I got the chance to try out some of the best and weirdest concoctions on offer at the CNE this year for Narcity, and was surprised by how tasty some of the options actually are.
From deep-fried slices of pizza to Kraft Dinner smoothies, here's a look at some of the must-try food items you'll want to sink your teeth into at the 2026 CNE.
Sushi Push Pop
A salmon Sushi Push Pop from HK Station.
Price: 1 for $8, 3 for $20
Where To Find: HK Station, Food Truck Frenzy
Details: Take your sushi roll on the go! These Sushi Push Pops from HK Station combine the design of a push-pop candy with classic sushi rolls, and the result is actually really good.
This genius combination makes it easy to eat sushi at the fair — I mean, who wants to be walking around the CNE Midway trying to eat a salmon roll with chopsticks?
The push pops are available in three kinds: salmon, tuna and shrimp. I opted for the salmon roll, which comes with salmon, avocado and a special sauce. It was a really delicious roll, and I appreciated the no-mess function of the push pop.
You can get one Sushi Push Pop for $8, or three for $20, and find them at the Food Truck Frenzy near the Princes' Gates during the fair.
HK Station also serves up sushi tacos as well as drinks like Hong Kong-style milk tea.
Rating: 5/5
S'mores Deep-Fried Pizza Slice
A deep-fried pizza slice from Pizza Pizza topped with S'mores toppings.
Price: $13.11
Where To Find: Pizza Pizza
Details: Pizza Pizza just took a fair-food classic to a whole new level. This year, parkgoers can try a deep-fried pizza slice from the chain topped with s'mores fixings for a dish that literally combines dessert and pizza.
The new creation is a classic Pizza Pizza cheese slice, dipped in corn dog batter and breaded with graham cracker crumbs, fried until crispy, and topped with chocolate ganache, whipped marshmallow, and graham cracker drizzle.
Instead of being a "dessert pizza," however, this is literally a pizza slice with dessert on top. It may sound gross, but the result is actually a savoury and sweet combo that really hits the spot.
The new pizza slices are also available in savoury versions, breaded with crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos and topped with pepperoni or sweet pickles.
The slices are a bit monstrous (basically the size of your face), but the fun take on a classic pizza slice is definitely worth adding to your list of foods to try at the fair.
Rating: 4/5
Cheeseburger Dumplings
Cheeseburger Dumplings from Smash City.
Price: $9.95
Where To Find: Smash City inside the Food Building
Details: This was one of my favourite savoury bites at the fair.
These aren't your typical dumplings — instead of being filled with the typical dumpling filling of meat and/or vegetables, these dumplings from Smash City are filled with all the ingredients of a tasty cheeseburger.
The house-made dumplings are filled with a classic smash-burger-style beef, with onions, pickles, cheese and a Big Mac-style sauce.
And for being so small, they really deliver on flavour. Each dumpling truly feels like a complete bite of a cheeseburger, and a really good cheeseburger, at that.
They're small enough to one-bite and easy enough to carry around the fair. They're definitely a must-try dish at the CNE — basically, if you like dumplings and you like cheeseburgers, you'll like these.
Rating: 5/5
Mango Cloud Japanese Sando
The "Mango Cloud" Japanese Sando from Marry Me Mochi.
Price: $12
Where To Find: Marry Me Mochi inside the Food Building
Details: The Mango Cloud Japanese Sando from Marry Me Mochi is a dessert sandwich that hits all the right notes and was probably the best sweet treat I tried.
The sando is Japanese Hokkaido milk bread filled with cream and topped with fresh mango.
It also comes in other iterations, including a creme brulée version, a Biscoff sando complete with Biscoff cream, and a vanilla-cream version topped with strawberry Pocky chocolate.
I went with the Mango Cloud sando. The mango's sweetness paired perfectly with the light sweetness of the cream and milk bread. The whole thing was sweet, but not too sweet, and refreshing on a hot day.
Served in a carton, it's also super easy to transport and eat on the go.
Rating: 5/5
Dill Pickle Pegroll
Dill Pickle Pegrolls from Pegrolls.
Price: 6 for $11, 8 for $15, 12 for $22
Where To Find: Pegrolls on the Midway
Details: Is this the perfect on-the-go snack for this year's fair? These Dill Pickle Pegrolls from Pegrolls are light, crispy, and tasty, and I was pleasantly surprised by how satisfying each bite was.
What's a Pegroll, you might wonder? Basically, a Pegroll combines a pierogi with a spring roll. The dish is pierogi filling wrapped in a crispy spring roll pastry. The result is a light, easy-to-eat bite that makes for a great snack.
Pegrolls offers several flavours of the dish at its location in Toronto, but this dill pickle version — which features dill seasoning and pickle chunks and is served with your choice of spicy or regular sour cream — is exclusive to the CNE and definitely a must-try.
Rating: 5/5
Sweet Corn & Wasabi Lemonade
The Sweet Corn & Wasabi Lemonade from Alijandro's Kitchen.
Price: $7.59 for regular, $10 for large
Where To Find: Alijandro's Kitchen, Food Truck Frenzy & Heritage Court
Details: Lemonade fans, you won't want to miss this. This Sweet Corn & Wasabi Lemonade from Alijandro's Kitchen combines three flavours that don't sound like they should go together (lemon, corn and wasabi) — and yet, somehow they work really well.
The drink is a new creation from Alijandro's, a Palestinian-Mexican fusion kitchen with a location in Mississauga.
On the first sip, you'll taste light notes of corn and butter; on the second sip, you'll taste a bit more of the lemonade. And the third sip is where you'll really get the taste of wasabi.
I was surprised by just how good the drink was. None of the flavours were overpowering — instead, they all combined to create a sweet, yet almost savoury, drink with a slight kick that was refreshing and tasty.
If, like me, you're into corn and lemonade (even if not necessarily together), I think you'll really like this.
Rating: 5/5
Butter Chicken Birria Tacos
Butter Chicken Birria Tacos from Rick's Good Eats.
Price: $16.95
Where To Find: Rick's Good Eats, Food Truck Frenzy
Details: You've heard of birria tacos, but have you heard of butter chicken birria tacos?
These tacos come from Rick's Good Eats, a diner with multiple locations in the GTA offering fusion dishes blending Indian and Canadian flavours, and feature Tandoori chicken in a crispy, fried taco shell, served with butter chicken consomé.
The tacos make for a great bite. The shell is crispy, while the meat is tender and juicy, and the consomé adds a ton of flavour.
And if you like butter chicken, Rick's Good Eats is offering a CNE menu that can basically be described as "butter chicken everything," with dishes including butter chicken and waffles and a foot-long butter chicken tacquito.
The birria tacos are their top seller, and it's easy to see why. Parkgoers can get two tacos for $16.95, and find the food truck in the Food Truck Frenzy by the Princes' Gates.
Rating: 5/5
KD Smoothie
The KD Smoothie from Booster Juice.
Price: $6.69 for snack size, $10.39 for large
Where To Find: Booster Juice inside the Food Building
Details: This wild take on a Booster Juice smoothie delivers the flavours of Kraft Dinner (??) in a drink.
The drink is made with pineapple juice, mangoes, milk and frozen yogurt, with the unique addition of Kraft Dinner Mac & Cheese powder.
The colour of the drink thankfully looks more like a regular smoothie than liquified Kraft Dinner. In terms of taste, the drink has notes of mango and pineapple, with the KD cheese flavour coming through on the aftertaste.
The drink is available in a snack size for $6.69 or a large size for $10.39.
Honestly, the flavour is not my favourite. I'd rather drink a regular Booster Juice smoothie and eat a bowl of Kraft Dinner Mac & Cheese than combine the two again. But the idea is fun, ultra-Canadian, and definitely unique — making it worth trying for yourself.
Rating: 3/5
The CNE runs from August 21 to September 7, 2026. Enjoy!
