Disclaimer: I was not paid for this blog post, however I did receive tickets to this event in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Texas is one of those places where you know you can eat well. Chili, Tex-Mex, chicken fried steaks, fried chicken, crawfish and BBQ, just to name a few. Sometimes, it’s best to just keep it simple with a good ole grilled steak! There’s a ton of events celebrating all of these foods (and more) but there’s one that everyone should attend at least once!

Every year, I can’t wait until the third Saturday in May. I’m booked – I have plans – I can’t wait! To me, it’s one of the greatest events in Texas – Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival. This year was my fifth year to attend and I love it just as much as I did the first year I attended!

About an hour and a half outside of Fort Worth, the Annual Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival is held in Hico. A small town with lots of character and Texas charm, this is the place where you’ll want to be. The drive alone is worth it, viewing breathtaking Texas scenery throughout the prize of the Texas Hill Country. The endless fields, beautiful sunsets – they get me every time.

The Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival is actually split into three events / categories:

Hors d’oeurves Competition
Kicking off the day at 11am (and throughout the day), mingle with your backyard chefs. The chefs are all friendly folks, they love this event as much as you do, if not more. Although the backyard chefs submit their delicacies early, there’s much to find throughout the day. These folks love to cook!

Steak Cookoff
The cookoff actually lasts all day but the prize of it all is the steak dinner. A 12-ounce Nolan Ryan ribeye, salad, baked potato and beverage top off the day. Throughout the day, you’re often walking around, meeting the backyard chefs, checking out their grills and tasting some of their food. This provides a great opportunity to figure out who you’d like to cook your steak. They cook it how you like, pick a team and go with it! You can’t go wrong!

Wine Tasting
Besides the steak itself, this is my favorite. Texas Wines! In the past year or so this has really become an interest of mine. Wine tastings are the perfect time to sample around and find what you like. It’s a social event, great with friends (or to meet new ones). The highlight of this year for me was Red Caboose. Last year, I found a bottle that I loved however I’ve been searching for a year and only found it again at this event. Not only can you taste but you can buy by the bottle. (It’s great to purchase a bottle for your steak dinner at the end of the day!)

So Much To Do
This is an all day event, we come hungry and leave stuffed. (If you don’t, I’m going to question your choices!). There’s plenty of shopping, antiques, live music, a fiddling competition (the kids were AMAZING) and you can even pick up a game of corn hole or washers if you’re lucky. Walking into town, it’s like being home. Heck, we’ve even brought chairs and found a spot in the shade and just hung out!

If I were to attend one Texas event – this would be it! Don’t cut yourself short by missing out next year! Spend this summer practicing to win the prize next year at the cook-off!

For more information:
Texas Steak Cookoff & Wine Festival
Hico, Texas
3rd Saturday in May (Annually)