Puyallup Fair Food

[dougery]

Ok all of you pacific northwesterners, I'm going to the Puyallup fair for the first time in about 20 years and I'm looking for some recommendations. If the scones are exactly the same as they used to be, I'm not buying them, and I can't stand the elephant ears. I've never tried a deep fried twinkie so I'm tempted to try one of those but other than that I don't have a clue as to what is good at the fair. My wife is in her third trimester so anything unpasturized is out of the question.

Any suggestions out there?

[tighe]

Eat before you go......

[girl chow]

Well, you missed the SPAM cook-off at the fair yesterday, so that was pretty much your best bet for eating something decent at the fair. har har har

There are many things to eat at the fair, and most of them are deep fried.. but none of them are going to be stellar and all of them are going to be a pretty poor value. There is a Greek booth over by the Blue Gate entrance that is ok (very mediocre). The Earthquake Burgers are a favorite for a lot of people.. I think they're pretty crappy (big, messy, soggy burgers aren't my thing). They have teriyaki booths and booths selling deep fried candy bars (I don't think twinkies are there this year, but I could be wrong) and there are several places over by the barns that sell onion burgers and cheeseburgers and hot dogs and such (none are that great). Do NOT under any circumstances eat at the Longhorn Barbecue. Ack.

If you don't have your heart set on eating at the fair, there are some decent finds around Puyallup. There's a great Thai joint up the hill near the South Hill Mall called Araythaya (next door to Starbucks, in the same *ack* strip mall as Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond). Over on Main Street in Puyallup, as you're heading north toward Sumner is Toscano's, an Italian joint and wine bar. It's new and pretty good. In Sumner, one city away, you'll find Brank's on Main Street. They serve really wonderful barbecue (get the ribs). And there's also a great pizza joint just up the hill, on State Route 410. It's called Marsillo's and it's located downstairs from the winery (on your right as you head up toward Bonney Lake). They have a wood fired oven that turns out some damn good pizzas.

Also, heading in the opposite direction from the fair, there is a really really really great place in Parkland (a short ride away on State Route 512 to the Pacific/Hwy 7 exit) called From The Bayou (we've posted about it here many times). Fantastic Southern food. I can certainly offer plenty of other Puyallup and Tacoma recommendations should you want to explore food in other parts of Pierce County.

Let us know what you wind up eating!

[dougery]

Thanks for the great tips Chow!

The only restaurant in the area that I know of is the Powerhouse? I'ts pretty entertaining when the trains go by!

I missed the spam cook-off? I would have enjoyed seeing that (I actually like spam Hawaiian style). I hear Bill Cosby will be there, I'll see if I can at least get tickets to that...

[reesek]

Thanks for the great tips Chow!

The only restaurant in the area that I know of is the Powerhouse?  I'ts pretty entertaining when the trains go by!

I missed the spam cook-off?  I would have enjoyed seeing that (I actually like spam Hawaiian style).  I hear Bill Cosby will be there,  I'll see if I can at least get tickets to that...

←

dougery - i dragged my boyfriend last year with promises of scones, and pygmy goat and donkey sightings. it was my first state fair. we ate scorchingly hot, yet raw french fries, bland panini, and the grossest "scone" ever, before i demanded we try a deep fried snickers on our way out. i have since agreed never to make him eat at a state fair again. the snickers melts - but only a little - in it's corn-dog jacket, in a really upsetting, oily, wet, slimy way, not a warm car melty way which, i must confess, i like.

what did you eat at the fair? or did you take suggestions from egulleteers and skip the food? (the goaties are cute!)

[girl chow]

Thanks for the great tips Chow!

The only restaurant in the area that I know of is the Powerhouse?  I'ts pretty entertaining when the trains go by!

I missed the spam cook-off?  I would have enjoyed seeing that (I actually like spam Hawaiian style).  I hear Bill Cosby will be there,  I'll see if I can at least get tickets to that...

←

Yes! The Powerhouse is a really fun Puyallup joint. For those who don't know about it, it's on Main Street in Puyallup.. located in an old power station. They do microbrews there and a very decent microbrewed root beer. I really like their dark beer (I think it's a stout, but don't quote me on that). It's thick as mud and made with Martin Henry espresso (a local coffee roaster in Puyallup that RAWKS!).

At Powerhouse, I mostly drink beer :) but there a few menu items to try: the halibut fish and chips are very decent. Pizza is only so-so.

[dougery]

in it's corn-dog jacket, in a really upsetting, oily, wet, slimy way, not a warm car melty way which, i must confess, i like. 

Someone told me that the deep fried twinkies are a lot better.

I never made to the fair this weekend but there are still a few days to go!

Maybe I'll bring my own lunch?...

[reesek]

Someone told me that the deep fried twinkies are a lot better. 

I never made to the fair this weekend    but there are still a few days to go!

Maybe I'll bring my own lunch?...

←

i'm pretty sure they didn't have twinkies last year...i can't imagine i would have chosen a candy bar over a twinkie. i have heard that the frying must be precise. can you imagine if the creamy filling melted?

have fun! (don't miss the goats!)

[girl chow]

I'm going to Fair this week (primarily so my kid can hang out at the petting zoo, but I also admit a bizarre fetish with grange displays).

I will report back about fried Twinkies and candy bars (scary).