It wouldn’t be a Houston Rodeo without completely shirking any and all dietary goals set back in January. The city-wide cheat [month] courtesy of the Rodeo is well worth it, in our opinion, with an endless amount of all things fried, sugar dusted, and zany for the taking… it’s all just too tempting to resist. If the sheer amount of options has you reeling, rest assured these dishes will put your mind at ease.
The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo has announced the 2025 Gold Buckle Foodie Award Winners, showcasing the best rodeo food Houston Rodeo has to offer for this season!
Per its custom, the Houston Rodeo saw the addition of a fabulous variety of new foods – from curd cheese tacos, to mango hatch chile sausage in a bun, honey-bourbon glazed pork shots, and more.
With all these new options, and the return of countless vendors, there’s no way we could possibly try them all – heaven knows we would. Thankfully, the Houston Rodeo have done it for us, ranking the best, must-try Houston rodeo foods with their annual Gold Buckle Foodie Award winners.
The Rodeo food awards are broken down in six categories: Best Fried Food, Best Food-on-a-Stick, Best Classic Fair Food, Most Creative Food, Best New Flavor, and Best Dessert. Here are the 2025 Gold Buckle Foodie Award winners in each category
Best Fried Food
First place: Crab Rangoon Eggrolls & Shrimp Chips from Asian Sweetness
📍NRG Arena
Second place: Bacon Jam Cheesy Pickle Fries from Rousso’s Fat Bacon
📍Rodeo Plaza 125
Third place: Chicken Fried Bacon from Yoakum Packing Company
📍Rodeo Plaza 100/NRG Center Lobby 256
Best Food-on-a-Stick
First place: Texas Praline Caramel Apple from Munch-oes Bakery
📍NRG Center Hall E 6113
Second place: Midnight Cowboy Corndog from Corndog with No Name
📍The Junction 303
Third place: Tater Kegs On A Stick from Paradise Burgers
📍Rodeo Plaza 90
Best Classic Fair Food
First place: Ground Ribeye Steak Burger from Finer Diner
📍Rodeo Plaza 47
Second and third place (tie): Harlon’s All Meat Baked Potato from Harlon’s BBQ; Pork Stuff Potato from Saltgrass Steak House
📍The Junction 507
📍NRG Center Lobby 63
Most Creative Food
First place: Bacon Jammy Jam Wagyu Sliders from Rousso’s Fat Bacon
📍Rodeo Plaza 125
Second place: Snack Pack Combo from Asian Streetness
📍NRG Arena 603
Third place: Spicy Pickle Roll-Up from Casa de Yummy
📍The Junction J401
Best New Flavor
First place: Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick from Rousso’s Fat Bacon
📍Rodeo Plaza 125
Second place: Chicken & Waffle Sliders from Darlin’s Fried Chicken
📍Rodeo Plaza 130
Third place: Flaming Hot Chili Mac Dog from Saltgrass Steak House
📍NRG Center Lobby 63
Best Dessert
First place: MinneCookieDoughPie from The Original Mineapple Pie
📍Circle Drive 202
Second place: Red Velvet Cookie Sandwich from Munch-oes Bakery
📍NRG Center Hall E 6113
Third place: Churro Ice Cream Sundae from Casa de Yummy
📍The Junction 401
See also: 10 amazing American restaurants in Houston