We tried these Rodeo Houston foods so you didn’t have to

A major part of Rodeo Houston is the hundreds of food options available, but this also makes deciding what to eat a bit overwhelming.

This year there are 11 new food vendors including Houston rapper Bun B’s Trill Burger and Swain’s Concessions who bring along with them a pickle pizza. If you’re looking to try something new, weird, or just wanting to stick to the carnival classics, this 2022 food guide has got you covered. 

Chicken Fajita Nachos — Cadillac Bar

If you’re in the mood for Mexican food make sure you head on over to the Cadillac Bar in the food tents outside the NRG Center. They offer a more compact version of their dine-in location menu, but it’s still enough to serve your tastebuds.

The chicken fajita nachos from here include a Mexican cheese blend and chicken, but if you want to spice up the plate, the booth includes a topping bar where you can find lettuce, jalapenos, salsa verde, salsa roja, pico de gallo, cilantro, onions and sour cream. 

The nachos were the best bang for your buck on this list at $10.  

Pickle Pizza — Swain’s Concessions

The pickle pizza at Swain’s Concessions is for you if you’re looking to try something weird. 

The Rodeo Houston highlighted option includes pickles, along with herbal seasoning and a dill cream sauce drizzles on top. 

Now I can’t say this is the best pizza you’ll ever eat, but it isn’t the worst. The curiosity of the food keeps you hanging on for that next bite. If you’re having trouble thinking of what this might taste like, I would say envision fried pickles, but make it pizza.

If you want to stay in your comfort zone, the stand also includes pizza on a stick, stuffed pizzas, regular pizzas and different lemonade and limeade flavors to quench your thirst. One thing I will say is if you’re looking for regular ol’ pizza, it might not be your best bet to come to this stand.

The pickle pizza came out to $10 and you can find it outside of the NRG Arena.

Smoked Turkey Leg — Yoakum Packing Company 

What’s a rodeo without a turkey leg? At the Yoakum Packing Company, you can find all sorts of barbeque options such as sausage on a stick, chicken on a stick, sliced brisket and smoked pork ribs. 

Out of all the food items on this list, the turkey leg takes the win for the best one. If you haven’t tried this before, I would eat the turkey leg with mustard – yes, I know it sounds bad – but trust me you’ll like it, maybe. 

I wasn’t able to try other foods from here, but the other foods might be worth trying if the turkey leg was representative of flavor. 

The turkey leg came out to a whopping $18 and you can find it in the food tents outside of the NRG Center.

OG Trill Burger — Trill Burgers 

This Bun B owned restaurant serves two options of smash-style burgers. 

The OG Trill burger is simple. It comes with two patties, American cheese, pickles and their secret recipe trill sauce, served with seasoned fries. 

The burger was pretty good, but the size was somewhere in between a slider and a regular burger. If you’re looking for something Texas-sized I would look into another burger spot. Trill Burger had my favorite setup with faux patio seating and hip-hop music to accompany you while you eat. 

If you don’t have the chance to try the burger, don’t worry because there are common pop-up locations around Houston and a brick and mortar location is coming soon. 

The burger and fries will cost you $19.65 and you can visit them in the food tents outside of the NRG Center. 

Dole Whip – Nitro Dole Whip Treats 

Dole Whip is one of my favorite types of ice cream, but it is super hard to find. 

The regular Dole Whip is a pineapple soft serve and you have the option of getting it in a cup or cone. If you want more flavor to your Dole Whip, the stand has toppings such as chamoy, tajin and even fruity pebbles. Another option is the Rodeo Houston highlighted watermelon Dole Whip taco is a carved-out watermelon slice filled with Dole Whip and tajin sprinkled on top. 

I know Houston can get hot, so this is a great option if you’re looking for a way to cool off in the Texas sun. 

The grand total for this treat was $8 and you can find them in the carnival near the NRG Stadium area.

Fried Red Velvet Cupcake — Sills Funnel Cakes

This little beauty won first place for dessert in the 2022 Gold Buckle Foodie Awards — impressive right?

The cupcake consists of a flavorful and moist red velvet cake (I know people don’t like the word moist I’m so sorry), fried and topped with homemade buttercream icing. If you have a sweet tooth, this cupcake is definitely for you. If not, I would try another option from here, as this one is really sweet.

Other options at the stand are classic fair food, funnel cakes and all the fried desserts you could dream of. This booth is essentially a one-stop-shop, so if you only have the time or patience to wait in one line I would go here.

The cupcake came out to $9.50 and is located in the food tents outside the NRG Center. 

Side note: Sills only takes cards on orders of $10 or more, so if you’re not planning on getting anything else, make sure to bring cash. 

Is your stomach too full to eat anything else? Did the carnival rides get you sick? Don’t worry because the rodeo will be around until Sunday, March 20.