Here’s Your 2018 San Diego County Fair Food Guide!

It’s no secret that the San Diego County Fair offers an array of outrageous concoctions that tempt you to forego your diet in favor of mouthwatering goodies. Every summer the food booths attempt to stretch the limits of what your taste buds and stomachs can handle and every summer people flock to the fairgrounds to get their hands on the latest creations.

The 2018 fair has several new items that are drawing hungry visitors to Del Mar and will continue to do so until the fair closes on July 4. In fact, the food at the fair is such a big deal that it even has its own map!

Don’t Miss These!

Here are some of our favorites on the menu this year:

Kettle Corn with M&Ms at Kettle Corn – Sweet yet salty kettle corn has been a fair staple for years but this year’s creation adds M&Ms to the mix for a colorful, chocolate twist.

Fried Fish Kabab at Reno’s Fish & Chips– When you think of Kababs, you likely picture chicken, beef or lamb on a skewer. Try a seafood version at the fair with this fried fish take that pairs cod with zucchini, peppers and onions.

Fried Chicken and Donut Sandwich – I mean…how can you go wrong with sandwich that combines fried chicken, donuts, fruity pebbles, and ice cream?!

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Lasagna Nachos at Pignotti’s Pasta– Considering that lasagna is a beloved Italian dish and nachos are a favorite at Mexican restaurants, it seems that it was only a matter of time before the two combined to form one delicious sauce and cheese filled plate.

Ramen Burrito at Chicken Charlie’s – Top Ramen isn’t just for college students; it’s also for adventurous fairgoers. This burrito wraps everyone’s favorite budget meal into a tortilla along with Maui chicken, funions, scallions and a spicy kick courtesy of Sriracha sauce.

Deep Fried Filet Mignon at Chicken Charlie’s – Filet mignon may not sound like a traditional fair food but you can turn anything into a crave worthy sensation by dropping it in the deep fryer and serving it on a stick. Enjoy a crunchy outer layer and a melt-in-your-mouth meaty center for a unique twist on this classic dish.

French Toast Bacon Bombs – what?!?! These are THE bomb!

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Chocolate Pasta at Chicken Charlie’s – Pasta isn’t usually a sweet dish but it is when you flavor the noodles with chocolate and top it with Nutella, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, strawberries and mint and serve it in a bright red waffle bowl.

Spaghetti Donuts at Pignotti’s – These donuts are created by compressing cooked spaghetti and forming it into a circular shape and then topping them with cheese and an assortment of sauces, like marinara or pesto.

Deep-fried Cinnamon Apple Rings at Chuckwagon – When your parents said, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” they never dreamed that this sweet creation would be the fate of the apple. What started as a Granny Smith apple transformed in a deep-fried cinnamon apple O’s topped with whipped cream, caramel and, of course, rainbow sprinkles. It may not be healthy but it sure is delicious!

How Sweet It Is!

The theme for this year’s fair is “How Sweet It Is” and food vendors were challenged to come up with unicorn-inspired treats that push the limits.

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Unicorn Baklava at The Mediterranean – Continuing the fair’s obsession with wrapping food in bacon, this version adds a savory taste to the otherwise sweet baklava dessert. Take a traditional baklava, freeze it, wrap it in bacon, fry it and add rainbow sprinkles to create this colorful concoction.

Unicorn Cotton Candy Ice Cream Sandwich at Chicken Charlie’s – You wouldn’t think that cotton candy could be a suitable substitution for cookies in an ice cream sandwich but somehow it works when you roll the ice cream in Fruity Pebbles and place it in between two pressed pieces of cotton candy. Even your Nana will love them – check her out!

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Unicorn Cupcakes at Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. – Funfetti cupcakes are always a hit but add an edible gold glitter unicorn horn and you have an Instagram-worthy treat.

Rainbow Cinnamon Rolls at Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls – For its take on a unicorn-inspired treat, these cinnamon rolls are topping with rainbow candy, cereal and sprinkles to create a vibrant masterpiece.

Cocoa Loco A La Mode Unicorn Style Shake at The Gingerbread Shop – This treat packs a ton of sweetness into a single mug with whipped cream, candy, cookies and sprinkles bursting out of the top.

Unicorn Fried Ice Cream – you’ll find this treat at the Gingerbread Shop as well!

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Unicorn Donut at Texas Donut – If a regular donut fails to curb your cravings for sugar, this enhanced version will surely do the trick. Topped with a fluffy serving of cotton candy and coated in rainbow nerds, there’s plenty of sweetness here to satisfy your sweet tooth for awhile.

Unicorn Dog at Pink’s – Not all of the unicorn treats are sweet. Pink’s offers a savory yet still colorful creation that features a beef hot dog topped with green lettuce, yellow corn, red cabbage and rainbow onions.

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The list of incredible fair food goes on and on. Even if you visited the fair every day and tried something new, you likely couldn’t check off every item and your stomach and waistline would probably revolt before you made it very far down the list. Instead, pick a couple of your favorites to try or bring a friend to share a few of the goodies. You can thank us later for the tip!

See you there…stuffing our face!