12 Man V Food Challenges That Have Been Around Longer Than You Realized

While the main event of "Man v. Food" may be the eating challenge that hosts Adam Richman or Casey Webb attempt at the end of every episode, that's not quite all. Rounding out the series' base format is a brief, food-centric tour of the American city in which an episode takes place. Between the restaurants spotlighted in those travel show segments and some food challenge destinations that are historic in their own right, "Man v. Food" has visited its fair share of truly old school food spots over more than 175 episodes.

Sometimes an older restaurant may offer a new food challenge — and sometimes that challenge is even tailor-made for the show. However, the following are the oldest food challenges featured on "Man v. Food," some of which started even before the first Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest began exposing the world of food eating challenges to wider audiences in 1972. Even if it may seem like the popularity of competitive eating has grown considerably in recent times, some fans of "Man v. Food" might not realize that these challenges boast histories nearing or even exceeding a full century.

The inaugural episode of "Man v. Food" culminates with original host Adam Richman taking a stab at a food challenge that, at the time of filming, had already been around for over 40 years. At The Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas, Richman kicks off his televised competitive eating journey taking on the 72-ounce steak challenge — a Texas staple since 1962.

To win the 72-ounce steak challenge, diners must finish not just a 72-ounce steak, but a shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, and bread with butter. While some additional rules regulate factors like where competitors can sit, the crux of the challenge requires finishing everything in one hour. It all has a numerically appropriate $72 price tag (which must be paid up front). However, a win earns a fully comped meal. 

Original Big Texan owner Bob Lee conceptualized this challenge after pitting his most voracious customers in an eating contest against one another. The man who came out victorious that day in 1962 was the first to eat the very things that came to define the competition — though his 72 ounces of steak were separated into five servings. On that day, Lee declared that any future diners who could finish that same meal in an hour or less would eat it for free.

Oysters are one of a number of foods that have become synonymous with the New Orleans dining scene. Perhaps the most famous oyster spot in the city is Acme Oyster House, which first opened in 1910. In "Man v. Food" Season 1, Episode 10, Adam Richman visits the restaurant and attempts to join its 15 Dozen Club. As the name suggests, club membership is contingent on finishing 180 oysters within an hour.

Acme Oyster House has a rich history of competitive eating, though it's not quite as old as the restaurant itself. One notable counterpart to the 15 Dozen Club is the annual Acme Oyster Eating World Championship, which ranks among some of the best major league eating competitions. The first Acme Championship took place in 2002, though its winner ate a lesser amount of 14 dozen oysters (albeit within just 10 minutes). At the following year's festivities, a competitor downed 18 dozen oysters within those same 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, each Acme Oyster House location hosts its own 15 Dozen Club. While joining means finishing 15 dozen oysters in an hour, that merely earns half off the price of the meal. Getting everything comped requires beating that particular restaurant location's record, which exceeds 40 dozen at multiple locations.

Adan Richman undertakes what is the oldest food challenge in "Man v. Food" history in Season 1, Episode 14. For the episode's climactic segment, he visits Crown Candy Kitchen in St. Louis, Missouri to attempt the somewhat self-explanatory 5 Malt Challenge. As fans of the show are well aware, Richman is an accomplished competitive eater. Yet he's ultimately unable to down the required "five" milkshakes — maybe because each shake is 24 ounces and is portioned out into three sizable cups.

Crown Candy Kitchen has maintained its 5 Malt Challenge since it opened in 1913. For over 100 years, the rules of the challenge have remained simple: finish five 24-ounce malts or shakes within half an hour and they're free. Competitors who run out of time or whose stomachs can't keep that much ice cream down will have to pay for their order in full. Crown Candy Kitchen remains in business to this day, so anyone who's interested in one of the oldest food challenges in America might want to plan a trip to St. Louis.

In "Man v. Food" Season 2, Episode 10, Adam Richman visits The Den Chili Parlor in Springfield, Illinois to attempt its famed Firebrand Chili Challenge. The Chili Parlor's ultra hot Firebrand Chili was conceived by restaurant founder Joe Rogers, whose name took up some serious real estate on the restaurant's signage at the time of Richman's visit. 

Finishing just one bowl of the Firebrand Chili earns resilient diners a spot on a list of winners. A star is added next to the name of anyone who can finish a second bowl. Each subsequent bowl earns yet another star. At the time of the "Man v. Food" episode, about 2,000 individuals had succeeded at finishing a single bowl out of a purported tens of thousands of attempts.

According to Richman, the challenge has been going strong since 1948, not long after the restaurant's 1945 opening. In the episode, he sets his sights high, attempting to tie the all-time record of five bowls. In the end, he downs his fifth bowl and becomes one of the best to undertake the decades-old challenge.

The growing popularity of competitive eating has surely helped keep "Man v. Food" afloat as a growing number of restaurants adopt eating challenges of their own. In other words, as the show continues, it's increasingly likely that a food challenge popped up shortly before an episode was filmed. So, while the Big Ugly Burger Challenge featured in Season 3, Episode 11 may not be over 100 years old, it has remained an Indianapolis-area staple for more than 20 years. That's impressive in its own right.

Based in Carmel, Indiana, Bub's Burgers debuted its Big Ugly burger as a gimmick to get customers in the door. However, since 2003, well over 100,000 customers have taken a stab at the Big Ugly. It's made of 16 ounces of burger, effectively adding up to three full cheeseburgers in one. For what it's worth, Adam Richman tries to down four Big Uglies in an attempt to tie the restaurant's record. While he falls short, he finishes just over two burgers.

In "Man v. Food" Season 3, Episode 13, Adam Richman pays a visit to Mother's Cupboard in Syracuse, New York. There, he attempts the Six-Pound Frittata Challenge, which requires polishing off one enormous frittata in its entirety. This signature dish is made with generous servings of pepperoni, broccoli, sausage, peppers, and onions, as well as a pound of potatoes and four scrambled eggs. There's even a bit of bread on top, adding some non-negligible carbs to the challenge. While this particular feat can be done within any time frame, contestants are asked to follow "mother's rules," which include sitting up straight and keeping elbows off the table.

Mother's Cupboard is a Syracuse institution that opened in 1965. The Six-Pound Frittata Challenge isn't quite as old as all that, but it's been offered to ambitious diners for more than 30 years all the same. In addition to the glory of winning a hard fought battle, anyone who eats the entire frittata also earns a commemorative T-shirt. While it puts up a respectable fight on its "Man v. Food" appearance, Richman is able to finish his whole frittata.

Season 4 of "Man v. Food" is unique in that, while Adam Richman is still its host, he's no longer the one entering each episode's food challenge. So, when Season 4, Episode 5 culminates in an eating challenge at K & I Diner in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Richman enlists three men named Travis to do the honors. This is all the more fitting when you learn that the challenge involves finishing a gargantuan loaded burrito called Travis on a Silver Platter.

K & I Diner opened its doors to Albuquerque residents back in 1960. A burrito platter called the Travis has long since been a K & I Diner staple, consisting of a beef and bean burrito underneath a weighty blanket of chili, cheese, and a generous portion of french fries. The Travis comes in five sizes: Wimp, Quarter, Half, Full, and the gargantuan Travis on a Silver Platter.

Customers at K & I Diner have challenged themselves to finish the eight-pound Travis on a Silver Platter within an hour since at least the 1980s, if not earlier. On "Man v. Food," Richman describes the Travis on a Silver Platter challenge as perhaps the most difficult task that has ever aired on the show. Unsurprisingly, none of his three chosen competitors even come close to downing the whole thing.

Acme Oyster House in New Orleans isn't the only oyster spot from "Man v. Food" that is home to a historic food challenge. Season 4, Episode 6 ends with Adam Richman's competitor of choice attempting to break the record for most oysters eaten in an hour at Wintzell's Oyster House in Mobile, Alabama. Big Joe Evans, whom Richman enlists to break the restaurant's record of 421 oysters, is a prior record holder who happened to lose the number one spot to a deeper-stomached individual.

Wintzell's Oyster House has kept track of record holders on a sign in the restaurant for decades, with winners separated into men's and women's divisions. While it's not clear just how far back this tradition dates, oyster eating achievements from as early as the 1970s remain on the board to this day. In the "Man v. Food" episode, Big Joe Evans is ultimately unable to best 421 oysters during his attempt, leaving nearby Hoover, Alabama's own Ken Orndoff the best amongst the many competitors.

"Man v. Food" Season 5 is the first to feature Casey Webb as its host. Before his time at the head of "Man v. Food," Webb worked both in restaurants and as a child actor and model. In Episode 4 of his inaugural season, Webb visits an ice cream spot in New Orleans called The Creole Creamery to try his hand at a food challenge that, at the time of filming, had already boasted more than a decade of history.

The Creole Creamery's Tchoupitoulas Challenge requires entrants to finish an entire Tchoupitoulas sundae, which consists of eight scoops of ice cream, eight toppings, whipped cream, cherries, and wafers. It's up to each competitor to choose the specific ice cream flavors and toppings. In his attempt, Webb decides to combine fruit flavors with a fruit-forward mix of toppings. 

The hall of fame commemorating those capable of downing this sweet monstrosity dates back to 2004, meaning dessert lovers in New Orleans have stepped up to the Tchoupitoulas Challenge for more than two decades. According to a man Webb interviews (who himself had failed to finish the Tchoupitoulas sundae), only about one in every 20 competitors succeeds. With more than 700 hall of fame inductees, this estimate means that at least 13,000 have come up short.

In "Man v. Food" Season 8, Episode 5, Casey Webb attempts what Succotash in Kansas City, Missouri calls its Elvis Challenge. To win, Webb must finish a Fool's Gold Loaf. That invovles an entire loaf of bread cut into two halves and loaded with ample quantities of almond butter, blueberry jam, bacon, eggs, and cheese. While Succotash's take on the Fool's Gold Loaf is unique for its use of almond butter as well as its addition of eggs and cheese, fans of the King should already recognize that this is an adaptation of Elvis Presley's rather simpler but still very rich favorite sandwich of the same name.

Elvis first encountered the Fool's Gold Loaf in the 1970s at a restaurant called the Colorado Mine Company in Denver. Soon after that, he took a private jet from his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee, flying back to Denver just to enjoy the indulgent sandwich a second time (it's now served at Nick's Cafe in nearby Golden). Back in Kansas city, the Succotash Elvis Challenge is a modern day continuation. It's nothing less than a feat of stunt eating made famous by the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

The menu at Newport Creamery in Providence, Rhode Island includes a number of variations on something ominously called the Awful Awful. To conclude "Man v. Food" Season 8, Episode 8, Casey Webb attempts to overtake a so-called Awful Awful Challenge. The history of the Awful Awful dates back to the 1940s, when a New Jersey ice cream shop debuted a milkshake made with a comparatively lighter ice milk instead of ice cream. After one enthusiastic customer called this creation "awful big and awful good," it became known as the Awful Awful. Soon after, Newport Creamery received permission from that New Jersey ice cream shop to serve the item and even use the catchy name. Today, Newport Creamery holds the Awful Awful trademark and is the sole ice cream shop to serve the treat.

The Awful Awful Challenge requires competitors to finish three 24-ounce Awful Awful milkshakes. While it's not clear when the challenge began, in 2022 a middle-aged reporter for nearby radio station WBSM recalled that the Awful Awful Challenge was the subject of many childhood stories. While the precise age of Providence, Rhode Island's Awful Awful Challenge isn't quite clear, by all appearances it's remained a staple of the area for decades.

On the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe in the city of Stateline, Casey Webb visits a restaurant called the Fox and Hound Smokehouse Grill & Bar. He's there to attempt a particularly unique feat of eating known as the Menu Burger Challenge. The star of the show — which technically qualifies as one of the biggest pizzas ever eaten on "Man v. Food" — includes pulled pork, eggs, a deconstructed bacon cheeseburger, chili fries, and an entire teriyaki cheesesteak sandwich stacked on top of a personal pizza. On the side are hot wings and a salad, adding up to a monstrous four pounds of food that must be consumed in 60 minues. But, come game time, Webb can't quite finish everything on his plate.

The Fox and Hound Smokehouse Grill & Bar has offered its Menu Burger Challenge since 2006, a full 16 years before Webb's televised visit. While this might not be the oldest challenge on this list, it still boasts a pretty lengthy history, especially taking into account just how long it existed prior to its "Man v. Food" appearance.