DES MOINES, Iowa (August 16, 2024) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today congratulated Cattlemen's Beef Quarters for winning “Best Choose Iowa Fair Food” during the 2024 Iowa State Fair. The Best Choose Iowa Fair Food Contest, an official contest of the Iowa State Fair, was created this year to highlight and celebrate fair food menu items made using ingredients sourced from Iowa. Choose Iowa is the state’s signature brand for Iowa grown, Iowa raised, and Iowa made food and ag products.
The Hot Beef Sundae served by Cattlemen's Beef Quarters was selected via an online vote on the Iowa State Fair’s website.
“The Iowa State Fair is famous for many reasons, including its unique and delicious fair food. Choose Iowa is continuing to grow as Iowa’s signature brand, and this new contest is a fun way to celebrate all of the Iowa ingredients used to make these memorable Iowa State Fair food offerings,” said Secretary Naig. “Thank you to all the vendors who entered the first year of this contest, and I congratulate Cattlemen's Beef Quarters for claiming the inaugural title of ‘Best Choose Iowa Fair Food’ with their Hot Beef Sundae. I encourage consumers to not only enjoy these Iowa-sourced foods at the fair, but also look for the Choose Iowa logo on food and ag products throughout the year.”
Approximately 10 percent of the food stands at the Iowa State Fair, including all of Iowa’s commodity groups that produce protein as well as the Iowa Honey Producers and the Specialty Crop Growers, submitted entries for the Best Choose Iowa Fair Food Contest. Choose Iowa aims to expand the number of vendors who participate in the contest in subsequent years.
A map showing all the food locations featuring menu items made with Iowa ingredients is linked on the Choose Iowa website as well as available on the Iowa State Fair website and app.
The following vendors and their dishes, located in alphabetical order, entered in the contest this year:
The Bacon Box
Grinder Ball
Beattie’s Melon Patch
Watermelon in a Cup
Biscuit Bar
Hot Mess Biscuit
Bubbly Bar and Bistro
Tipsy Peach
Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters
Hot Beef Sundae
Chuckie’s Famous Breaded Pork Tenderloins
Chuckie’s Breaded Pork Tenderloin Wrap
Cluckin’ Coop
Fiesta Egglote
Dairy Zone
Iowa Tornado
Destination Grille
DG Chicken Strips with Homemade Ranch
Fresh American Lamb
All Iowa Lamb Burger
Hagar’s Hoagies
Chopped Ham
Iowa Honey Producers
Honey Lemonade Popsicles
Iowa Pork Producers - Iowa Pork Tent
Shredded BBQ Pork Sandwich
Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association
Cinnamon Crunch Apple Taco
Iowa Turkey Federation - Turkey Grill
Deep-Fried Turkey Tenderloin Sandwich
Old West Roadhouse BBQ
Bone-In Grilled Smoked Chop
Steer N Stein
The Breakfast Chimichanga
Stockman’s Inn
Iowa Bratwurst
The Dairy Goodness Barn
Raspberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt
The Snack Box
Ham Salad Sandwich
Learn more about Choose Iowa by visiting ChooseIowa.com.