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What comes to your mind when you think of county fair food? Overly priced? Greasy? Skimpy portions? Served by crabby, sleepy, over-the-hill and drugged-out "carnies?" Here's a game changer: Attend the annual Placer County Fair, stop by the booth operated by Thompson Peak Concessions, and order a giant plate of the best deep-fried veggies to be found in Roseville, and your mind will be changed forever! As with all of my reviews, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's early Saturday afternoon, on June 25, 2016, and Thompson Peak Concessions is set up at the annual Placer County Fair, held at the fairgrounds, in Roseville. Their restaurant was set up on "Sunset Blvd.," as the name implies on the west side of the fair, directly across from the carnival. There is a large grassy area behind the restaurant with shady picnic tables, which makes it easy to enjoy your food. Also, there is a nearby beer stand, which sells beer at a reasonable "county fair" price of $5.00 per glass.
Photo: At the time of my visit, there were two gals working the restaurant, Katrina, seen in the photo, greeting customers, and Sherry, who was doing the cooking. Katrina is pouring ice tea for the customers, as I snap her photo.
Photo: The menu is very basic, and it's posted above the cash register. My eyes stopped on the "Veggie Combo Plate," and I didn't look further. I'm a sucker for deep fried vegetables, especially when you can order a plate with everything. Deep fried vegetables are a staple at county fairs, and at $8.00, I was expecting a small plate, of greasy vegetables, but after my order arrived, I was in for a very pleasant surprise.
Photo: Katrina is the friendly gal who took my order, and was happy to have her photo taken. When you place your order at Thompson Peak Concessions, the format is identical to all other county fair restaurants: Decide what you want to eat, place your order, pay for your order, and wait for your order arrive. After placing, and paying for my order, friendly Katrina advised that it would be a few minutes until my order would arrived, as it is cooked fresh-to-order. Sherry can be seen in the background of the photo, cooking my order on their in-house deep fryer.
Photo: Sherry, inside the restaurant, is putting the final touches on my meal. The restaurant is surrounded by netting, I suppose to keep the bugs outside. As I watched her "plating" my order, I was amazed at the amount of deep fried veggies that I was about to enjoy!
Photo: Condiments include salt, pepper, ranch dressing, hot sauce, and catsup. The ranch and catsup are in large containers, and you pump out as much as you want. There is a box that contains cardboard trays, so you can pump a LARGE amount of condiments, so you don't have to go back and forth, like you have to do with some places that use those little plastic cups. There is also a LARGE supply of paper napkins, which are definitely helpful when you're eating delicious deep fried veggies, that are "finger lickin' good."
Photo: After "plating" my deep fried veggies to me, Sherry brings them to me. Boy, was I ever surprised at the mountain of vegetables, as I was expecting the small, "state-fair" sized plate. Before even taking a bite of my veggies, I thanked, and complimented Sherry on the size, and the presentation of this marvelous plate of fried goodness. She thanked me, and commented that she and her husband, who own the restaurant, "always want to treat our customers well." After chatting with her for a couple of minutes, I discovered the customer service rates a "perfect 10," and later, I was to discover the HUGE plate of deep fried vegetables was also to rate a "10."
Photo: Just behind the restaurant, there are many shaded tables for your dining enjoyment, and a beer stand to help quench your thirst. Note the cardboard trays that hold ample condiments, in my case, ranch dressing for the vegetables, and catsup for the fries. Thanks, Sherry, for taking my photo.
Photo: For $8.00, at the time of this writing, you really get your money's worth! Not only is the food an excellent value, but it's a plate of sheer deep fried vegetable pleasure! The "Veggie Combo Plate" includes three large pieces of deep fried zuchinni squash, four onion rings, six onion rings, and a mountain of fries. The cardboard trays make it easy to hold lots of condiments. The food is battered with batter made on-site, and the vegetables are fresh, and local, which is normal for northern California, as we grow vegetables everywhere. As I mentioned previously, the food is made-to-order, and deep fried immediately after you pay for your order. The food arrives fresh, and hot, and is delicious!
Photo: Close-up photo of my plate of deep fried vegetables. If you love deep fried vegetables as much as I do, check out Thompson Peak Concessions the next time you visit the Placer County Fair, or any fair where they set up their fine restaurant. The deep fried vegetables are delicious, and the staff is super friendly, courteous, and they put customer satisfaction as their top priority. Thompson Peak Concessions shatters the "county fair mold," and serves quality food, at very reasonable prices, in a family-friendly environment... with a smile! Thompson Peak Concessions Copyright(c) 2016 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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