It’s August 2016, and the fever pitch heading into Rio has us ready to put our game faces on. Yelp is taking this opportunity to dig into world-class feats of gustatory strength with the Yelp Hungry Games! All throughout the month we’ll be highlighting gold medal-sized food challenges across the United States and around the world. To get us started, here’s a list of some of the most absurd and fun food challenges we’ve sourced from Yelp in the home of overeating – ‘merica!
The Zellagabetsky Challenge – This eight-decker sandwich includes corned beef, pastrami, turkey, roast beef, salami, tongue, and swiss cheese on rye bread topped with coleslaw, Russian dressing, and sweet peppers. What’s your prize for finishing this monster and ascending the podium? A piece of cheesecake and a personal best.
Kenny and Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen in Houston, TX
The Knucklehead Challenge – Features five 10” hot dogs topped with three pounds of chili, cheese, onions, tomatoes, and pickles all topped with a pound of fries. What’s the grand prize for finishing one of these solo? The meal is free, and nobody wants to be near you for the next 24 hours.
Parker’s Hot Dogs of Santa Cruz in Roseville, CA
The Kitchen Sink Challenge – Freeze your brain with three sliced bananas, eight scoops of ice cream, eight toppings, whipped cream, chopped almonds, and cherries. Technically, it serves 1–6 people, but if you finish it solo you get your picture on the wall of fame.
The Olde San Francisco Creamery in Walnut Creek, CA
Tex-ass Donut Challenge – You prefer a sprint to a marathon? Like your challenges short and sweet? Finish this donut (equivalent to a half-dozen regular sized donuts) in under 80 seconds. Winners get a pin and the donut is free. The indigestion later will cost you plenty, though.
Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, OR
Mama’s Pasta Challenge – Your mom won’t give you any gold stars for overeating like this, but Mama’s On The Hill will give you a free t-shirt and zero out your bill if you can finish her bowl of spaghetti topped with an extremely large homemade meatball.
Mama’s On The Hill, Saint Louis, MO
Kong Challenge – This king-sized burger has four hamburger patties, lettuce, tomato, American cheese, pepper jack, cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapeño, onion rings, ranch dressing, and an egg. Oh, and it comes with a Coke float and fries. Finish the whole shebang in under 30 minutes and it’s free.
Myke’s Cafe in Los Angeles, CA
Carnivore Challenge – Like synchronized swimming (in a pool of grease), this challenge is for you and a friend. Finish 11 pounds of pizza, with only two people, in one hour. It’s $50 to try, but if you win, it’s a $250 prize! There are lots of rules for this one, so check the website via Yelp for more info.
Big Pie in the Sky in Kennesaw, GA
The Eagle’s Challenge – Stack up five pounds of burger, 20 pieces of American cheese, five pounds of fries, one deli pickle, and a fountain soda, and you’ve got quite a meal. In fact, this isn’t the only challenge on the menu — there are numerous other burgers to be vanquished here. Legends of cash prizes and t-shirts for winners pervade…
Eagle’s Deli, Brighton, MA
Mt. Nacheesmo – Claiming to be the world’s largest plate of nachos, this monstrosity stacks beans, beef, chicken, pork, monterey jack, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, black olives, sour cream, guacamole, and queso. Eat it solo in under 45 minutes and score a shirt (and the nachos are free).
Tio’s Restaurant, Ann Arbor, MI
The Bacon Bomb Challenge – Who needs a bun to feel challenged? These folks take five pounds of ground sausage, pork, and beef, and then wrap and slow-cook it in brown sugar bacon. You get your choice of fries or potato salad, and you only have 45 minutes to finish it. You won’t take home a medal, but you do get immortalized on the wall of fame.
Paddy Long’s in Chicago, IL
Stay tuned all month long on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as we showcase a boatload of belly-busting food-challenge behemoths!
