One of my favorite traditions every year at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is getting to judge the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards. This year was extra special because it marked my fifth year being invited back as a judge, and honestly it’s something I look forward to every single rodeo season.
Judging means tasting a lineup of creative, over-the-top fair foods submitted by vendors across the rodeo grounds. After sampling everything, the judging panel votes on winners across several categories like fried food, food on a stick, desserts, and the most creative dish.
Here are the 2026 Gold Buckle Foodie Award winners and where you can find them at the rodeo.
2026 Gold Buckle Foodie Award Winners (and Where to Find Them)
Best Fried Food
🥇 Chicken Fried Lobster – Darlin’s Fried Chicken
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP130)
🥈 Minneblueberry Pie – The Original Minneapple Pie
📍 Circle Drive (CD202)
🥉 Deep Fried Edamame with Spicy Garlic Sauce – Asian Streetness
📍 NRG Arena (AR603)
Best Food-on-a-Stick
🥇 K’Boom K-Dog – Asian Streetness
📍 NRG Arena (AR603)
🥈 Bacon Cheeseburger Corn Dog – Pioneer Wagon
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP140)
🥉 Chicken Bacon Ranch Waffle Stick – Waffle Chix
📍 Circle Drive (CD204)
Classic Fair Food
🥇 Dubai Chocolate Funnel Cake Fries – Rousso’s Fat Bacon
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP125)
🥈 Pork-King Luau Sliders – The Finer Diner
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP60)
🥉 Loaded Cowboy Fries – Pioneer Wagon
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP140)
Most Creative Food
🥇 Brisket Cheese Curd Tacos – Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos
📍 The Junction (J403)
🥈 Skillet Potato Melt… Plus! – Texas Sized Pizza / Burger & Chili Shack
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP210)
🥉 Loaded Cowboy Corn – Fields of Corn
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP30)
Best New Flavor
🥇 Bacon Jam Brisket Biscuit – Rousso’s Fat Bacon
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP125)
🥈 Crunchy Sushi Balls – Asian Streetness
📍 NRG Arena (AR603)
🥉 Torta – Go Tejano Diner
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP40)
Best Dessert
🥇 Bacon Jam Beignets – Cajun Cowboy
📍 Rodeo Plaza (RP55)
🥈 Chill & Thrill Delight – Mamacita’s
📍 NRG Arena (AR602)
🥉 Strawberries & Cream Waffle Stick – Waffle Chix
📍 Circle Drive (CD204)
My Favorite Bites I Tried While Judging
While tasting all the dishes, a couple really stood out to me personally.
My favorite savory bite was the K’Boom K-Dog from Asian Streetness. It’s crispy, cheesy, and exactly the kind of fun fair food I love eating while walking around the rodeo.
For dessert, I absolutely loved the Dubai chocolate funnel cake fries from Rousso’s Fat Bacon. They were loaded with chocolate and toppings and felt like such a fun twist on a classic carnival dessert.
I’ll be honest though. I wish I could have loved more of the dishes because many of them felt a little over salted to me, which was a bit of a bummer. But judging is still such a fun experience and I always enjoy seeing the creativity vendors bring every year.
Being invited back for my fifth year judging the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards is truly an honor, and I’m so grateful to be part of it.
The rodeo is still going strong now through March 22, 2026, so there’s still plenty of time to go try these award-winning foods and explore everything else on the grounds.
As for me, the judging might be over, but I’m definitely not done eating my way through the rodeo.
