On the Houston Livestock Present and Rodeo carnival, honest meals will get adventurous. There are funnel muffins lined in gooey concoctions, fried rice with Fruity Pebbles, and Nashville scorching Cheeto hen on a stick. Deciding on which dish to try to how adventurous you wish to get could be overwhelming, and even in case you try to pattern all of them, there’s solely a lot time and abdomen house earlier than Rodeo season ends on Sunday, March 19.

Fortunately, a bunch of judges has narrowed it right down to probably the most scrumptious treats so guests can concentrate on one of the best of one of the best.

Now in its 14th yr, the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards held a contest, judging entries in six totally different classes, together with Finest Fried Meals, Finest Meals-on-a-Stick, Basic Truthful Meals, Most Artistic Meals, Finest New Taste, and Finest Dessert. Open to the general public, Rodeo-goers narrowed it right down to the highest three finest dishes for every class. And on Thursday, March 2, Eater Houston joined different native media and celeb and chef judges like Prime Chef Houston contender chef Daybreak Burrell and Musaafer’s chef Mayank Istwal, to assist select the winners. Listed below are the successful eats:

Loaded with fried meals entries galore, the deep-fried cookie dough from the Authentic Minneapple Pie gained first place within the Finest Fried Meals class, with its crisp, golden shell and moist and doughy heart.

Three fried cookie dough balls.

Deep-fried cookie dough takes house the win for finest fried meals.
Megha McSwain

2nd place: Deep-fried lasagna roll by Southern Fried Saloon

third place: Authentic hen tender basket by Holmes Smokehouse

It’s not sufficient that this dish from Swain’s Pizza on a Stick is a playful mixture of pizza and pickles — it will get further factors for being on a stick, making for a handy carnival handheld snack.

Pickle pizza-on-a-stick.

The pickle pizza-on-a-stick is a enjoyable various to different carnival handhelds.
Megha McSwain

2nd place: Apple pie sweet apple by A lot-does Bakery

third place: Large Okay-dog by Asian Streetness

Bun B’s OG Trill burger, a tacky smash burger with two patties, supplied on the rodeo for the second yr in a row, wowed the judges, and took house first place for the Finest Basic Truthful Meals.

Bun B and his Trill Burgers team accepting the award for Best Classic Fair food.

The wins preserve coming for Bun B and Trill Burgers.
Megha McSwain

2nd place: Southern fried hen wings by Southern Fried Saloon

third place: Rib-eye sandwich by Spring Nation Kitchen

In lieu of bread, this dish from Texas Sized Pizza/Burger & Chili Shack sandwiched lettuce and tomato along with deep-fried bacon for a double dose of fried enjoyable.

A small square of the fried BLT.

Deep-fried BLT makes use of fried bacon in lieu of bread.
Natalie Harms

Tied for 2nd place: Un-pho-gettable burger by Asian Streetness & rattlesnake corn canine by Pioneer Wagon

Brad’s BBQ sundae from Saltgrass Steakhouse, a welcome various to a standard sundae, gained first place within the Finest New Taste class. The attention-catching dish is constructed with chopped meat, cheese, pickled jalapeños, bitter cream, and inexperienced onions that’s topped with a cherry tomato.

A barbecue built like a sundae topped with sour cream and jalapeños served in a plastic cowboy hat.

Brad’s BBQ sundae is a enjoyable various to the basic dessert.
Megha McSwain

2nd place: Viet taco by Asian Streetness

third place: Loaded pork stomach fries by Blue Ribbon Grill

The odor of this decadent dessert from Cajun Cowboy gained judges over earlier than the rest. Heat and aromatic with a crisp shell and smooth and gooey heart, the deep-fried bread pudding is tough to withstand.

2nd place: S’mores pie by Cajun Cowboy

third place: Final Minneapple pie by the Authentic Minneapple Pie

Outcomes for the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards ought to be public on the web site quickly.

Editor’s Observe: Eater Houston editor Megha McSwain participated within the judging of this contest.