Funnel cake fried chicken sandwich with hot honey. Candied bacon pork belly bites. Pickle juice-spiked Dr. Pepper. Brace yourself for maximalist indulgences at the Orange County Fair this year.
First held in the summer of 1890, the Orange County Fair has satiated revelers with edible (and dare I say experimental) pleasures for more than a century. This year you can expect to find some old favorites, like fried Oreos and sugar-laced funnel cakes, plus new items inspired by the caloric plentitude of snack aisles and food trucks nationwide, like Hot Cheetos dust-covered dumplings or birria burgers.
Also see: OC Fair opens July 19, with new twists and lots of favorites
Never fear, not every concession will have you reaching for a defibrillator — there are spots for baked sweet potatoes and salads, too.
In between rides on the Ferris wheel and pit stops at Centennial Farm, check out the new menu offerings at this year’s fair, July 19 through Aug. 18, in Costa Mesa.
Bacon Nation
Bacon Churro Fries: Bacon Nation, formerly Bacon Affair, is a concession dedicated to all things pork, from belly to bacon. The bacon churro fries are the most recent addition to its piggy canon. This sweet-and-savory dish features a nest of mini-churros topped with two scoops of vanilla frozen yogurt and whipped cream, all of which is studded by bits of house-cured bacon.
SEE ALSO: “Always a Good Time” theme chosen for 2024 OC Fair
Candied Bacon Pork Belly Bites: After being smoked from 15 to 17 hours, Bacon Nation chills its pork belly, cuts it into bite-sized cubes, wraps the cubes in bacon and then smokes them again. And if that wasn’t enough, the porky treats get tossed in a fryer for maximum crispiness, then glazed with butter and brown sugar.
Biggy’s
Bacon-Wrapped Pork Belly On a Stick: Dominic Palmieri of Biggy’s is as famous for his larger-than-life personality as he is for his inventive fair food (last year he introduced a Cap’n Crunch Berries-topped chicken sandwich). This year, in addition to Biggy’s regular eye-popping menu, Palmieri presents bacon-wrapped pork belly on a stick. The dish comes with smoked pork belly (marinated in sage and rosemary) skewered on a stick, covered in bacon and topped with an addictive honey-sriracha dust made with actual ground-up honeycomb. (I’d shell out plenty of cash for the dust alone.)
Nashville Hot Chicken Tots: Covered with a smattering of pickle slices Palmieri imports from Chicago, these spicy tots are one in a series of savory dishes with a kick available at this year’s fair.
Chicken Charlie’s
Funnel Cake Fried Chicken Sandwich: Known for its fried concoctions of culinary indulgence, Chicken Charlie’s has three new offerings set to debut this year at the fair. Chef and proprietor Charlie Boghosian of Charlie’s Chicken (aka, “the Deep Fry King” and the inventor of the deep-fried Oreo) has a new funnel cake fried chicken sandwich that comes with hot honey. Boghosian’s take on Nashville-style chicken sandwiches, the sweet-and-savory combination gilds the lily with a topping with powdered sugar.
Hot Cheetos-Crusted Chicken Potstickers: The pulverized snack chips make a pleasantly spicy coating that help cut through the finger food’s richness. Comes with a side of pineapple teriyaki sauce.
Pickled Dr. Pepper: Wait, hear me out: Topped with sliced pickles, this Tik Tok-inspired beverage features ice cold Dr. Pepper mixed with a shot of pickle juice. Gross? Hardly. The sour-salty pickle brine somehow works when combined with the world’s most famous prune soda. At least it did for me; I enjoyed two cups of the icy brew.
Mom’s Bakeshoppe
Crookie: Gigi Horowitz has been serving hot fresh cookies at the fair for generations. The latest addition to her cookie roster includes the Crookie, a concoction of a croissant topped with a cookie.
Spud Ranch
Gourmet Baked Potatoes: For its inaugural appearance at the Orange County Fair, Spud Ranch will offer a slew of items, including baked russet potatoes and (vegan-friendly alert) baked sweet potatoes.
Tater Twister Dog: A skinny frank on a stick covered in fried spiral potatoes (think a fried potato Slinky expanded around it).
Pink’s Hot Dogs
JFromRiv (Cali Dog): Short for “J From Riverside,” in honor of a longtime fan, this hot dog features a spicy Polish sausage with french fries, guacamole, jalapeños, sour cream and Hot Cheetos dust. For the uninitiated, Pink’s is an L.A. institution that has been serving hot dogs to celebrities and civilians since 1939. (Be sure to say hi to Olivia Faragosa, a bit of a celebrity herself, who has been serving Pink’s dogs at the fair for more than 16 years.)
SEE ALSO: OC Fair 2024: Trevor Noah, Steel Pulse, Stray Cats and more coming to Pacific Amphitheatre
Mario Lopez Dog: Pink’s has a bevy of menu items christened in honor of Hollywood celebrities, like Saved By the Bell thespian turned entertainment reporter Mario Lopez. His hot dog features a beef frank with guacamole, tomatoes, bacon bits, sour cream and jalapeños.
Swirl Ice Cream
Cookie Butter Croissant Cone: Another pairing of cookie and croissant, Swirl’s cookie butter croissant cone features a Biscoff cookie butter-stuffed croissant topped with soft serve ice cream, a cookie butter drizzle and Biscoff crumbles.
Chocolate Drizzle Strawberry Cup: Whole fresh summer strawberries are piled high into a cup then drenched with chocolate syrup and topped with whipped cream and (why not?) even more chocolate.
Tasti Burger
Birria Burger: Turning 50 this year, Tasti Burger (and its adjoining concession, Tasti Fries) keeps its menu new with the addition of a birria burger. A Harris Ranch beef patty sits atop a tong-full of beef birria, slaw, chipotle mayo and pico de gallo, all of which are sandwiched between a brioche bun. (Psst, if the larger-than-life burgers aren’t your speed, Tasti also offers a $5 meal deal that includes a small burger.)
Wahlburgers
Hamburgers/sandwiches: Making its first appearance at the OC Fair, Mark Wahlberg’s titular burger joint (which he founded with his brothers Donnie and Paul), will offer a menu of hamburgers (barbecue bacon burger, double decker, Impossible), fries with chicken tenders and Caesar salad.
Spicy Cheese Bacon Tots: While the barbecue chicken tots are good, the spicy cheese and bacon tots are my personal favorites from the burger chain. The nice lick of heat helps cut through the richness.
OC Fair
Where: OC Fair and Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
When: July 19-Aug. 18
Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 11 a.m.-midnight, Friday and Saturday.
Admission: $13 Wednesday and Thursday; $15 Friday-Sunday; $9 for people 60 and older, and children 6-12 years old. Free for kids 5 and under. Tickets must be purchased in advance online at ocfair.com/oc-fair/buy-tickets
Parking: $15
