Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Life

I Ate my Way Through the Houston Rodeo for the Sake of Journalism

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.

Listen, I’m not even from Texas but if the opportunity presents itself for you to go visit your parents in Houston the same weekend as the Rodeo? YOU TAKE IT. Not only is this a prime time to wear some boots but you also get to indulge in some incredible eats in a place that knows how to do food like no other, the South. And let’s face it, I was going to eat all this greasy goodness regardless, so at least now I can write about it and feel like I did it for the greater good. Fairs and Rodeos alike are known for having super gluttonous greasy food to indulge in, and while I opted out of cricket pizza and fried, I was successful in my endeavors in finding the 2019 Houston Rodeo’s top 5 treats and eats. 

1. Deep Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites

Definitely my favorite treat of the trip. Tiny homemade cinnamon rolls drizzled in icing, covered in batter, and deep fried. Fried Oreos, who? 

2. Flaming Hot Cheetos Cotton Candy

Flaming Hot Cheetos appeared to be all the rage at this year’s rodeo and I was understandably skeptical of this combination, but I took a chance, and I’m glad I did. I would put this on the same wavelength as the french fry – soft serve combo because the flavors actually complemented each other really well? 

3. Mangonada

This all-fruit mango smoothie was swirled with chamoy liquid gold and topped off with a tamarind-chile straw. It was everything I could’ve imagined, spicy, sweet, fruity, tangy, sour, 10/10 would fly to Texas again next weekend just for this. 

4. Bacon-Chocolate-Dipped Cookie Dough

Chilled, edible cookie dough coated in chocolate and dipped in bacon because I can’t say I truly experienced the Houston Rodeo if I didn’t eat bacon. Everything from the flavors and textures worked SO well. 

5. Loaded Nachos

Tortilla chips loaded with customizable toppings is a classic choice. I opted to top my nachos off with fajita steak, cheese, pico de gallo, fresh jalapeños, cilantro, sour cream, and of course creamy salsa verde. I don’t know if you can tell but I’m d r o o l i n g. 

The great thing about rodeo and fair food is the novelty of it all. Would I eat ANY of this on a normal basis? Nope. Would I even ATTEMPT to try and make any of this when bored at home? Probably not. But you better believe I’m going all in when I get the chance. 

All Images Owned by Author, Megan Grote

 

Megan Grote

CU Boulder '21

Megan is currently a senior at CU Boulder, graduating December 2020, pursuing a double major in Communication and Chinese, and minoring in Information Science. Originally from Virginia, Megan grew up overseas in Qatar and loves learning about people and their experiences with the world. Her passions include all things ocean and space related, animals, and introducing others to the curative powers of funky socks.
Sko Buffs!