Photo: Kev Gregory (Shutterstock)
If you love challenges and free food, then theoretically, you should love this article. These challenges are such that only the bravest and hungriest will dare to take on. Some will reward you with a free shirt, others your picture on their wall honoring the select few who have completed the massive feats, but they all will give you your meal for free if you leave your plate (or plates) empty.
If you think you’ve got what it takes, bring your bib and comfiest sweatpants to these restaurants. They’ll know you mean business.
Kodiak Arrest Challenge at Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse (Anchorage, Ala.)
If you find yourself hungry in the rugged lands of Alaska, go to Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse in Anchorage. If the restaurant sounds familiar, it’s because their challenge was on the show Man vs. Food. Take on the Kodiak Arrest Challenge, comprised of five courses of seafood, reindeer sausage, and ice cream, and get the $250 tab on the house. You need to finish all the food in less than 60 minutes without leaving the table in order to claim a free shirt and add your picture to their hall of fame. The current record is 12 minutes and 10 seconds.
Pho King Challenge at So Ba Vietnamese Restaurant (Atlanta, Ga.)
If you like Vietnamese food, you’ll love the Pho King Challenge. You have to finish 96 ounces of pho with 20 ounces of meat, which comes to three large bowls of pho, in one hour without getting up or purging. If you do, you’ll get the $35 dish free, a gift card prize, an “I’m a Pho King Champion” shirt, and a picture next to the only other person who has completed the challenge, who also happens to be a professional food eating competitor, according to the restaurant. Oh, and if you lose, your picture will join the Pho King Failures Hall of Shame.
Giligin’s Bar (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
The rules are simple: Finish in one hour without getting up, and your meal is free. You also win a $50 bar tab. The fun thing about Giligin’s Bar is that they offer six different challenges for you to choose from, each with their own quirks. So if you are more of a pizza, burger, corn dog, wings, or fries person, you’ll get to eat what you like best—so no excuses. You need to make a reservation the day before to partake in the challenge.
M.A.C. DADDY Pancake Challenge in M.A.C. 24/7 Restaurant (Waikiki Beach, Hawaii)
If you’re a morning person, perhaps you’ll be up for this pancake challenge. You must eat three 14-inch pancakes, coming in at a hefty five pounds, in under 90 minutes. The good news is you get to choose your signature topping on the pancakes. If you’re serious about the challenge, though, don’t go for the bananas—you’ll feel it quick. If you complete the challenge, the food is on the house, and you’ll get a shirt and a photo on their Wall of Fame website. There’s been 116 winners so far—and Adam Richman from Man vs. Food is not one of them. Think you can be number 117?
Five Malt Challenge at Crown Candy Kitchen (St. Louis., Mo.)
Take a challenge that’s been around for a hundred years. The Five Malt Challenge at Crown Candy Kitchen’s consists of drinking five shakes in under 30 minutes. You can actually get up from your seat if you think it’ll help (they say it won’t), but you are not allowed to go to the bathroom, have someone else help you, or purge before the challenge is finished. If you complete it, all five malts will be free, and you’ll get a shirt and your name on their Wall of Winners. A maximum of two people can take this challenge individually at the same time, and it can’t be done if they deem the restaurant is too busy.
8th Wonder Challenge at Clinton Station Diner (Clinton, N. J.)
New Jersey’s Clinton Station Diner probably has the most ridiculous food challenge on this article, but you’ll be compensated well if you win it. It’s called the 8th Wonder challenge: a single, 105-pound burger that must be consumed in one hour. Luckily, you can bring along nine of your hungry friends to help you accomplish this feat. Still, if split evenly, that’s about 10 and a half pounds of burger for each person. The plain burger costs $506.49, $541 if you want to add cheese, and $621 with cheese and veggies. If you and your friends manage to finish this, you’ll win $2,000. The restaurant also offers three other challenges that seem more achievable for less cash prizes.
