Cool Runnings Jamaican

I didn't park off-site, take a city bus, wait in long lines, and fight the Friday night crowds of the North Carolina State Fair just to try some new tacos. But that's what ended up happening.

Our family set off for the fair to meet up with some other family members and have a nice night. It was dinner time, and when you go to the fair, you don't eat just one thing. You hit multiple vendors. Brooke had been looking at the map online and noticed a taco place, so we went hunting. We searched a good 20 minutes, only to find out our info was from 2025.

So we sat down and ate a very overrated and underwhelming ham biscuit from the Pittsboro people. Yeah, that's right, I'm calling them out, because their sign said "World's Best Ham Biscuit," and it was far from true.

As we sat there, I looked up and saw a bright yellow sign that said "Jerk Chicken." Brooke immediately said, "Ooh, chicken wings." But as I kept reading the menu, the very last thing on the list was TACOS!! I said, "I'm about to go get us some jerk chicken tacos." And that's what we did.

I got in line, and when I got to the counter I noticed they had a taco trio entree. Even though it was $32 (yes, that's not a typo), I bit the bullet for the review. And man, am I glad I did. They were delicious.

The problem is there was no description of what the tacos were, and writing this now it's even harder to recall. I had to study the photos to figure them out. There was a jerk pork belly with white slaw on top. The middle one was jerk barbecue chicken with a yellow-orange mango salsa, a really good mix of flavors. And the best taco was the jerk pork: chopped slow-cooked pork with a green slaw, carrots, and herbs.

My only complaint is that I wanted to eat more of it, and it was pretty expensive. But compared to other prices at the fair, it actually wasn't overpriced. And although this is an unconventional taco truck, it was a unique experience for the NC State Fair.

I looked them up once I got home because they had a sign that they won Best Fair Food. Turns out they won in 2018, 2021, and 2024 for different things on their menu, including the NC State Fair's Best New Fair Food Award. Well deserved, in my book. All the ladies on the food truck were super nice and friendly. It was a great experience. 4.0 for Cool Runnings Jamaican.