Why eat boring when you can get crazy at The Big E?
New England’s biggest state fair offers the opportunity to eat some of the weirdest flavor combinations and oddest foods to ever meet a deep-fryer.
A lot of those are fairground frivolities that are strictly novelties. But some of them are legitimately delicious.
So if you’re going to The Big E and want the best of both worlds, give one of these a try.
1) Cornbread Sundae | From Moolicious | On Springfield Road and West Road
This sundae is proof that you can really put corn in anything. But it’s more than just a silly concept. This thing rules.
The sundae comprises a piece of cornbread topped with sweet corn ice cream, whipped cream, hot honey and Corn Pops cereal.
It’s a marvelous melding of savory and sweet flavors that creates a buttery, caramel-like taste that will blow you away.
2) Fried Butter | From Marion’s Fried Foods | On New England Avenue
I’ll admit it. I initially thought this sounded disgusting and should be criminalized. Then I tried it.
Believe it or not, this is a genius concept. It’s more like a deep-fried dinner roll that’s filled with melted butter.
The key is to cover it in cinnamon sugar and then tear it apart.
Do you get butter everywhere? You sure do. But remember, you’re at a state fair. Decorum is not required.
3) Spicy PB&J Burger | From SoulFully Vegan | In the Front Porch
I’m not sure what will scare off more people, the flavor combination or the fact that it’s vegan.
Don’t be scared! It’s delicious!
This burger has a lot of smokey “beef” flavor in the grilled vegan patty. That then gets topped with vegan oat milk cheese and peanut butter, which complement the other flavors well.
The star of the show is the spicy-sweet jalapeño jelly on the bottom. It brings the whole burger together into something delicious.
4) The Spic-E Burger | From The Emporium | In the Better Living Center
Oh, you thought a cheeseburger served on two glazed doughnuts was weird? How about we throw some jalapeño poppers on there and roll the “buns” in Flaming Hot Cheetos?
It’s a monster of a fairground food. But the spicy-sweet flavor was much tastier than I expected.
5) Turducken Sandwich | From New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
This is an example of a crazy concept that’s actually really well designed.
It’s really more like a Thanksgiving sandwich version of a grilled cheese.
The “turducken” is represented in the patty, which is made with chicken, turkey, duck confit and sausage cornbread. That gets topped with cranberry aioli and American cheese before getting slapped on some white bread and grilled.
6) Maple Bacon Corn Ribs | From Mr. Pickle | On Springfield Road
Ignore the name: There are no actual ribs here.
Instead, this is an ear of corn that is quartered the long way. That lets you eat the corners off the core like you would a rib.
You’ll want to do just that since these “ribs” are loaded with bacon and maple syrup and get fried up. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed these.
7) BBQ Brisket Sundae | From Porkys | On Commonwealth Avenue
Once again, ignore the name: There’s no ice cream in this “sundae.”
This is more like a parfait that consists of BBQ fixings, including a delicious pile of brisket on top.
Grab a fork, dive in, mix up the flavors and enjoy.
8) Bacon-Wrapped Dilly Dilly Dog | From Giant Corn Dog Factory | On West Road
This is more than a corn dog. It’s a corn dog wrapped in bacon, stuffed inside a giant pickle and then fried corn dog-style.
The individual tastes are wild. But the end result is surprisingly tasty.
9) Wagyu Sloppy Joe Slider | From All-American Craft Beer Pub | On Springfield Road
I thought this was going to be a sloppy Joe made with wagyu.
Instead, it’s a double cheeseburger topped with sloppy Joe filling and served on a pretzel bun.
I have no idea where the wagyu enters the equation. All I know is that this was a great burger.
10) Pickle Pizza | From Angela’s Pizza (And other vendors)
One of the biggest trends at The Big E has been throwing pickles into foods where they don’t belong.
Most of those ideas are busts. But the pickle pizza? It really works as a savory-salty treat.
11) The Big Sexy Platter | From The Broccoli Bar | On Springfield Road
The Broccoli Bar is one of the wackiest spots at The Big E.
It’s easy to spot. It’s the green truck with the rave music and guys dancing in broccoli costumes.
It’s also the place with legitimately delicious broccoli tempura and plant-based dumplings. The pro move is to get it all in one platter: The Big Sexy.
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