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58 Foods on a Stick at the Minnesota State Fair (Complete Guide)

Nothing says “Minnesota State Fair” quite like food on a stick.

The weirder the better!

Over the years, vendors in the “food on a stick” arms race have fully escalated tensions, turning this long-time tradition into one of the quirkiest and most unique parts of our annual fair.

These days, you can find all kinds of foods in their portable, state-fair-friendly version. And those options go far beyond the usual.

From the fried-food classics to the healthier newer alternatives, and everything weird and unique in between… here’s a complete local’s guide to all the foods on a stick at the Minnesota State Fair.

Contents

The Fair Classics

1. Pronto Pups

pronto pup on a stick

Of course. The legendary pronto pup is definitely the Minnesota State Fair’s most popular food on a stick.

Read more about this icon in our article: Pronto Pups at the Minnesota State Fair: Everything You Need to Know

  • Pronto Pups (8 locations around the Fair. Just look for that familiar yellow and brown!)

2. Corn Dogs

They might not have the local cult-following quite like the pronto pup, but some of you traditionalists prefer the classic.

If that’s what you’re in the mood for, you can find good old fair corn dogs (built on a stick, of course!) at a few locations around the Minnesota State Fair.

  • Big Dog Corndogs
    • Stall 1: West side of Underwood St. between Carnes & Judson avenues
    • Stall 2: Southwest corner of Randall Ave. & Underwood St.
  • Gass Station Grill (West side of Cooper St. between Dan Patch & Judson avenues, outside southeast corner of the Food Building )
  • Hanson’s Foods (North side of Judson Ave. between Stevens & Liggett streets, outside the Horse Barn)
  • Poncho Dog (Four locations throughout the fair)
  • Super Dog
    • Stall 1: Northwest corner of Dan Patch Ave. & Underwood St. 
    • Stall 2: West side of Chambers St. between West Dan Patch & Carnes avenues 
  • Westmoreland Concessions (At Mighty Midway)
  • Wild Rice Specialties (In the Food Building, northeast section)

3. Cotton Candy

What’s more classic than walking around a fair with a big chunk of cotton candy?

You can make that dream come true at a few different cotton candy stands around the State Fair.

  • Kathie’s Cotton Candy (There locations around the fair – look for the white and red trimmed booths.)
  • L & B Cotton Candy (Three locations around the fair – look for the small pink and white booths.)
  • Spining Wylde (East side of Underwood Street between Lee & Randall avenues, just south of Little Farm Hands)

4. Popsicles on a Stick

On a hot summer fair day, nothing beats a classic JonnyPops popsicle! The West End Market location has tons of different flavors.

  • JonnyPops (At West End Market, center section)

The Weirdest Foods on a Stick at the MN State Fair

Over the years, the “Food on a Stick” tradition has turned into a concessions arms race, slowly getting more and more creative. (Or weirder and weirder, depending on how you look at it.)

But just because they’re weird doesn’t mean they’re any less delicious!

Try these unusual treats for yourself. Only at the State Fair!

5. Mac and Cheese on a Stick

Grab some mac and cheese on a stick from the always popular Lulu’s, listen to some music at the neighboring Schilling Stage, and let’s get weird!

6. Tater Tot Hot Dish on a Stick

hot dish on a stick

What’s more Minnesotan than a Tater Tot Hot Dish? On a stick? At the Minnesota State Fair?

Prepare to speak only in “Opes” and “Uff Das” after this MN overload.

7. Charcuterie on a Stick

Don’t ask me how this wine shop manages to put what’s normally spread out over a massive board onto a stick, but you just might have to try it to find out!

8. Cheese on a Stick

You have few options here.

At Crutches or Netterfield’s, you can get a classic cheese on a stick.

For more variety, look for the “Fresh Lemonade Cheese on a Stick” stall (the one with a giant lemon on top of it) – they offer deep fried jalapeno cheese or swiss cheese.

9. Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner on a Stick

spaghetti meatball dinner on a stick

Now we’re getting to the truly crazy!

From what I can tell, this baiscally a big, fried meatball with spaghetti, served with a hefty bowl of maranara sauce for dipping.

10. Bacon on a Stick

For the ultimate fatty snack, head to the place that makes no qualms about it – Big Fat Bacon. You gotta love their straight to the point marketing!

  • Big Fat Bacon (South side of Dan Patch Ave. between Nelson & Underwood streets)

11. Waffles on a Stick

At Waffle Chick, you can get all sorts of interesting waffles on a stick, including chicken in a waffle, breakfast sausage in a waffle, and even brownie waffles!

  • Waffle Chick (North side of Randall Ave. at Cosgrove St., outside the Progress Center)

12. Salad on a Stick

Honestly, I’m not even sure how this would work. But the website explains that somehow, the folks at Giggles squeeze a salad of mozzarella, tomatoes, dressing, and wild rice onto a stick?

You healthy eaters will have to let me know about this one.

13. Hot Dago on a Stick

The Hot Dago is a classic St. Paul sandwich that pays omage to St. Paul’s Italian history, and Luigi’s Fries is the only place to get it on a stick at the fair.

  • Luigi Fries (North side of Carnes Ave. between Chambers & Nelson streets, across from the DNR Building)

14. Scott Eggs on a Stick

What happens when you take a hard boiled egg, wrap it in sausage meat, coat it in breadcrumbs, and deep fry it until you can make the whole thing fair-friendly with a nice walking stick? You get the odd, but popular, Scott Eggs stand at the MN State Fair.

  • Scotch Eggs (West side of Liggett St. between Carnes & Judson avenues)

15. Pepperoni and Cheese Super Stick… on a Stick

super stick mn state fair

What’s a pepperoni and cheese super stick? It’s almost exactly what it sounds like, with two important details:

  1. It’s deep fried
  2. It’s dipped in garlic batter before it’s deep fried.

You can find this unique creation at Spaghetti Eddies.

16. Pepperoni Pizza on a Stick

For when holding a pizza by the crust just isn’t good enough, Tino’s Pizza on a Stick is here to offer an even more fun solution.

17. Cheesecake on a Stick

Surprisingly, there’s a few different places where you can get the world’s most dense cake attached to a stick.

18. Bologna on a Stick

This super-colorful stall decked out in everything neon is the only place to offer Bologna on a Stick.

19. Vegetable Kabob on a Stick

At Vegie fries, they promise delicious veggies on a stick. Options include broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, and zucchini. All deep fried, because you didn’t want to eat too healthy at the fair, did you?

  • Vegie Fries (North side of Dan Patch Ave. between Underwood & Cooper streets)

20. Deep Fried Olives on a Stick

Would you like those olives battered dipped, deep fried, and put on a stick for you? Why yes, yes, you do.

21. Olives on a Stick

At St. Martin’s Olives, they’ll get you stuffed olives on a stick. Vegetarian friendly!

22. Pickles on a Stick

You actually have a few options for pickles on a stick -the giant green Perfect Pickle stand offers this delicacy, as does Pickle Dog.

  • The Perfect Pickle (Southwest corner of West Dan Patch Ave. & Liggett St.)
  • Pickle Dog (South side of Carnes Ave. between Liggett & Chambers streets)

23. Pretzel Dog on a Stick

Why have a hot dog, or a pretzel, when you can have both?

  • Pretzel Haus (West side of Liggett St. between Carnes & Judson avenues)

Worldy Fare on a Stick

The State Fair has always been a bit of a melting pot. This is obvious in the International Bazaar section, but when it comes to foods on sticks, that’s really just the start of your worldy food choices at the fair.

24. Giant Egg Roll on a Stick

giant egg roll on a stick

Que Viet claims to be the oldest family run Vietnamese restaurant in the Twin Cities. They also happen to be the only Vietnamese restaurant that attends the fair and serves up an enormous and deliciously crunchy, giant egg roll on a stick.

You can rad more about these gems in our full review of their new restaurant on Grand Avenue in St. Paul: The State Fair on Grand? Our Review of the Wonerful Em Que Viet

25. James Beard Caliber Chef Meats on a Stick

Minneapolis celebrity chef Yia Vang, known for his appearance on Netflix’s new Iron Chef and his nomination for a James Beard award as the Best Chef in the Midwest, opened a food stand at the Minnesota State Fair in 2022.

There, you can get all sorts of chef takes on a stick, including Hmong sausage (one of our overall best foods at the fair) various meats, and lemongrass tofu.

26. Nashville Hot Chicken on a Stick

Not to be confused with the regular chicken on a stick, Nashville Hot Chicken is served extra crispy and extra spicy, which in my opinion is the absolute best way a chicken could ever be served. (The secret? While regular fried chicken ends after the frying stage, Nashville Hot Chicken finishes by drizzling a heavy coat of cayenne-spiced lard.)

27. Falafel on a Stick

For one of the more popular vegetarian-friendly options on a stick, head to the Falafel King in the Food Building.

28. Gyro on a Stick

Holy Land’s Gyro on a stick takes that gyro meat that the Twin Cities has come to know and love, and serves it to you state fair style!

  • Holy Land (At the International Bazaar, southeast corner)

29. Stuffed Grape Leaves on a Stick

This classic Mediterannea treat makes an appearance at Holy Land in the International Bazaar.

  • Holy Land (At the International Bazaar, southeast corner)

30. Wrapped Sausage on a Stick

At the Sausage Sister & Me stand inside the Food Building, you can get two unique takes of sausage on a stick. Their “puff daddy” is Thai sausage wrapped in a puff pasty, while the “Twisted Sister” is Italian sausage wrapped in breadstick dough.

Classic Meats on a Stick

For something more traditional, you can find portable version of all sorts of delicious meats at the fair.

31. Grilled Pork Chops on a Stick

You can either grab these at Carousel BBQ, which is one of the ten highest earning stands at the fair, or at the hard-to-miss white and red Peterson’s Pork Chops stand.

32. Pork Belly on a Stick

If you’re looking for that extra rich, extra fatty meat on a stick, then skewered Pork Belly is the answer to your problems.

33. Chicken on a Stick

  • Minnekabob
    • Stall 1: In the Food Building, northwest section
    • Stall 2: South side of Dan Patch Ave. between Underwood & Cooper streets 
  • Peterson’s Pork Chops (South side of Judson Ave. between Nelson & Underwood streets)

34. Fried Chicken on a Stick

For some good old fried chicken soul food, you can find it at the Soul Bowl, inside the Food Building.

  • Soul Bowl (In the Food Building, east wall)

35. Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick

You have a few options for chicken on a stick at the fair, but only Chan’s Chicken on a Stick offers a classic teriyaki. Plus, you know it’s gotta be good if they named the whole stall after it!

36. Bratwurst on a Stick

brat on a stick

Inside the food building, you can grab a beer battered bratwurst on a stick. Maybe not the most “classic” meat of this portion of the list, but meat nonetheless!

37. Sirloin Steak on a Stick

  • Minnekabob
    • Stall 1: In the Food Building, northwest section
    • Stall 2: South side of Dan Patch Ave. between Underwood & Cooper streets 

38. Buffalo on a Stick

  • Minnekabob
    • Stall 1: In the Food Building, northwest section
    • Stall 2: South side of Dan Patch Ave. between Underwood & Cooper streets 

39. Lamb or Beef Kabob on a Stick

  • Holy Land (At the International Bazaar, southeast corner)

40. Steak Dinner on a Stick

  • The Hangar (North side of Murphy Ave. between Underwood and Cooper streets, at the North End)

Fish on a Stick

Hey, we’re the land of 10,000 lakes! But our State Fair selections go even further than just lake food. If you know where to look, you can even find a whole bunch of delicious seafood on a stick!

41. Walleye on a Stick

Put this one next to the Tater Tot Hot Dish as one of the most Minnesotan things you can do at the fair. I mean, it is our state fish.

42. Deep Fried Lobster on a Stick

  • Fish and Chips Seafood Shoppe
    • Stall 1: In the Food Building, northwest section,
    • Stall 2: West side of Liggett St., just south of Mighty Midway)

43. Shrimp on a Stick

44. Salmon on a Stick

At Nordic Waffles, they ramp up their version (which they call Slammin Salmon) by norweigan smoking the salmon and adding some cream cheese to the party.

45. Scallops on a Stick

  • Fish and Chips Seafood Shoppe
    • Stall 1: In the Food Building, northwest section,
    • Stall 2: West side of Liggett St., just south of Mighty Midway)

46. Seasoned Alligator on a Stick

Does this count as fish? Maybe ask the Minnesota DNR building at the Fair. Bonus points if you do so while holding a stick from Bayou Bob’s.

  • Bayou Bob’s (Southeast corner of Dan Patch Ave. & Nelson St.)

Desserts and Sweets

After all that awesome food on a stick, you’re gonna need something sweet to wash it down, right?

47. Rice Krispie Cereal Bars on a Stick

rice krispy on a stick

Okay, technically these aren’t Rice Krispie bars on a stick, since that’s a trademarked term owned by the Kellog’s conglomerate. But the Rice Kristie stand promises “Marshmellow Cereal Bars on a Stick” and boy do they look and taste like a delicious Rice Krispie on a stick!

48. Candy Bars on a Stick

You can find a variety of different fried candy bars on a stick at the aply named “Deep Fried Candy Bars” stall.

49. Nut Rolls on a Stick

At the Fresh Made Nut Rolls stand, you can get the Minnesota classic dipped in chocolate and served to you on a stick!

50. Chocolate-dipped Bananas on a Stick

frozen banan on a stick mn state fair

51. Key Lime Pie on a Stick

This white and neon green tent is all about the key lime pie bar, on a stick!

  • Key Lime Pie Bar (West side of Cooper St., just north of the Agriculture Horticulture Building)

52. Cookie Dough on a Stick

cookie dough on a stick

At the Kora’s Cookie Dough stand, you can get tons of cookie dough on a stick, either dipped or with toppings!

You can also find more Cookie Dough inside the Food Building, at Sonny’s Food.

54. Old fashioned Hard Candy on a Stick

If you’re in the mood for some retro candy, Lolligobs in the Warner Coliseum has got you covered.

  • Lolligobs (In the Warner Coliseum, east side)

55. Cake on a Stick

At Mancini’s, you can get a decorated and personalized white cake make for you, right on site! (And then stabbed with a stick)

  • Mancini’s (North side of Carnes Ave. between Nelson & Underwood streets)

56. Fruit on a Stick

At the perfectly named “Fried Fruit and Fried Olives” stand, you can spice up that boring healthy fruit by getting it dipper in batter and skewered onto a stick. They offer this service on a bunch of different fruits, including grapes, strawberry, apple, pineapple, banana, peaches, cherries, and pears.

Likewise, at Granny’s Cheesecakes and More, you can get an ice-cream take on your fruit sticks. They dip frozen bananas in various flavors and then roll them in nuts, or you can get chocolate dipped strawberries and bananas.

57. Strawberry + Brownies (in Wine Infused Chocolate)

For a boozier take, head over to Minnesota Wine Country and get your strawberries on a stick mixed with browned and dipped into wine-infused chocolate!

58. Wonder Bars on a Stick

The large blue Mini Melts/Wondar Bar stand hand cuts Wonder Bars and dips them in a chocolate.

  • Mini Melts/Wondar Bar (East side of Cooper St. between Randall & Wright avenues, at Family Fair at Baldwin Park
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About the Author
Discover The Cities

Discover The Cities

DiscoverTheCities exists for one simple goal: to help you discover everything that’s awesome about Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Twin Cities area. Here’s the ugly truth. Most of Minnesota’s “travel guides” are written by people with East Coast accents sitting New York City cubicles. They wouldn’t know a Jucy Lucy if it shot its molten hot-lava -cheese in their face. The DTC team is different. We're passionate Twin Cities locals writing from personal experience. We actually visit the sights, taste the food, and share the real local’s inside scoop.
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