In case you missed it, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has returned to NRG Park, Stadium and Center. The trail riders made their way into the city this week, Rodeo Uncorked! Best Bites has popped and gaggles of school children are already descending on the livestock show and carnival grounds. Yep, the Rodeo is in town and it will be through March 22.
Besides mutton bustin’, calf ropin’, barrel racin’ and song singin’, the Rodeo offers a massive carnival which includes a plethora of food and drink vendors that contribute to a lot of belt buckle bustin’. Every year, urban cowboys and suburban cowgirls put on their tightest jeans only to have buttons poppin’ after a stroll through the brightly-lit midway. The Rodeo brings in some of the best, if not healthiest, food in the country. Some purveyors come from other states, but most of them are local businesses who rely on the Rodeo for their financial success.
The food folks are just as focused on delivering the goods as an experienced bronco buster. This is their time to shine and boy, do they bring their A-game. The food has become such an important part of the Rodeo landscape, that there is a committee that hosts the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards, showcasing the contestants chosen by online voting. After the online campaign, celebrity judges, chefs and journalists are invited to make the final decision on the best Rodeo grub. We at the Houston Press have been fortunate to attend the event each year, though we may never catch up to local media personality, Ernie Manouse, who has attended every one. This year was number 18.
For the past few years, Randy Pauly has been the lively host for the event which previously has been held at Berg Hospitality’s pop-up restaurant The Ranch Steakhouse and Saloon. This year, the venue has been taken over by Fertitta Entertainment and turned into 1932 Cattlemen’s Club. While both concepts are Western-themed fine dining restaurants, the 1932 Cattlemen’s Club has more of an upscale honky-tonk feel with two bars lit by neon beer signs. There’s a good-sized stage for live music and a vintage jukebox in the corner, but white tablecloths and pristine wine glasses set the tone for a posh experience.
Many of the judges this year were veteran Gold Buckle invitees including KPRC meteorologist Justin Stapleton, who was dressed for the weather in a tropical shirt and shorts. Other media personalities were present such as KRBE’s Roula Christie, Tessa Berrera of KPRC’s Houston Life and a whole table of 93Q folks. There were also renowned local chefs including Christine Ha (The Blind Goat), Evelyn Garcia (Jun), Robin Wong (Blood Bros. BBQ) and Suu Khin (Burmaliscious).
Unfortunately, some of our usual partners in crime were absent. Our table was made up mostly of young influencers this year, along with Chelsea Edwards of Fox 26. She was filming the whole time, so we were front row to her charm and humor.
This year, the event was a seamless sprint. There wasn’t much time for shenanigans as Pauly and the rest of the committee volunteers kept it rolling along. From the moment the fried, spicy edamame from Asian Streetness hit the table to the final Chill & Thrill fruit cup from Mamacita’s, the judges were delivered the goodies one after another.
Like the crowd of judges, the treats were on the tamer side this year. No cotton candy bacon or bacon bourbon cheesecake this year, but there was still plenty of pork belly goodness. The bacon jam brisket biscuit from Rousso’s Fat Bacon was one of the best bites of the day, with its smoky tender pulled brisket and sweet and spicy bacon jam. The biscuit stood up to all that goodness, a little crusty on the outside and fluffy within. Cajun Cowboy topped a fried, pillowy beignet with smoky bacon jam as well.
Bits of bacon topped the chicken bacon ranch waffle stick from Waffle Chix, which was a convenient way to mix the flavors, and bacon showed up again on the bacon cheeseburger corn dog from Pioneer Wagon, as well as its tasty loaded cowboy fries. The Finer Diner delivered sweet pulled pork in its pork-king luau sliders.
Earlier in the Rodeo season, we had sampled the brisket cheese curd tacos from Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos and they made a strong appearance at the awards this year, taking top honors for Most Creative Food. Another Rodeo preview sample, Asian Streetness’ crunchy sushi balls were a contender for Best New Flavor, and I was able to save half of mine to take home to Classic Rock Bob who loved them.
We indulged in so many wonderful concoctions, that it would be too difficult to pick a favorite, but we were floored by the Dubai chocolate funnel cake fries from Rousso’s Fat Bacon. The presentation was amazing and the fries stayed crispy despite the decadent drizzle of chocolate and pistachio cream. This was the ultimate in portable carnival food, definitely meant for sharing.
We also found ourselves in love with the minneblueberry pie from The Original Minneapple Pie. We’re not typically into pies, despite being Southern, but the pastry was so flaky and the simple blueberry filling really showcased the berries, without too much sugar. Another standout was the chicken fried lobster from Darlin’s Fried Chicken. Despite being battered and fried, the lobster meat was still tender inside. My one nit is that the crust was a tad salty.
We wrapped up the food orgy, then gave up enthusiastic applause for all of the contestants. The vendors had gone beyond smoked turkey legs and Frito pie. The awards were hard-earned and deserving.
We left the event with a to-go box of bites and a full stomach. We didn’t have time to visit the Livestock Show this year, but it was probably a good thing.
After all that food, we might have been mistaken for an entry.
Gold Buckle Foodie Awards Winners 2026:
Best Fried Food:
1st: Chicken Fried Lobster – Darlin’s Fried Chicken (RP130)
2nd: Minneblueberry Pie – The Original Minneapple Pie (CD202)
3rd: Deep Fried Edamame with Spicy Garlic Sauce – Asian Streetness (AR603)
Best Food-on-a-Stick:
1st: K’boom K-Dog – Asian Streetness (AR603)
2nd: Bacon Cheeseburger Corn Dog – Pioneer Wagon (CD205)
3rd: Chicken Bacon Ranch Waffle Stick – Waffle Chix (CD204)
Classic Fair Food:
1st: Rousso’s Dubai Chocolate Funnel Cake Fries – Rousso’s Fat Bacon (RP125)
2nd: Pork-King Luau Sliders – The Finer Diner (RP47)
3rd: Loaded Cowboy Fries – Pioneer Wagon (CD205)
Most Creative Food:
1st: Brisket Cheese Curd Tacos – Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos (J403)
2nd: Skillet Potato Melt… Plus! – Texas Sized Pizza / Burger and Chili Shack (RP35)
3rd: Loaded Cowboy Corn – Fields of Corn (J400 + L0066)
Best New Flavor:
1st: Bacon Jam Brisket Biscuit – Rousso’s Fat Bacon (RP125)
2nd: Crunchy Sushi Balls – Asian Streetness (AR603)
3rd: Torta – Go Tejano Diner (RP40)
Best Dessert:
1st: Bacon Jam Beignets – Cajun Cowboy (RP55)
2nd: Chill & Thrill Delight – Mamacita’s (AR602)
3rd: Strawberries and Cream Waffle Stick – Waffle Chix (CD204)