10 Most Outrageous Restaurant Food Challenges

You’ve probably watched Hot Ones or Man vs. Food, but have you ever considered trying a food challenge? There are so many food challenges around the world where willpower and digestion are pushed to their limits. From a ten-pound bowl of pho to a 105-pound burger to some of the hottest wings on Earth, there is a food challenge out there just waiting to be defeated. Here are the ten most outrageous restaurant food challenges.

Related: Top 10 Foolish Food Fads

10 The 105-Pound Burger

Clinton Station Diner in Clinton, New Jersey, has created one of the craziest and largest burger challenges known to man. Known as the “8th Wonder of the World,” their whopping 105-pound (47.6-kg) burger stacks up to be one of the largest burgers ever. The challenge can be attempted with nine friends, but the entire 105-pound burger must be eaten in one hour. If the challengers tackle the burger, they will win $2,000 and the ultimate bragging rights. If you fail, the burger will set you back around $600.

The diner, partially located inside a blue-and-white rail car, also offers several other food challenges. Five people can attempt the “Mt. Olympus” burger, which is 25 pounds (11.4 kg) of beef that must also be eaten in one hour. The “Zeus” is almost 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of beef and must be completed alone in 1.5 hours, and the “Atlas” contains 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of beef and must be consumed alone in 45 minutes.^[1]

9 69-oz Mixed Grill

The Welsh restaurant Sizzle and Grill added a new menu of food challenges, including a 69-oz (1.95-kg) mixed grill plate. The large plate consists of steak, five pork chops, half a chicken, two pieces of gammon (pork), four pieces of sausage, two eggs, peas, mushrooms, a bowl of chips, and a side salad. The hardest part of the challenge is that it must be completed in one hour or less. Thousands of people attempted the challenge, but only a handful were able to complete it.

The quickest somebody finished the challenge was in 22 minutes. Challengers that defeat the 69-oz plate receive a free T-shirt and their meal paid for. Some of their other challenges include “The Quadruple Bypass Burger,” “The Widow Maker,” and seven “Suicide Wings” laced with some of the hottest sauce imaginable. They also offer two-foot-long po-boys and a six-liter bucket of ice cream. The menu at Sizzle and Grill was inspired by the U.S. television show Man vs. Food.^[2]

8 Fire in Your Hole Wing Challenge

Munchies 420 Tiki Bar & Grill in Sarasota, Florida, has become a world-famous place to eat, as people travel from all over to try their delicious food. They claim to have the best Philly cheesesteaks outside of Philadelphia, burgers made fresh daily, and Fat Sandwiches piled with toppings such as mac & cheese, broccoli cheese bites, and onion hoops. They also offer wings with more than twenty dry rub and sauce options. The Travel Channel has ranked them numerous times as one of the best restaurants in America.

For those willing to try something hot, they have the Fire In Your Hole Wing Challenge. Adam Richman from *Man vs. Food* was only able to eat one wing before bowing out. The challenge is made up of ten wings tossed in sauce extracted from the hottest peppers in the world. Contestants are given 20 minutes to complete the challenge to earn their picture on the Wall of Fame. Those who fail get their picture placed on the “Wall of Shame.”^[3]

7 The Kitchen Sink Challenge

The San Francisco Creamery Company serves up sandwiches, burgers, pasta, salads, and, of course, desserts. Their dessert menu consists of sundaes, floats, shakes, freezes, and more, but they offer the ultimate dessert challenge known as The Kitchen Sink. The gigantic dessert is made up of three bananas, whipped cream, up to eight different ice cream flavors of your choice, more whipped cream, eight servings of toppings, even more whipped cream, and almonds and cherries.

The challenge must be completed alone and under the current record time. Contestants cannot have any help and are prohibited from leaving the table for any reason. If the challenge is completed in record time, the winner will receive free ice cream for a year, and their picture will be placed in a special frame for everyone to see.^[4]

6 The Kodiak Arrest Challenge

Humpy’s Alaskan Alehouse not only has a memorable name, but they also have an insane food challenge that you won’t forget. The Anchorage restaurant offers the Kodiak Arrest Challenge, which is made up of seven crab nuggets, 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of Alaskan king crab, 14-inch (36-cm) reindeer sausage, side dishes, wild berry crisp, and ice cream.

The $450 dish must be completed in less than one hour to earn a spot on the hall of fame and an “I got crabs at Humpy’s” T-shirt. Challengers who beat the record time receive their meal for free. The current record time to complete the challenge is 12 minutes and 10 seconds.^[5]

5 The Bombay Burner

Those looking to try some of the spiciest food in the world will need to head to London. The Cinnamon Club is a modern Indian fine dining restaurant known for its sophisticated service and refined eats, but there is one dish that hides behind its innovative menu. The Bombay Burner won’t be found on any menu, and ordering it requires a secretive process. Challengers must order the dish at least 48 hours in advance and sign a disclaimer.

The Bombay Burner is a lamb mince curry made with Dorset Naga chilies, which are known to reach 1.6 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU). A jalapeño pepper usually starts around 2,500 SHU, just to put it all into perspective. Scotch bonnet chilies are also used in the dish, which rate around 350,000 SHU. There’s a good chance this one will hurt just as badly coming out as it does going in.^[6]

4 Shepherd’s Pie Challenge

An Irish pub in Wisconsin serves up one of the world’s largest dishes of shepherd’s pie. Mulligan’s Irish Pub & Grill created the 8-pound (3.6-kg) Shepherd’s Pie Challenge, which consists of three shepherd’s pies stacked on top of each other and stuffed with peas, carrots, parsnips, cheese, celery, beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy. One person has 60 minutes to complete the colossal challenge.

The dish costs $45, but those who successfully complete the challenge will get their meal for free, plus a $75 gift card and their picture on the “Winner Wall.” Those who fail must pay for their meal and get their picture posted on the “Weenie Wall.” Don’t care for shepherd’s pie? Mulligan’s also offers a 3-pound (1.4-kg) beef burger challenge stacked with half a pound of cheese, a pound of corned beef, and a pound of beer-battered fries—over 1.3 kg more of food.^[7]

3 Carnivore Challenge

One of the best pizza challenges is in Kennesaw, Georgia, and can be attempted with a partner. Big Pie in the Sky Pizzeria serves pizza made from scratch and cooked in a stone deck oven. They have several specialty pizzas, such as the West Coast Pesto, the Big Kahuna, and the Carnivore.

The Carnivore is their all-meat pizza and can be turned into a challenge for those looking to attempt the unthinkable. The Carnivore Challenge is an 11-pound (5-kg) pizza loaded with all the meats. Two people can attempt the gigantic pizza and have one hour to finish every bite. It costs $59.95 to attempt the challenge, but those who conquer it will earn $120. Around 25 pairs of people have successfully beaten the challenge, and the record time is just over 30 minutes.^[8]

2 Phozilla

Pho is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat, and many find it quite filling. Now, imagine eating a 10-pound (4.5-kg) bowl of pho. Pho 87 in Las Vegas created the Phozilla—a massive bowl of noodle soup with a savory beef broth. There are 12 ingredients, and 10 pounds must be consumed by one contestant in 1,987 seconds or less.

The bowl is twice the size of an adult human head and is filled to the brim with delicious pho. There is a $50 entry fee to compete in the challenge, and the prize money is progressive. In true Vegas fashion, the jackpot goes to the winner.^[9]

1 Travis on a Silver Platter

Head down Broadway Boulevard in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and you might notice a red-and-white-striped building that looks like an old diner. Grandma K & I Diner is a place that takes you back in time with wood-panel walls and red-and-white-checkered tablecloths, while old pictures and signs line the walls to give it a Western theme. The popular roadside stop serves biscuits and gravy, hamburgers, and chicken-fried steak. The restaurant also offers one little—well, huge—special that’s hard to overlook.

The Travis on a Silver Platter Challenge is an 8-pound (3.6-kg) burrito covered in a mess of fries. It takes three flour tortillas, beans, beef, cheese, red chili sauce, and a mound of French fries to create the gigantic burrito. There is a one-hour time limit, and winners get their meal free and their picture on the wall of fame. The restaurant serves tasty food at a reasonable price but makes sure the helpings are hefty. Make sure to come hungry when visiting Grandma K & I Diner.^[10]