Convenience Big Store: Houston Rodeo BBQ cookoff winners, revealed

March 1, 2026

Get Unlimited Digital Access for 25¢

For readers who want more stories, more depth.

Act Now

Sale Ends March 8

☀️ Temperature check: High of 79; low of 61. Forecast: February was the second-warmest on record in Houston. What's the outlook for March? Expect a warm and muggy start Sunday.

Plus: A final report confirms Hurricane Melissa tied for the strongest storm in the Atlantic basin and produced a record wind gust.

📬 Sign up for our Weather Radar newsletter for more weather news.

1

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle

Winners of the 2026 Houston rodeo barbecue cook-off.

The 2026 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest wrapped up Saturday night, capping three days of smoky feasts and festivities.

More than 250 teams vied for bragging rights in the 52nd annual cook-off.

Jody Schmal has the full list of winners.

Plus: Chronicle music critic Joey Guerra recounts almost 500 Houston Rodeo concerts and counting, from the Astrodome to NRG Stadium.

2

Iran's supreme leader killed during major attack by U.S. and Israel.

A major attack launched by Israel and the U.S. killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian state media confirmed.

Plus: Texas congressional candidates weighed in on the strike, and analysts weighed the potential impact on oil prices.

3

Opinion: How do Muslim Americans like me feel about the U.S. attack on Iran? It's complicated.

Without in any way supporting the Iranian regime, one has to ask: How much bloodshed must occur, and to what end?

4

Number of Republican Texas women in Congress could double after midterms.

Texas has never had more than three Republican women in Congress at the same time. But that could change.

5

Texas Democrats hope this Houston TikToker can help win back Latino voters.

Carlos Espina is campaigning for James Talarico and Sylvia Garcia. Millions of social media followers are listening.

6

River Oaks mansion listed for $13M tops luxury home sales in January.

From a River Oaks estate to a waterfront mansion in The Woodlands, these were Houston's most expensive homes sold in January. Take a closer look.

7

How mutton bustin' has helped leaders of Texas 'Y'all Street' grow.

Rachel Racz, Nasdaq's head of listings for Texas, spent six years volunteering as a mutton bustin' announcer at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The 2026 Texas Voter Guide

Photo by: Houston Chronicle

Election Day for Texas' primary election is Tuesday, March 3

🗳️ Prepare with our voter guide

☑️ Read the Editorial Board's endorsements

📩 Sign up for our Texas Elections 2026 newsletter

⚾ Sports

Houston guard Mercy Miller reacts after making a 3-point basket against Colorado during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Photo by: Eric Christian Smith, Associated Press

Cougars: UH's longest losing streak in nine years ended in emphatic fashion with a blowout win over Colorado on Saturday.
Rockets: Houston couldn't pull off a second consecutive fourth-quarter comeback as a three-game winning streak ended in Miami.
Aggies vs. Longhorns: Tramon Mark went off for 23 points to lift UT past Texas A&M at Reed Arena, silencing the sold-out crowd and probably sealing an NCAA Tournament at-large berth.
Astros: Josh Hader has yet to throw a bullpen session in camp, but manager Joe Espada isn't ready to declare his closer's status for opening day.

🗣️ Opinion

Houstonians elect representatives to Congress for a reason. It's time they exercise their constitutional powers over President Donald Trump's Iran war, writes the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board.
Trump's call to "stand" during his State of the Union stood against American values, says Loren Steffy in a guest column.
Guest columnist Christi L. Moore recounts a story that reminds us of the importance of friendship and the rippling effect of a single act of kindness.

A nonprofit has reached a deal to buy the historic Garden Oaks Theater for $7.1 million.

But there's a catch: Backers have just 90 days to raise the money.

Arthouse Houston Director Maureen McNamara said the organization is asking for the community's help to preserve the building, which has served as a gathering space for decades.

"We need big supporters and we need small supporters," she said. "We need everybody we can get to make it happen."