The Rodeo's First-Ever Sit-Down Restaurant Saddles Up for Year Three

The Rodeo's First-Ever Sit-Down Restaurant Saddles Up for Year Three

The Ranch Saloon + Steakhouse (photo by Jenn Duncan)

THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK Show and Rodeo roared back in 2022 after a pandemic-induced hiatus, and one of the buzziest parts of the whole thing was restaurateur Ben Berg's brand-new sit-down concept, a first for the Rodeo.


In 2023, The Ranch Saloon + Steakhouse's return was highly anticipated, and expectations were exceeded, as Berg added more seating and live music. So what's on tap for 2024? Well, lots of... taps, actually. There will be four new satellite bars serving special concoctions in addition to beer and wine; expect one each dedicated to tequila, whiskey, Cosmos and Aperol Spritzes. In addition to the more casual Saloon and upscale Steakhouse components, Berg will also debut The Skillet, a walk-up booth serving elevated versions of classic carnival fare — think bacon-on-a-stick with truffle honey, and a pretty stellar smash burger.

Ben Berg at The Ranch (photo by Jenn Duncan)

Snake River Farms pork chop (photo by Alex Wu)

Wasabi-crusted tuna (photo by Kirsten Gilliam)

BBQ chicken sandwich (photo by Kirsten Gilliam)

Au Poivre (photo by Alex Wu)

The Ranch After Dark, a late-night experience with live performances and DJ-spun tunes, returns nightly. Guests can reserve tables from 9pm until close, with a $500 minimum per table. High rollers can also book the Steakholder tables for dinner, featuring private restrooms and a private bar (from $15,000 for six guests).

The Ranch Saloon + Steakhouse is erected in a high-end, climate-controlled tent that spans 16,000 square feet and is decked out this year by Visit Round Top and HGTV's Junk Gypsies. Lots of great photo ops here!

The Ranch is taking reservations now via OpenTable.

Photo by Jenn Duncan

Photo by Jenn Duncan

Todd Webb's 1995 photo 'Diner, Ouray, CO'

AMERICA. 1955. TWO photographers, Robert Frank and Todd Webb, each an innovator in their field, are awarded grants by the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation to travel across the country and capture “vanishing Americana, and the way of life that is taking its place.” For the first time, Frank and Webb’s photographs for that ambitious project can be seen together in Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955, on view through Jan. 7, 2024, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. While many of Frank’s photographs will be familiar to viewers, especially those published in his 1957 book, The Americans, Webb’s images for the 1955 project have never been shown before.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Lillith's Lullaby and Coven's Calling cocktails at The Cursed Cauldren

THE VEIL IS thinning! So sayeth the Instagram page of The Cursed Cauldron, a brand-new, Halloween-themed pop-up bar scheduled to pour beginning Friday, Oct. 13, through Oct. 31. From 4pm to 2am daily, The Cursed Cauldron will transform the popular late-night restaurant industry hang Ninja Ramen, located at 4219 Washington Ave., into an immersive, Instagram-worthy environment, serving handcrafted, eye-popping Halloween-themed cocktails infused with herbs, spices and local artisanal syrups from Levels of Grandeur.

Keep Reading Show less
Food