Readers Vote: Best & Worst Foods at the MN State Fair

Today, it begins. The Great Minnesota Get Together, home of everything you could possibly want to eat on a stick, and more. But with so many eats, how is a fair-goer to choose? Last week, we asked for your take on the best and worst fair foods.

While some responders were split (especially on the surprisingly contentious ubiquitous cheese curds), other clear favorites and not-so-favorites emerged. In no particular order, here are your picks for the best and worst foods at the Minnesota State Fair. (Note: If a commenter gave the reason why something was best or worst, it got a full entry; foods/vendors that were simply named in the comments are listed here as additional bests and worsts.)

Agree? Disagree? Got a new best or a new worst? Let us know in the comments.

The Best

What: Pronto Pup (otherwise known as a corn dog a delicious batter-fried hot dog of a category entirely its own)
Where: Various Locations
Why: Multiple commenters voted for the pronto pup as a state fair favorite. "It may be boring, but my favorite is the good old pronto pup. Classic."

What: Cheese On a Stick
Where: Various Locations (P-29, K-25, O-24)
Why: "I know, I know...but what's not to love about tangy, melted gooey 'cheese' + sweet, crispy corn dog batter? I can't help it. It's a must-have."

What: Minneapple Pie
Where: Minneapple Pie (R-30)
Why: "I LOVE the Minneapple pie stand. We tried it on the first year it was open and it was just fantastic. A huge slab of delicious, warm pie with a scoop of cold ice cream. Nothing better."

What: Beer (all Minnesota-brewed)
Where: Land of 10,000 Beers Exhibit (Agriculture Horticulture Building)
Why: Do you need a reason? "By far the Land of 10,000 Beers exhibit is a great addition—pairs best with cheese curds!"

More Bests: The giant turkey sandwich from Turkey To Go (M-29), the lemonade at Cheese on a Stick (O-24, K-25, P-29), the bacon on a stick at Big Fat Bacon (N-27), the corn on the cob at Corn Roast (P-24), the onion rings at Danielson & Daughters (T-26), the stuffed green pepper at Big Pepper (J-27), the hot dog at Peter's Hot Dogs (T-20, T-26, G-24), malts at the Dairy Goodness Bar (R-31), Spam curds at Spam Burgers (W-21), mini donuts at Tom Thumb Donuts (R-27, U-21), beef jerky at Sausage by Cynthia (Q-29).

The Worst

What: Deep-Fried Cookie Dough
Where: Sonny's Spiral Spuds (T-26, inside the Food Building)
Why: "I love cookie dough, but part of what's great about it is the texture. That's totally lost when it's deep fried. It becomes a nasty liquified overly sweet BLEH."

What: Scotch Egg (on a stick)
Where: Scotch Eggs (J-28)
Why: "I thought I'd love it, but it's a tough thing to eat on a hot summer day."

What: Sweet Martha's Cookies
Where: Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar (L-24)
Why: Several commenters said that Sweet Martha's was on their worst lists: "Over-hyped and not much better than Pillsbury logs, but frequently under baked," wrote one. "Overly sweet to the point the sugar hurts your teeth," wrote another.

The Surprisingly Contentious

What: Cheese Curds
Where: Various Stands
In Favor: "Bests: Cheese curds, enough said."
Against: "Worst: Cheese curds! The ones at the fair are so salty I almost find them inedible; there are way better curds to be had elsewhere around town, year-round (Red Stag and Foxy Falafel have my faves.)"; "Worst: The cheese curds you are excited to get, only to receive a single giant ball of fried mess that tastes like old oil."; "Not fav: cheese curds (one is enough to last a year in your stomach)"
The Compromise: "There's a busy stand in a food barn...place? that has DELICIOUS cheese curds. Other places offer ones that disappoint.The key is how busy they are, I think, They keep their oil fresh and hot." Ed note: This comment seems to be referring to Mouth Trap Cheese Curds, the only cheese curds in the Food Building (T-26)

· What Are the Best (and Worst) Foods at the MN State Fair? [Eater MPLS]
· All Coverage of the Minnesota State Fair [Eater MPLS]
· All Previous Open Threads [Eater MPLS]