they saw the Bacon Cheeseburger Eggroll by Winn & Sara’s Kitchen take the top honor in the 2024 People’s Choice Best New Food Contest, they took note of the trend.
Bacon wrapped around the outside has a nice even texture. Not too crispy, not too rubbery.
Ground beef inside is just as even, with few peaks or valleys. It’s a pleasant texture with a fatty undertone.
All of it is bookended by an opening spike of the secret sauce (think Big Mac sauce) and melted cheddar cheese at the center for a smooth finish.
The beef was formed with ketchup, mustard and pickle inside, but those ingredients were very subtle.
7. Pickled Pink by Pickle Dawg and Footlongs
Every “dawg” has its day, but even in the dog days of August, I will search for alternatives to quench my thirst.
I can’t fault the vendor. With pickle juice and pink lemonade, it’s exactly what they said it would be. But the proportion is quite heavy on the pickle juice in a mixture with what tastes like soda fountain Minute Maid lemonade.
This could have had a chance with a more elevated preparation — maybe with lemonade made from scratch and a little less pickle juice.
There is a lid for every cup, and I’m sure this will hit the spot for a few folks out there. For most, this will not be a good fit.
If you try it, be sure to go to the right vendor. There is more than one with a very similar looking stall and offerings. The one that serves the pickled lemonade is located near the Giant Slide.
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
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