From fried Oreos to turkey legs, the Fair Food Drive-Thru, which began on Aug. 28, is a highly populated venue for fair fans to get their favorite food staples. Due to the cancellation of this summer’s annual Orange County Fair, a new event is taking place at the Costa Mesa fairgrounds where guests can experience a taste of the beloved event while maintaining social distancing. 

On opening night, the line through the food stands was at least an hour long. However, during the third weekend of the fair the wait was around 5-10 minutes. Guests can skip through parts of the line as well to ensure that they are not waiting longer for food items that they are not interested in. The food items are the same prices as they usually are, ranging from $4-$55.

One of the most popular food vendors is Juicy’s, which specializes in burgers, funnel cakes and large towers of curly fries. Juicy’s typically grills food in front of the customers; this time around, consumers receive their burger and extra toppings in a similar way to how In-N-Out presents their food. The anticipation of watching the cooks barbecue the burgers and hot dogs is still present, with the savory aroma filling the air.

Opposite of Juicy’s, Fried A Fair transforms any sweet imaginable into a fried delight. We tried the classic fried Oreos along with fried cookie dough. The decadent taste transports guests back to nostalgic memories of a COVID-free summer. The food was presented beautifully with drizzled chocolate and powdered sugar. 

Cathy’s Cookies has always been a crowd-pleaser and thankfully has returned for the drive-thru. Customers can purchase a sleeve or a bucket of cookies depending on preference. We decided to share the largest bucket, because from past experiences, the chocolate chip cookies always taste fresh out of the oven and are baked with love. 

For those who feel down about the fair getting cancelled this year, this to-be-continued event will definitely put a much-needed smile on many faces and temporarily distract people from the more negative aspects of 2020.