What’s the best Oklahoma State Fair food? Judges picks are in

The Oklahoma State Fair has plenty of food and beverage options to choose from.

JaNae Williams/ The Oklahoman

USA TODAY Network, Reuters

You saw my recommendations for food and drink items to try at the Oklahoma State Fair, but during the Great TASTE of a Fair event there was also some official judging going on as members of Oklahoma City’s food and dining community judged the entries.

There were judges for each of the four categories, New to the Scene, Slice of Savory, Sips & Swigs and Sweetest of the Sweet, and they selected a top three for each group.

The first place winner in each category then moved forward to be tasted by a final judge – chef Kevin Lee of Birdie’s and MAHT – who determined the winner of FAIRest of Them All.

These are the foods judges picked as the best.

Who won each of the catgories at the Great TASTE of a Fair

1907’s Korean BBQ beef skewer with a Hatch green chile sauce took the top spot in the New to the Scene category. Second place was captured by the deep-fried Hawaiian rolls from The Bacon Habit and Wondervan Pop’s The Original Cinn Ice Cream Bar, took third.

Among the savory entries, first place went to the sweet heat brisket biscuit from Champions BBQ. Afrikan Delights’ plantain bowl took second and the Buldak Carbonara Ramen Korean corn dog from Chan’s Eatery came in third.

The totally strawberry lemonade from The Bacon Habit landed in the top spot among the Sips & Swigs category, with Deep Fried Mashed Potatoes earning second place for its hot honey chicken lemonade. Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee took third place with its Brown Butter Buzz.

In the Sweetest of the Sweet, The Original Cobble in a Cone brought a category winning strawberry lemonade cobbler in a cone, while the Route 66 mother rocky road pie from Cutie Pies came in second and the K-pop marsh mellow ice cream from Dragon Street Eats landed in third.

The winner of FAIRest of Them All

The first-place winners of each category were then judged by chef Kevin Lee, a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest, and regular Food Network competitor.

Ultimately Lee gave the title of 2026 FAIRest of Them All to the sweet heat brisket biscuit from Champions BBQ.

You can find the vendor at the intersection of Gordon Cooper Boulevard and Wichita Walk during the fair through Sept. 27.

For more information on these and all of the food available at the Oklahoma State Fair, visit https://okstatefair.com/food-vendors-2026/.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What’s the best Oklahoma State Fair food? Judges picks are in

Reporting by JaNae Williams, The Oklahoman / Oklahoman

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published September 23, 2026 at 10:04 AM.