Queensland UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Graphic design completed and will be integrated soon. Pictures coming later
Please help by sending in other challenges and updates.
Contests:
Restaurant challenges:
26th January (Australia Day). Lots of competitions around Australia. See Australia Day in Queensland . A sample of past events:
Brisbane, 26th January and surrounds – The Caxton Kilo Challenge at The Char Grill & Terrace Bar of The Caxton Hotel in the city. 1kg steak, salad, and choice of chips or potato. Prize pack for winning. Billy has made repeated visits, finishing each time, and reports it's delicious:
Brisbane, circa Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day (ranges from Feb 3rd to March 9th) – pancake eating competitions at Pancake Manor , 3 stores. Normally on a Sunday circa Pancake Day, apparently. Entry $15 (2009–2012), one hour to eat as many as possible. Winner receives $50 voucher, and wall of fame for a year. Record may only be broken during the comp, see details
Brisbane city . The original store and competition, apparently. Results and chain-wide records:
Brisbane, May – honey puff and olive eating competitions at the Paniyiri Greek festival. (Paniyiri means “festival” in Greek. Honey puffs, or loukoumades in Greek, have been dubbed the “Greek doughnut”.) Free entry for the comps, but festival entry was $10 or so.* There's qualifier heats and a final, for each competition, on each day – Saturday and Sunday. Hands-free. For the olives, which are small, it's how many pips you can spit out in 1 minute. For the honey puffs it's how many eaten in 1 minute. Held at the Channel 7 side stage; turn up there a little early on the day to sign up. The Sunday honey puffs final is held on the main stage. (There was also a more casual olive eating competition in 2012 held during a cooking demonstration in the Greek club, with $100 voucher prize, won by Rachel Pemberton)
Ingham (100km N of Townsville), July (in 2012, at least) – ravioli and pizza eating competitions at the Australian Italian Festival . The program states 2 of each competition on the Saturday, then 2 of each again on the Sunday
Brisbane, September (in 2012, at least) – Strawberry Eating Competition at RedFest: Redland Spring Festival in Cleveland, kids only. Qualifying heats held in the months before
kids only Vegetarian
Fraser Island (200km N of Brisbane), September (in 2012, at least) – prawn eating competition in the Tin Can Bay Seafood, Boat and Camping Show. Video possibly from this event
Brisbane, first Sunday in December – Megadeath competition at Off The Wall Diner (see below), held during Wellington Point Street Fair
Brisbane – Death Sentence Wing Challenge at Yard Bird Ale House in Fortitude Valley, emceed by Billy Boyd . Four comps held in 2012. 12 minutes to eat as many as possible. The sauce uses habanero chillis. Liquids supplied by the venue allowed, but no dairy. Entry $20, incl. t-shirt. Prizes for each round: 1st place – bottle of single barrel Jack Daniel's whiskey and $100 venue voucher, 2nd place – $50 voucher, 3rd place – $25 voucher (no option of tattoo vouchers as originally advertised). A radio personality attempted on 17th April, eating around 21 wings
Toowoomba – burger comp at PhatBurgers (Phat Burgers Fan Club ). Quickest to eat one “Burghoffer” burger, named after former mayor Clive Berghofer . Regular menu cost $16.50 in 2011 $18, their largest, and includes a pound of beef. Apparently the burgers are delicious
Gold Coast – there is possibly a Sushi King and Junior Sushi King event at Sushi Bay in Robina, only because such events are held at a Sushi Bay in Newcastle (messaged*)
Past These have not recurred/repeated yet. See also events listed under individual restaurants.
Gladstone (550km N of Brisbane) – Dads' pie eating contest, a fundraiser for a pool, ~2nd Dec 2011. 1st Bruce Holmes
Hervey Bay (292km N of Brisbane) – pie eating competition announced by Pie & Pasty Paradise in Pialba, 10th Dec 2011. Race to eat 3 pies. 1st Kenny G. Celebrating the shop's 10th year of business
Gold Coast – El Diablo Chilli Con Carne (Spanish for “The Devil Chilli with Meat”) at Pickled Cactus Mexican Restaurant in Biggera Waters, see below. 3rd Nov 2010, entry $25, details. 1st Yaz Sato, 3 bowls (but vomited 16 times), won several prizes. 2nd Jason Wong. ( similar pics but with better captions)
Brisbane – hot dog (with buns) eating comp at Hot Dog Style in Fortitude Valley. Emceed by Billy Boyd , and adjacent to Yard Bird Ale House whose comps have also been emceed by Billy. Entry $20, incl. T-shirt. 2012: March 31st: , promo poster. 1st Colin MacLaurin , almost 10 hot dogs, prize $100 and a poster. 2nd Steve Muller, $50, 7 hot dogs. 3rd Ash, $25, <5 hot dogs ()
Brisbane – Eating Competition at the Royal Exchange Hotel (“R.E.”) in Toowong. Held every Wednesday over 9 weeks, from 22nd August to 17th October 2012, for teams of 4 people, see poster. Each week the winning team received $400 cash, and 2nd place received a $100 venue voucher. The final offered $1000 cash for the winning team, and $250 of venue vouchers for 2nd place. Free entry, but preferred team submitted in advance. Emceed by Jonny Drama , and co-organised by R.E. Wednesdays promoter Ben. Every night had a warm-up event “Food Roulette”, involving two contestants and various distasteful foods under covered bowls, e.g. a salty stock cube, or a shot of cinnamon (compare cinnamon challenge). In turn, push a bowl towards the opponent for them to eat, but one bowl contained ~$60 of venue vouchers. Sometimes when a contestant coughed out a cloud of cinnamon powder they were dubbed “Puff, the Magic Dragon” :) The main event featured a particular food item each week. Within each team, eaters raced in turn – in relay style – with each finishing the set portion before showing their open mouth. There were two or more heats each week, with times compared. Advertised on the EatFeats website (Aug 25). Fuller write-up coming soon, waiting for info*
The poster claims “1st Annual”, so check back in 2013.
teams competition ( Vegetarian for a few individual nights, but not overall) ( spicy challenge on one night only)
Brisbane – Chilli pie eating comp at Piefection in Mt Gravatt, 24th Nov 2012. Free entry, $50 voucher. First to finish 10 pies, else if no-one finished, the most pies eaten wins. Drink milk and you're disqualified. 8 types of chilli including habanero, ghost, and scorpion chillis. TV reporters attending.* See announcement and update. 1st Daniel Mercer . “The next closest... only had about 5 or 6, everyone else struggled”, Billy reported
Vegetarian option available
Restaurant challenges and competitions These are generally available any time of year during opening hours. They are ordered geographically, from north to south approximately, but with some close inland cities clumped together.
Northern Queensland Port Douglas (70km N of Cairns) – 2.4kg burger at the Court House Hotel (new website under construction, see old website). Eat in under 30 minutes, for your name on plaque and a t-shirt. 0 successful out of 6 attempts, as of Dec 2011: one person finished but over the time limit (, also describes ingredients)
Cairns – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks Cairns , see interstate chains
Defunct: Ingham (110km N of Townsville) – pizza challenge at Victory Cafe , a monthly challenge. 2kg, 8 huge slices each 20cm long. Cost $25 for charity, or free if under 30 mins. One reporter ate half on 1st Feb 2012 . But cafe sold, and new owners aren't continuing with the challenge (email, 23rd Aug 2012)
Townsville – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks Townsville , see interstate chains
Townsville – for the “Meat Your Match” challenge at Ribs and Rumps Townsville, see interstate chains
Mackay (390km SE of Townsville) – for the “Meat Your Match” challenge at Ribs and Rumps Mackay , see interstate chains
Mackay – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks Mackay , see interstate chains
Rockhampton – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks Rockhampton , see interstate chains
Sunshine Coast – Stacks Pancake Bar in Caloundra (formerly in Maroochydore, defunct website) All-you-can-eat Wednesdays for $9 . (Related to Stacks in Melbourne, but not a franchise; email 6th Nov 2012)
Record: Maroochydore: “PJ” ate 27 in an hour. Caloundra: Terry, the first ever challenger, ate almost 7 on 25th July 2012 . Later Joel ate 8 on 3rd October . Darren ate 9 on 24th October
Sunshine Coast – Mountain Man Burger challenge at the Outback Bar within the Glasshouse Mountains Tavern . Cost $12, rewarding a free beer and name on wall. The menu lists only the burger name. It includes 500g of beef
Comment: I haven't seen it yet, but am guessing it's one of the easier challenges around
Defunct? Not a challenge: Moreton Bay – Mega Cut Challenge at Hog's Breath Cafe Redcliffe store . Inaugurated ~Sep 2008. $7 for every 100g above the standard portion. Receive t-shirt and framed wall of fame plate with photo. A reporter ate 1.6kg for $119
Comment: This is amongst the highest paid for an Australian challenge meal
Moreton Bay – kebab at Bayside Kebabs in Clontarf. 50cm long, weighs nearly 2kg. Cost $25, but free if eaten in under 8 minutes. Picture on wall either way. No booking necessary. As of Feb 2010, there were 40 failed attempts . A Stephen Smedley came close
Victors: Colin MacLaurin , 5:56, then record, on 23rd Sep 2012. Previous record 6:40, this guy also won $200 for being the first victor. There used to be a $100 reward for anyone breaking this record, but it was mysteriously abolished just before I did so, and thus never awarded... Let me know if you've finished this challenge
Comment: Difficult, particularly the speed requirement. Tastes good and it's healthier than many challenges, but add sauces lest it taste bland
( Possibly a vegetarian option for the challenge, but probably not. I was allowed vegetarian on my first visit, but told meat only during my second*)
All you can eat:: Cairns , Townsville , Mackay , Rockhampton , Bundaberg , Maroochydore , Caboolture , Redcliffe – Salad Bar at Sizzler Australia . $16.50 lunch Mon–Sat. $24.50 on evenings, Sundays, and public holidays. “All You Like Breakfast”, Sundays only, $18.95
Brisbane Redcliffe , [Strathpine coming in ~Dec 2012*] and Browns Plains – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks see interstate chains
Fortitude Valley – for the “Meat Your Match” challenge at Ribs and Rumps Fortitude Valley, see interstate chains
City – for lion schnitzel challenge at Bavarian Bier Cafe Eagle Street Pier store , see interstate chains
City – for Monster Beef Shank Challenge at sSs BBQ Barns Brisbane city , see interstate chains
West End – two pizza challenges at Slice Pizza & Pasta:
Comments: A fun challenge, and the gourmet pizza is delicious.
team challenge vegetarian toppings available
spicy challenge
West End – Wing Challenge at The Boundary Hotel (“Sundays at the Boundary” ), Sundays, available from about 1pm the day I went. Eat 10 chicken wings in 10 minutes or less, then wait 5 minutes, all with no drinks or accompaniments. Ingredients include pure capsaicin (the main chemical causing the chilli burn sensation). Cost $20, with a prize of a t-shirt and certain $2 shots every Sunday. Apparently 3 out of 8 or 10 were successful before 21st Oct 2012, a very surprisingly high proportion. Promo video with attempts (old recipe?) The recipe changed around Sep 30th 2012 (or ~3rd Sep?), because too many people were victorious. Previously the wings were made with Trinidad and ghost chillis , each the hottest chilli in the world at one time. One guy offered to refund your $20 plus give $100 venue voucher for any victors, on a single day only
spicy challenge
Wellington Point – Megadeath Burger at Off the Wall Diner . Claimed “world's hottest burger” (see below). Includes spicy ingredients: chillis, raw onion, and a big tablespoon of Blair's Mega Death Sauce (imported from the U.S. and made from habaneros and other chillis). Must be over 18, wear the plastic gloves provided, and sign a waiver. See other rules too. Cost $14.50 in 2007 $15.95, and weighs around 650g. No booking necessary. Reward: name on wall, if eaten without accompanying food or drinks incl. water. The menu includes a “recovery kit” of cold milk and yoghurt for $5.
The burger has received lots of attention from blogs, the media, and random amateur YouTube videos . It was on A Current Affair in ~Sep 2008, which listed the ingredients, and showed less than 100 successors at that time. Hamish & Andy's “Hungry Hungry Heroes” team visited on 11th April 2010, of whom representative Hollie “Hot Chilli Woman” Ballingal was unsuccessful . A NOVA FM attempt failed , as did one by Zoo Weekly . A “Cranky” wrote a vivid and vulgar description of his close defeat, which is reprinted on the café wall
Record (not displayed). See also Megadeath competition above. ?, 4 minutes something, as of 2011*. ?, 3:40, still standing as of Nov 2012*. (Not recognised: Colin MacLaurin took 3:22 on 12th April 2011, and the owner's son does remember the speed. Another Colin claimed 3:11 in ~Nov 2008 , the fastest claim I'm aware of). As of 2012, numerous hundreds have finished it
Comments: Not the world's hottest burger (see discussion in records page). It started in ~2005, and was probably Australia's hottest from then until 2012 when two Victorian venues produced hotter burgers. There is no monetary reward, and though I'm usually not describing as a “challenge” those which award merely your name on the wall, I am making an exception in this case because of both its fame and difficulty. The wall of fame used to be badly out of date (my name was not put up for 1½ years until I redid the challenge), but they have fixed this problem by making their own labels. The owner herself told me this burger involves serious pain, and is not a pleasurable eating experience! It is reasonably large by ordinary burger standards, but not a capacity challenge
Jindalee – Super Bowl Challenge at My Pho Bar . A huge bowl with 800g noodles, 800g meat (Vietnamese meatballs, beef slices, tripe , and tendon), and chives etc., in ~3.5L of broth. Phở (pronounced fuh) is a Vietnamese noodle soup. Cost $35, but free if consumed in 60 minutes, including the liquid. Wall of fame either way. Book ahead due to limited number of challengers per day (I've twice booked the same day for a weeknight and it was fine). Challenger pics and poster . Restaurant opened 15th April 2012, with 8 or 9 challengers on the first day
Victors: Daniel Mercer , 20th Oct 2012 , 31 mins. 245 people tried and failed before this. (3 had come close as of 27th Sep 2012. One of those, Eben Muroa, was very close on 3rd Sep . Then James Bridge was 2 spoonfuls away on ~7th Oct )
Comments: Popular challenge. Very difficult. One of the most voluminous in Australia, albeit mostly liquid (see Records). Speaking from a food cultural background where these meats are unusual, the tripe tasted fine actually, although I found the tendon difficult psychologically, due to the texture even though the taste was alright. The staff are friendly
Richlands – “The Beast” at Restaurant One 33 in Lions Richlands , the clubhouse of the Brisbane Lions Football [soccer] Club. 1kg Angus rump steak. Returned on 1st March 2011. Cost $34 with chips, plus non-members surcharge – poster, poster. If you eat the steak and chips, then drink a free beer, you may then pay an extra $10 for a red t-shirt “I tamed the beast”, according to a random forum post in Sep 2010
Comment: Seems a pricey challenge with minimal reward
Non-challenges in Brisbane Defunct challenge: Woolloongabba – Dog Challenge at Brewhouse Brisbane , from before 16th April, till 28th Aug 2008. Hot dog and chips. If eaten in 5 minutes or less, then it's free and wall of fame, conditions and photos. May only win once. None completed as of mid-May 2008. Billy wrote () the chips were crunchy, and the meal “would be quite a feat to finish” in time
Defunct challenge: Woolloongabba – Beefinator at The Norman Hotel , ~3rd April till 30th June 2012 . 1kg steak with potato, salad, and bread roll. No time limit. Cost $55, prize: wall of fame, and VIP card from 28th May onwards. See poster, and one challenger
The following are not challenges per se – in the sense there is no reward for finishing them, but they are notable otherwise for size, chilli content, or shock value:
Giant pizzas:
Paddington – Party Pizza at Kookaburra Cafe . 50 slices, choose 4 toppings, serves 6–12 people, $60
Milton – Pizza Al Metro (pizza by the metre) at Arrivederci Pizzeria . Weighs around 2kg. During Happy Hour get 40% off pizzas, Thursdays and Fridays 3–6pm. Takeaway is cheaper than in-house, and the former lists a “Party Deal”: buy 3 metres and get 1 metre free. Choose 4 flavours, vegetarian options available. Daniel Mercer and myself, Colin MacLaurin each ate one in under an hour, see write-up ()
Bulimba – Party Animal Pizza at Pancho's Pizza . $65, choose four toppings, listed at end of menu. Roughly 60 slices, each 3-inches square, which implies a total of around 0.348m2
Dutton Park – 2 huge pizzas at Ribbetts Fine Foods . Party Pizza is 50 slices, feeds 10 people, $64. Meter Pizza is 110 slices and feeds 30, for $119
(See also Slice pizza challenge above)
vegetarian toppings available
Spicy foods::
Fortitude Valley – Death Sentence chicken wings at Yard Bird Ale House . Sauce uses habanero chillis. Ran 4 eating contests in 2012
Fortitude Valley – hot dogs at 5 Dogs , with Megadeath sauce
New Farm – “Blue Hot” variety buffalo chicken wings at The Smoke BBQ . Menu. Much hotter than the Yard Bird wings, Jared Martin tells me
Toowong and Carindale – curries at A Night In India. The menus have an option of “super hot action (5 chillies)”. Vegetarian options probably
spicy challenges
Other:
New Farm – “Truckers breakfast” at The Alibi Room . $30
Oxley , Daisy Hill , and Yeronga – shock foods at Chompers: OMG Burger (with Krispy Kreme doughnuts instead of a bun; one menu offers “Donify any burger”), “Obseno” burger (3 patties, $12, Yeronga menu), and Deep Fried Mars Bar
Defunct, and not a challenge: Fortitude Valley – Deep Fried Burger at Chimi's Burger Bar (website lapsed) $12. But restaurant apparently closed by mid-2008
Defunct, and not a challenge: Milton – Park Road Challenge at 16th on Park . 1kg steak with chips, salad, and vegetables. Cost $39 in 2005 . It ceased ~2008 (“about 4 of 5 years ago” as of Nov 2012), however they said they might serve it for a group
All you can eat buffets:
Strathpine , Toombul , Brookside (Mitchelton) , Toowong , Carindale , Annerley , Ipswich , Cleveland , Loganholme – Salad Bar at Sizzler Australia . $16.50 lunch Mon–Sat; and $24.50 on evenings, Sundays, and public holidays. Also “All You Like Breakfast”, Sundays only, $18.95
City – Govindas . Hare Krisha restaurant, vegetarian, $12.90
City – Club India. Lunch Thursdays and Fridays, $15
Taringa , Loganholme – Sizzling Mongolian, ~$22
Dutton Park – All you can eat at Ribbetts (also listed above). $35, any night of the week
Gold Coast Helensvale – for Double Dog Dare or burger challenge at Bibs and Ribs Helensvale store , see interstate chains
Biggera Waters – El Diablo Chilli Con Carne (Spanish for “The Devil Chilli with Meat”) at Pickled Cactus Mexican Restaurant. They claim the “world's hottest chilli con carne” (I don't know but it's possible; see Records). Book ahead, later sign disclaimer. Free if under 15 minutes. As of 13th Oct 2012, less than 20 successful out of over 120, so <1 in 6. Also, all you can eat chilli con carne on Tuesdays for $10
Record: a little over 4 minutes
Comments: Extremely hot, comparable in spiciness to the burger at Off the Wall Diner in Brisbane. The bowl is not too big, but the temperature heat slows you down
Main Beach – for the “Meat Your Match” challenge at Ribs and Rumps Marina Mirage centre, see interstate chains
Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta – pancake records at Pancakes in Paradise . All you can eat pancakes for $10. Beat the record in one hour and receive a $50 voucher. At the Surfers Paradise store, book ahead for record attempt; at Coolangatta, choose a non-busy time
Record (Surfers Paradise): 24 pancakes: unknown female backpacker in ~2008. 25: Colin MacLaurin on 11th Oct 2012 in 48 mins
Record (Coolangatta): 21: girl – name forthcoming*, in 45 mins. 22: Colin MacLaurin on 24th Aug 2012 in 45 mins. (23: anyone??) 24: Nathan in 39 mins on 2nd Oct. 25: Colin MacLaurin in 59 mins on 4th Nov 2012
Vegetarian
Broadbeach – for lion schnitzel challenge at Bavarian Bier Cafe Broadbeach store , see interstate chains
Southport , Mermaid Beach , and Coolangatta – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks, see interstate chains
All you can eat: Mermaid Beach – Salad Bar at Sizzler Australia . $16.50 lunch Mon–Sat. $24.50 on evenings, Sundays, and public holidays. “All You Like Breakfast”, Sundays only, $18.95
Inland Dalby (210km W of Brisbane; 86km NW of Toowoomba) – Homer Challenge at Criterion Hotel . 2.3kg burger and chips in 30 minutes. Cost: $50, must book ahead, at least by the morning, for Fri and Sat nights only. Prize: free meal, a $100 hotel voucher, and: a surprise, says one article , but dessert and a Duff beer, they said on 15th Feb. (Yes, apparently some companies have made a real Duff beer based on the fictional Simpsons beverage. From pictures, this is the one made in Germany, and distributed in Australia also). Started ~Jan 2012, and undefeated as of 23rd March.
Not a challenge: Leyburn (204km W of Brisbane; 68km SW of Toowoomba) – The Webcke Rump at the Royal Hotel (owned by former rugby player Shane Webcke ). ~1.7kg meal, costing $22 in 2007 $28 in 2001 $32 in 2012. The menu has a picture of a huge steak. Delicious , and no reward apparently
Nindigully (515km W of Brisbane, 47km S of St George; near NSW border) – giant burgers and other foods at Nindigully Pub . Though not stated as a challenge, the only person so far (as of Nov 2010) to finish the Road Train Burger listed below received a prize. They have over 10 burgers over 10kg (from email), which need to be ordered at least 3 days in advance. They include the 4WD [Four Wheel Drive car], Queenslamber, Road Runner (~11kg), Road Boss Ringburner (12kg, spicy beef), B Double Double (13kg), and Road Hog (over 13kg) burgers. But largest is their Real Big Mack burger, which weighs 25kg and feeds 30–40 people. These burgers are mostly shaped like their title! The pub also serves a Gully Dog (3 foot hot dog roll), and the menu lists a 1.5kg, 2 inch thick Caveman Cutlet. They have catered for charity events. Channel 7 visited on 26th March 2012 to film a Creek to Coast episode . More detailed write-up coming later*
Comments: Definitely the most impressive huge foods I've heard of in Australia! Given its location in the Aussie outback – the town has a permanent population of only ~6 people! – and being one of the oldest pubs in Queensland, it is iconic Australia (ignoring the reality that most of us actually live in coastal cities :-) ). I'm going to dub it the best restaurant for competitive eating in Australia!
All you can eat: Toowoomba – Salad Bar at Sizzler Australia . $16.50 lunch Mon–Sat. $24.50 on evenings, Sundays, and public holidays. “All You Like Breakfast”, Sundays only, $18.95
A “*” listed above means content under development, and also possible future events
Disclaimer: People have died in contests both formal and informal, from choking, water intoxication, and other causes (see health). Please take restaurant and contest information, especially pricing, as a guide only to doing your own research. In fact I am relying on reader assistance to expand and maintain the content.
Colin MacLaurin , updated 4th Dec 2012. Contact
Please help by sending in other challenges and updates.
Contests:
Restaurant challenges:
- northern Qld (anything north of Brisbane)
- Brisbane
- Brisbane: Defunct challenges and other big foods
- Gold Coast
- inland Qld
26th January (Australia Day). Lots of competitions around Australia. See Australia Day in Queensland . A sample of past events:
- Gladstone (100km SE of Rockhampton) – meat pie eating competition, first to eat 5 meat pies in under 4 minutes. Junior and open age events
- Gympie (160km N of Brisbane) – pie eating comp at the Jockey Club, pie eating comp at the Gunalda Hotel as part of multidisciplinary comp
- Ipswich (40km W of Brisbane city) – two competitions at the Winston Glades Tavern in Yamanto: a Tim Tam “straw challenge” for the women, and a meat pie eating comp for the men, first to eat 3 pies
Brisbane, 26th January and surrounds – The Caxton Kilo Challenge at The Char Grill & Terrace Bar of The Caxton Hotel in the city. 1kg steak, salad, and choice of chips or potato. Prize pack for winning. Billy has made repeated visits, finishing each time, and reports it's delicious:
- 2008: 26th–28th Jan, but lunch only on 28th, $35.90. Won certificate, hat, stubby holders, and discount card
- 2010: 23rd–26th Jan, but lunch only on 26th, $35.90. Same prizes as for 2008 above, plus aviator sunnies, a bottle opener, and a “runner”
- 2012: $35, lunch and dinner. Some pics from 2010. Prizes? (emailed*)
Brisbane, circa Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day (ranges from Feb 3rd to March 9th) – pancake eating competitions at Pancake Manor , 3 stores. Normally on a Sunday circa Pancake Day, apparently. Entry $15 (2009–2012), one hour to eat as many as possible. Winner receives $50 voucher, and wall of fame for a year. Record may only be broken during the comp, see details
Brisbane city . The original store and competition, apparently. Results and chain-wide records:
- 2009, inaugural: 1st Camilla Hamilton, 15 (record)
- 2010, 21st Feb: 1st Ross Blake, 17 (record). 2nd Camilla Hamilton, 16 (Camilla broke the record soon after, eating 18, but thereafter the rules were changed)
- 2011, 6th March: 1st Daniel Mercer , 15. 2nd Camilla Hamilton, 13
- 2012, 19th Feb: 1st Daniel Mercer , 19 (record). 2nd Camilla Hamilton, 14 () . One writer ate 9, finishing in the top half
- 2013: forthcoming circa February 12th
- 2012, 21st Feb: pancake eating comp, proceeds to charity, poster. $15 entry plus gold coin donation. Andrew Antoniolli won with 7 pancakes. Prize? (messaged*) See pics at end:
- “should be” running comp in 2013 they said
Brisbane, May – honey puff and olive eating competitions at the Paniyiri Greek festival. (Paniyiri means “festival” in Greek. Honey puffs, or loukoumades in Greek, have been dubbed the “Greek doughnut”.) Free entry for the comps, but festival entry was $10 or so.* There's qualifier heats and a final, for each competition, on each day – Saturday and Sunday. Hands-free. For the olives, which are small, it's how many pips you can spit out in 1 minute. For the honey puffs it's how many eaten in 1 minute. Held at the Channel 7 side stage; turn up there a little early on the day to sign up. The Sunday honey puffs final is held on the main stage. (There was also a more casual olive eating competition in 2012 held during a cooking demonstration in the Greek club, with $100 voucher prize, won by Rachel Pemberton)
- 2012 Saturday, olives: unknown
- 2012 Saturday, honey puffs: 1st name unknown. 2nd, Crescenzo Rillo . 30 second tie-breaker in the final , actually the second tie-breaker! They both ate about 10. Crescenzo won a towel, umbrella, stubbie holder, etc., and recalls (on 8th Nov) the winner's prizes were similar. (Crescenzo had eaten 11 in the qualifier )
- 2012 Sunday, olives: 1st, unknown, 19 olives
- 2012 Sunday, honey puffs:. 1st Colin MacLaurin , ate 18, prize a night for two in the Emporium Hotel. 2nd Ben Rag, 14 ()
Ingham (100km N of Townsville), July (in 2012, at least) – ravioli and pizza eating competitions at the Australian Italian Festival . The program states 2 of each competition on the Saturday, then 2 of each again on the Sunday
Brisbane, September (in 2012, at least) – Strawberry Eating Competition at RedFest: Redland Spring Festival in Cleveland, kids only. Qualifying heats held in the months before
kids only Vegetarian
Fraser Island (200km N of Brisbane), September (in 2012, at least) – prawn eating competition in the Tin Can Bay Seafood, Boat and Camping Show. Video possibly from this event
Brisbane, first Sunday in December – Megadeath competition at Off The Wall Diner (see below), held during Wellington Point Street Fair
- 2007 pictures list Andy Burgess, 10 mins , “2007 burger champion of the year” (blogs mentioning Andy ). Amit cafe owner at this stage
- 2008, Dec 7th (brief mention ). Andy Burgess' record smashed
- 2009–2011: held annually except for one year (2010 or 2011)
- 2012: Dec 2nd (). 1st Daniel Mercer , 5:45, winning $350 cash + $150 in vouchers. 2nd Samuel Warry, 8:33, t-shirt. 3rd Skip Vong-Phrochann, 10:05, t-shirt. $500 donated to charity
Brisbane – Death Sentence Wing Challenge at Yard Bird Ale House in Fortitude Valley, emceed by Billy Boyd . Four comps held in 2012. 12 minutes to eat as many as possible. The sauce uses habanero chillis. Liquids supplied by the venue allowed, but no dairy. Entry $20, incl. t-shirt. Prizes for each round: 1st place – bottle of single barrel Jack Daniel's whiskey and $100 venue voucher, 2nd place – $50 voucher, 3rd place – $25 voucher (no option of tattoo vouchers as originally advertised). A radio personality attempted on 17th April, eating around 21 wings
- Round 1, 25th Jan 2012. 1st Jared Martin, 39 wings. 2nd Adam “Middo”, 37. 3rd Shawn Brown, 32
- Round 2, 21st April. 1st Ben Pullen, 39. 2nd Rhys Endres, 36. 3rd Tristan Want, 32 (Special mention to Nate “Dizzle” who ate 41, his friends counted, before being disqualified for a “reversal”. Billy didn't count them but agreed it looked he was winning at the time)
- Round 3, 28th July. 1st Colin MacLaurin , 29. 2nd Cameron Jukes, 26. 3rd Anthony Suchich and Sam Morrison, a tie
- Final, 8th Dec. Forthcoming*
Toowoomba – burger comp at PhatBurgers (Phat Burgers Fan Club ). Quickest to eat one “Burghoffer” burger, named after former mayor Clive Berghofer . Regular menu cost $16.50 in 2011 $18, their largest, and includes a pound of beef. Apparently the burgers are delicious
- 2009: 27th Sep . Inaugural. 1st Ben Geddes, 2:57 (still holds the record as of 2012). 2nd Tim Connolly, 4:02. 3rd Kyle Jenkins, 8 mins. Entry $25, incl. sample bag, 30 places were offered (details); held during the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. Official video
- 2010: 12th Dec , second comp. 1st unknown name , 5½ minutes, $50 voucher. 2nd . Other competitor . Entry $15, 21 spots offered
- other years? (emailed*)
- 2012, ~17th Apr: councillors only comp
Gold Coast – there is possibly a Sushi King and Junior Sushi King event at Sushi Bay in Robina, only because such events are held at a Sushi Bay in Newcastle (messaged*)
Past These have not recurred/repeated yet. See also events listed under individual restaurants.
Gladstone (550km N of Brisbane) – Dads' pie eating contest, a fundraiser for a pool, ~2nd Dec 2011. 1st Bruce Holmes
Hervey Bay (292km N of Brisbane) – pie eating competition announced by Pie & Pasty Paradise in Pialba, 10th Dec 2011. Race to eat 3 pies. 1st Kenny G. Celebrating the shop's 10th year of business
Gold Coast – El Diablo Chilli Con Carne (Spanish for “The Devil Chilli with Meat”) at Pickled Cactus Mexican Restaurant in Biggera Waters, see below. 3rd Nov 2010, entry $25, details. 1st Yaz Sato, 3 bowls (but vomited 16 times), won several prizes. 2nd Jason Wong. ( similar pics but with better captions)
Brisbane – hot dog (with buns) eating comp at Hot Dog Style in Fortitude Valley. Emceed by Billy Boyd , and adjacent to Yard Bird Ale House whose comps have also been emceed by Billy. Entry $20, incl. T-shirt. 2012: March 31st: , promo poster. 1st Colin MacLaurin , almost 10 hot dogs, prize $100 and a poster. 2nd Steve Muller, $50, 7 hot dogs. 3rd Ash, $25, <5 hot dogs ()
Brisbane – Eating Competition at the Royal Exchange Hotel (“R.E.”) in Toowong. Held every Wednesday over 9 weeks, from 22nd August to 17th October 2012, for teams of 4 people, see poster. Each week the winning team received $400 cash, and 2nd place received a $100 venue voucher. The final offered $1000 cash for the winning team, and $250 of venue vouchers for 2nd place. Free entry, but preferred team submitted in advance. Emceed by Jonny Drama , and co-organised by R.E. Wednesdays promoter Ben. Every night had a warm-up event “Food Roulette”, involving two contestants and various distasteful foods under covered bowls, e.g. a salty stock cube, or a shot of cinnamon (compare cinnamon challenge). In turn, push a bowl towards the opponent for them to eat, but one bowl contained ~$60 of venue vouchers. Sometimes when a contestant coughed out a cloud of cinnamon powder they were dubbed “Puff, the Magic Dragon” :) The main event featured a particular food item each week. Within each team, eaters raced in turn – in relay style – with each finishing the set portion before showing their open mouth. There were two or more heats each week, with times compared. Advertised on the EatFeats website (Aug 25). Fuller write-up coming soon, waiting for info*
- 22nd Aug Hotdogs ??
- 29th Aug Cheeseburgers. ??
- 5th Sep Lamingtons. ??
- 12th Sep Bananas. 1st ? 2nd Colin MacLaurin , Daniel Mercer , Grant Daniell, and Billy Boyd
- 19th Sep Pizza. ??
- 26th Sep slushie (made from their in-house frozen daiquiri machine, not the Slurpee brand specifically). 1st Colin MacLaurin , Billy Boyd (a past Slurpee champion of Australia! Albeit different formats), Daniel Mercer , Richard Pfuhl. 2nd U.S. team*
- 3rd Oct birds eye chillis (originally advertised “Chillis/jalapeños”). ??
- 10th Oct Baby Octopus. 1st Colin MacLaurin , Daniel Mercer , Jared Martin, and Harry Jamieson. 2nd ??
- 17th Oct Mystery final. One team at a time. Each eater from a team was assigned one of the following four foods at random: a can of lamb's tongue, a hotdog bun with banana and mustard, a whole lemon incl. rind, and a Weet-Bix spread with wasabi. 1st Colin MacLaurin , Daniel Mercer , Jared Martin, and Harry Jamieson. 2nd ?? 3rd Seb McCullagh, Billy Boyd , Mikey Jenkins, and James MacLaurin
The poster claims “1st Annual”, so check back in 2013.
teams competition ( Vegetarian for a few individual nights, but not overall) ( spicy challenge on one night only)
Brisbane – Chilli pie eating comp at Piefection in Mt Gravatt, 24th Nov 2012. Free entry, $50 voucher. First to finish 10 pies, else if no-one finished, the most pies eaten wins. Drink milk and you're disqualified. 8 types of chilli including habanero, ghost, and scorpion chillis. TV reporters attending.* See announcement and update. 1st Daniel Mercer . “The next closest... only had about 5 or 6, everyone else struggled”, Billy reported
Vegetarian option available
Restaurant challenges and competitions These are generally available any time of year during opening hours. They are ordered geographically, from north to south approximately, but with some close inland cities clumped together.
Northern Queensland Port Douglas (70km N of Cairns) – 2.4kg burger at the Court House Hotel (new website under construction, see old website). Eat in under 30 minutes, for your name on plaque and a t-shirt. 0 successful out of 6 attempts, as of Dec 2011: one person finished but over the time limit (, also describes ingredients)
Cairns – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks Cairns , see interstate chains
Defunct: Ingham (110km N of Townsville) – pizza challenge at Victory Cafe , a monthly challenge. 2kg, 8 huge slices each 20cm long. Cost $25 for charity, or free if under 30 mins. One reporter ate half on 1st Feb 2012 . But cafe sold, and new owners aren't continuing with the challenge (email, 23rd Aug 2012)
Townsville – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks Townsville , see interstate chains
Townsville – for the “Meat Your Match” challenge at Ribs and Rumps Townsville, see interstate chains
Mackay (390km SE of Townsville) – for the “Meat Your Match” challenge at Ribs and Rumps Mackay , see interstate chains
Mackay – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks Mackay , see interstate chains
Rockhampton – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks Rockhampton , see interstate chains
Sunshine Coast – Stacks Pancake Bar in Caloundra (formerly in Maroochydore, defunct website) All-you-can-eat Wednesdays for $9 . (Related to Stacks in Melbourne, but not a franchise; email 6th Nov 2012)
Record: Maroochydore: “PJ” ate 27 in an hour. Caloundra: Terry, the first ever challenger, ate almost 7 on 25th July 2012 . Later Joel ate 8 on 3rd October . Darren ate 9 on 24th October
- Pancake comp on 18th Aug 2012, 3 minutes to eat as many as you can. The prize was a limited edition portrait of rugby player Darren Lockyer . It was won by PJ who ate 8 . In the separate childrens' comp the winner ate 5
- Forthcoming in late 2012: the owner said there'll probably be another comp*
Sunshine Coast – Mountain Man Burger challenge at the Outback Bar within the Glasshouse Mountains Tavern . Cost $12, rewarding a free beer and name on wall. The menu lists only the burger name. It includes 500g of beef
Comment: I haven't seen it yet, but am guessing it's one of the easier challenges around
Defunct? Not a challenge: Moreton Bay – Mega Cut Challenge at Hog's Breath Cafe Redcliffe store . Inaugurated ~Sep 2008. $7 for every 100g above the standard portion. Receive t-shirt and framed wall of fame plate with photo. A reporter ate 1.6kg for $119
Comment: This is amongst the highest paid for an Australian challenge meal
Moreton Bay – kebab at Bayside Kebabs in Clontarf. 50cm long, weighs nearly 2kg. Cost $25, but free if eaten in under 8 minutes. Picture on wall either way. No booking necessary. As of Feb 2010, there were 40 failed attempts . A Stephen Smedley came close
Victors: Colin MacLaurin , 5:56, then record, on 23rd Sep 2012. Previous record 6:40, this guy also won $200 for being the first victor. There used to be a $100 reward for anyone breaking this record, but it was mysteriously abolished just before I did so, and thus never awarded... Let me know if you've finished this challenge
Comment: Difficult, particularly the speed requirement. Tastes good and it's healthier than many challenges, but add sauces lest it taste bland
( Possibly a vegetarian option for the challenge, but probably not. I was allowed vegetarian on my first visit, but told meat only during my second*)
All you can eat:: Cairns , Townsville , Mackay , Rockhampton , Bundaberg , Maroochydore , Caboolture , Redcliffe – Salad Bar at Sizzler Australia . $16.50 lunch Mon–Sat. $24.50 on evenings, Sundays, and public holidays. “All You Like Breakfast”, Sundays only, $18.95
Brisbane Redcliffe , [Strathpine coming in ~Dec 2012*] and Browns Plains – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks see interstate chains
Fortitude Valley – for the “Meat Your Match” challenge at Ribs and Rumps Fortitude Valley, see interstate chains
City – for lion schnitzel challenge at Bavarian Bier Cafe Eagle Street Pier store , see interstate chains
City – for Monster Beef Shank Challenge at sSs BBQ Barns Brisbane city , see interstate chains
West End – two pizza challenges at Slice Pizza & Pasta:
- 36 slice pizza. If two people can eat it in 30 minutes, you pay just $15 total ($50 off the usual $65 cost) and your names lettered on the wall. Choose 4 toppings. 60cm diameter, claims one random. As of 22nd Dec 2010, only one pair had been successful, and in 29 minutes. Daniel Mercer and Scott Keim came close
Comments: A fun challenge, and the gourmet pizza is delicious.
team challenge vegetarian toppings available
- Also “Volcano” chilli pizza challenge, a small 6 slice pizza. Around $16. Eat each slice within 2 minutes each to get your name on the wall.
spicy challenge
West End – Wing Challenge at The Boundary Hotel (“Sundays at the Boundary” ), Sundays, available from about 1pm the day I went. Eat 10 chicken wings in 10 minutes or less, then wait 5 minutes, all with no drinks or accompaniments. Ingredients include pure capsaicin (the main chemical causing the chilli burn sensation). Cost $20, with a prize of a t-shirt and certain $2 shots every Sunday. Apparently 3 out of 8 or 10 were successful before 21st Oct 2012, a very surprisingly high proportion. Promo video with attempts (old recipe?) The recipe changed around Sep 30th 2012 (or ~3rd Sep?), because too many people were victorious. Previously the wings were made with Trinidad and ghost chillis , each the hottest chilli in the world at one time. One guy offered to refund your $20 plus give $100 venue voucher for any victors, on a single day only
- The Ghost Wing Challenge event was held on 15th July 2012 to launch the challenge, which was then 15 wings in 10 minutes. The poster says teams of 5. 8 pics starting here:
- “Da Taco Eating Comp” was held on 18th Dec 2011. See poster, and promo video which claims “first annual”. Teams of 5, each person eats 2 tacos, in a relay format. Prize mini trophy and $150 vouchers. A different pub affirmed a Tom Gazal as giving an “outlandish performance”. Alhambra Lounge were the reigning champs (but from which competition?) “we have had a few eating comps in the past, the one alhambra lounge won was a taco eating competition. they unfortunately lost the hot wing challenge as the sauce was too hot for them” (Stephen, email, 5 Nov 2012)
- There is possibly another taco comp forthcoming in late 2012*
spicy challenge
Wellington Point – Megadeath Burger at Off the Wall Diner . Claimed “world's hottest burger” (see below). Includes spicy ingredients: chillis, raw onion, and a big tablespoon of Blair's Mega Death Sauce (imported from the U.S. and made from habaneros and other chillis). Must be over 18, wear the plastic gloves provided, and sign a waiver. See other rules too. Cost $14.50 in 2007 $15.95, and weighs around 650g. No booking necessary. Reward: name on wall, if eaten without accompanying food or drinks incl. water. The menu includes a “recovery kit” of cold milk and yoghurt for $5.
The burger has received lots of attention from blogs, the media, and random amateur YouTube videos . It was on A Current Affair in ~Sep 2008, which listed the ingredients, and showed less than 100 successors at that time. Hamish & Andy's “Hungry Hungry Heroes” team visited on 11th April 2010, of whom representative Hollie “Hot Chilli Woman” Ballingal was unsuccessful . A NOVA FM attempt failed , as did one by Zoo Weekly . A “Cranky” wrote a vivid and vulgar description of his close defeat, which is reprinted on the café wall
Record (not displayed). See also Megadeath competition above. ?, 4 minutes something, as of 2011*. ?, 3:40, still standing as of Nov 2012*. (Not recognised: Colin MacLaurin took 3:22 on 12th April 2011, and the owner's son does remember the speed. Another Colin claimed 3:11 in ~Nov 2008 , the fastest claim I'm aware of). As of 2012, numerous hundreds have finished it
Comments: Not the world's hottest burger (see discussion in records page). It started in ~2005, and was probably Australia's hottest from then until 2012 when two Victorian venues produced hotter burgers. There is no monetary reward, and though I'm usually not describing as a “challenge” those which award merely your name on the wall, I am making an exception in this case because of both its fame and difficulty. The wall of fame used to be badly out of date (my name was not put up for 1½ years until I redid the challenge), but they have fixed this problem by making their own labels. The owner herself told me this burger involves serious pain, and is not a pleasurable eating experience! It is reasonably large by ordinary burger standards, but not a capacity challenge
- see above for the annual Megadeath competition held in December
Jindalee – Super Bowl Challenge at My Pho Bar . A huge bowl with 800g noodles, 800g meat (Vietnamese meatballs, beef slices, tripe , and tendon), and chives etc., in ~3.5L of broth. Phở (pronounced fuh) is a Vietnamese noodle soup. Cost $35, but free if consumed in 60 minutes, including the liquid. Wall of fame either way. Book ahead due to limited number of challengers per day (I've twice booked the same day for a weeknight and it was fine). Challenger pics and poster . Restaurant opened 15th April 2012, with 8 or 9 challengers on the first day
Victors: Daniel Mercer , 20th Oct 2012 , 31 mins. 245 people tried and failed before this. (3 had come close as of 27th Sep 2012. One of those, Eben Muroa, was very close on 3rd Sep . Then James Bridge was 2 spoonfuls away on ~7th Oct )
Comments: Popular challenge. Very difficult. One of the most voluminous in Australia, albeit mostly liquid (see Records). Speaking from a food cultural background where these meats are unusual, the tripe tasted fine actually, although I found the tendon difficult psychologically, due to the texture even though the taste was alright. The staff are friendly
- “Twosome Challenge” held over weekend of 26th, 27th, 28th October 2012, promo. Challenge for guy-girl pairs to eat as much as they could. There were 3 entrant pairs. A mother-son team won, finishing in an impressively fast 17 mins. Prize? (waiting on their Facebook update*)
- Possible forthcoming noodle eating comp in late 2012*
Richlands – “The Beast” at Restaurant One 33 in Lions Richlands , the clubhouse of the Brisbane Lions Football [soccer] Club. 1kg Angus rump steak. Returned on 1st March 2011. Cost $34 with chips, plus non-members surcharge – poster, poster. If you eat the steak and chips, then drink a free beer, you may then pay an extra $10 for a red t-shirt “I tamed the beast”, according to a random forum post in Sep 2010
Comment: Seems a pricey challenge with minimal reward
Non-challenges in Brisbane Defunct challenge: Woolloongabba – Dog Challenge at Brewhouse Brisbane , from before 16th April, till 28th Aug 2008. Hot dog and chips. If eaten in 5 minutes or less, then it's free and wall of fame, conditions and photos. May only win once. None completed as of mid-May 2008. Billy wrote () the chips were crunchy, and the meal “would be quite a feat to finish” in time
Defunct challenge: Woolloongabba – Beefinator at The Norman Hotel , ~3rd April till 30th June 2012 . 1kg steak with potato, salad, and bread roll. No time limit. Cost $55, prize: wall of fame, and VIP card from 28th May onwards. See poster, and one challenger
The following are not challenges per se – in the sense there is no reward for finishing them, but they are notable otherwise for size, chilli content, or shock value:
Giant pizzas:
Paddington – Party Pizza at Kookaburra Cafe . 50 slices, choose 4 toppings, serves 6–12 people, $60
Milton – Pizza Al Metro (pizza by the metre) at Arrivederci Pizzeria . Weighs around 2kg. During Happy Hour get 40% off pizzas, Thursdays and Fridays 3–6pm. Takeaway is cheaper than in-house, and the former lists a “Party Deal”: buy 3 metres and get 1 metre free. Choose 4 flavours, vegetarian options available. Daniel Mercer and myself, Colin MacLaurin each ate one in under an hour, see write-up ()
Bulimba – Party Animal Pizza at Pancho's Pizza . $65, choose four toppings, listed at end of menu. Roughly 60 slices, each 3-inches square, which implies a total of around 0.348m2
Dutton Park – 2 huge pizzas at Ribbetts Fine Foods . Party Pizza is 50 slices, feeds 10 people, $64. Meter Pizza is 110 slices and feeds 30, for $119
(See also Slice pizza challenge above)
vegetarian toppings available
Spicy foods::
Fortitude Valley – Death Sentence chicken wings at Yard Bird Ale House . Sauce uses habanero chillis. Ran 4 eating contests in 2012
Fortitude Valley – hot dogs at 5 Dogs , with Megadeath sauce
New Farm – “Blue Hot” variety buffalo chicken wings at The Smoke BBQ . Menu. Much hotter than the Yard Bird wings, Jared Martin tells me
Toowong and Carindale – curries at A Night In India. The menus have an option of “super hot action (5 chillies)”. Vegetarian options probably
spicy challenges
Other:
New Farm – “Truckers breakfast” at The Alibi Room . $30
Oxley , Daisy Hill , and Yeronga – shock foods at Chompers: OMG Burger (with Krispy Kreme doughnuts instead of a bun; one menu offers “Donify any burger”), “Obseno” burger (3 patties, $12, Yeronga menu), and Deep Fried Mars Bar
Defunct, and not a challenge: Fortitude Valley – Deep Fried Burger at Chimi's Burger Bar (website lapsed) $12. But restaurant apparently closed by mid-2008
Defunct, and not a challenge: Milton – Park Road Challenge at 16th on Park . 1kg steak with chips, salad, and vegetables. Cost $39 in 2005 . It ceased ~2008 (“about 4 of 5 years ago” as of Nov 2012), however they said they might serve it for a group
All you can eat buffets:
Strathpine , Toombul , Brookside (Mitchelton) , Toowong , Carindale , Annerley , Ipswich , Cleveland , Loganholme – Salad Bar at Sizzler Australia . $16.50 lunch Mon–Sat; and $24.50 on evenings, Sundays, and public holidays. Also “All You Like Breakfast”, Sundays only, $18.95
City – Govindas . Hare Krisha restaurant, vegetarian, $12.90
City – Club India. Lunch Thursdays and Fridays, $15
Taringa , Loganholme – Sizzling Mongolian, ~$22
Dutton Park – All you can eat at Ribbetts (also listed above). $35, any night of the week
Gold Coast Helensvale – for Double Dog Dare or burger challenge at Bibs and Ribs Helensvale store , see interstate chains
Biggera Waters – El Diablo Chilli Con Carne (Spanish for “The Devil Chilli with Meat”) at Pickled Cactus Mexican Restaurant. They claim the “world's hottest chilli con carne” (I don't know but it's possible; see Records). Book ahead, later sign disclaimer. Free if under 15 minutes. As of 13th Oct 2012, less than 20 successful out of over 120, so <1 in 6. Also, all you can eat chilli con carne on Tuesdays for $10
Record: a little over 4 minutes
Comments: Extremely hot, comparable in spiciness to the burger at Off the Wall Diner in Brisbane. The bowl is not too big, but the temperature heat slows you down
- A burrito challenge is also planned
- Eating contest held in 2010, see above
Main Beach – for the “Meat Your Match” challenge at Ribs and Rumps Marina Mirage centre, see interstate chains
Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta – pancake records at Pancakes in Paradise . All you can eat pancakes for $10. Beat the record in one hour and receive a $50 voucher. At the Surfers Paradise store, book ahead for record attempt; at Coolangatta, choose a non-busy time
Record (Surfers Paradise): 24 pancakes: unknown female backpacker in ~2008. 25: Colin MacLaurin on 11th Oct 2012 in 48 mins
Record (Coolangatta): 21: girl – name forthcoming*, in 45 mins. 22: Colin MacLaurin on 24th Aug 2012 in 45 mins. (23: anyone??) 24: Nathan in 39 mins on 2nd Oct. 25: Colin MacLaurin in 59 mins on 4th Nov 2012
Vegetarian
Broadbeach – for lion schnitzel challenge at Bavarian Bier Cafe Broadbeach store , see interstate chains
Southport , Mermaid Beach , and Coolangatta – for Jacks Challenge at Outback Jacks, see interstate chains
All you can eat: Mermaid Beach – Salad Bar at Sizzler Australia . $16.50 lunch Mon–Sat. $24.50 on evenings, Sundays, and public holidays. “All You Like Breakfast”, Sundays only, $18.95
Inland Dalby (210km W of Brisbane; 86km NW of Toowoomba) – Homer Challenge at Criterion Hotel . 2.3kg burger and chips in 30 minutes. Cost: $50, must book ahead, at least by the morning, for Fri and Sat nights only. Prize: free meal, a $100 hotel voucher, and: a surprise, says one article , but dessert and a Duff beer, they said on 15th Feb. (Yes, apparently some companies have made a real Duff beer based on the fictional Simpsons beverage. From pictures, this is the one made in Germany, and distributed in Australia also). Started ~Jan 2012, and undefeated as of 23rd March.
Not a challenge: Leyburn (204km W of Brisbane; 68km SW of Toowoomba) – The Webcke Rump at the Royal Hotel (owned by former rugby player Shane Webcke ). ~1.7kg meal, costing $22 in 2007 $28 in 2001 $32 in 2012. The menu has a picture of a huge steak. Delicious , and no reward apparently
Nindigully (515km W of Brisbane, 47km S of St George; near NSW border) – giant burgers and other foods at Nindigully Pub . Though not stated as a challenge, the only person so far (as of Nov 2010) to finish the Road Train Burger listed below received a prize. They have over 10 burgers over 10kg (from email), which need to be ordered at least 3 days in advance. They include the 4WD [Four Wheel Drive car], Queenslamber, Road Runner (~11kg), Road Boss Ringburner (12kg, spicy beef), B Double Double (13kg), and Road Hog (over 13kg) burgers. But largest is their Real Big Mack burger, which weighs 25kg and feeds 30–40 people. These burgers are mostly shaped like their title! The pub also serves a Gully Dog (3 foot hot dog roll), and the menu lists a 1.5kg, 2 inch thick Caveman Cutlet. They have catered for charity events. Channel 7 visited on 26th March 2012 to film a Creek to Coast episode . More detailed write-up coming later*
- Road Train Burger – 5.5kg incl. 1.5kg patty (email), earlier listed as 5kg incl. 1.2kg patty; with chips, onion rings, and sauces. Cost is $50, regular item on (menu ), and serves 1–4, (4 minimum, email), although the ABC said it feeds up to 12 people, $36 in 2010
Comments: Definitely the most impressive huge foods I've heard of in Australia! Given its location in the Aussie outback – the town has a permanent population of only ~6 people! – and being one of the oldest pubs in Queensland, it is iconic Australia (ignoring the reality that most of us actually live in coastal cities :-) ). I'm going to dub it the best restaurant for competitive eating in Australia!
All you can eat: Toowoomba – Salad Bar at Sizzler Australia . $16.50 lunch Mon–Sat. $24.50 on evenings, Sundays, and public holidays. “All You Like Breakfast”, Sundays only, $18.95
A “*” listed above means content under development, and also possible future events
Disclaimer: People have died in contests both formal and informal, from choking, water intoxication, and other causes (see health). Please take restaurant and contest information, especially pricing, as a guide only to doing your own research. In fact I am relying on reader assistance to expand and maintain the content.
Colin MacLaurin , updated 4th Dec 2012. Contact