Tag: deep-fried treats

Before the gates of this year’s NC State Fair officially open on Thursday, a brave crew from The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer munched our way through some of the most outrageous new foods at the fair’s annual media day preview.

This year’s fair runs Thursday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 26 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, and the menu is as wild as ever with nearly 100 new dishes and drinks.

From fun twists on fair classics like the South of the Border Stuffed Turkey Leg (a turkey leg stuffed with Mexican street corn and cotija cheese), to new creations like the Flaming Hot Cheetos Pickle Pizza and Loaded Breakfast Sausage Stick, we decided to let our taste buds lead the tour.

We sampled lots of tasty dishes at the fairgrounds Monday, Oct. 13, but a handful stood out to us (listed below in alphabetical order). Here’s the scoop.

Bacon mac & cheese cone

• Sweet or savory? Savory
• Description: Creamy mac and cheese with bacon crumbles in a golden cone, topped with a crispy mac and cheese bite and a slice of bacon
• Our take: The mac and cheese is the overpowering flavor, even with smoky bacon and a pizza crust cone. It has a nostalgic Hot-Pockets-after-school feel. (Note: It’s very cheesy!)

BBQ doughnut

• Sweet or savory? Savory
• Description: BBQ dipped in corn meal batter in the shape of a doughnut and sprinkled with bacon bits
• Our take: Hands-down our favorite new food. It’s unassuming at first, since you don’t see the barbecue from the outside, but it’s a burst of flavor once you take a bite. You get the sweetness of the sauce, the crunch of the slaw… just get this donut.

Cheerwine “Dream”

• Sweet or savory? Sweet
• Description: Ice cold refreshing Cheerwine slush drizzled and topped off with a vanilla cream, whipped topping and cake pops with a Cheerwine drizzle
• Our take: Tastes like a sweet mocktail, or an upscale soda float. The lime adds a sharp zing. It’s nicely comparable to Cook Out’s Cheerwine float.

Chocolate covered potato chip caramel apple

• Sweet or savory? Sweet
• Description: Ruffled potato chip dipped in creamy milk chocolate around a buttery caramel apple
• Our take: This treat is the perfect mix of sweet and savory. I’d eat the whole thing! The caramel apple flavor is the most robust, while the potato chips are an additional touch (without overpowering the caramel apple flavor). The green apple’s tartness works well.

Cowgirl bites

• Sweet or savory? Savory
• Description: Pimento cheese and pork BBQ balls battered and deep fried, then drizzled with sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.
• Our take: For fans of spicy food, this has a nice kick with just the right amount of heat from the spiced pork. The sweet sauce drizzled on top was the star of the show, and the pimento cheese shone through in a subtle way.

Hot honey jalapeno popper donut

• Sweet or savory? Savory
• Description: Hand-cut yeast-raised donut frosted with homemade jalapeno cream cheese topped with crumbled bacon, pickled jalapenos and drizzled with hot honey.
• Our take: This donut unifies spice lovers and spice haters alike. (I’m not a spicy food fan and loved this donut.). The cream cheese frosting and jalapeno hint complimented each other so well.

This story has been updated.

This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 12:37 PM.