State Fair News

State Fair of Texas 2019 issues yet-another wave of crazy fried foods

Fried chicken wing on a doughnut with Big Red-flavored frosting.

State Fair of Texas

The State Fair of Texas keeps ramping up its focus on food, and the 2019 rendition, beginning on September 27, takes it to the next level. The fair has 18 new crazy, wacky, wild, can-you-believe-this, OMG concessions ranging from fried energy bites to fried potato salad.

This latest round of concessionaire offerings comes in addition to the 10 finalists and three winners of the 2019 Big Tex Choice Awards, introduced in August. Awards went to the fried taco cone, a chicken wing served over a doughnut, and a fried mango pastry with mango sorbet.

These 18 items include semi-finalists that did not make the final cut. Try them so you can challenge the judges who proclaimed the fried taco cone the winner. For the full list of this year’s new foods and their locations, visit BigTex.com/New-Food.

Then again, you could just scratch all this and head straight to Fletcher's Original State Fair Corny Dogs — which recently filed a lawsuit to defend its corny dog supremacy over family members who are doing their own corny-dog-like concept under the name "Fletch." Be sure to say hi to GiGi and Amber.

Here are 2019's non-award-winning-but-no-less-tempting fried foods:

Good Ole Creole Boudin Egg Roll with Pepper Jack Cheese. Savory seasoned rice has been fused with pepper jack cheese, rolled in a wonton wrapper, and deep fried. Served with sweet chili paste dipping sauce. At A Taste of New Orleans.

Cajun Crab Bombs. A jumbo shrimp is inserted into a "crab bomb" mix of crab meat, egg, panko, and seasoning, with the tail sticking out as "the fuse." The Crab Bombs are dusted with fish fry and Cajun seasoning, then fried. Served with remoulade sauce. At Gulf Coast Grill.

Cotton Candy Burrito. Comes in two flavors. Lavender bean ice cream is wrapped in cheesecake flavored cotton candy. Caramel sea salt ice cream is wrapped in chocolate-flavored cotton candy. From the creators of the 2018 Cotton Candy Taco entry. At Trio on the Green.

Champagne Jell-O Hot Shot. Champagne, Chablis, and Watermelon Jell-O with spicy slices of jalapeños make this a memorable adult treat. Served in a 3.25 oz portion cup. At Bailey’s Deli.

Chicks in a Cone: Fried popcorn chicken with Cajun seasoning, tossed into a waffle cone then drizzled with choice of sweet or hot sauce. At Stuffed Wings.

Chuco's Churros: Filled churros, churro splits, churro sundaes, or just the classic churro. At Chuco’s Churreria.

Deep Fried Chicken Cordon Bleu Stuffed Waffles. Fried chicken cutlets stuffed with prosciutto and Swiss cheese, baked inside a Belgian "Liege" Waffle infused with European pearl sugar. At Scrumbscious Pie Shakes.

Deep Fried Energy Bites. Energy bite with peanut butter, chocolate, honey, oats, and chocolate rolled in a sweet rolled oat batter, fried, drizzled with espresso chocolate glaze, and served on a bed of fried coconut shreds. At Carousel Concessions.

Deep Fried Nutella Custard Stuffed French Toast. French toast sandwich filled with Nutella, vanilla custard, and crumbled bacon; coated with crushed breakfast cereal; and fried. At Scrumbscious Pie Shakes.

Deep Fried Potato Salad. Potatoes, relish, eggs, and onions are diced, mashed, and rolled into a ball, tossed in Pearlie's house seasonings, and deep fried. At Pearlie’s Southern Kitchen.

Fried Southern Bourbon Bread Pudding. Bread pudding with a New Orleans flair is soaked in milk, bourbon, and brown sugar; coated with breadcrumbs; and fried. Served with bourbon glaze for dipping. At Eat Crispies.

Fry Rub & Rye. Libation has wine-based whiskey, egg whites, lemon juice, and maple syrup, shaken, combined with mango-infused craft beer, with a skewer that has a fried pickle wedge, onion ring, and stuffed jalapeño popper. At Rico’s & Trio on the Green.

Loaded Baked Potato Funnel Cake. Funnel cake dressed to look and taste like a "loaded with all the goodies" baked potato. At Larry's.

Nutty Bar-Bar. Customize your Nutty Bar with toppings such as colored sprinkles, toasted coconut, Butterfingers, or Rice Krispies. At Nutty Bar Stand.

PB & J Bacon Pickle Dog. Dill pickle is sliced, battered, and fried, then served on a hot-dog style sweet Hawaiian Bun drizzled with peanut butter and topped with bacon jam. At Benavides Nachos.

Pearlie's Parfaits. Cream pudding layered over a honey graham cracker crust and topped with whipped cream. Flavors available include chocolate, lemon, strawberry, and banana pudding. At Pearlie's Southern Kitchen.

Stuffed Turkey Leg. Smokey John's smoked turkey leg topped with dirty rice, Cajun cream sauce, and grilled shrimp. At Smokey John's.

The "Ain't No Lie It's Fried" Steak. A 14-ounce strip steak fried in beef tallow cut and served with garlic fries and chimichurri sauce. At Vandalay Concessions.

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Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum, San Antonio, tejano music

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Roger Hernandez serves as board president of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum.

For a city that proudly calls itself the capital of Tejano music, San Antonio has long been missing a permanent place to honor the genre’s pioneers and preserve its history. That gap officially closed In December with the opening of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum at 1414 Fredericksburg Rd.

The music couldn’t have found a better steward than its founder and board president. Roger Hernandez has had his finger on the pulse of Tejano music for decades. His company, En Caliente Productions, has provided a platform for countless performing artists and songwriters in Tejano, conjunto, and regional Mexican music since 1982.

Hernandez says his wife, who ran a shop at Market Square years ago, would often get questions from visitors about the location of a physical Tejano music museum, a thing that simply did not exist. In 2022, he banded together with friends, family, and other local Tejano music supporters to make the nonprofit Hall of Fame a reality.

“I decided I've been in the music scene for over 40 years, it's time to do a museum,” Hernandez recalls.

Hernandez says a brick-and-mortar Tejano music museum has long been needed to remember musical acts and other individuals who grew the genre across Texas and northern Mexico, especially those who are aging. Recently, the community lost famed Tejano music producer Manny Guerra and Abraham Quintanilla, the renowned Tejano singer/songwriter and father of the late superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Both deaths occurred roughly one week after the Totally Tejano museum opened to the public.

“They're all dying. They're all getting older, and we need to acknowledge all these people,” Hernandez says.

The Totally Tejano Museum — named after Hernandez’s Totally Tejano Television Roku streaming — has 5,000 square feet of space packed with plaques, photos, promotional posters, musical instruments, and other memorabilia honoring the pioneers and stars of the beloved genre. Mannequins wear stage outfits from icons like Laura Canales and Flaco Jimenez, and a wall of photos remembers late greats. Totally Tejano Television plays legendary performances on a loop, bringing the exhibits to life.

The newly opened Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum includes a growing collection of memorabilia. Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Hernandez says the museum will soon welcome permanent and rotating exhibits, including traveling shows, a Hall of Fame section, and an area paying homage to Chicano music crossovers, such as the late Johnny Rodriguez, the South Texas singer-songwriter who blended country with Tex-Mex music. Plans call for the organization to hold its inaugural Hall of Fame induction in February 2026.

Eventually, a 2,000 square feet back room will be converted into additional display space and host industry gatherings, community symposiums, and record and video release parties. The museum also plans to add a gift and record shop and a music learning room where visitors can listen to early Tejano music and browse archival photos. Hernandez is already talking with local school districts about educational field trips.

Much like Tejano itself, the museum is a grassroots production. Hernandez and fellow board members have used their own money to rent, renovate, develop, and maintain the museum space. The board also leads the selection of the Hall of Fame honorees and curates the exhibits.

Hernandez has been heartened by the museum’s reception, both from media outlets and music fans around Texas and beyond.

“We had a radio station come in this morning from Houston to interview us,” he says. “People have come in from Lubbock, Texas. We have had people from Midland, Texas. We have another person who emailed us who’s coming in from New York. People are learning all about us.”

That includes many of the musicians who helped shape the genre. Johnny Hernandez, Sunny Ozuna, Elida Reyna, and Danny Martinez from Danny and The Tejanos are among the luminaries who have already graced the halls.

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is now open 10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and closed Monday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Fans can call 210-314-1310 for more information.

san antonio tejano music museums hall of fame music openings