Beyoncé fans are buzzing about her mom’s gumbo at Houston rodeo
Fans have been lining up to try Tina Knowles’ 20-hour family recipe debuting at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Mama Tina’s Gumbo at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was temporarily closed by the Houston Health Department, the department confirmed to USA TODAY.
The stand, owned by Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyonce and Solange Knowles, sells a version of the Southern cuisine staple and was closed for “clerical issues,” according to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Dr. Theresa Tran, Director of the Houston Health Department, told USA TODAY in a statement that the department temporarily closed the stand on March 16 due to a “complaint investigation.” Tran said the stand “was cooperative with the department’s recommendations” and passed an inspection.
Mama Tina’s Gumbo was authorized to reopen on March 17, according to Tran. Service had resumed by March 18, according to Houston NBC affiliate KPRC.
The health department did not provide the reason for the stand’s closure. USA TODAY reached out to Tina Knowles’ representatives for comment.
What is Tina’s Gumbo?
The pop-up, according to Tina Knowles, is an opportunity for Beyoncé fans to try the gumbo she “absolutely loves.”
“Everybody’s been wanting to try my gumbo,” Knowles said when asked about her rendition of the staple Louisiana cuisine. “I’ve been making gumbo for 40-something years and people have been asking for it and asking for me to put it out And, I finally found a way to do it where it’s affordable. I’m just really excited,”
The gumbo is available in two options: a $25 seafood version with beef sausage, chicken, shrimp, and blue crab; and a $23 chicken-and-sausage-only option.
The stand is scheduled to remain open until March 22, USA TODAY previously reported.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest stock exhibition and rodeo in the world, according to Scott Sosebee, a professor at Stephen F. Austin State University and executive director of the East Texas Historical Association. Over 2.7 million people attended the event in 2025.