Houston Rodeo’s Craziest New Food — Deep Fried Fanta, Fruity Pebble Shrimp Po’boys, Unicorn Floats and More

Houston’s got no shortage of foodies, between its 12 James Beard Award-nominated restaurants and both popular and under-the-radar ethnic eateries. But there’s a whole other type of gourmand that comes out to play during February and March.

This may be a rainy season, but these eager eaters won’t let anything dampen their spirits. They’re in a category all their own: full-on fair ground foodies.

For Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo fair ground foodies, it’s not about deconstructed dishes, it’s about deep-fried Oreos. It’s not about sous vide methods, it’s about sausage on a stick.

And this year, there’s more to love than ever.

“It’s an odyssey of amazing treats. We try to have a great balance and line up of all different kinds of foods,” Dominic Palmieri, the Midway Gourmet, tells PaperCity. And you could say the Rodeo’s succeeded, with 30 different stands featuring all different meats, sweets and treats — including the brand new Nitro Treats.

Eating is a key part of the rodeo experience. You can’t have a true trip without it, even if you fly high on rides, watch the rip-roarin’ rodeo competitions and stay for a concert from your favorite country music star.

“It’s integral. We’ve been doing this for many years, and there were several years where many of our events actually paid to have an exit survey,” Palmieri says. “The number one reason people come to a rodeo, still to this day, is the food. It’s still number one, it’s the food.”

That’s no mouthwatering wonder, when you consider the rare — if not exactly rarefied — eats at the Houston Rodeo.

“Almost all of the things you’re going to find here for the most part you’re not going to find at a local restaurant or a mall or any other place,” Palmieri notes. “You really need to come to the rodeo to experience them.”

New Rodeo Food

The Midway Gourmet makes sure the Rodeo’s food is original, and then some — to the tune of this year’s debut Fruity Pebble Shrimp Po’boys — you read that right — Deep Fried Brisket Nachos and Unicorn Floats.

Salivating over these brand new innovations is nothing to be ashamed of. Consider deep-fried Fanta. You just want to be on the cutting edge of this gastronomic experiment.

“Only the carnival can figure out how to deep fry soda,” Palmieri laughs.

It would take Palmieri about the same time to walk the length of the fair grounds as it would for him to walk you through the new lineup. But if he did, he’d kick things off with the sweets.

“I kind of like to Willy Wonka it. I like to start with dessert. I like to do the sweet treats during the day when I’m walking around. I do the crazy wild things because I know that I’m walking around and kind of burning it,” he chuckles.

Palmieri sees your cotton candy and caramel apples and raises you Caramel Crack Fries.

“I believe they’re the star of this year,” he says. “We take piping hot French fries and when they first come out of the fryer we hit them with warm melted butter. Then toss them in a little bit thicker granular sugar and cinnamon mixture and then top them with sea salt caramel sauce.

“And then we hit them with fresh ice-cold whipped cream and then top them with Fruity Pebbles. Everything at the rodeo has to be fun and whimsical, right?”

Same goes for the many Nitro Treats. “Three years ago, we developed one of the first liquid nitrogen stands in the entire carnival business. So we’re doing what we call ‘Nitro-pop,’ ” Palmieri says.

The scenario is short and sweet. Colorful UFO candies, sugary sweet with sour powder, are infused with liquid nitrogen to make Nitro Sour Bombs.

Then, for the Cowboy Kettle Corn, the kernels are coated with flavors like strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and grape and then popped in -321 degree liquid nitrogen.

“When you eat it, it’s like eating popcorn ice cream. Smoke starts coming out your nose and out your mouth. It’s really fun,” Palmieri says. There’s also a Sour Patch Kids spin on the nitro-pops.

Then, he pushes the envelope with the many new floats. The Mermaid Float with blue coconut lime soda, whipped cream and a sour mermaid candy tail, the Orange Dreamsicle Float with orange and cream sodas and cotton candy and the Unicorn Float with blue raspberry soda, cotton candy and sprinkles, of course.

Presentation is every bit as important as flavor. “Our guests eat with their eyes first,” Palmieri says.

He suspects many will tackle this year’s Banana Cream Pie Funnel Cake, too. “It’s over-the-top delicious,” he insists.

Then, the grazing effect for the many new meats.

“You need to start on one end and work your way down to the other, you kind of do it in pieces and spurts between rides and shopping and going to the concerts,” Palmieri says.

For the very first time, that includes Puffy Tacos, with masa flattened into thin, fried crispy rounds. That means Texas Wagyu Beef Tacos with slow-cooked beef served with fresh corn tortillas, crisp cabbage slaw and pico de gallo.

And as for the Sonoran Hot Dog? Well, that’s a quarter-pound hot dog wrapped in bacon, covered with jalapeños, grilled onions and jalapeño sauce and topped with tomatoes.

“The Brisket Deep Fried Nachos — those are really, really good. Probably one of the best,” Palmieri notes. The crispy, gooey deep-fried nachos are topped with 15-hour slow-roasted brisket.

The Colossal Waffled Tater BBQ Sandwich is worth noting, too — two waffles made out of hash browns, stuff with slow-roasted pulled pork, fried onion rings and creamy coleslaw and drizzled with the signature sauce.

Tried and True Rodeo Favorites

But for the fair ground foodie, there’s something to be said for the oldies but goodies. There are some can’t-be-beat foods that may not be new this year, but originated in Space City.

“The Turkey Leg is king in Houston. Last year we debuted the very first Spicy Turkey Leg. It went so well it’s part of our ongoing, never-ending menu,” Palmieri says. Imagine turkey legs brined in and injected with Chilula-inspired sauce.

“From the very first bite to the very last bite down to the bone, you can get that beautiful spicy slow kick,” Palmieri adds. You can find them at Biggy’s.

“We debuted the spicy Turkey Leg because we realize that in Texas and especially Houston, our customer loves to kick it up a notch. I like to say that we have some of the hottest new foods every year — pun definitely intended,” Palmieri says.

Another Bayou City first and favorite: The Big Rib.

“It’s a giant, two-pound beef rib. We actually developed the very first one at the Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo six years ago. It’s a giant rib on a 17-inch bone. Slow-smoked, tender and juicy,” Palmieri says.

It’s a twist on foodies’ beloved meat-on-a-stick, with the bone itself standing in for the stick. They come in smoky barbecue sauce, zesty garlic sauce or spicy barbecue sauce.

You can’t forget about the rodeo’s standout corndogs.

“It’s our batter,” Palmieri says. “It’s some of the best batter you’ve ever had. Slighty sweet, with just a bit of cornmeal crunch. Nice and crisp, but the quality of the hot dog is what makes ours stand out. Some are all beef, some we do with turkey and chicken.

“What I refer to as the Big Daddy Corndog, we use a gourmet pecan-smoked sausage.”

It’s a 14-inch-long beast, high quality beef and pork.

And now, you can get the Big Daddy Cheeto and Cheese — topped with cheddar cheese and rolled in crunchy Flaming Hot Cheetos. You can seriously expect a jawd-dropping amount of the spicy Cheetos throughout the fair ground.

“We will use a truck load of Flaming Hot Cheetos at the rodeo this year,” Palmieri chuckles.

What are healthy eaters supposed to do at the Houston Rodeo? Embrace the madness.

“Living a healthy lifestyle requires a little bit of a cheat day every once in awhile,” Palmieri says. “Come hungry.”