Geddes, N.Y. — So, finding food “bargains” at the palace of food excess is not all that easy. Prepare to walk a lot and gawk at many, many signs.

But we did it, Dear Reader. We found a satisfying blend of nourishment — all less than $5 — at the New York State Fair that ranged from the very basic to the sorta creative to the hmmm, what is THAT?

Some tips: Generally the cheapest food is located along restaurant row, near the animal barns. (Don’t get any ideas.) And pretty much every place we went accepted credit cards, but gave a slight discount for paying in cash.

Here we go:

Spinach FatayerSpinach fatayer The spinach fatayer at Munjed’s at the 2025 New York State Fair. (Jon Moss/Jon Moss | jmoss@syracuse.com)

  • Who: Munjed’s
  • Where: The Eatery
  • How much: $5
  • What’s it like: This is basically spanakopita in a cute little triangle shape. It’s a soft, warm pastry stuffed with spinach, onions and something unidentifiably tangy. Those triangles are probably 4 inches or so. If you’re looking to add something relatively healthy (spinach!), this qualifies.

Giant garlic knotGiant garlic knot The giant garlic knot at Twin Trees at the 2025 New York State Fair. (Donna Ditota/Donna Ditota | dditota@syracuse.com)

  • Who: Twin Trees
  • Where: Restaurant Row
  • How much: $4
  • What’s it like: This isn’t a knot as much as it is a hamburger-bun-esque crunchy garlic delight, with an emphasis on the garlic. It’s sorta like puffed-up pizza crust smothered in a garlicky/cheesy sauce. Twin Trees also has $2 Hoffman hot dogs, which is one of the cheaper dog options at the fair. We would have tried the Charlie Miller Dog at the Dog House nearby, but that was a budget-busting $6. The CM comes with raw onion and sauerkraut, which obviously puts it over the top.

Cookie dough in a cupCookie dough Cookie dough balls in a small cup from Sweet Praxis at the New York State Fair. (Donna Ditota/Donna Ditota)

  • Who: Bake Lab, Sweet Praxis
  • Where: Dairy Products Building
  • How much: $5 for a small Cookie Monster
  • What’s it like: There are three options for these cookie dough balls. We chose the Cookie Monster, which meant a combination of chocolate chip cookie dough, crushed Oreos, chocolate sauce and blue sprinkles came garnished with a chocolate chip cookie. Oddly enough, it tasted just like the cookie dough you neglected to scrape out of the bowl or just saved for later.

Irish egg rollIrish egg roll The Irish egg roll at Horan’s at the 2025 New York State Fair. (Donna Ditota/Donna Ditota | dditota@syracuse.com)

  • Who: Horan’s
  • Where: Restaurant Row
  • How much: $5
  • What’s it like: This was a revelation. Neither of us knew what to expect. But it was shockingly delicious. It’s corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese packed into a crunchy, deep-fried roll. It comes with an orange sauce of indiscriminate origin (also good!).

Tomato PieSlice of tomato pie A slice of tomato pie at It’s a Utica Thing at 2025 New York State Fair. (Donna Ditota/Donna Ditota | dditota@syracuse.com)

  • Who: It’s a Utica Thing
  • Where: Restaurant Row
  • How much: $4
  • What’s it like: I know, I know. Not super thrilling. But … hear us out! You get a pretty giant slab of tomato pie for the money. If you’re into tomato pie, this is a bargain. You can also get a regular slice of cheese pizza here for $5.

Street TacoStreet taco The street taco at Las Delicias at the 2025 New York State Fair. (Donna Ditota/Donna Ditota | dditota@syracuse.com)

  • Who: Las Delicias
  • Where: The Eatery
  • How much: $4
  • What’s it like: Here it is: a basic taco for four bucks. We chose the beef option (you can also get chicken), and they pile it with whatever extras you want. We chose lettuce, cheese and some taco sauce. It’s basic, but it’s pretty tasty and also kid-friendly.

CookiewichChipwich The Cookiewich at Byrne Dairy at the 2025 New York State Fair. (Donna Ditota/Donna Ditota | dditota@syracuse.com)

  • Who: Byrne Dairy
  • Where: Dairy Products Building
  • How much: $3
  • What’s it like: There are three varieties. We opted for the chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream and the chocolate cookie with mint ice cream. There’s also a swirl option. These are a bargain, especially on a hot day. They’re probably 5 inches in diameter, so pretty hefty. And they’re cold and the perfect amount of sweet, which is not sickeningly sweet.

Stay up to date on all our New York State Fair news, food, music, schedules and more with syracuse.com’s free newsletter. It’s emailed to you each morning. Click here to sign up.