We Rank the 15 Best Foods at the Dutchess County Fair

We're putting our reputation where our mouths are and counting down the very best food available at the Dutchess County Fair.

Everyone has their own favorite foods at the fair, but that's not stopping us from sharing our own definitive list of the very best culinary delights available at the Dutchess County Fair. Don't agree? Let us know how wrong we are in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

15. Fried Dough
There are quite a few places to get funnel cakes and traditional zeppoles, but if you want decadent, deep-fried Twinkies, Oreos or candy bars you must hit Hoffman’s PA Dutch Funnel Cakes. They're the real deal.

14. Sugar Shakers Lemonade
You can tell by the swarm of bees surrounding their multiple booths that these things are loaded with enough sugar to keep you wired for a full day at the fair.

13. Sweet Stack Chimney Cakes
Think of them as ice cream cones on steroids. The cone-shaped cinnamon or plain shell is crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside and filled with ice cream or other fillings.

12. Roasted Peanuts
There's a real, antique peanut roaster set up just below livestock hill every year. And it still works, roasting nuts in the shell to take home or enjoy warm right out of the bag.

11. Millie's Perogi / Janek's Polish Foods
There are two authentic carts serving Pierogies, Stuffed Cabbage, Kielbasa and other authentic Polish dishes. We prefer Janek's, but others swear by Millie's. There's no shame in getting both.

10. Fried Veggie Platter
The line for vegetable tempura grows each year. And that's really a testament to how even the healthiest of foods can be transformed into a decadent treat at the fair. This one just squeaked into the top ten, despite that slimy mushroom that no one ever eats at the bottom of the plate.

9. Bob Maxwell Walk-A-Way Sundae
There's no time to sit and eat a sundae at the fair, that's why the classic Bob Maxwell Walkaway Sundae has become a tradition for most fairgoers. This brilliant dessert makes it that much easier to indulge while waiting in line for the next course.

8. Fried Pickles
It's not something you'd eat anywhere else but at the county fair. And honestly, deep fried pickles probably wouldn't taste as good if you ate them anywhere else. But at the Dutchess Fairgrounds they're gourmet cuisine.

7. Roasted Corn
Fresh corn roasted on an open flame is tasty, but let's be honest; this is all about the giant vat of liquid butter that the corn is generously dunked in before you put it in your mouth hole.

6. Taste Budd's Cream Puff
Taste Budd's has an incredible local bake shop in Red Hook, but once a year they produce the enormous, legendary cream puff that keeps fairgoers coming back year after year.

5. Butcher Boys London Broil Sandwich
Giant steaks are grilled on an open flame, sliced to order and then placed on a huge, freshly-steamed steak roll.  The hardest decision is whether to top it with onions and peppers, cheese, bbq sauce or horseradish sauce.

4. John's Famous Fries
They're served in a dog bowl. A DOG BOWL. But oh, how John elevates the average french fry to something this delicious we'll never know. Actually we don't even care, just pass the dog bowl.

3. Sausage and Peppers
You did not go to the fair if you didn't eat a sausage and peppers sandwich. Period. Everyone has their favorite sausage and peppers guy at the fair, and we won't even begin to take sides in this debate. They're all amazing in their own unique way and a Dutchess County Fair "must-have."

2. Tie: Meat Parfait / 'Cue Cone
As far as the novelty meat entree goes, the Dutchess County Fair has two of the very best in the country. Texas Connection's Meat Parfait is layers of brisket, pulled pork, cole slaw and mashed potato topped with a cherry tomato, gravy and garnished with a spare rib. Handsome Devil's 'Cue Cone is an awe-inspiring bread cone filled with a "hot mess" of macaroni and cheese and pulled pork. Whether you want a meat sundae or a meat cone, the fair has you covered.

1. 4-H Milkshake
Would you expect the legendary 4-H milkshake to be anywhere but first in our list of must-have fair foods? Of course not. There's a reason the line in front of the milkshake booth never seems to disappear: those shakes were just grass a few days ago. The shakes are made from the freshest dairy available. Maybe that's why the cow across the way keeps giving everyone in line a funny look. While we can all agree that the 4-H shake is tops, it's now time for the bigger debate: Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry?

While you're at the fair making your own list of favorites, be sure to visit the WPDH tent and make a donation to Alex's Lemonde Stand. Pick up a WPDH t-shirt and help The Boris & Robyn Show fight childhood cancer.