The trail riders have ridden into Houston, Reba McEntire has kicked off the Rodeo Concert Series with her 20th performance and the smell of fried food permeates the air around NRG Park. Yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year in our city as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 2025 takes over the metropolis with rodeo events, musical performances and cows. Lots of cows.
Many Houstonians have fond memories of the annual festival which brings in folks from all around the country, especially Texas, to compete in bull riding, barrel racing and to show their animals in the livestock show. But it’s not just a flurry of cowboys and cutting horses. Since 1932, the event has raised more than $630 million for scholarships and education for the youth of Texas. The three-week bonanza is running March 4 through March 23 this year and promises to be bigger and better than ever.
One of the highlights to any fair is its food. Each year there are dinners, wine tastings and barbecue cookoffs celebrating the Rodeo’s arrival, but the food available at the Rodeo itself is also a chance to throw caution to the wind, along with your doctor’s orders, and indulge in foods that one wouldn’t normally eat outside of the midway. Vendors roll into town with their food trailers, smokers and teams to fill the hungry bellies of Rodeo visitors and their hard work is rewarded with booming sales from the two million or so visitors each year. It’s one of the most important yearly events for these entrepreneurs and their ingenuity is showcased in a yearly event, the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards.
This year marks the 17th for the food event in which the public votes for the best bites online before the list is whittled down to 18 entries. Then a selected group of food writers, local news reporters, radio dee-jays, influencers and Houston chefs come together to judge the 18 finalists and pick the best of the best.
The Gold Buckle Foodie Awards 2025 was held March 6 at The Ranch Steakhouse and Saloon, a glamorous pop-up restaurant and venue on the Rodeo grounds that comes from Berg Hospitality. Each year it gets filled with Western decor, cowboy artwork and lots of tables to accommodate those who want a little more upscale experience at the Rodeo. However, we were here to try the offerings of the commercial food exhibitors at the invitation of the Rodeo committee.
Because the HLSR is held the last week of February and the month of March usually, the weather can be hit or miss. For the day we were judging, it was definitely a hit. The blue sky shone overhead and the temperatures hovered around 70 degrees. As I strode across the parking lot, a mere dot of a human figure amid gargantuan pick-up trucks, I noticed a number of school buses. The carnival area was already teeming with school children.
I was greeted by the smiling Rodeo volunteers and I chose a seat at a table, soon joined by another food writer, Ryan Kasey Baker of Houston Food Finder, and barbecue master, Robin Wong of Blood Bros. BBQ. Our table would eventually fill up with local notables like KPRC meteorologist Justin Stapleton, radio personality Roula Christie, Tessa Berrera of KPRC’s Houston Life, food writer Mai Pham and Chelsea Edwards of Fox 26 Houston, among others.
Our emcee for the afternoon was Randy Pauly of Holy Cow Cookers and also brother of local chef and restaurateur Kerry Pauly of KP’s Kitchen. He kept the show going with some laughs along the way.
This year, the Rodeo staff were rearing to go and the food began hitting the tables very quickly. Each year has been a little different. Some years the judges have received full sized portions of the dishes, other times, we’ve had to pass around a plate and take our share. This year, the judges received mini versions of the entries, which allowed for quicker rounds and less overstuffed bellies.
Each category had three finalists. Best Fried Food began with Crab Rangoon Eggrolls & Shrimp Chips from Asian Streetness. Filled with cream cheese and “crab”, the eggroll was perfectly fried and served with a sweet chili sauce. The accompanying shrimp chips were more of a side crunch without a ton of flavor but fun for munching on. The Chicken Fried Bacon from Yoakum Packing Company was well-seasoned though most judges agreed they would have preferred to see a side of gravy rather than the ranch dip that was served.
Many food items at the Rodeo often seem odd combinations at first and the Bacon Jam Cheesy Pickle Fries were just that. However, the mix worked. The pickle fries surprisingly held their crispiness underneath a large dollop of sweet and savory bacon jam, with the vinegar sharpness of the pickles cutting through the sweetness. It was a winning combination that day and exemplified what Rodeo bites should be, fun, tasty and portable.
The Best Food on a Stick category was a strong one this year. It began with the Texas Praline Caramel Apple. Amid the debate about the proper pronunciation of “praline” the table oohed and aahed over the slices, which were a lot easier to eat than a caramel apple itself. The use of a more tart green apple was a smart one because it kept the treat from being overly sweet. The Midnight Cowboy Corndog arrived as a mini-dog. The interior was made from blue corn while the dog itself was made with bison. It was served with two different sauces, a spicy Dijon mustard and a sweet berry dip. Both were good options but I preferred the mustard, though now that I think about it, I should have tried them together. Dang it.
Another standout was the Tater Kegs on a Stick from Paradise Burgers. This entry required looking past the fact that the kegs, or croquettes, were cold. It’s hard to get the food to the table at the optimum temperature sometimes when you’re working under unique conditions. However, I really liked the loaded potato flavor inside. The entries for Best Fried Food had the judges at our table in a bit of a quandary. In the end, the Texas Praline Caramel Apple won, but they were all worthy of the top spot.
On through Best Classic Fair food, we rolled. The Ground Ribeye Burger from Finer Diner was a good, solid burger and I thought the crisp edges of the meat patty added a little boost of flavor. The Pork Stuff Potato from Saltgrass Steakhouse was fine, but it didn’t make a memorable impression. Unfortunately, the All Meat Baked Potato from Harlon’s BBQ didn’t kick ass the way most of its Gold Buckle Foodie winners do. My brisket was dry, but another judge got some of the sausage in his and really liked it. However, owner Candace Harlon was her usual ball of energy, happily sharing her second place ribbon, and tied score, with the Saltgrass team.
The Most Creative Food dishes had the judges questioning whether we should choose based on taste or creativity. The Spicy Pickle Roll Up from Casa de Yummy was a large dill pickle wrapped in a fruit roll-up and topped with Flaming Hot Cheetos. It didn’t work for us but the team redeemed themselves later with its dessert entry. The Bacon Jammy Jam Wagyu Sliders made use of Rousso’s bacon jam again and many of the judges were impressed. While everyone gets turned on by wagyu these days, I am probably the only food writer in Houston, and maybe the world, who doesn’t get it. The flavor of the wagyu was too subtle to stand up to the strong bacon flavors. In fact, I would have liked to see something similar to the ribeye patty that was used in Finer Diner’s burger. That is not a popular opinion, however, and the cult of the wagyu made Rousso’s slider take the top spot. Despite my wagyu stance, it was my favorite in that category as well.
Coming in close though was the Snack Pack Combo from Asian Streetness. The fried chicken bites were tasty, topped with sesame seeds and served with sweet chili sauce. But its presentation was what stood out. The bowl of chicken bites are served atop a large beverage of choice with a straw that goes through the bowl and into the drink, making it portable and convenient. My tablemate, Roula, was in love with the butterfly pea lemonade and she sweet-talked a volunteer into another round. It was a really refreshing beverage among all the salt and sugar we were consuming.
Just as we were coming around the bend, we were hit with Best New Flavor. The first up was a Chicken Waffle & Slider from Darlin’s Fried Chicken. It was a cute dish with a fried tender sandwiched between two mini waffles with a slight dusting of powdered sugar. This was an entry where I would have liked to have seen some heat in either the chicken seasoning or the syrup. Fellow judge Robin Wong suggested that hot honey would have been a good choice and I agreed.
Another Best New Flavor arrived but it didn’t receive much love. It was the Flaming Hot Chili Mac Dog from Saltgrass, which usually has some awesome entries each year. I liked the flavor of the red chili but it was ice cold. The macaroni was good and the sausage inside was better than most, but it was hard to eat and the missing heat was hard to get past. However, the presentation was exactly what people expect from fair food. Served warm right out of the concession stand, it would probably satisfy heartier appetites.
The third entry for Best New Flavor was a dark horse. The presentation was a dramatic one as a tray of foot-high bacon strips, covered in bright pink cotton candy, entered the judging area. The judges looked bewildered. We were all filled with trepidation, expecting a flavor combo that would be better suited after a night of bad decisions. Then we tentatively took our first bite. Eyes flew open and mutters of delight filled the room. Rousso’s Fat Bacon may be helmed by a mad scientist but a genius one at that. The combination of sweet and savory is often a favorite with diners but this was an unexpected culinary achievement that was not only clever, but delicious.
As if that weren’t perfect enough to be the finale, we still had one more round to go: Best Dessert. The decision to served the food in small portions this year meant that the judges were still able to give honest reviews of the last category rather than be so stuffed that the thought of more food was unthinkable. The first entry was the Red Velvet Cookie Sandwich from Munch-oes Bakery. I didn’t think it stood out but there are a lot of fans of red velvet out there so it fared well with the table. When the Churro Ice Cream Sundae arrived, it was cinnamon churros topped with vanilla ice cream (which tasted like homemade to me) and Fruity Pebbles. Justin Stapleton declared his love of Fruity Pebbles and we were all eight years old for a moment.
The final dish of the day was MinnieCookieDough Pie from Minneapple Pie. Known for their warm apple pies, and winning a few Gold Buckle Foodie Awards over the years, this was a dish of flaky pie pastry filled with creamy cookie dough and served with ice cream. While Roula Christie lamented that the ice cream wasn’t Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, the judges were almost all in agreement that this was the best dessert. All except me. I love cookie dough but the Churro Sundae from Casa de Yummy hit my sweet spot, so to speak.
Once the judging was over, the committee immediately went to work tallying up the votes and in just a few minutes, the winners were announced. In reality, all of the dishes were winners because it takes a lot of hard work and ingenuity to make it to the finals in the first place.
For once, I didn’t waddle out of there in a food coma, though I certainly was at my limit. The mutton-busting wasn’t going on at the moment so I stopped by the Horse Show Pavilion to watch the cutting horses for a bit. The owner of Asian Streetness was returning to her stand, award in hand, when I left the arena.
And that’s what is important about the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. While it raises funds for youth education and creates awareness about agriculture and ranching, it also provides small business owners the opportunity to spend three weeks showcasing their products and hopefully, earning profits that make the effort worthwhile.
So, give up something else other than bacon for Lent. Forget the diet and just do a little extra walking. Rodeo Houston only happens once a year. You might as well enjoy the ride. And the fried.
Gold Buckle Foodie Awards 2025:
Best Fried Food:
1st Place: Crab Rangoon Eggrolls and Shrimp Chips, Asian Streetness (NRG Arena 603)
2nd Place: Bacon Jam Cheesy Pickle Fries, Rousso’s Fat Bacon (Rodeo Plaza 125)
3rd Place: Chicken Fried Bacon, Yoakum Packing Company (Rodeo Plaza 100/NRG Center Lobby 256)
Best Food-on-a-Stick:
1st Place: Texas Praline Caramel Apple, Munch-oes Bakery (NRG Center Hall E 6113)
2nd Place: Midnight Cowboy Corndog, Corndog with No Name (The Junction 303)
3rd Place: Tater Kegs on a Stick, Paradise Burgers (Rodeo Plaza 90)
Best Classic Fair Food:
1st Place: Ground Ribeye Steak Burger, Finer Diner (Rodeo Plaza 47)
2nd Place: Tie
Harlon’s All Meat Baked Potato, Harlon’s BBQ (The Junction 507)
Pork Stuff Potato, Saltgrass Steak House (NRG Center Lobby 63)
Most Creative Food:
1st Place: Bacon Jammy Jam Wagyu Sliders, Rousso’s Fat Bacon (Rodeo Plaza 125)
2nd Place: Snack Pack Combo, Asian Streetness (NRG Arena 603)
3rd Place: Spicy Pickle Roll Up, Casa de Yummy (The Junction J401)
Best New Flavor:
1st Place: Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick, Rousso’s Fat Bacon (Rodeo Plaza 125)
2nd Place: Chicken & Waffle Sliders, Darlin’s Fried Chicken (Rodeo Plaza 130)
3rd Place: Flaming Hot Chili Mac Dog, Saltgrass Steak House (NRG Center Lobby 63)
Best Dessert:
1st Place: MinnieCookieDough Pie, The Original Minneapple Pie (Circle Drive 202)
2nd Place: Red Velvet Cookie Sandwich, Munch-oes Bakery (NRG Center Hall E 6113)
3rd Place: Churro Ice Cream Sundae, Casa de Yummy (The Junction 401)
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
