Are you someone who loves good food challenges? And are you also someone who likes eating good food, sometimes even beyond the point of being full?
If the answer to these two questions is a solid “yes,” then it’s time to dive into a food eating challenge, brought to you by some of Denver’s best restaurants. It’s not too common, but we did find six eating adventures worth conquering.
Each one of these tests proves different, though each will surely fill you to the brim. If you manage to beat the challenge, you get not only bragging rights, but a sweet prize too. So, how much can you really chow down on? Time to find out.
Two People vs. a 14-Pound Pizza
If you have lived in Colorado for any length of time, chances are that you have visited one of the six Beau Jo’s locations. Dubbed “mountain pizza,” the local mini chain has been serving the state for over 50 years.
Aside from hearty and thick pies with a braided crust, Beau Jo’s also presents diners with a 14-pound pizza challenge. The rules are simple: Up to two people must finish a 20-inch, 14-pound pizza that’s three-inches high and topped with hamburger, sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, red onion, and mushrooms within one hour. The prize is the pizza free and $100 in cash, T-shirts, and a picture on Beau Jo’s Wall of Fame.
Anyone wishing to try this food challenge must call the Beau Jo’s location of their choice ahead of time to arrange the challenge. The whole pie runs about $150, if you don’t finish it. Multiple locations, beaujos.com
The Three-Pound Grilled Cheese Challenge
Swanky’s Vittles and Libations is a Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers sports bar in LoDo near Coors Field. It has a lively atmosphere, friendly servers, and a vast menu of mouthwatering pub fare with a Midwestern bent.
So, what better place to play a game, with your stomach and your mouth. Enter the Swanky’s 3-Pound Grilled Cheese Sandwich Challenge. Don’t be fooled, three pounds is a lot of grilled cheese, and this one comes with six slices of Texas toast piled high with the restaurant’s macaroni and cheese, fried cheese curds, and 18 slices of cheddar. In addition to all that, you’ll also have to down a half-a-pound of tater tots and a half a pound of French fries on top of it.
You have two hours to finish, and customers who complete this challenge don’t have to pay for their meal, plus they’ll also get a $10 gift card, a T-shirt, and their picture on Swanky’s Hall of Fame. Fail, and your picture will instead go on the Wall of Shame for all to see, and you have to pay $35 for the experience. 1938 Blake St., Denver, swankys.com
Bonus Food Challenges at Swanky’s
If you want to skip the grilled cheese but still want to compete, join Swanky’s Jalapeno Club. In order to get in you must chow down on a raw jalapeno pepper, wait five minutes, and then take a shot of tequila. Anyone who completes it gets a Swanky’s Jalapeno Club T-shirt.
The Pho-King Challenge
Family owned since 2008, Pho 95 Noodle House is an unassuming Vietnamese restaurant right on Federal Boulevard in south Denver. But once you’ll find so much more, especially when it comes to the Pho-King Challenge, a gigantic bowl of pho worth bragging about. But in order to get those rights, first you have to take the challenge.
The first step is ordering the gigantic bowl of pho, which includes two-pounds of noodles, two-pounds of meat, 200-ounces of broth, and a side plate of vegetables. If you manage to complete it in one sitting, you’ll get your meal for free, your photo on the wall for a month, and a T-shirt that states, “I am a Pho King Champion.” But fail and receive a shirt stating, “I am a Pho King Loser,” and a $40 bill for the unfinished pho.
Make sure to give the restaurant a two-day, advance notification if you want to give it a try. 1401 S. Federal Blvd., Denver, pho95noodlehouse.com
The El Jefe Challenge
Fire on the Mountain has been on the top of wing lists for over a decade, but the only way to truly show your dedication to the Grateful Dead-themed shop is by eating as many wings in one go as possible. That’s where the El Jefe Challenge comes in, and it’s literally the hottest food competition around.
The name comes from the El Jefe wings, which are the hottest wings on Fire on the Mountain’s menu. You’re sure to feel the heat when you take on 15 of them and attempt to finish in under three minutes. No, you don’t get to cool the fire with blue cheese, ranch, or celery. And you only get one napkin.
But win and the bragging rights are yours, as well as a T-shirt stating, “I Survived the El Jefe Challenge,” and your photo on the Wall of Flame. This one is an easy one for anyone who can handle the spiciest of foods without a flinch, but might be downright impossible for people who can’t handle the heat. Available at both Fire on the Mountain locations. 3801 W. 32nd Ave., Denver; 300 S. Logan, Unit 102, Denver, fotmdenver.com
Big Daddy Burrito Challenge
Longmont’s Aunt Alice’s Kitchen has been serving home-cooked meals to area locals since 1984. The spot family-owned and operated restaurant also has one of, if not the only, food challenge in town. Best part, it’s in burrito form.
Enter the Big Daddy Burrito Challenge, featuring a 96-ounce breakfast burrito stuffed with a dozen eggs, a pound of hashbrowns, a half-pound of sausage gravy, a half-pound of green chile, bacon, peppers, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and a whole bunch of cheese. The epic burrito weighs in at about six pounds, and you only have an hour to finish it.
If you succeed at completing the challenge, you get the $35 burrito for free, as well as a T-shirt, picture on the wall, and no need to eat again until the next day. 1805 Main St., Longmont, auntaliceskitchen.com
Barnyard Challenge
If you love barbecue, the Georgia Boys’ Barnyard Challenge is for you. To start with, down a hefty club sandwich stacked high with pork, brisket, chicken, bacon, and melted cheese. Next, the challenge continues with a heaping portion of hand-cut fries topped with rib meat, hot links, and six extra-hot wings spiked with ghost pepper. The whole thing weighs in at about five pounds and participants have to finish it all in under an hour.
“Usually it isn’t the quantity of food that’s tough, it’s the extra-hot wings,” said Georgia Boys’ marketing director, Cheri Wright. “And of course that wing sauce gets on the fries, making them hot as well. I’ve seen plenty of grown men cry when taking on the challenge.”
If you do succeed, the meal is free and you get a $50 Georgia Boys’ gift card to use on your next visit. The Barnyard Challenge is available at all three Georgia Boys in Frederick, Greeley, and Longmont. Multiple locations, georgiaboys.com
Wingapalooza
Though it only happens once a year, DiningOut Events hosts Wingapalooza in order to find the contestants for Chicken Fight! In the competition you can aim to eat the most wings the fastest, or dive into a plate of ultra-hot wings. Winners get tickets to the festival, the option to win there, and other prizes. Stay tuned for details.
Winginator Food Challenges
Need more wings? Well the West End Tavern in Boulder holds The Winginator Challenge a few times a year, so it’s good to keep up with the almost 40-year-old pub on what’s going on.
When the event does happen, the participants must eat a mix of 50 drumettes and flats in 30 minutes. All wings need to be clean of meat with the bone visible, and you can’t leave the table during the challenge. If you succeed, all 50 wings are free, but if you don’t it will cost you $115. Winners also receive a pair of West End Tavern koozies, a picture on the bar’s website, and a crowler of beer. Just FYI, once you win you have to wait a year before you can compete again. 926 Pearl St., Boulder, thewestendtavern.com
