Find State Fair of Texas flavors in this Fort Worth-area city’s restaurants
State Fair spirit has come to Burleson, and the city’s unique local restaurants are bringing the flavor.
Twenty restaurants are serving specials made with corny dogs, funnel cake, doughnuts and more, all a “Best Fest” tribute to the fried foods featured 45 miles to the east at the State Fair of Texas.
You don’t have to go to Dallas to find truffle Buffalo fries. Or a fried PB&J. Or fried Twinkies.
“It’s a fun competition,” said Otto Arslanovski of Our Place, the home-cooking cafe known to Interstate 35W travelers across Texas.
Our Place, 950 N. Burleson Blvd., is serving a mountainous State Fair-themed breakfast.
It starts with a layer of cornbread with jalapeno-cheese smoked sausage baked inside.
That’s topped with scrambled eggs, more smoked sausage, Texas chili, cheese and jalapenos ($7.99).
“When we make cornbread, sometimes the staff puts sausage in theirs — it was never a menu thing,” he said.
So he made that Our Place’s entry in the annual “Burleson Best Fest,” a city promotion to raise awareness of the city’s non-corporate-chain restaurants.
Arslanovski has other favorites in the competition. (Residents can print a ballot and vote.)
From American Revelry, a contemporary bar-and-grill at 279 W. Hidden Creek Parkway, he likes the sweet-n-spicy pulled-pork funnel cake.
Former Cafe Modern chef Denise Shavandy is in her first year at American Revelry. She adds herbs and shallots to a typical funnel cake, then tops it with pork, barbecue sauce, corn relish, cilantro crema and queso fresco.
“It’s a fun, savory twist on funnel cake,” Shavandy said.
Both Arslanovski and Shavandy are independent restaurateurs in a city known for its endless rows of chain places.
It helps Old Town Burleson and the entire city if residents discover unique, local dining. So the “Best Fest” promotes “discovering new flavors.”
Shavandy also praised the idea of Burly Bird’s truffle Buffalo fries, Dough Boy Donuts’ caramel-apple-cream-cheese French toast doughnuts and Lone Star Bar & Grill’s fried pickled okra.
Arslanovki mentioned another favorite: cookies at Murry Bakery made with Big Red, a popular Texas soft drink.
Among the other specials: corny dogs at Grumps Burgers and also at The Rim, fried Twinkies at Spice Rack, strawberry-cajeta churros at Frescos and a turkey-Swiss-American “Big Tex” Monte Cristo sandwich at the Ol’ South Pancake House.
The voting continues through Sept. 30, but some restaurants may continue the specials later. More at burlesontx.com.
This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
