Everything we sampled from Governor's Ball's extensive menu

Of course, when people get to go to a major music festival like the Governor's Ball, their priorities are set on seeing their favorite acts. Personally, though, I immediately thought of all the food that would be available to me at the dozens of stalls on the festival grounds. 

Though Gov Ball was a few weeks ago, I'm still thinking about the delicious treats I had that Sunday and wondering what the music festival will be cooking up next year. So here are a few of my favorite snacks and drinks I had that day.

Bao buns

This was the first thing I tried, and it served as a great appetizer. The buns came in a bunch of flavors, such as pork, lamb, chicken, beef, and even banana and Oreo. I was, unfortunately, a bit afraid to try these more adventurous latter flavors, but the meat-based ones were truly tasty. 

While I enjoyed them all, I have to say there wasn't a drastic difference in taste from bun to bun. The pork ones were the best, but I couldn't really tell the difference between the others while eating. Ultimately, the best parts of these buns were their wrappings. 

If I had the chance, I'd definitely try the Oreo buns next time.

Twisted potatoes

A favorite of mine at any state fair, I was immediately drawn to the twisted potatoes as soon as I saw them. For the uninitiated, twisted potatoes are slices of potato spiraled on a stick. They make for the perfect walking, talking and exploring snack, so they held up well in the festival environment. 

But I found they weren't as crispy as I usually prefer this snack to be. They were also barbecue flavored, though that didn't really come through. Overall, they made for a good refueling snack before catching my first act.

Pepperoni pizza cupcakes

My favorite bites on Sunday were the pizza cupcakes I got before seeing Lil Nas X. Pizza cupcakes might sound a little odd and offputting by name alone, but the title is a little misleading. 

Really, they were like a little dough bowl with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese in the middle, topped off with a bit of pepperoni. They also offered a Margherita cupcake, but I thought that slice of pepperoni perfected the dish for meat lovers.

This had to be my favorite meal of the day and was one I'd actually never heard of before. Though it tasted nothing like a slice of pizza, the ingredients reimagined into a cupcake make for an equally delicious snack. And I will certainly be on the hunt for this savory dish in the future.

Beef empanadas and limeade

Next to the pizza cupcakes, there was an empanada stand, selling them with either beef or chicken filling. Empanadas have become one of my favorite festival foods recently, and these certainly didn't disappoint. I also got a cup of limeade to go with them, making for the perfect refreshing accompaniment.

They were a perfect in-between-acts snack and came with a slightly spicy and tangy salsa verde. The crust was super warm and flaky and went well with the ground beef inside. The empanadas were a perfect comfort snack, but ultimately, I still liked the pizza cupcakes I had before better.

Bubble tea

One of the biggest strains on my wallet has been the crippling bubble tea addiction I developed in college. So, of course, when I was heading out of the park at the end of the night during Kendrick Lamar's set and saw a boba stand with no line, it was a no-brainer to get one.

The tea was a rose-flavored black tea with lemonade, black tapioca balls and jelly. I wasn't a huge fan of the lemonade in the tea and might've liked the subtlety of the rose on its own, but it was still delicious. I didn't expect much from the rose flavor, but it really came through and made for a wonderfully floral beverage to cool down with on the walk to the train station.

What was already a great experience from music alone was made even better by the truly overwhelming number of food options available. I sampled a variety of food options, and there were still so many left that I didn't get to try. Pricing at festivals can be a bit crazy, but you really got what you paid for from the food stalls at Gov Ball.

Though the next Gov Ball isn't until the summer of 2024, and the menu might change, if you're in attendance and see any of these offered at the food stalls, take my advice and add them to your plate!