How Many of Iowa’s ‘Weirdest’ Dishes Are You a Fan Of?

"...there are some foods that you need to have grown up with to truly understand."

That's a quote from a new article from the website Love Food, which outlines each U.S. state's "weirdest" dishes that people from other areas just don't get. But, this article doesn't just highlight ONE dish from Iowa... it outlines FOUR! How many of these are you a fan of?

Hot Beef Sundae

One of Love Food's picks for Iowa's "weirdest dish that no one else understands" comes from a place with all sorts of unique and interesting food creations: the Iowa State Fair. More specifically, the Cattlemen's Beef Quarters at the Iowa State Fair. The restaurant is credited with the creation of the Hot Beef Sundae back in 2006.

The Hot Beef Sundae consists of mashed potatoes that are scooped into balls, which are then covered with marinated beef and brown gravy and topped with a cherry tomato, giving the appearance of an ice cream sundae. Many restaurants have created their own version of the Hot Beef Sundae, adding other toppings like onions, cheese, beans, or sour cream. The one from Smokin' Hereford BBQ in Storm Lake is served in a mason jar and contains spicy, smoked beans, a layer of either coleslaw or spicy mac and cheese, and topped off with your choice of smoked brisket, pulled pork or chicken. YUM!

Taco Pizza

One of the other foods to make Love Food's list is definitely a favorite of mine... TACO PIZZA. I had never heard of Taco Pizza before moving to Iowa from Michigan, but now I can't imagine life without it!

According to the article, "Iowa-based pizza chain Happy Joe’s is believed to have conjured up the taco pizza in the 1970s, combining the Mexican street food with the classic Italian staple." The 'Taco Joe,' as they call it, comes topped with a refried bean sauce, taco-seasoned beef & sausage, lettuce, tomatoes, and taco chips. You can also order a 'Taco Joe Supreme' with sour cream, black olives, and onions, or a 'Nacho Joe'/'Nacho Joe Supreme', which includes a spicy nacho cheese.

Thanks to Happy Joe's, plenty of other Iowa pizza places and chains now have their own version of taco pizza! Some of the favorites mentioned on Facebook by Iowans in the Corridor include Casey's, Godfather's, Paul Revere's, Zoey’s, Pizza World, Bop's, Cranky Hank's, Brogan’s, Pizza Daddy, Tomaso's, Leonardo's,  Roscoe's, Union Station, Quarter Barrel, and The Inn.

Other "Weird" Iowa Foods

There were two other foods from Iowa that made Love Food's list of the weirdest foods in each state: ham balls and peanut butter & pickle sandwiches. I don't know of anyone here that eats PB & pickle sandwiches, but I did try my first ham ball this summer (see the photo below)! Unfortunately, I was NOT a fan (it's a texture thing). You can read more about all of Iowa's "weird" foods HERE.

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Other Midwest Picks

Some of the "weirdest" dishes from our neighboring states include:

• Illinois - Gravy Bread
• Minnesota - Tater Tot Hotdish
• Missouri - St. Paul Sandwich
• Nebraska - Chili With Cinnamon Rolls
• South Dakota - Chislic (photo below - it's delicious!)
• Wisconsin - Beer Cheese Soup, Cannibal Sandwich, Kringle

READ MORE: We Tried 11 of the 2025 New Iowa State Fair Foods – Here Are Our Favorites