FAIR-Tastic Food Competition at the San Diego County Fair

A COMPETITION TO DROOL OVER

The San Diego County Fair is back with our tastiest competition—the Fair-tastic Food Competition. Featuring our collaborators in culinary creations, this competition is guaranteed to get your taste buds buzzing!

We've challenged our food concessionaires to enter culinary creations in three distinct categories, each with two classes: SWEET & SAVORY.

SO SAN DIEGO

San Diego cuisine is inspired by the unique culture of America’s Finest County. Think ingredients sourced from the local land and sea—Fallbrook avocados, Carlsbad strawberries and fresh seafood. San Diegans love traditional south-of-the-border and Cali-Mex flavor combos...Hello, California Burrito! How can we fit SD flare into Fair fare?

WOW

In the words of Bonnie Raitt, “Let’s give them something to talk about!” We’ve all drooled over some awe-inspiring menu item we’ve seen on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, amiright? These foods are often colorful, creative, ethnically-inspired, or over-the top in some crazy way.

THEME

This year’s theme, “Once Upon a Fair,” is a celebration of stories, books and authors—and the magic found between the lines! The challenge here is to create cuisine inspired by, or featured in, a favorite book. After all, doesn't “Green Eggs and Ham” sounds delicious?!

Top 18 Finalists Announced

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10
Announced by 10pm

A judging panel will narrow the field down to the Top 18 finalists — three in each category and class.

Live Championship • Fair-tastic Finals

FRIDAY, JUNE 12
11:30am • Paddock Stage

A live championship production hosted by Z90.3's Rick Morton, and judges Troy Johnson of San Diego Magazine and the Food Network, Claudia Sandoval of Claudia's Cucina and MasterChef, and a panel of Fair-tastic VIP Guest Judges.

All 18 of our Fair-tastic Finalist foods will be offered HALF PRICE EVERY FRIDAY from 11am-4pm. Why not come every Friday so you can try them all!

2026 FAIR-TASTIC FOOD SEMI-FINALISTS

Check out the list of contenders below.

So San Diego—Savory

Gaslamp Birria Melt

So San Diego — Savory

Between the Buns

A bold San Diego twist on birria, this downtown-inspired melt layers slow-braised beef on a toasted bolillo with local craft lager, Oaxaca and Jack cheese, Baja cabbage, charred corn, avocado, chipotle-lime crema, and roasted tomatillo salsa verde. Served with hot consomé for dipping.

Mozzarella Stuffed Chorizo Sonoran Dog

So San Diego — Savory

Flaco's

A Mexican Chorizo Sausage packed with gooey mozzarella and wrapped in crispy bacon. A bolillo bun cradles this dog while it gets smothered in beans, mayo, mustard, and topped with fresh Pico de Gallo, and Cotija cheese. This dog is the perfect spicy upgrade to a classic southern street food.

Crispy Chicken Shawarma Wrap

So San Diego — Savory

Chicken Charlie's

Inspired by Chicken Charlie’s Syrian roots and San Diego spirit, this golden, griddled wrap is filled with tender chicken marinated in traditional shawarma spices, then finished with creamy garlic sauce, tahini, pickled turnips, and fresh accompaniments for a bold, flavorful handheld bite.

Birria Pizza

So San Diego — Savory

Pat's Pizza

This crispy hand-tossed pie is topped with tender birria, melted Oaxaca and Monterey Jack, charred corn, pickled onions, and cilantro, then finished with chipotle-lime crema. Served with rich consommé for dipping every slice.

Tailgatin' Taquito Bucket

So San Diego — Savory

Paddock Club

And the crowd goes wild! A family-sized party bucket loaded with handmade, local San Diego Taquitos, house made Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Shredded Lettuce & Cilantro. Sprinkled with Cotija Cheese & topped with Smoky, Spicy Chicharrons. Grab a drink, grab your friends, and celebrate every bite like it’s a game-winning goal!

Lobster Nachos

So San Diego — Savory

Stizzy's Oyster House

Not'cho average Nachos! Fresh chips get covered in a creamy Alfredo sauce and topped with huge chunks of garlic buttery lobster. This coastal delicacy is finished with red and green onion, and a drizzle of sriracha aioli.

Baja Bacon Birria Bomb

So San Diego — Savory

Bacon Nation

Crispy bacon-wrapped mini quesadilla stuffed with tender birria beef and melty Oaxaca cheese, topped with tangy Baja slaw and chipotle honey, served with a smoky consommé for dipping.

Churro Dog

So San Diego — Savory

West Coast Weenies

A ballpark-inspired fair treat, this airy battered roll is filled with your choice of cheese or all-beef hot dog, fried until golden, rolled in cinnamon, and finished with a sweet glaze—bringing sweet-and-savory flavor worthy of a Padres grand slam.

Pineapple Guava Spam Bao Bun

So San Diego — Savory

Boba King

This San Diego fusion bite pairs fried SPAM in sticky pineapple guava glaze with bright daikon citrus slaw and tangy pickled cucumbers on a spongy bao bun. Sweet, salty, zesty, and fresh, it brings sunny coastal flavor to every crave-worthy bite.

Street Corn Baked Potato

So San Diego — Savory

Corn Star & Hot Potato Club

A street corn-inspired giant baked potato loaded with butter, sweet corn, smoky chipotle mayo, crispy bacon, and fresh jalapeños, then topped with Tajín- and Cotija-crusted fried corn ribs. Spicy, buttery, and bold, it brings border flavor to every bite.

San Diego Spudwich

So San Diego — Savory

Australian Battered Potatoes

Crispy battered potatoes with fluffy centers are stacked on a buttered artisan bun and topped with house-made chipotle sauce. Unexpected, crunchy, and flavor-packed, it brings bold SoCal flair to every bite.

So San Diego—Sweet

A Date in Del Mar

So San Diego — Sweet

Candyland

This crisp apple is wrapped in naturally sweet dates, rolled in chopped pecans, and drizzled with dark chocolate and creamy peanut butter. Inspired by Southern California fruit and desert-grown dates, it’s a sweet, crunchy taste of local flavor. Vegan and gluten-free, too!

Cherry Limeade Float

So San Diego — Sweet

Tasti Whip

Zesty lime, luscious cherry, and smooth soft serve come together in this refreshing, dessert-like float. Finished with a maraschino cherry and fresh lime slice, it’s bright, cool, and made for a sunny San Diego summer.

Watermelon Mint Lemonade

So San Diego — Sweet

Boba King

Meet your new obsession: Watermelon Mint Lemonade. A crisp refreshing blend of juice watermelon, zesty lemonade, and a cool hit of fresh Mint. Loaded with sour watermelon popping boba that pop with every sip, and finished with a fresh watermelon slice right on the rim.

Pulparindo Dole Whip

So San Diego — Sweet

Candy Me Up

A spin on pineapple Dole Whip, this icy treat gets a bold Mexican candy twist with rich tamarind mango Pulparindo sauce, fruity watermelon Salsaghetti, and chewy Pulparindo candy. Sweet, tangy, salty, and slightly spicy, it’s San Diego street-snack flavor in a cup.

Ube Funnel Cake

So San Diego — Sweet

Chicken Charlie's

A golden-brown funnel cake dusted with signature ube powdered sugar, topped with creamy ube ice cream, house-made whipped cream, and velvety ube sauce. This colorful fair twist taps into San Diego’s love of ube with the perfect balance of warm crunch and cool, creamy sweetness.

Tanghulu

So San Diego — Sweet

Dragon Street Eats

This dazzling Chinese street treat features fresh strawberries, grapes, or citrus coated in a thin, glass-like candy shell that cracks with every bite. Sweet, crisp, and juicy, it highlights the bright fruit flavors that feel right at home in sunny Southern California.

Fabuloso Flan Funnel Cake

So San Diego — Sweet

Fried Food Factory

A golden funnel cake topped with creamy Fabuloso Flan, powdered sugar, caramel sauce, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, dulce de leche, and strawberries. This playful, flavor-packed dessert brings together fair indulgence and the sweet Latin-inspired flavors loved across San Diego.

WOW—Savory

Kimchi Quesadilla

WOW — Savory

Taco Ramen

A bold fusion of crispy, golden tortilla and melty cheese, filled with tangy, spicy kimchi. This unexpected mash-up delivers the perfect balance of rich heat, savory crunch, and crave-worthy flavor in every bite.

Pozole Egg Rolls

WOW — Savory

Flaco's

Crispy fried egg rolls packed with bold chile flavor, cabbage, diced onions, shredded meat, and hominy. Served with rich consommé for dipping, every bite is crunchy, savory, and completely addictive.

Sweet Mac n’ Heat Crunch Potato

WOW — Savory

Corn Star & Hot Potato Club

An oven-baked sweet potato dripping with butter and silky caramel, layered with creamy mac and cheese and fresh jalapeños for a pop of heat. Finished with a brûléed sugar crust that cracks with every bite—sweet, savory, spicy, and completely unforgettable.

Peach Cobbler Heat Karaage Chicken

WOW — Savory

Disco Chicken

Crispy Japanese-style karaage chicken tossed in a sweet peach cobbler glaze with slow-building heat. Sweet, sticky, and spicy, this bold, flavor-packed dish delivers an unforgettable wow experience.

Nashville Hot Chicken Fried Mac and Cheese Balls

WOW — Savory

Magg's Mac Shack

Gooey mac and cheese and chicken, rolled in panko and deep fried until golden, then basted in bold Nashville hot sauce. Served with dill pickles and white bread to soak up every fiery, cheesy, crave-worthy bite.

Zatar Fries

WOW — Savory

Chicken Charlie's

Crispy golden fries piled high with creamy feta and bold za’atar, then finished with olive oil, fresh mint, and tangy pickled turnips. This crave-worthy mash-up of Middle Eastern flavor and fair-food indulgence hits every note: savory, bright, rich, and wildly addictive.

Blueberry Brie Smash Dog

WOW — Savory

Ricky's California Corn Dog

An all-beef hot dog, sliced and smashed, layered with creamy Brie and sweet blueberry jam, all tucked into a buttery croissant. Rich, savory, sweet, and wildly unexpected — this is the smash dog glow-up you didn’t see coming.

Umami Tsunami

WOW — Savory

Farmer in the Del

A towering party wave of caramelized sweet soy udon noodles and farm-fresh veggies loaded with sriracha chicken, Korean BBQ short rib, golden coconut shrimp, chicken shumai, and crispy pot stickers. Finished with furikake, green onions, crispy rice waves, and island chili crunch sauce.

WOW—Sweet

Cookie Butter Crunch Chocolate Strawberry Cup

WOW — Sweet

TJ'S Ice Cream

Fresh strawberries drenched in velvety European chocolate or white chocolate, then smothered in melted cookie butter and Biscoff cookie crumbles. Finished with a famous Lotus Biscoff cookie, this sweet, crunchy, chocolatey dream is pure dessert bliss.

Tiramisu Temptation

WOW — Sweet

Old West Cinnamon Rolls

Our signature cinnamon roll, drizzled with fresh coffee and crowned with coffee-infused cream cheese frosting, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips. Warm, rich, and wildly indulgent, it’s everything you love about tiramisu wrapped into one irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth bite.

Fried Mangonada

WOW — Sweet

Chicken Charlie's

Sweet, juicy mango gets the full fair treatment: lightly battered, fried until crispy, then topped with chamoy and Tajín for an irresistible sweet, tangy, spicy kick. It’s a bold, crave-worthy spin on the classic mangonada that’s hot, bright, and wildly addictive.

Bacon Wrapped Churros with Dulce de Leche

WOW — Sweet

Bacon Nation

Crispy cinnamon-sugar churros wrapped in smoky maple-glazed bacon, finished with bacon crumbles and served with rich dulce de leche for dipping. Sweet, salty, crunchy, and completely over-the-top, this is the kind of bite you can’t stop thinking about.

Croffel Black & Tan Sundae

WOW — Sweet

Mom's Bakeshoppe

A buttery, flaky croissant pressed into a shatter-crisp croffle, served hot with cold vanilla ice cream melting into every golden groove.

Dr Pepper Flavor Dippin' Dots

WOW — Sweet

Dippin' Dots

The bold, refreshing taste of Dr Pepper turned into the coolest treat at the fair. This one-of-a-kind Dippin’ Dots flavor is flavorful, fun, and bursting with nostalgic soda-shop vibes—plus, it’s free of artificial dyes.

Malasada Trio

WOW — Sweet

Farmer in the Del

Warm, golden house-made Hawaiian donuts, fried fresh and dusted in sugar, then generously filled with three island-inspired flavors: chocolate-coconut mousse, ube custard, and pineapple-yuzu cream. Soft, pillowy, and bursting with tropical sweetness, every bite feels like dessert paradise.

Cinnamon Crunch Cheesecake Rice Crispy Cone

WOW — Sweet

Sticky Finger Treats

A homemade Rice Krispies treat shaped into a cone and filled with scoops of cinnamon crunch cereal cheesecake. Crunchy, creamy, sweet, and totally one-of-a-kind, it’s a fair treat you’ve never seen before and won’t forget after the first bite.

Pistachio Dream Ice Cream Bar

WOW — Sweet

Candy Me Up

Inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar, this hand-dipped vanilla cream bar is wrapped in a rich, crackable chocolate shell, then topped with crispy kataifi, imported pistachio cream, Nutella, and pistachios. Every bite is crunchy, creamy, chocolatey, and absolutely unforgettable.

Lucky 13 Lavender Lemonade

WOW — Sweet

Everybody Eats!

Ice-cold and ultra-refreshing, this freshly squeezed lemonade is bright, tangy, and perfectly sweet, with a delicate touch of lavender for a smooth, dreamy finish. Crisp, cool, and impossible to stop sipping.

Japanese Fried Cream Sando

WOW — Sweet

Dragon Street Eats

Thick, pillowy milk bread is deep-fried until golden and crisp, then filled with fresh whipped cream and topped with sweet, juicy strawberries. Every bite is warm, cool, crunchy, soft, and outrageously delicious.

THEME—Savory

Tot-zilla

THEME — Savory

Corn Star & Hot Potato Club

A monstrous mountain of golden tater tots smothered in molten mac and cheese, loaded with smoky bacon, fresh jalapeños, and a fiery Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crunch. Hot, melty, crunchy, and unleashed with monster-sized flavor.

The Wizard of Asada Spud

THEME — Savory

Spud Ranch

A roasted russet piled high with smoky carne asada, cilantro-lime butter, charred corn, avocado, pickled onions, and cotija. Finished with chipotle-lime crema, salsa verde, lime, Tajín, and cilantro, this spellbinding spud delivers bold, enchanted flavor in every bite.

Bacon-wrapped Pizza Wand

THEME — Savory

Gino's Pizza

A golden, cheesy pizza core wrapped in crispy bacon, baked to perfection, and finished with a sweet hot honey glaze. This handheld bite casts a spell of smoky, melty, sweet-and-savory magic worthy of a fairy-tale ending.

Humpty Dumpty Ramen Deviled Eggs

THEME — Savory

Farmer in the Del

Sweet soy-marinated jammy eggs filled with luscious Kewpie-ginger whipped yolk, then topped with crispy ramen noodles, fresh scallions, togarashi, and a delicate ginger rose. Creamy, crunchy, savory, and playful, this storybook twist is almost too charming to eat.

Very Hungry Caterpillar Garden Pizza

THEME — Savory

Pat's Pizza

A storybook personal pizza topped with vibrant basil pesto, rainbow heirloom tomatoes, roasted zucchini caterpillar segments, and a mozzarella face with olive eyes. Fresh, colorful, and garden-bright, it’s a playful slice straight from the pages of a beloved classic.

THEME—Sweet

Good Witch Waffle Wand

THEME — Sweet

Candyland

Step into a storybook spell with a golden waffle wand filled with freshly whipped “Kindness Cream,” drizzled with shimmering frosting, and crowned with a fluffy pink cotton candy cloud. Sweet, whimsical, and pure fairytale magic in every bite.

Once Upon a Rose Sundae

THEME — Sweet

TJ's Ice Cream

This fresh strawberry sundae is swirled with fluffy whipped cream and topped with a romantic chocolate-covered strawberry shaped like a rose. Served in a reusable whimsical pink rose-stem coupe, this fairy-tale treat is pure storybook sweetness.

Princess Kaguya's Watermelon Mochi Ice Cream

THEME — Sweet

Sellin Melons

Soft, chewy Japanese mochi filled with luscious watermelon strawberry ice cream sweetness, inspired by the legendary Princess Kaguya. This delicate pink treat is a little bite of storybook magic—sweet, enchanting, and impossible to resist.

K-Pop Dream Cloud Ice Cream

THEME — Sweet

Dragon Street Eats

A Korean street food–inspired showstopper with rich, creamy ice cream pressed between crisp chocolate wafers, then wrapped in a fluffy marshmallow cloud and toasted to golden perfection. Cold, creamy, crisp, and lightly caramelized, it’s pure pop-star dessert magic.

Once Upon a Spud

THEME — Sweet

Australian Battered Potatoes

Inspired by fairy-tale magic, these Australian battered potatoes are fried until golden and crispy, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and drizzled with silky condensed milk. Crunchy, fluffy, sweet, and delightfully unexpected, this enchanted treat proves the happiest endings can come from a humble spud.