Deciding what to eat at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo can be a bit overwhelming. Sure, it’s easy to stick with classics like turkey legs and corn dogs, but what about all the other choices?

Enter the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards. Now in its 15th year, the event allows food vendors from across the NRG Park complex to submit their tastiest morsels to a panel of judges comprised of local media, chefs, and influencers.

Choosing from 18 finalists in six categories, the panel gamely takes on everything from chicken fingers and cheeseburgers to a rattlesnake corn dog and pizza slices large enough to feed a family.

Seeing as this year’s Rodeo seems to belong to Bun B — consider the almost 75,000 strong who packed NRG Stadium for his Southern Takeover — his burger concept Trill Burgers took one of the day’s top prizes. The OG Trill Burger, a classic double patty smash burger, earned first place in the Classic Fair Food category.

Of course, reasonable people can disagree on the fair’s tastiest treats. CultureMap columnist Ken Hoffman highlighted a few favorites that didn’t make the Gold Buckle list, including an all-new Nashville hot chicken sandwich, Hot Cheetos Cheese Pickle Pizza, and the Shipley’s Deep Fried Banana Split Sandwich. Dominic Palmieri of Ray Cammack Shows explained the importance of using real-deal Hot Cheetos and Shipley Do-Nuts in his creations.

“You can tell the difference between Cap’n Crunch and a discount generic brand,” he explained. “They don’t taste the same or cook the same. When you’re making a unique product like we are, you can’t take any risks.”

Not counting the risks of accidentally dripping Trill Sauce on your cowboy boots, that is.

Here’s the complete list of winners from 2023 Gold Buckle Foodie Awards.

Best Fried Food

• 1st Place: Deep Fried Cookie Dough – The Original Mineapple Pie (Circle Drive 202)
• 2nd Place: Deep Fried Lasagna Roll – Southern Fried Salon (Circle Drive 204)
• 3rd Place: Chicken Tender Basket – Holmes Smokehouse (Rodeo Plaza 60)

Best Food-on-a-Stick

• 1st Place: Pickle Pizza on a Stick – Swain’s Pizza on a Stick (The Junction 505)
• 2nd Place: Apple Pie Candy Apple – Munch-oes Bakery (NRG Center Hall E 6119)
• 3rd Place: Big K-Dog – Asian Streetness (NRG Arena 604)

Classic Fair Food

• 1st Place: OG Trill Burger – Trill Burgers (Rodeo Plaza 130)
• 2nd Place: Southern Fried Chicken Wings – Southern Fried Salon (Circle Drive 204)
• 3rd Place: Ribeye Sandwich – Spring Country Kitchen (The Junction 506)

Most Creative Food

• 1st Place: Deep Fried BLT – Texas Sized Pizza/Burger & Chili Shack (Rodeo Plaza 35)
• 2nd Place Tied: Un-PHO-gettable Burger – Asian Streetness (NRG Arena 604); Rattlesnake Corn Dog – Pioneer Wagon (Circle Drive 205)

Best New Flavor

• 1st Place: Brad’s BBQ Sundae – Saltgrass Steakhouse (Lobby 0063)
• 2nd Place: Viet Taco – Asian Streetness (NRG Arena 604)
• 3rd Place: Loaded Pork Belly Fries – Blue Ribbon Grill (Rodeo Plaza 45)

Best Dessert

• 1st Place: Deep Fried Bread Pudding – Cajun Cowboy (Rodeo Plaza 55)
• 2nd Place: Smores Pie – Finer Diner (Rodeo Plaza 47)
• 3rd Place: The Ultimate Mineapple Pie – The Original Mineapple Pie (Circle Drive 202)