Our feet and bodies sore. Sleep is a distant memory. And yet, our excitement is somehow even higher than before. We headed back to the Minnesota State Fair for a second round. It’s a chance to conquer the long lines that defeated us previously. It’s a challenge to find the dishes that wow and hopefully avoid the dishes that ow. This is the official recap of Day Two.
West End Brews
Grain Belt Blu with Frozen Topper
This may not be a new beverage, but it was our first time trying it and on a pleasantly warm summer morning it hit the spot. The frozen topper was dense and bright, the beer within was easy drinking and crisp. I don’t pick up blueberry flavor in the beer necessarily, but in an ocean of State Fair beers that ring loudly of cloying sugar and heavy artificial flavors this beer still is a refreshingly beer-tastingbeer.
Verdict: Get
Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer
The hype is real with this one with many reviewers proclaiming it as one of the standout winners of the fair this year. So, needless to say the expectations were high here, and after seeing a line of people roughly 50 deep the first day it was a relief to see an empty line on day two. Did it live up to the hype? The flavor was nice; it retained the flavor of the popular beer from Pryes nicely, but the one part that really through us off was the texture. For all of the comments saying that this was creamy we expected it to be creamy; what we found, instead, was large ice crystals and a texture similar to a dense, overly frozen slushie. Perhaps it got over-churned, or something in the ratios got mixed up? It was still enjoyable, but if you’re looking for a soft serve-esque treat this may not be it for you.
Verdict: Get
Greater Tater
Bacon and Cheddar and Breakfast Skillet Tater Kegs
Another incredibly long line on the first day that we visited that made it not feasible to try, we were pleased to find a much more manageable wait the second time around. While there has been some chatter about these it has been far less than other items. Undeterred, this was one of the foods I had to have this year. These were great. Think a better tater tot in every single way: crisp and airy outside, soft and wonderfully flavored and seasoned inside. Not greasy in any way, and lighter than I expected. These are every bit worth the praise they have garnered so far but are definitely worth even more than that. These are what any tater tot should aspire to be when they grow up.
Verdict: Get
Andy’s Grille
Hurricane
Big Wood Brewing’s take on the iconic New Orleans rum cocktail couldn’t be good, right? Wrong. This drink hasn’t been talked about much and that’s a shame. This was actually one of the better new drinks this year, and one that you should have on your list. It carried the flavors and identity of the namesake drink and was nicely balanced. It wasn’t overly sweet, didn’t taste fake, and my glass was empty before I realized it. If you want something a bit different at the fair this year then try this one.
Verdict: Get
Dino’s Gyros
Pomegranate Spritzer
I’ve long been a fan of Duluth’s Wild State Cider and had high hopes for this offering at Dino’s. Unfortunately, I found there to be a strange, buttered popcorn character to it that didn’t jive with my palate. Another taster, on the other hand, enjoyed it and said that the “pomegranate comes through, but could be stronger and more in your face and tart. But it’s very easy drinking.”
Verdict: Up to you
Greek Goddess
I ordered this on a whim knowing full well that I don’t care for Ouzo and expecting it to be a dumped beverage. Boy was I wrong. Of all of the Lift Bridge beverages I’ve had so far, this takes the cake for me. The Ouzo character (anise) is there but it doesn’t dominate. The pomegranate balances and blends wonderfully with the anise character. If this isn’t a typical combination it should be.
Verdict: Get
Minnesota Farmer’s Union Coffee Shop
Bison Meatball Sub
This was one of the items on my short list of things to get, and once the early reviews came back saying it was a triumph my interest was heightened. The flavor of the meatballs was great – deep and unctuous, hearty and with a slight gamey sweetness. The bread, although dense, had a lovely flavor, and the quick pickles inside the sandwich had just enough acid to cut through the richness. In another case of it depends on when you get your food, though, our meatballs were overcooked and quite dry, and we strangely found the sandwich a bit more enjoyable when taking the meatballs out. I have my money on it that this sandwich is great most of the time and no qualms about recommending it.
Verdict: Get
Maple Cream Nitro Cold Press Coffee
I loved this coffee. Sure, there is some inherent sweetness here, but this coffee drink actually tastes like coffee first and foremost. The maple wasn’t overpowering, but was there just enough to keep it interesting. I would have happily went back for seconds and thirds; my caffeine intake levels be damned.
Verdict: Get
Union Hmong Kitchen
Shrimp & Pork Toast On-A-Stick
Look, Yia Vang’s food is creative and great, and I will happily eat it anytime. This shrimp toast, however, was not it for us. The toast soaked up so much oil that we could have wrung it out like a gym towel. The flavor tasted more of fryer oil than pork or shrimp. The sauce accompanying the dish tasted of a store-bought sweet chili sauce. The bites that were lucky enough to have a minced piece of cilantro on it were more enjoyable, but there was nowhere near enough fresh herbs or acid on the toast itself for us. Listening to others around us discussing their toast it seemed as though we were not the only ones with this experience. Execution error? Possibly, but I couldn’t bring myself to try a second round of it, especially when considering the price.
Verdict: Up to you
Holy Land
Tandoori Chicken Quesaratha
The flavors here were pretty good. It wasn’t an in-your-face with spices, which I appreciated, and the paratha bread was crisp, light and flaky. It was a touch dense, but if they were going for a quesadilla-inspired dish then they nailed it. The dipping sauce – Holy Land’s avocado cilantro lime – was the herby, acidic punch that this dish absolutely needed and tied the entire thing together.
Verdict: Get
Granny’s Apples + Lemonade
Green Apple Sucker Ice Cream
It’s tart and sweet and tastes remarkably, impossibly even, like the suckers from childhood. This is a heavy hit of nostalgia all wrapped up in a creamy, delicious cold treat, and I am here for it.
Verdict: Get
Tejas Express
Churro Cream Ale
Headflyer Brewing came out of the gates swinging with this beer and for me hit it out of the park. It was a bit reminiscent of the fair favorite Mini Donut Beer, but lighter in flavor, crisper and carries more actual beer flavor. It’s dusted with cinnamon sugar across the entire top rather than just the rim and the entire experience is a joy to drink. If you’re looking for a more punchy, sweeter and heavier flavored beverage then get the Mini Donut; if you want more of a beer that also has some warming spice flavors that don’t overpower the beer then this is the one you want.
Verdict: Get
Babas
Fawaffle
I’m not sure what I was expecting with this, but I was surprised that it did carry a lot of the falafel character throughout this dish. Our fawaffle unfortunately didn’t come with hummus on it and the line was way too long to wait and try and fix so that was a definite knock against the execution on this one. The flavors while good were a bit soft – maybe that hummus would’ve helped – and the tomatoes tasted like the bland grocery store cherry tomatoes rather than bright and sweet, but the green shatta did some wonders for this dish. We enjoyed this one, but I found myself wondering what this would be like if there was perhaps a lemon to squeeze, or even a nice yogurt sauce possibly with dill to eat it with. There was a very pleasant heat on this dish, though.
Verdict: Get
And with that, our second marathon day of eating comes to a close. If Day One was about the initial shock and awe of the new food list, Day Two was a lesson in persistence and the great State Fair lottery. It’s a crucial reminder that for many of these dishes, the experience can vary wildly depending on when you arrive at the window. A triumph of flavor can be foiled by a long wait under a heat lamp, and a perfect bite is often a matter of pure, simple timing.
Ultimately, that’s part of the magic and the madness of it all. The official lists are a great starting point, but the real joy comes from the unexpected discoveries—the under-the-radar drink that becomes your new favorite, or the divisive dish that just happens to be made perfectly the moment you order it. But that’s our take.
The Minnesota State Fair truly is a magical, massive, shared experience, and every visit is uniquely yours. As the 2025 Fair wraps up in the coming days we’d love to hear from you! What were your highlights this year? Did you get a perfect batch of something we found flawed? Did you discover a hidden gem we need to chase down?
Let us know in the comments below!
