Entertainment TV and Movies
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ByAnita Surewicz
People find it entertaining to watch others eat strange or oversized foods on television, as demonstrated by the popularity of shows such as "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern," "Outrageous Food," and of course, "Man v. Food."Premiering in 2008, "Man v. Food" aired on the Travel Channel until 2012, with Adam Richman as its iconic host and fearless competitor in many of the challenges. The show was later revived in 2017, when Casey Webb took over the reins from Richman.
Throughout the history of "Man v. Food," both hosts took on extreme eating challenges at restaurants across the U.S., often involving oversized dishes. Some of the most memorable food battles on the show centered around beef, with steaks weighing several pounds. We must admit there's something fascinating and primal about watching someone take on a colossal slab of meat and push themselves to their absolute limits. With this in mind, here are the biggest steaks and some of the most unforgettable eating challenges that have captivated viewers of "Man v. Food."
The 72-ounce steak challenge at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
When Adam Richman took on the 72-ounce steak challenge at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, the odds were against him. Approximately 48,000 hungry carnivores had attempted the feat, with only a fraction of them succeeding. Anyone can attempt the challenge during regular opening hours, with no reservation required. To win, big eaters have to consume a 72-ounce steak, shrimp co*cktail, baked potato, salad, and roll with butter within 60 minutes. If they succeed, they get their name featured in the restaurant's hall of fame and the meal is free. As it turned out, Richman made short work of the meal, polishing it off in around 29 minutes. As of July 2024, 93,849 diners have attempted the feat, with 10,351 conquering the monster steak.
The 72-ounce steak challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch began in 1962 when owner Bob (RJ) Lee saw how much local cowboys loved his large steaks.He organized a contest where the cowboys had to eat as many 1-pound steaks as they could in an hour. Each participant put in $5 to enter the contest, and the winner got to keep the entire pot. One very hungry cowboy managed to consume five 1-pound steaks before also asking for a baked potato, shrimp co*cktail, salad, and bread roll. From that day on, anybody who finishes the same meal in one hour gets it for free.
The 5-pound ultimate cheesesteak challenge at Tony Luke's in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Granted, despite its name, cheesesteak isn't exactly a steak. Also known as Philly cheesesteak, the sandwich consists of thinly sliced steak — typically New York strip or ribeye — cheese, onion, peppers, and seasoning. Nevertheless, since steak is the unquestionable starring ingredient of this meal, the handheld has earned its rightful place in this rundown.
Weighing 5 pounds, the 20-inch Philly cheesesteak at Tony Luke's in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a beast. More specifically, the giant sandwich consists of 42 ounces of beef, 18 ounces of cheese, and 8 ounces of onion. As such, it's only fair that Adam Richman decided to take it on in an epic "Man v. Food" challenge. Since Richman was present for the inauguration of the challenge, his goal was also to become the first person to appear on the restaurant's wall of fame. The only condition to win was to finish the meal in under an hour.
Never shying away from a challenge, Richman polished the first 3 pounds in just 11 minutes. The moment of truth came when Richman realized the cheese had started to gradually turn the sandwich "into glue," thwarting his plans. "It's just the hardest swallow ever. [...] The cheese stands alone and it stands right in my way to victory," he said, clearly struggling. Despite this setback, the champ of competitive eating managed to bring the Tony Luke title home in under 28 minutes.
The great steak challenge at Steak & Maine in Baltimore, Maryland
The rules of the great steak challenge at Steak & Maine in Baltimore, Maryland, are simple. To succeed, hungry diners must devour 5.5 pounds of food in under 60 minutes, including an 80-ounce filet mignon, 26-ounce Delmonico, 12-ounce New York strip, 12-ounce veal chop, and 16-ounce combination of flat iron, potatoes, and vegetables. The winners receive $100 in cash and a free meal, while the losers owe the restaurant $140.
When Adam Richman attempted the eating challenge in Episode 13 of Season 2 of "Man v. Food," only four contenders out of 24 hopefuls had finished the mammoth meal in under an hour. Interestingly, it seems that when Richman was attempting the challenge the meal weighed only 4.5 pounds, but it has since increased to 5.5 pounds.
"This is one of my bigger challenges but it's definitely going to be one of my most delicious," Richman said before digging into the dish. However, things weren't looking great half an hour into the battle, when Richman hit "a meaty wall." When the stopwatch hit the 60-minute mark, he was left with three ounces of New York strip on his plate. This time, the food had won.
The 48-ounce steak challenge at Don Shula Steakhouse in Miami, Florida
In 2010, Adam Richman set a new record on Episode 20 of Season 2 of "Man v. Food" by devouring a 48-ounce steak in around 16 minutes. In fact, he was the first to ever finish the gigantic porterhouse in under 20 minutes, beating more than 80,000 competitors who had previously waged battle against the huge cut of meat. The live episode of "Man v. Food" saw Richman crush the challenge in front of approximately 500 spectators. Although he achieved success, Richman commented on the difficulty of chewing so much meat — his jaw ached by the end.
Filmed at the Don Shula Steakhouse in the Alexander Hotel in Miami, the event featured the restaurant's namesake, Don Shula, a two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach of the National Football League. While the food didn't stand a chance against Richman's hunger, the episode definitely captured the excitement and intensity of "Man v. Food," with the crowd cheering as the show's host powered through the colossal chunk of meat.
The vaca acosta challenge in San Juan, Puerto Rico
According to some sources, the meal that took centerstage in the vaca acosta challenge weighed 8 pounds, while others say it was closer to 9 pounds. Whatever the exact weight, Vaca Brava's vaca acosta challenge in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was featured on Episode 26 of Season 2, proved too much for Adam Richman to handle.
Translated to "sleeping cow" in Spanish, the vaca acosta challenge was likely to leave any competitor ready for a good lie down. The 8- or 9-pound platter included a vaca acosta steak, french fries, and a mushroom sauce complete with bacon, onion, chorizo gravy, and shredded cheese. The rules of the game were simple: Devour the gigantic meal in 40 minutes and get it for free with $100 thrown into the deal.
"Are we ready to take the challenge?" Richman screamed in Spanish to open the proceedings. The crowd roared in response, chanting, "Hombre contra comida" or "Man versus food." Unfortunately, this fervor wasn't enough for Richman, who gradually succumbed to both the mammoth size of the meal and the Caribbean heat.
The big roost challenge at Rooster's Texas-Style BBQ and Steakhouse in Nashville, Tennessee
It's unusual to see Adam Richman taking a backseat and coaching others instead of competing himself. However, this is precisely what happened in Episode 3 of Season 4 of "Man v. Food." In 2011, Richman found himself in Nashville, Tennessee, the capital of country music, guiding two hungry musicians, the LoCash Cowboys, as they attempted to eat their way to fame in the big rooster challenge at the Rooster's Texas-Style BBQ and Steakhouse.
The duo huffed and puffed as they attempted to devour a 72-ounce steak, baked potato, salad, and two thick slices of Texas toast in under 60 minutes. On the line were a free meal and a picture on Rooster's Texas-Style BBQ and Steakhouse's wall of fame. The butterflied sirloin came seasoned with Rooster's special spice rub and was both seared and grilled over hickory smoke.
The duo started out well, finishing a third of their steaks in just 10 minutes. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there, with the LoCash Cowboys visibly struggling at the half hour mark. It wasn't long before Richman noticed the boys were "food drunk," a state that made them both slow and sloppy. At the end of the day, the duo ended up demolishing three quarters of their steaks and more than half of the sides. Sadly, this time, the food had prevailed.
The Brahma Bull Challenge at The Rib Line in San Luis Obispo, California
In Episode 16of Season 4 of "Man v. Food," Adam Richman drove along the Pacific Coast Highway, searching for fresh culinary challenges. One of these was the Brahma Bull Challenge at The Rib Line in San Luis Obispo. The quest: To eat a sandwich with 3 pounds of tri-tip steak nestled between a pound of sourdough bread in under 42 minutes, which was the record at the time.
This time, Richman was helping the self-proclaimed food performance artist, Naader Reda, complete the gastronomic feat. Reda also appeared in Season 11 of "America's Got Talent," where he devoured a burger with a dog food patty and a beef bile dip. While Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum weren't overly impressed with the act and ultimately rejected it, Naader was more successful on "Man v. Food," making short work of the Brahma Bull Challenge in 40 minutes and setting a new record.
Compared to some of the other food battles undertaken on "Man v. Food," the Brahma Bull Challenge may seem a little underwhelming. Nevertheless, it looks like many have tried it since Richman and Naader visited The Rib Line, with mixed results. Feel like you're up to the challenge? While the competition doesn't seem to be officially advertised, you might get lucky if you ask about it at the restaurant.
The 78-ounce steak challenge at the Bull Mountain Grille in Billings, Montana
In Montana, cows outnumber people by nearly two to one. As such, it's little surprise that Episode 10 of Season 5 of "Man v. Food" saw its host Casey Webb attempt to devour a colossal hunk of beef. More specifically, the challenge required Webb to eat a 78-ounce steak, house salad, two bread rolls, and 2 pounds of mashed potatoes in under an hour. The steak in question was a butterflied ribeye, with a prairie dust seasoning of pepper, garlic, crisp pepper, and rosemary.
A victory would get Webb a free meal, an "Everything is Bigger in Montana" T-shirt, and a photo on the Bull Mountain Grille in Billings' wall of fame. A failure would cost him $110 and a spot on the restaurant's wall of shame. According to the restaurant's owner and executive chef, up until 2017, when the episode was filmed, 70 people had attempted the showdown with only around 12 being successful.
Webb's initial strategy was to tackle the gargantuan steak first and worry about the side dishes later. However, he switched it up at some point during the allotted hour, moving to the sides and leaving the steak for later. Unfortunately, the strategy didn't work, and Webb lost the challenge, ending up with his face plastered on the dreaded wall of shame.
The cowboy showdown challenge at Silverado Franklin Hotel's Deadwood Legends Steakhouse in Deadwood, South Dakota
The Deadwood Legends Steakhouse got its name for a good reason — it's located in one of the most historic buildings in a small town known for its Gold Rush history. The Silverado Franklin Hotel building was constructed in 1902 and featured modern amenities such as a lobby fountain, elevator, electric lights, telephone service, cigar store, and barber shop. Some of the hotel's famous guests have included Theodore Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill Cody, William Taft, Calamity Jane, John Wayne, and Kevin Costner.
We can't be sure whether Casey Webb also stayed at the Silverado Franklin Hotel, but we do know that he took on the cowboy showdown challenge at its Deadwood Legends Steakhouse on Episode 23 of Season 8 of "Man v. Food." The showdown involved a 4-pound meal consisting of a bone-in 16-ounce buffalo ribeye steak and six side dishes, including a sour cream and chive-topped baked potato, potatoes au gratin, demi glace-topped mashed potatoes, truffle macaroni and cheese, sauteed vegetables, and wild rice. Webb embraced the challenge head-on, polishing off the meal in under 30 minutes, earning his place in "Man v. Food" history.
