Let’s talk about a real passion of mine—food. It’s both a blessing and a curse to live in Louisiana, because the food here is so good!
But some food reigns more supreme than others. It towers over smaller versions of itself, declaring itself the biggest, the best, the spiciest or the most challenging.
That’s what we’ll be talking about today. Consider this a tribute to the biggest and best food challenges that Louisiana has to offer. Do you think you can handle these extreme Louisiana food challenges?
Acme Oyster House (Across the State) – 15 Dozen Club Challenge
Do you think you can eat 180 oysters in one sitting? If so, maybe you’d be up to the 15 Dozen Challenge at Acme Oyster House!
If you think you’ll be able to sit there all day to try and conquer all of those oysters, think again! You only have one hour to down them all.
If you have the stomach for it, you’ll get your name on the wall and website, 50% off the retail price of the oysters, and an Acme shirt and hat. If you can beat the number that location’s Leader of the House ate, you get them for FREE! Check out the Leader of the House for their Baton Rouge location to see how many you’d have to eat to be the new leader!
Many have tried, and only few have succeeded. The most oysters anybody has eaten in a seating happened at their Metairie location. Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas, a professional competitive eater, put down 52 dozen oysters! We did the quick math for you—that’s 624 total oysters!
Bar-B-Que Station (Independence) – Ultimate Brisket Burger Challenge
Have you ever been to Bar-B-Que Station in Independence? This little-known spot on W Railroad Avenue has a pretty big challenge! Their Ultimate Brisket Burger challenge is their “Brisket Burger on steroids” according to their menu.
It comes with 1-pound burger patty topped with beef brisket, cheese and double the bacon of their normal burger. If you eat it all, you’ll get your picture on their Facebook page!
There have been a number of people who have claimed victory over this massive burger, but only one person has claimed champion above all others, eating 3.5 of the burgers in a single sitting – almost 8 pounds of food! Think you can beat that?
Bayou Hot Wings (New Orleans) – The Beast Challenge
Who doesn’t love a good buffalo wing? I know I do. I pretty much enjoy any spicy food—I even grow my own peppers for spicy salsa!
The wings from Bayou Hot Wings are in a league all their own. If you check out the Bayou Hot Wings Facebook page, you’ll see pictures and videos of people that have regretted facing The Beast. While some may succeed, the look of terror and near-defeat is on their face.
No joke, these wings are insanely hot. At only $7 it seems like an easy challenge, but be prepared for sweat and tears (just don’t touch your eyes after eating them).
Do you dare to go toe-to-toe with The Beast? Next time you’re in New Orleans, head on down to S. Claiborne Avenue to test your might.
Bobby Hebert’s Cajun Cannon (Metairie) – Cannon Burger Challenge
New Orleans Saints and Louisiana Sports Hall-of-Famer Bobby Hebert opened Bobby Hebert’s Cajun Cannon on Veterans Boulevard in Metairie on August 17, 2014, and people have packed it ever since! If the restaurant is a love letter to Louisiana food and sports culture, then the Cannon Burger Challenge is like a romantic poem dedicated to Louisiana’s love of eating (sometimes a little too much).
The Cannon Burger Challenge is a 4 ½ pound mountain burger with a lot of toppings:
- 7 medium-well burger patties
- Cheddar cheese
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Pickles
- 3 large fried shrimp
If the burger itself wasn’t enough, it also comes with a side of Cajun Hebert Fries, which reads like the most delicious sentence I’ve ever read:
“Cajun Hebert Fries – a heaping portion of golden crispy fries topped with zesty crawfish mushroom cream sauce and cheddar cheese.”
Finish all of it, and it’s free! Can’t seem to clean the plate? It’ll cost you $49.95.
The Creole Creamery (New Orleans) – Tchoupitoulas Challenge
This extreme food challenge is everything we ever wanted as kids.
For those of you that ain’t from ‘round here, it’s pronounced “Chop-uh-tool-us,” and this challenge will DEFINITELY give you brain freeze. The Tchoupitoulas Challenge is only available at The Creole Creamery’s location on Prytania Street. It includes the following mounds of sugary-sweetness in a bowl:
- 8 scoops of the ice cream flavors of your choice
- 8 toppings of your choice (pile on the gummy bears if you want)
- Whipped cream
- Wafers
- Cherries on top
The total cost for all of this is $25. If you can finish this insane feat without help, not only will you satisfy your sweet tooth for a long time, but you’ll also get your name on their hall of fame plaque!
Dat Dog (Across the State) – Datzilla
This challenge is for adults only—you’ve got to be 21+ to take on the Datzilla challenge at Dat Dog!
You have to eat five pounds of food to be the champion here. Yes, you read right; five pounds of food. This giant feast includes three hotdogs, buns and a larger serving of their loaded fries (seasoned fries, cheese chili, onions, sour cream and guacamole.)
If that doesn’t sound like enough food, you also have to drink two 16-ounce draft beers! Did we mention that you have to do all of this in 20 minutes AND you have to keep it down for 30 minutes for it to count?
Can you take on Datzilla? If you succeed, you get the $40 meal for free, a Dat Dog shirt and bragging rights. Check out their locations to plan a trip if you think you’re brave enough to down this dog.
Duck Diner (Monroe) – Godwin Burger
If you’re a burger lover this will definitely make you happy, happy, happy! The Godwin Burger is a one pound challenge found at Willie’s Duck Diner in Monroe. Yep, the Duck Dynasty restaurant has their own challenge!
For $30 you get a swamp monster of a burger. The Godwin Burger is stacked: it’s a five patty cheeseburger that comes with a side of fries.
Think you can take on this challenge, Jack? If you can finish it in 30 minutes or less, you get a Willie’s Duck Diner shirt and your picture on the wall of fame!
The Londoner (Baton Rouge) – Big Ben Burger
We’re starting with six pounds of craziness! The Big Ben burger at The Londoner has a four pound ground beef patty served with eight cheese slices, four eggs (sunny side up), bacon, mushrooms, jalapeños and your regular burger dressings.
If you thought that was it, you’d be wrong. It’s served with TWO POUNDS of cheese fries and comes with ranch and red onion gravy dipping sauces. That’s a lot of food, but if you can put it down in 60 minutes or less, it’s free!
Don’t think you could finish this burger? Yeah, me neither. You can also bring in some friends and tackle it together!
Mugshots (Covington) – The “Mugshot” Burger
A challenge as big as “The ‘Mugshot’ Burger” should be criminal. Okay, I’ll stop.
Ready for another huge burger challenge? This comes with three seasoned hamburger patties, six bacon strips, cheddar and Swiss cheese. It’s fully dressed and served with their beer-battered fries, an onion ring and a hand-battered pickle! Plus, if you finish it in 12 minutes, it’s free!
Can’t eat that much food in 12 minutes? The Mugshot Burger will set you back “22 bucks and a stomach ache” according to their menu. Head to Mugshots on River Highlands Boulevard in Covington if you think you can handle it!
Quaker Steak and Lube (Gonzales) – Atomic Wing Challenge
Looking for something else to burn your insides? Then Quaker Steak and Lube has the challenge for you. At first glance, it seems pretty simple: there’s no time limit and it consists of only six wings.
This is the Triple Atomic Challenge. You get six chicken wings covered in their hottest sauce. Coming in at 500,000 Scoville units, a measurement used to grade how spicy food is, it’s 3 times spicier than an orange habanero, 100 times hotter than a jalapeno and 133 times hotter than Tabasco sauce.
In fact, these six wings are so hot you need to sign a release form before you attempt it. Don’t let those six wings fool you; they pack a punch!
Craving some heat? Head over to Quaker Steak and Lube next to Cabela’s for a challenge! We support you; just don’t blame us if you can’t put out the fire in your mouth.
TJ Ribs (Baton Rouge) – The Legend Challenge
We’ve saved the best for last. The Legend Challenge is an INSANE amount of food built for the likes of, well, legends. In my opinion, this challenge dwarfs every other challenge on this list.
If you’re a BBQ fanatic and just have to have the sauce, then this might be the challenge for you. To be honest with you, I get full just READING everything this comes with. Here’s what you have to eat to consider yourself “legendary”:
- 1 full rack of beef ribs
- 1 order of Fulton Street ribs (1 pound of baby back ribs)
- ½ of a BBQ chicken
- 8 ounces of brisket
- 2 whole sausage links
- 5 chicken wings
- 1 order of chimichangas (3 deep fried tortillas filled with chopped beef)
- 1 bowl of red beans
If you read all of that and still think you can tackle it, go ahead! Be warned, though, because if you fail, it’ll cost you $89.99.
So far, only four people have conquered The Legend! I say only, but that’s a lot of food to eat, and to think that four different people did that really says something about how much we love food in Louisiana.
So what do you say? Do you think you have what it takes to take it down and become legend yourself? Visit TJ Ribs at their Acadian or Siegen location in Baton Rouge to give it a try!
We know there are hidden food challenges all over the state! Did we not include your favorite one? Let us know in the comments!
Lover of writing, learning and teaching others about new things. Proud foodie. Sometimes I mix all of these subjects together.
