Top 5 Foods To Try at the Houston Rodeo

TOP 5 RODEO FOODSMarch is a wonderful time of year — the flowers are starting to bloom, college basketball is heating up for the Final Four, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo kicks off for a month of fun, food, family and friends.  Most importantly, food.   The rodeo has so many amazing options to try, so be sure to pass up the stalls on the midway and head to the back of the kiddie carnival, through the food tents, and around NRG Center for some amazing finds.   Here are my 5 favorites:

 

#1: CORNY DOG FROM FLETCHER’S

Fletcher's Corny DogPhoto Courtesy of Chicken Fried Buffalo

If you’ve ever been to the Texas State Fair, you know what a Fletcher’s Corny Dog is…or at least you’ve seen the massive lines swarmed around the numerous stands through the Fair.  For those of you who don’t know, the Fletcher’s Corny Dog is THE original corny dog.  It is where the corny dog started, and thus (in my humble opinion) is the best corn dog to have walked the face of this earth.  Lucky for us Houstonians, Fletcher’s set up a booth at the Houston Rodeo a few years back.  Even more lucky for us, most Houstonians still have not caught on that these are quite possibly the most delightful fair food you can have and so we typically only have to face a very short (if any) line to get a hold of that Fletcher’s goodness.  You’re missing out people if this isn’t one of the first places you stop at when you head to the Houston Rodeo.

A site to behold: Fresh Fletcher's...without the wait!

A site to behold: Fresh Fletcher’s…without the wait!

#2: TORNADO OF POTATOES

There are a lot of spots that tout their “tornados of potatoes,” but there is one that stands out above the rest.  I think the official name of the booth is “Burger & Chili Texas Size Pizza Shack”…or something like that.  I can tell you that to find it, if you’re heading to the food tents from NRG Center turn left and keep walking until you see a booth that looks like this:

Not sure what the name of this booth is, but you'll be sure to find it by its monster sized food cutouts

Walk up and order the Tornado Potato and wait a few minutes for the most delightful hand cut potato chip spiral swirly mound (Tornado…I guess would be the appropriate description) to be handed to you.  These chips are cooked to the perfect amount of crispiness, while also retaining some undercooked chewier spots that just add that bite you are looking for sometimes.  I definitely am the one who will dig through the whole pile to find those special few chips. I mean just look at this tower of goodness and tell me you don’t want to indulge in these:

Tornado Potato

Tower of perfectly cooked potato chips? Yes please!

#3: Corn in a Cup

Can I tell you a secret…I’ve had corn in a cup three times in the past three weeks.  I cannot go to the rodeo without getting it.  There’s something about the delight of pouring tons of spices and cheese into a cup to create the perfect blend of flavor for your taste buds.  PLUS you get to avoid all the mess (both on your hands and in your teeth) that comes when eating a corn on the cob with all of these toppings.  It’s a pretty standard fair food, but the Houston rodeo certainly wouldn’t be the same without it.  And sometimes when you’re trying to keep it lighter but surrounded by the mecca of fried foods, it feels good to eat a vegetable.

Photo Courtesy of Yelp

Photo Courtesy of Yelp

 

#4: Cheese & Jalapeño Venison Sausage on a Stick

Every time I get to the rodeo I beeline to the back of the kiddie carnival to find my favorite sausage on a stick vendor next to the Fried What booth.  After 25 years, I’m still not sure of the name  (Note: I just found out the name when looking closely at the picture I took for this post…Ranch House Meat Company #2), but I know they came out with a Venison Cheese & Jalapeño version of their sausage on a stick that I migrated to from their original a few years ago and it is the bomb.com.  I’m so partial to these guys that I have never even tried any other vendor’s sausage on a stick.  When it’s so good, why bother going anywhere else?  Be sure to find their booth and try one for yourself:

Ranch House Meat Company -- a name I didn't know until I just looked closely at this picture. But their booth has been one of the best for years -- not to be missed!

The turkey leg is also amazing!

 

#5: Fried What!

Oh the glory that is deep fried…anything.  That basically is the premise of Fried What! — one of the most popular concession booths at the rodeo.  From Twinkies to Snickers to Pickles to Bacon-Wrapped Deep-Fried Oreos, Fried What is sure to appeal to the those adventurous foodies looking for something new and delicious to try at the rodeo.  You have to be sure to stop by their booth to see what they’re dishing out this year!

Mecca of Fried Foods

Mecca of Fried Foods

 

And that’s it! My top 5 food finds at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  Every year they come out with a slew of new items to tickle your palate (and clog your arteries…but luckily the Rodeo is so large that you can easily walk off a few indulgences) so be sure to always be up for a food adventure when you head there.

These are my favorite Rodeo foods, but I certainly didn’t cover them all…Please join in on the conversation and let me know what foods are your favorites at the Houston Rodeo below in the comments.   Happy Rodeo Season, Y’all!