Walmart Shoppers Rave About A Family-Owned Company's Take On This Beloved State Fair Food

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When big, bold flavor is the top priority, it doesn't get much better than state fair food. From Tennessee to Texas to Minnesota and its deep-fried ranch dressing, many states hold massive fairs with all sorts of wild and tasty concoctions. But perhaps the quintessential snack at these types of gatherings — even popular at theme parks like Walt Disney World now — is the turkey drumstick. So, when a company figures out how to make this beloved food for customers to enjoy at home, that's a win for everyone.

And that's exactly what Walmart shoppers have discovered with Villari Brothers' Hickory Smoked Whole Turkey Drumsticks. The customer reviews on the retailer's website speak for themselves. These drumsticks have a 4.5 (out of 5) rating based on 300 reviews. One reviewer writes, "I recommend the smoked turkey legs all the time!!! It tastes like ham!! ... It's great sliced thin for a sandwich, with grilled cheese and for bean soups, especially black beans or white beans and greens."

The positive reviews from Walmart customers highlight everything from their pleasant smokiness to their reliability. "I've ordered these turkey legs for a very long time, and they have never disappointed," one customer writes, noting that they make them for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they're always eaten quickly. The price isn't bad either. The turkey legs can vary in size from, but come in a sealed vacuum pack for about $9 on average.

While Walmart is one of the larger retailers to carry the Villari Foods brand, these turkey legs aren't exclusive to Walmart. You'll also find Villari Brothers products in local shops and other major retailers like BJ's. It's actually a family-owned operation that originated in 1925 in Philadelphia. Sam Villari — who immigrated to the U.S. in 1911 at just 16 years old — opened his own meatpacking plant that sold lamb, veal, beef, and kosher beef. By the turn of the century, the Villari Food company remained family-owned, with the third generation of Villari brothers (Sam, Joe, and Rocco) running the show.

Today, Villari Foods is based in North Carolina and sources many of its products from locally owned farms in the area. The company offers a wide variety of meats – everything from pork and smoked bacon and ham to breakfast sausage and baby back ribs. And with all those products, it's not just the turkey leg that receives great reviews. The boneless pork chops are called restaurant-quality by one customer on Harris Teeter's website: "I grilled them and they came out perfectly. Flavorful, moist and tender." The smoked pork hock, also found at BJ's Wholesale (which has cheaper membership fees than Costco, by the way), also gets excellent reviews.

The state fair season only lasts so long. So if you're longing for that memorable smoked turkey flavor and those makeshift carousels and Ferris wheels are nowhere to be found, you'll find a pretty good replication at Walmart. And you'll also be supporting a family-owned business that has been doing things right for more than a century.