Last Hurrah of the Year

It's fitting that I report on the final two eating challenges I completed in the year 2011. Last Monday, a drive through Corona, Wildomar, and San Diego turned up some valuable information regarding future challenges and contests. 2012 looks bright.

The journey nearly came to a close when GPS guided me to Rudford's Restaurant in San Diego. This is a 24 hour eatery, largely reminiscent of old-time diners. I love these places. They offer a burger meal challenge between the hours of 9AM-9PM.



It's called the "Big Nick Burger Challenge." If you can take down 2 lbs of patties, 8 eggs, gravy, 1/2 lb fries, and a 24 oz milkshake, you score a free meal and a t-shirt. My finish came in a record 17 minutes. It wasn't a breakneck performance exactly, since I ate while helping the customers next to me with a crossword puzzle. The whole staff was outstanding, including my server Gina, who was thrilled to see someone take on and win the challenge. Their wall of shame is full.

Afterward, I wandered over to Fred's Burgers in El Cajon. They have a huge burger called the Goliath. Since I'd never done two big burgers back to back, this seemed like a good test. I'd also never done a big burger as a day's second challenge. So, two hours later, there we were.

The Goliath burger wasn't a patty tower, but rather a mammoth single patty. But, you know, it was really good! The meat was cooked very evenly throughout. The edges weren't burned, the flavor was balanced, and you could still enjoy it as a quality meal. The bun was on the thin side and had a hint of sweetness to it.



My finish time of 27 minutes was fair, I thought, with what I already had in my stomach. Not counting fluids I was around 9 lbs. It was a fun trip. I ended up driving to the Chula Vista location of Fred's to pick up my prize shirt and I collected some video there as well. The staff was equally friendly (and professional) at both locations.

So, 2011 is almost up! It's mesmerizing in some ways. I'll close the year with a final reflection about all of the challenges I've done this year.

Video: Back in Bakersfield

This post is dedicated to Dave "US Male" Goldstein and Aaron Wakamatsu. It's good having friends who are supportive and ask lots of questions.

It's about my second stop at the Bullshed Bar and Grill in Bakersfield. My last visit was in late June, when I was heading north and conquered their burger challenge in about 32 minutes. 2.5 lbs of meat and 2.5 fries is considerable.



If I estimate the original challenge meal at 7 lbs, the new formulation had to be over 8 lbs. The management was concerned that too many people were walking away with a free meal, so they stepped up the difficulty considerably.

Instead of a patty stack with a sweet small bun, we now had a massive beef pile on an oversized dense bun. It was like eating a meatloaf sandwiched between two loaves of bread. I'd never encountered such a big bun before.

It was a fight putting down that huge bun. I needed to soak it in a ton of water because it wasn't softening like most breads. Damn you flour! Why do you hate me so? At least the vegetables were fresh and the meat was incredibly rich and well-seasoned.

And the fries... I wish they weren't part of the challenge. After the huge dose of bread, they didn't seem appealing to me. It was a hard fight getting through all the starch.

For the first time in a long time, I had a buzzer beater finish. The owner demanded that I finish every last crumb and I got in the last bite at minute 44. That will teach me to choose my breads and starch challenges well.

So there you have it, the Second Battle of Bull Shed. I don't think I'll ever be doing this challenge again. Best of luck to whoever takes on this beast challenge in the future. I'd rather ride the mechanical bull.

Something Different

The format of this blog takes on a very repetitve course. It's usually: "XYZ goes here, eats large item of food, shocks onlookers, leaves." That's the short version. My write-ups are much longer than that.

Some months back I thought about using slideshows to vary the content. After one slideshow, the concept was shelved. Maybe it seemed like a lot of work. In the interest of variety, the slideshow idea will be given new life.

In this post and the next, I will include slideshows highlighting all the food challenges completed in the first half of 2011. It might give the reader a better sense of what I eat on a month-to-month basis. My stream of consciousness usually jumps from one year to the next seamlessly. Most of my stories do not obey chronology so it's hard to gauge what's happening in reality.

The end of July will bring another slideshow, and there will be one video for every month to close out 2011 assuming I stay in this activity.

So, here are the video links.

January 2011



February 2011



March 2011



The videos for April, May, and June 2011 will debut in the next post.

It's a new step. Sometimes that's what you need most.

Long Day in Vegas

The morning after driving 55 for nachos, I needed an efficient workout to get over the food hangover. My stomach still felt heavy. And the sense of dehydration was strong. Mixing the treadmill with a whole-body weight circuit, I came out of the gym feeling recharged.

It was time to support my friend. I drove over the New York-New York Hotel and Casino, sight of the planned qualifying contest. They put on quite a few minor events before the professionals get down to business. Employees of different casinos square off, they have cops vs firefighters, just a lot of fun community stuff like that.

There was one last chance to plead my case for a spot in the contest. My bid failed, but I did manage to sneak into an amateur team event and ate 8.5 hdbs in 5 minutes. It was exciting to be onstage in front of the Vegas crowd, if only for a moment.

 

The end of the contest left me pumped up and bewildered. Everyone seemed to have other things to do, which is understandable, given the importance of the contest and the magnetism of Sin City. So, it was time for me to make my own adventure.

I ended up at a small yogurt shop named, appropriately, "I Love Yogurt." It's located about 15 miles off the Strip within Las Vegas city limits. The place boasts an impressive 80s theme. Music, video game characters, Simon game stations... it was like being 8 years old all over again.

Here I am, posing with their 100 oz "Devo Hat Challenge." That's a plastic Devo hat filled with frozen yogurt and four toppings. You pick two yogurt flavors and two toppings, the server picks the rest, and you get 30 minutes to do battle. It's $20 if you fail.

The server "conspired" against me by selecting some difficult toppings: gummy worms and hard candies. Cold foods are no trouble to me, but those chewy candies are something else. I swallowed huge chunks of frozen yogurt to force down the candies. There were some moments of discomfort, but nothing serious.

And it was all over in less than 14 minutes. Apparently, this was a new record, beating out the 20-minute feat established some months back by some guy wearing a tie. My mouth was frozen. My throat felt like ice. But I felt like a winner.

Afterward, I went to hang out with my friend and had a great time walking across the Strip and through several casinos. It was an awesome night.

On my way home that same night, I decided to go off the Strip and visit Longhorn Casino. They're the only 24-hour restaurant I know of that features a round-the-clock burger challenge.

The Chuckwagon Challenge is a 1 lb burger, custom bun with all the fixings, and a side of your choice (I picked cole slaw) for $10. There's no time limit. Winners get a fancy certificate describing their insanity. I'd never done a challenge after 10pm before, and for whatever reason (at 2am) this irrational action completely struck my fancy. Maybe I was sad. Or tired. Whatever.

It tasted great. Maybe I needed wholesome food after all that sugar at the yogurt shop. The toasted bun was especially nice. My last meal of the Vegas trip was over in roughly 30 minutes.

I walked out, got back in my car, and began the 230-mile haul back to San Bernardino.

Home again.

The Legend of Hogzilla

Yucca Valley is home to an interesting restaurant that shares space with a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle dealership. The Route 62 Diner is open Monday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch. The interior was comfortable, there were a couple jukeboxes, and I noticed a fair amount of 1950s and 1960s memorabilia.

And for those who like their food extra large, Route 62 Diner offers the Hogzilla Burger Challenge for $16 (as of November 2009). That's a 2 lb patty with all the fixings on an oversized bun along with a basket of fries.  The motorcycle theme was cool - how often do you find a burger named after a bike?

The burger looked really good. It comes with a lot of vegetables. There's a few slices of American cheese hiding beneath the onion rings, tomatoes, and lettuce pieces. Just think of it as a salad on top of a huge meat slab.

After getting through the burger, I emptied the fry basket onto the plate. Anyone familiar with restaurant challenges will testify that this isn't a huge pile of fries. It was barely a half pound. I've probably eaten more fries at Jack in the Box or McDonalds. Unfortunately, these fries didn't impress. The burger was much fresher and fuller of flavor.

If you finish the combo inside of one hour, you'll get your picture on the wall and take home a t-shirt proclaiming your victory over the Hogzilla. My visit was back in November 2009, when a leisurely finish in 36 minutes was proclaimed a house record. The "shocked" manager told me I was the 16th successful person to tackle the Hogzilla.

Honestly, this place is a little remote. I wonder how many people have eaten the burger by now. Maybe someone's eaten two. Just rode in on their bike, chowed down, and roared off.

EZ Take-Out Burger Record

EZ-Take Out Burger is a chain restaurant. Their internal dynamics are similar to In-N-Out, except here you can get deep-fried Twinkies and Oreo cookies. You can also custom-order massive burger towers. In-N-Out abandoned that practice some years ago.

You'd say "Take-4" if you wanted a burger with four patties. Now, it isn't common to find a chain restaurant offering a challenge. This one was posted on the Man V Food blog on the Travel Channel website. I visited last Sunday, February 14.

It's not offered at every location. But, Temecula's EZ Take-Out Burger maintains a Wall of Fame for the successful eater of the biggest burger.


Things started small. Take-7. Take-10. Take-19. This poster celebrates a behemoth "Take-30," successfully wolfed down on October 1, 2009 by a local customer.

I'd need to eat a 31-patty burger to dethrone the champ. That's nearly 4 lbs of beef, along with the cheese, bread, lettuce, and tomato that goes with it. Getting the new record also scores a nifty restaurant t-shirt as well my own photo on the wall.

So what does a Take-31 resemble?


That's one monumental patty stack. There's no way it's gonna stand up. Gotta come in a box... a box that's rapidly soaking up hot cheese and meat grease. Yum!


The burger was as wide as my midsection. Well, almost. I hadn't attempted this much ground beef since tackling the OMG Burger last summer. That hat was probably the most ridiculous thing about this challenge. I didn't keep it on long.

My strategy? Eat two patties at a time, leaving the meager bun toward the end.


It was mechanical. Repetitive. Boring. And finally cold.

The meat was incredibly dry toward the end. Ketchup and soda were my only friends on this one. Bite, drink, swallow... ad nauseam.

Around 45-50 minutes this beast was slain. New record! There was no time limit, but faster is better in my book.

I should point out that two hours before attempting this burger, I competed in the Cravory's first annual Cookie Eating Championship in San Diego and placed second to Johnnie Excel, eating 24 cookies to his 28. That was a close finish in ten minutes. Damn close.


It's not easy to go fast when you've got 4 lbs of cookies in the gut... but I still got it done. What a relief, too. Gotta send my thanks to Donsturdy.com for encouraging me with this challenge.

They're pushing me to make 2011 a year of gargantuan meals.

Next time, I will blog about the cookie contest in San Diego.

OMG - I Ate the Whole Thing!

The Catch is a popular restaurant in downtown Anaheim, right near Angel Stadium. They recently grabbed the headlines with the unveiling of an 8 lb party burger known simply as the "OMG Burger." It's a fitting name, because that's what most people scream when they see the monster burger brought out.

The restaurant bills the burger as larger than your head. It's larger than a damn birthday cake. It's larger than lots of things. They're wagering it's also larger than the vast majority of human stomachs. To that end, The Catch has unveiled an interesting offer: $500 to anyone who can completely consume this beast in one hour. You don't have to eat the fries, but with 4 lbs of beef, a fluffy brioche bun, and loads of mayonnaise and vegetables, this is no simple task. Even serious eaters would be struck down by this monster.

I've completed several challenges that I'd considered very difficult. The one that screams out at me is the Big John Superburger, from Big John's Cafe in Redondo Beach. I was the second successful finisher out of 1820+ attempts in ten years. That burger was similar, but smaller. I've always considered that one the most daunting single person eating challenge I'd been involved in.

This OMG Burger was at a whole other level. I gave it a shot because I was in the neighborhood with friends. I really had no idea if I could get it all down. Being the first person on their Wall of Champions was certainly a huge motivator!

I was daunted by the fact that the restaurant's challenge forbade dunking, since this would have really softened the bread. Nevertheless, I began aggressively, finishing the 4 lbs of beef and all of the vegetable toppings in about 35 minutes. Onlookers were clearly amazed at my performance. Several staff members believed I might really be their first champion.... over 200 had already failed, someone had to come along, right?

Well, the bread really slowed me down in the end. I wasn't really full, but my mouth was dry and I was not able to maintain the blistering pace for the entire hour. I stopped at 59 minutes, with 6/8 of the bottom bun isolating me from victory. I was proud of the amount I had consumed, but disappointed that I couldn't entirely conquer the burger.

So close and yet so far! The manager offered me a chocolate milkshake on the house, and made me an incredible offer based on my performance.... if I could finish the rest of the bun, I would get the burger for free. That's not something I blinked at! I finished the bottom bun and milkshake in about 30 minutes time. My strength has always been in long-distance eating, and I proved it that day.

With the milkshake and all the water I consumed that day, my body must have been holding over 10 lbs of excess mass. It was the single biggest eating challenge I'd succeeded at.

One way or another, I was the first finisher of the OMG Burger. Even if I don't have $500 to show for it.

Now let me rest for awhile.

The Farmhouse

Some restaurants fully resemble the things they're named after.

The Farmhouse is a traditional American-breakfast/lunch restaurant that looks like.... a farmhouse! There's even a huge statue of a rooster to the right of it. I nabbed a photo, but I don't know if anyone actually wants to see a picture of a huge male chicken. It was just a statue anyway.

This place is located in Banning, CA, right off the Interstate 10... think 20 miles east of Redlands. There's signs along both sides of the freeway telling you how to get here. One sign said that this restaurant was award-winning. I hoped that meant the food tasted great, not merely that this restaurant did a good job of grabbing hungry travelers along the busy interstate.

There's a Denny's right next door, but I didn't drive here to eat at Denny's. The food at this location had to be more original and local. Inside, the Farmhouse looked like one of those traditional diners with loads of memorabilia all over the walls. It reminded me of a farm from the inside as well. One humorous sign along the wall informed me that "whining was not allowed."

I came to the Farmhouse to sample their Justin Burger, the biggest sandwich on the menu, named after a local marine and featuring one full pound of ground beef. It comes with any side, and I decided to go with chili con carne for a change of pace. I bet they served decent french fries though.

The Justin Burger was certainly stacked high, but that's the nifty illusion that crisp lettuce provides. This situation always reminds me of those TV commercials and billboards that showcase absolutely mammoth fast food burgers. Just crush down the lettuce, and you'll have a perfectly manageable meal. Done and done.

Getting to the burger pictured above, I must say that it looked, smelled, and tasted like an oversized, higher-quality Big Mac. That's not a knock by any stretch, since I grew up on Big Macs and have always loved their flavor. The side salad and chili were decent, but nothing extraordinary. It's a huge offering but definitely not impossible. I bet lots of diners finish this attempt at a monstrosity.

Your prize, if you can finish the Justin Burger, is an oversized cookie from their dessert station. It's not much of a prize, but then again, the burger is not much of an challenge!

I opted for an oatmeal cookie. It was sweet and moist, and a nice if calorific way of capping off a large burger. Anyone who wants to try a different dining experience needs to check out the Farmhouse!

Party of Five

Forgiveness the lateness of my post. There's been a lot going on lately, and this blog kept getting pushed onto the back burner. I'm going to work on it a little more these days.

About a year ago - possibly a little less - I went to Venice, CA to sample an upscale burger establishment called "26 Beach." The restaurant was on the expensive side - the most basic burger runs $12. Their options are gourmet, meaning you can try a few burgers on the odd side, like peanut butter and jelly burgers, burgers with anaheim chiles, and burgers topped with egg.

I wasn't in Venice to eat the eccentric. I was there to eat the monstrosity.

This is their "Party of Five" cheeseburger. It offers five half-pound beef patties smothered in cheddar cheese and topped with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and house sauce. For those keeping score, that's 40 oz of beef - a whole 2 1/2 pounds. It looks scrumptious, and from what I remember it tasted great if a bit greasy. How can you resist the presentation? Look at those fries in the little dish!

This was once an ordinary menu item at 26 Beach, but by the time I got there it was pulled. You could only order it if you knew about it, and I got on the inside track by scouring blogs about big burgers in the Los Angeles area. Supposedly finishers of the burger would get a coupon for a free meal on the next visit, but all I got was public admiration, gawkers, and bragging rights. I'll settle for that sometimes.

Technically, 26 Beach (along with many other restaurants) will serve you a burger of any patty denomination. You simply pay a small fee for each piece of beef you pile on. People who frequent In N Out or EZ Take-Out Burger know this pretty well. This was cooler because it used to be offered as an official, set menu item.

I only needed 20 minutes to finish the combo. The waiter remarked that it was apparently no challenge at all!

Maybe they need to consider a Party of Ten.....

Miniature Fame

Frank's Famous Hot Dogs in San Luis Obispo, CA has a "Wall of Fame" in their restaurant dedicated to people who love eating sliders.

Sliders, or miniburgers as they known in this establishment, are simply smaller versions of the hamburger or cheeseburger. They have the exact same condiments you would find in the larger, older, more common burger. They're just more convenient, easier to hold, and pack fewer calories per unit.

Eaters are honored on the Wall of Fame if they can manage to eat 10 miniburgers (or more) during a single dining visit. They also receive a free t-shirt advertising Frank's, and of course, all the glitz and glamour that goes with completing an eating challenge.... and maybe some bragging rights. If you're the kind of person who likes to brag about mass consumption.

One special mass consumer is honored as the reigning miniburger eating champion.... the record as of my January 2010 visit stood at 26 miniburgers. Beat the record by one burger and you become the new champion. Not only do you get your name and picture mentioned in a special slot.... you also get a refund for your entire meal. That's a heck of an enticement! At $1.39 per burger, a new champ would be looking at $40 of free food. Not bad.

I was not in a position to make the attempt, but I gladly went for the 10-on-the-wall. The burgers were moist, juicy, and flavorful. I ate mine with all the toppings - lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese - and did not regret my experience at all. It took me 20 minutes to fully consume the burgers, which were slightly larger than what I would call miniburgers. The staff was incredulous that I had finished so quickly.

My picture now adorns their wall, lost in an anonymous sea of fellow challenge winners. Obviously, it's not a very difficult feat. One day I will go back and lay claim to their championship title. Just 27 burgers to go, right?

San Luis Obispo has not seen the last of me.