The acclaimed winners of the 2025 Gold Buckle Foodie Awards were announced Thursday. This year’s winners, submitted by commercial food exhibitors at the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, brought a delicious array of bites!
After the public voted online for three weeks, a mix of local celebrities (including TV and radio personalities, food influencers and industry critics) judged and tasted the 18 finalist dishes.
The Gold Buckle Foodie Awards feature six different categories, with three finalists in each. After judges sampled delicious, decadent food entries such as chicken fried bacon, chicken & waffle sliders, and a red velvet cookie sandwich, they submitted their votes to determine the winners in each category.
The 2025 winners include:
- Best Fried Food
- 1st Place: Crab Rangoon Eggrolls & 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)
- 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)
- Tie for 2nd Place:
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 – Case 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: MinneCookieDough 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 – Case de Yummy (The Junction 401)
All of these foods are available throughout NRG Park during the remainder of the Rodeo. You can locate them using the interactive map on the RODEOHOUSTON app. You can also find a list of our shopping and dining vendors HERE and a full list of the carnival vendors HERE. To learn more about the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards, click HERE.
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 $630 million to the youth of Texas and education. The 2025 Rodeo is scheduled for March 4 – March 23.For more information, visit rodeohouston.com, download the RODEOHOUSTON app and follow @RODEOHOUSTON online via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for all the latest news.