The 15th annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ Gold Buckle Foodie Awards occurred, March 2nd, and gave vendors, merchants and restaurant enthusiasts on the grounds a chance to enter their best dishes.
Local TV personalities, chefs, and content creators served on the judge’s panel and tasted dishes from the 18 finalists.
The Gold Buckle Foodie awards are comprised of six different categories, with three finalists in each. After judges sampled food entries such as s’mores pie, pickle pizza on a stick and deep-fried lasagna, they had the opportunity to cast their votes and determine the winners in each category, and the winning foods selected were nothing short of mouth-watering.
The 2023 winners include:
Best Fried Food
- 1st Place: Deep Fried Cookie Dough – The Original Mineapple Pie (Circle Drive 202)
- 2nd Place: Deep Fried Lasagna Roll – Southern Fried Salon (Circle Drive 204)
- 3rd Place: Chicken Tender Basket – Holmes Smokehouse (Rodeo Plaza 60)
Best Food-on-a-Stick
- 1st Place: Pickle Pizza on a Stick – Swain’s Pizza on a Stick (The Junction 505)
- 2nd Place: Apple Pie Candy Apple – Munch-oes Bakery (NRG Center Hall E 6119)
- 3rd Place: Big K-Dog – Asian Streetness (NRG Arena 604)
Classic Fair Food
- 1st Place: OG Trill Burger – Trill Burgers (Rodeo Plaza 130)
- 2nd Place: Southern Fried Chicken Wings – Southern Fried Salon (Circle Drive 204)
- 3rd Place: Ribeye Sandwich – Spring Country Kitchen (The Junction 506)
Most Creative Food
- 1st Place: Deep Fried BLT – Texas Sized Pizza/Burger & Chili Shack (Rodeo Plaza 35)
- 2nd Place Tied: Un-PHO-gettable Burger – Asian Streetness (NRG Arena 604)
- Rattlesnake Corn Dog – Pioneer Wagon (Circle Drive 205)
Best New Flavor
- 1st Place: Brad’s BBQ Sundae – Saltgrass Steakhouse (Lobby 0063)
- 2nd Place: Viet Taco – Asian Streetness (NRG Arena 604)
- 3rd Place: Loaded Pork Belly Fries – Blue Ribbon Grill (Rodeo Plaza 45)
Best Dessert
- 1st Place: Deep Fried Bread Pudding – Cajun Cowboy (Rodeo Plaza 55)
- 2nd Place: Smores Pie – Finer Diner (Rodeo Plaza 47)
- 3rd Place: The Ultimate Mineapple Pie – The Original Mineapple Pie (Circle Drive 202)
All these foods are available throughout NRG Park during the remainder of the rodeo.
To learn more about this event, follow #goldbucklefoodies on social media.
About the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo promotes agriculture by hosting an annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage, and provides year-round educational support within the community. Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $575 million to the youth of Texas and education. The 2023 Rodeo is scheduled for Feb. 28 – March 19. The 2023 World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, presented by Cotton Holdings, took place on Feb. 23 – 25. For more information, visit rodeohouston.com and connect with #RODEOHOUSTON online via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for all the latest news.