8 Crazy Food Challenges

Have a big appetite? Ever feel like no matter how much you eat, your stomach always wants more? Well if the following crazy food challenges can’t satisfy your appetite, nothing will! Put your stomach to the test by attempting to complete one or multiple of these eating challenges.

The Kitchen Sink Challenge – The San Francisco Creamery Co. – Walnut Creek, CA

The Kitchen Sink is a decadent creation that’s made with 8 scoops of ice cream, 8 servings of toppings, 3 bananas, a mountain of whipped cream, and topped with chopped toasted almonds and cherries. A popular choice for birthdays and other celebrations, the intimidating ice cream sundae is ordinarily recommended for up to 6 people. It costs $49.95 and is so big it’s served in an actual sink. For those daring enough to tackle the whole sink by themselves, free ice cream for a year awaits.

The rules are simple: an eater has 30 minutes to consume every last drip of ice cream. Once eating has begun, bathroom breaks are off limits. So make sure to go beforehand. An employee will monitor the challenge, updating eaters on the amount of time remaining. Should you emerge from the challenge victorious, you’ll be entitled to a free ice cream sundae each day for the next year. Unfortunately, the sundaes are non-transferrable, and only the winner can redeem them.

The Mt. Olympus Challenge – Clinton Station Diner – Clinton, NJ

This 50 lb. burger gives you and four of your most ambitious friends the opportunity to demonstrate appetite supremacy. If your team can successfully devour the $130 burger in under 3 hours, it will come free of charge. If you don’t know four other eaters who can measure up to your own high eating standards, there are smaller—yet still comically large—burgers at the Clinton Station Diner. The Zeus weighs 7 lbs. and is free if you finish it in less than three hours, while the Atlas weighs 3 lbs. and is free if finished in 2 hours or less. These burgers can also be eaten with a partner, but you’ll have half as much time to finish them.  

Big Fat Fatty – Fat Sal’s Deli – Multiple Locations, CA

An exercise in gluttony, the Big Fat Fatty from Fat Sal’s Deli can be had for $49.99. If you can consume the enormous hoagie in 40 minutes or less, it’ll be on the house. The sandwich weighs 12 pounds and features cheesesteak, pastrami, chicken fingers, bacon, mozzarella sticks, fried eggs, jalapeno poppers, fries, onion rings, chili, cheese burgers, and sauces—all stacked atop a 27-inch piece of garlic bread. While few people have ever finished the sub, those who did were allowed to create and name a custom sandwich for Sal’s menu.

The 7-Pound Breakfast Burrito Challenge – Jack-N-Grill – Denver, CO

 

This mammoth Tex-Mex inspired breakfast burrito measures 12"L x 6"W x 4"H and weighs in at a hefty 7 lbs. About 1 out of every 20 brave souls who attempt to eat the burrito succeeds, getting the burrito for free and earning a spot on the Jack-N-Grill’s Wall of Fame. The breakfast burrito consists of 5 lbs. of hash browns, 12 scrambled eggs, a whole onion, and fire-roasted green chilies. Topped with New Mexico pork green chili and cheese, this $24 burrito is the breakfast of competitive eating champions.

72 Oz. Steak Challenge – The Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo, TX

While this is not the toughest food challenge on the list, it’s certainly the most well know. Around since the 1960s, the 72 Oz. Steak Challenge skyrocketed in popularity during in the early 1990s. In addition to putting down the huge steak, eaters are also required to consume a buttered roll, shrimp cocktail, baked potato, beans, and a salad—all in under one hour. The side dishes allegedly arose from a steak-eating contest that The Big Texan Steak Ranch held in the 1960s. After scarfing down two 1 lb. steaks in the first ten minutes, the contest winner requested the aforementioned side dishes before eating more steak.

Winners of the Steak Challenge get listed on the 72 Oz. Hall of Fame and receive a full refund for the meal. Those who are unable to finish lose the $72 they paid up front. It’s not necessary to eat the fat, but the restaurant will serve as final judge regarding what qualifies. Eaters are permitted to bring home leftovers should they not finish the steak.

The Inferno Bowl Challenge – Nitally’s ThaiMex Cuisine – St. Petersburg, FL.

For eaters who like to test their sweat glands in addition to their stomachs, the Inferno Bowl is the perfect crazy food challenge. Offered by Nitally’s ThaiMex Cuisine, the Inferno Bowl features 48 oz. of soup that’s made from ghost chili and fully capable of setting taste buds ablaze. It must all be consumed in a half hour or less, and eaters are allowed to use ice to cool down the soup’s temperature during the first five minutes. After remaining undefeated through its first 221 challengers, the contest increased its initial $100 prize to $1500 when it became apparent the people were overmatched. That’s when a local man concocted a scientific approach that would redefine what was possible.

After making quick work of the soup’s solid peppers, the man transferred whatever liquid remained into an empty 2 liter bottle. He quickly chugged the bottle, and the rest is history. The man was not able to keep the soup down for long, leading the restaurant to consider whether challengers should have to retain the food for at least 15 minutes. Thankfully, the challenge is held outdoors to avoid making a mess inside the restaurant.  

Boss Hog 28" Pizza Challenge – Boss’ Pizza & Chicken – Sioux Falls, SD

Pair up with your hungriest friend and try to take down this 10 lb. pizza pie. With a 28" diameter, the pie comes with at least three toppings. If consumed in an hour or less, you and your partner receive the $48 pizza pie for free, $200 in restaurant gift certificates, and a spot on the restaurant’s wall of fame.

The Bacon Bomb Challenge – Paddy’s Long – Chicago, IL

Intended to serve 6-8 people, this 5 lb. bacon bomb is made of ground sausage, pork, and beef—all wrapped in brown sugar bacon. The bacon bomb is slow cooked on a pig roaster and must be consumed with fries or potato salad in 45 minutes or less. As of September 2015, only 9 people had successfully completed the challenge. For emerging victorious against this crazy food challenge, eaters receive a free t-shirt, a spot on the restaurant’s wall, and the bacon bomb ($70) free of charge.