With more than 200 food stands and 50 foods on a stick, deciding what to eat and drink at the Iowa State Fair is one of the best (and most delicious) problems you can have. We’re here to help with our new list of Best Iowa State Fair Food and Drink, as voted by locals. From Pickle Dawgs to buckets of cookies, we’ve got everything for your foodie bucket list. 

*All of our Des Best lists are crowdsourced and voted by locals.* 

Corn Dog 

If you go to a fair and don’t get the corndog, were you really there? What’s left to say about this deep fried, foot-long symbol of deep-fried Americana? Something about a corndog at the fair just hits different.  

Find it at: Turn around. There’s probably a corn dog stand right behind you. BUT, our locals say that Campbell’s is the best.

Hot Beef Sundae  

If your idea of dessert involves an extra helping of savory carbs rather than sweets, the hot beef sundae is here for you. Two scoops of mashed potatoes are smothered with tender roast beef and gravy, a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese, and a red cherry tomato on top. Sundae Funday, indeed.   

Find it at: Beef Promotions of Iowa – SE corner of Walnut Square or at Cattlemen’s. 

Lobster Roll 

The fair is all about extravagance and nothing says YOLO like the lobster roll at JR’s SouthPork Ranch, which is the media darling and fan favorite of the fair. The price tag didn’t deter nearly 12,000 fairgoers from lining up out the door to get their hands on the bulky, sweet lobster claw meat served in a buttered and toasted brioche bun. In fact, it was so popular that it was recently voted one of Des Best Sandwiches in town.  

Find it at: JR’s SouthPork Ranch – west of Livestock Pavilion 

Italian Grinder 

If you’re not local Des Moines, then you may not know that we’ve got a pretty big Italian population here! So, it’s really no shock that our locals are seeking out an Italian Grinder at the state fair. The best part? Most source their Italian sausage right here from Des Moines’ very own Graziano Brothers. 

Find it at: Aunt Mary's- next to JR SouthPork Ranch on Rock Island Ave 

Barksdale’s Cookies  

This bucket (or cup) of warm, fresh-out-of-oven mini chocolate chip cookie is so popular that the fair often sells them at different weekends throughout the year to sellout crowds. This crowd-pleaser is the cookie equivalent of a Marvel movie; everybody loves them and keeps coming back for more. Instead of staying for the end credits, you’re staying for the glass of cold milk.   

Find it at: Barksdale’s Cookies – West of Grandstand

Pork Chop on a Stick 

As the #1 pork producing state in the union, this dish perfectly encapsulates everything about the Iowa State Fair. Star of every obligatory, sleeves-rolled-up, political State Fair photo op, this flavorful, no frills offering delights in its simplicity and packs a protein punch that will help you rationalize all the other carbs and sugar on this list.    

Find it at: Iowa Pork Producers Association — NE of Ag Building on Grand Avenue; Rock Island West of Pavilion  

Pro tip: Its hipster cousin, Pork Belly on a Stick, is a decadent change of pace, and can be found at the same vendors. 

Pickle Pizza 

Skip the boring old pepperoni or sausage and add pickles! Here in the Midwest, pickles are pretty much on par with how much we love ranch. Sprinkle a few of those bad boys on a bed of cheese and bread, and it doesn’t get much better!  

Find it at: The Depot — west of the Varied Industries Building. 

Veggie Corn Dog 

This fair food has been around for a few years now and during its lifetime, it’s certainly drummed up a cult following among both vegetarians and meat eaters alike! Try it for yourself; you just might like it better than the OG. 

Find it at: The Veggie Table — on the Ground Concourse, north of the Varied Industries Building. 

State Fair Lemonade 

Much like the corndog, something about the State Fair transforms this otherwise everyday refreshment into something decidedly more delicious. Maybe it’s the copious amounts of sugar. Or the souvenir cup. Either way, we’re beyond counting calories at this point, so go ahead and supersize it.   

Find it at: Just about everywhere

Bauder’s Ice Cream Bar

There is no shortage of options to satisfy your sweet tooth at the fair. A funnel cake? You do you, but you can quench that craving at any street fair. For an experience authentic to the Iowa State Fair, try Bauder’s Peppermint Bars; mouth-watering hunks of frozen peppermint ice cream sandwiched between layers of hot fudge and a crushed Oreo crust. There’s an “I scream” pun here to be made, but we’re busy wiping the drool off our keyboard.   

Find it at: Bauder’s Ice Cream — SW side of Ag building   

Grater Taters 

When you see someone walking around with a big paper plate of spiraled goodness, it’s one of two things: a funnel cake or grater taters. Homemade potato chips, sliced super thin, and fried up until super crispy, you can top them with cheese, bacon bits, jalapenos, or ranch. Motion to change the name to State Fair Nachos?  

Find it at: Grater Taters — West of Anne and Bill Riley Stage. 

Pickle Dawg 

Pickle wraps — or Iowa sushi as we like to call them — are a staple of every Iowa potluck ever. Here, they get the State Fair treatment; a dill pickle spear is wrapped in regular or spicy cream cheese, wrapped in ham or pastrami, and deep fried. Plus, check out Dawghouse Concessions' second location this year on the southeast side of the Varied Industries Building. More room for Pickle Dawgs! 

Find it at: Dawghouse Concessions — Southeast of the VI Building, North Side of Walk on Triangle 

Deep Fried Sweets 

Candy bars, twinkie, pies, brownies, cakes, Oreos, and pretty much anything above 20g of sugar can and will be fried at the Iowa State Fair. These veteran state fair foods continue to be relevant as every year vendors push the envelope to see what can be done next. If they're fryin’ it, we’re tryin’ it.  

Find it at: Pretty much anywhere. For real. 

New Fair Foods 

Everyone looks forward to what crazy concoctions the State Fair will come up with each year. Here are the top three fair foods that fairgoers can vote for this year’s best fair food of 2026 (in no particular order).

Porky Parm Gnocchi 

It’s rich, decadent, and absolutely cheesy. The Porky Parm Gnocchi is unapologetically salty and savory with creamy gnocchi, pork sausage, pesto, and parmesan cheese to top it all off. Plus, you get an adorable little piggy with every serving; a true icon of our state. 

Find it at: Destination Grille — west of Jacobson Building 

Breakfast Egg Rolls 

We weren’t surprised, but equally pleased, that Winn & Sara’s came back another year with another iconic egg roll. This year’s is a breakfast egg roll with scrambled egg, sausage, bacon, and cheese, topped with a drizzle of cheesy ranch. And trust us, this hefty roll lives up to all the hype. 

Find it at: Winn & Sara’s Kitchen — southwest of Jacobson Building 

The Ultimate Minneapple Pie 

Where cinnamon and apple meet to marry, this apple pie is a nostalgic Midwest treat. The Minneapple Pie sweetened the hearts of so many that it rose the ranks to become a must-have sweet treat this year. An apple cinnamon hand pie dusted in cinnamon sugar and paired with both vanilla and cinnamon ice cream....is there anything better?

Find it at: Minneapple Pie — near the Anne and Bill Riley Stage

Get Your Iowa State Fair Food Fix 

We know that one of the biggest reasons why people visit the Iowa State fair year after year is for the food. Let’s not deny it! Embrace your love for all things deep fried, sugary, salty, and sweet by checking out this year’s full list of NEW fair foods and drinks.