ENTERTAINMENT
These are the most famous food challenges in New York City. How and where can I do them?
Here are the top crazy food challenges across NYC for you foodies out there.
Travelling on holiday is about being able to try out the culture and food of a new place and few places on earth have the reputation for a solid bite to eat that New York has.
The city is famous for it’s food: from hotdogs to pizza and everything in between The Big Apple draws in hundreds, thousands and millions of tourists every years looking for that authentic American experience.
NYC also has its fair share of food challenges. The United States is a famous food-loving country, and NYC certainly carries a lot of the weight of that fame. Here’s a look at some of the most amazing - and outright crazy - food challenges across the city.
Dobbs Dawg House – ‘The Challenge’
Dobbs Dawg House might be the most famous locations in NYC for New Yorkers. The hot dog site is well known for its fantastic dogs, as well as the ominously named ‘The Challenge’ which, out of the hundreds of people who have tried it, only 6 have prevailed.
Here’s how it works, according to foodchallenges.com. Dobbs Dawg House can be found on 25 Cedar St, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522.
How Dobbs Dawg House 'The Challenge' works:
- Their challenge menu features 36 specialty dogs listed under three columns (12 / column)
- You must roll a die and that number correlates to which column of hot dogs you receive
- Roll 1 or 4 = column #1 | Roll 2 or 5 = column #2 | Roll 3 or 6 = column #3
- You must eat those 12 hot dogs in order without any substitutions
- Each hot dog is 7″ long and is completely loaded with toppings
- They use Boar’s Head all-beef hot dogs with natural casing.
- The buns they use are Martin’s Potato Rolls which are large.
- There is a short 30 minute time limit to finish everything
The prizes on offer at the dog house include a free Meal, a free T-shirt and your picture on the Wall of Fame.
Swingbellys BBQ – ‘The Swingbelly Challenge’
“The Gauntlet has been thrown down and it’s your belly against ours in an epic battle of BBQ!” reads the Swingbellys BBQ website.
“Any Belly that can beat the Challenge will be treated to an Official Porker T-Shirt, your place on the Wall of Fame & we’ll even pay for your platter! If you fail, you will be treated to a serious Pork Hangover & your own personal shame!” Swingbellys is on 909 West Beech Street, Long Beach, NY 11561.
Swingbellys 'The Challenge' rules:
Full Slab St. Louis Ribs, 1/4# Pulled Pork on TT, 1/4# Brisket on TT, 4 Swingz, 3 Rib Tips, 2 sides & 2 pieces of Cornbread
- Everything edible on the plate must be consumed in one hour or less by one single Challenger.
- Challenger may not leave the table and must hold the meal until an official ruling BY MANAGEMENT!
Tabetomo’s Megamori Tsukemen Ramen Challenge
This is listed as a 4/5 star challenge on foodchallenges.com, the highest rating AS USA could find in NYC. The challenge at the Ramen house, which sits on 131 avenue (btwn. st. mark’s / 9th st) NY 10009, sees many try and fail to complete. Just because it’s a soup base doesn’t make it any easier... Prizes on offer include a free meal, a t-shirt, and your photograph on the wall of fame.
Tabetomo’s Megamori Tsukemen Ramen Challenge details:
- Tsukemen is a unique Japanese dipping ramen in which the noodles and broth are served in separate bowls.
- This includes a large bowl of Tsukemen that comes with an XL serving of noodles, pork broth for dipping brewed in-house for over 60 hours, boiled eggs, and chashu pork slices.
- There is a 30 minute time limit to finish everything.
Don Chingon’s Gran Chingon Team Burrito Challenge
Don Chingon’s can be found at 216 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217, if you dare. This huge challenge is a excruciating effort and has a limit of one challenge per day. The delicious menu includes classic Mexican dishes such as tacos, burritos and quesadillas, but the ‘Gran Chingon Burrito Challenge’ is a true monster: could you eat the 30lb burrito?
Don Chingon 'Gran Chingon Burrito Challenge':
- You will have 60 minutes to consume a 30lb burrito and a Ghost Pepper Margarita
- Touching the burrito with any part of your body or utensil will start the clock
- To win the challenge all parts of the burrito must be consumed and ingested
- Any excretion of bodily fluids or foodstuffs will result in a forfeit of the competition
- Any bathroom breaks for any reason including (fixing your hair, brushing your teeth, changing contact lenses) will result in forfeit
- Dying is prohibited and will result in immediate forfeit
- All contestants must sign a accident waiver and release of liability
- All contestants must pay $150 plus sales tax in advance to compete in The Gran Chingon Challenge
As not to put extreme pressure on the chef as well as the competitor, contestants must book 24 hours in advance. If you beat the burrito, the restaurant’s website says “you will be entitled to 10% of the net profits of Don Chingon” as well as “$100 of food credit every week for the life of the restaurant”.
This challenge can be completed by a single person, a team of two or a team of four; the prizes vary depending on the number of participants. A group of 2 people who can successfully complete the challenge “will be awarded $1000 in cash, a $500 food and beverage credit and 2 Don Chingon t-shirts” while a group of four will win a Don Chingon T-Shirt each and “the price of the meal ($150 + sales tax) will be waved”.