The 10 Best Fair Foods, Ranked by a Local

Let's get one thing straight: there is no such thing as a bad fair  food. If it's fried, on a stick, or served in a paper boat, it belongs at the county fair. But some fair  foods are simply better than others, and after spending an irresponsible number of evenings eating my way through the Laurel County Fair midway, I've assembled the definitive ranking. You're welcome.

10. Lemon Shake-Up — Squeeze Fresh

Is it food? Technically no. But no fair visit is complete without one of these hand-squeezed, ice-cold, perfectly sweet-tart lemon drinks. They cost four dollars and taste like summer. (Want it at home? A citrus juicer and pitcher set and fresh lemons get you 90% of the way there.) Squeeze Fresh has been in the same spot by  Food Court A for fifteen years, and the line is always worth it.

9. Greek Gyro — Greek Gyro Express

A surprisingly authentic lamb gyro at a county fair in rural Kentucky. The lamb is carved from a proper rotating spit, the tzatziki is house-made, and the pita is warm. It's the most underrated stand on the grounds and the perfect palate cleanser between rounds of fried everything.

8. Kettle Corn — Kentucky Kettle Corn

The ratio of sweet to salty is almost scientific. You can watch them make it in the giant copper kettles, which is half the experience. Buy the family bag — the small one is gone before you reach the first ride. Or make it year-round with a stovetop kettle corn popper.

7. Loaded Baked Potato — Sizzle & Smoke

An actual meal disguised as fair food. A massive baked potato loaded with smoked pulled pork, shredded cheese, sour cream, and their house-made BBQ sauce. It's the most filling thing on the midway and, honestly, one of the best values.

6. Birria Tacos — Taco Loco

The newcomer that took the fair by storm. Three birria tacos with a cup of rich consommé for dipping. The tortillas are crispy, the meat is tender, and there's a line every night after 7 PM for a reason. The future of fair food, right here.

5. Deep-Fried Oreos — Sweet Surrender

Warm, pillowy batter around a softened, almost melting Oreo cookie. Dusted with powdered sugar. Served in a little boat with a fork you won't use because you're going to eat these with your hands like the animal the fair turns us all into.

4. Smoked Turkey Leg — Smoky Mountain BBQ

There is something primal about walking around a fairground gnawing on a turkey leg the size of your forearm. Smoky Mountain's version has a perfect bark, is smoked low and slow, and falls off the bone. You will get barbecue sauce on your shirt. This is acceptable.

3. Corn Dog — The Corn Dog Palace

The platonic ideal of fair food. A classic, hand-dipped corn dog with a perfectly crispy cornmeal shell and a quality all-beef frank inside. The Corn Dog Palace has been perfecting this recipe for twenty years, and it shows. Get the footlong. Get mustard.

2. Brisket Nachos — Smoky Mountain BBQ

The breakout hit of the 2026 fair. Fresh tortilla chips buried under layers of smoked brisket, queso, jalapeños, pickled red onions, and a drizzle of their signature spicy BBQ sauce. It's competition-quality barbecue served carnival-style, and it's absolutely glorious.

1. Funnel Cake — Mama Jo's Funnel Cakes

Was there ever any doubt? Mama Jo's funnel cake is the single best thing you'll eat at the Laurel County Fair, and it has been for three generations. The batter is made from a family recipe that produces a golden, impossibly crispy lattice that stays crunchy even under a blizzard of powdered sugar. It arrives at your hands warm, fragrant, and perfect. Every other funnel cake in the state is measured against this one, and every other funnel cake loses.

If you eat only one thing at the fair this year, make it Mama Jo's funnel  cake. But let's be honest — you're not eating only one thing. And if you're missing it in the off-season, a funnel cake maker kit gets you surprisingly close. See you on the midway.