31 Belly-Busting Food Challenges That Offer Winners a Free Meal

Free food sounds great, but when the only way to get it is to complete an extreme challenge, most people will gladly pay for their meals. But there are a few brave souls willing to endure such feats of consumption either for free meals, bragging rights or simply as a test of will and stamina. Whether they have to put away pounds of food in a specified time limit or eat extremely spicy food without the benefit of a drink, those who conquer these tasks certainly earn their freebies. Here are challenges across the country for the strong of stomach.

Sioux Falls
Devour a $22 order of Monster Nachos at the OverTime Grill in Sioux Falls in 45 minutes, and the meal is free. Be wary, though — it's about 5 pounds of food, including a pound of chips plus waffle fries, cheese, beef, and more.

Dover
At Dover Downs Casino, the Monster Burger meal is free if finished off in 45 minutes. This $26 monster is four half-pound burgers, cheese, fried onions, pickles, and onion rings on a humongous buttered bun. In order for burger lovers to get the meal free, fries and a milkshake must be finished as well.

Slatersville
Gators Pub and Lumberjacks Pizza offer a challenge that gives eaters 45 minutes to hoover in 15 wieners with the works, a 32-ounce beer (or milkshake), and a pound of fries. Losers are stuck paying $25.

Waikiki Beach
At M.A.C. 24/7 in Waikiki Beach, Oahu, customers looking to carbo-load can order the Pancake Challenge. Chow down three 14-inch pancakes topped with fruit in 90 minutes and the $24 meal is free. But be forewarned — even Adam Richman, former host of the Travel Channel series "Man v. Food," failed.

Boise
Superb Sushi in downtown Boise has a few food challenges. The La Bomba Roll Challenge, unlike the restaurant's Death Roll and Demon's Delight Spicy Challenge, is about bulk instead of spiciness. Pack away four massive sushi rolls and the side items, in an hour and the $20 meal is free. Any vomiting or bathroom visiting means disqualification. Winners get a T-shirt, a free meal, and a photo on the Wall of Fame. The first woman to best this challenge will get a $100 gift card.

Related: The Best Sushi Restaurant in Every State

Las Vegas
Up for a giant bowl of soup? Pho 87 in Las Vegas gives contenders just a hair over 33 minutes (1987 seconds) to down an 11-pound bowl of soup loaded with meat, noodles, veggies, and broth. Not only do winners eat for free, but they cash in a jackpot that is currently $1,987. Because of a few too many sore losers, however, the restaurant now requests an entry fee.

Bonner Springs
Contenders must pony up $58 to take Papa Bob's Ultimate Destroyer Challenge in Bonner Springs. If the piles of beef, pork, hamburgers, and sausage (plus the big side of fries and pickles) are completely finished, the restaurant will refund the money. While there's no charge for fountain drinks, competitors who dunk any of their food in a drink are disqualified.

Rogers
Kirby Kupcakes in Rogers offers up a monster cupcake — equivalent to 22 regular cupcakes — for free, but only if every bite is eaten in 30 minutes. Contestants must also wait an additional five minutes without rushing to the bathroom before the $45 fee is returned. Winners also get a T-shirt and a photo on the Wall of Fame. Photos of losers go on the Wall of Shame.

North Grosvenordale
Famous Franks, located in North Grosvenordale, offers a "hot dog" composed of two dozen franks with 3 pounds of toppings on an 18-inch grinder roll. Scarf it down in 30 minutes and the $25 meal is free. Winners also get a sweet T-shirt.

Paducah
At Pizza by the Pound, customers can order a super thick 8-pound pizza and take a shot at winning some cash, too. If the massive $32 pizza is demolished in one hour, not only is it free, but winners receive a $100 cash prize.

Lancaster
Highway 55 Burgers has a 30-minute challenge: Eat the 55 ounces of hamburger, which must include four trimmings such as lettuce, and pickles, plus a 24-ounce drink and fries, and the $25 meal is free.

Buffalo
Head to Bunkers of Course to take part in the restaurant's aptly named Volcano Challenge. Contenders must consume a 2-pound Volcano Burger glazed with Buffalo and Tabasco sauce as well as 3 pounds of pub fries or tater tots in 30 minutes. Winners get the $24 meal for free, plus a photo on the Wall of Fame.

McHenry
Eat a mountain of food in one hour at Archie's Barbeque in McHenry and it's free. Fall short and pay $75. The meal is pricey for a reason — it includes a full rack of ribs, a deluxe sandwich, one dozen wings, two sides, four pieces of cornbread, and one soft drink.

Kansas City
The Westport Flea Market in Kansas City is the home of the monstrous Super Flea. For $39, contenders get five 10-ounce patties topped with bacon and cheese plus 2 pounds of fries. Finish it all in 30 minutes and it's free — and winners also get a free T-shirt and a photo on the Wall of Fame.

Cordova
The Kookamonga Challenge at Kooky Canuck is not for the faint of heart. Contenders must put away about 7-and-a-half pounds of food in total (including a 4-pound beef patty) in 60 minutes to get the $37 meal for free.

Howie's Diner in Lawrenceberg is the home of the Big Biscuits and Gravy Challenge. The "big biscuits" are really 17 regular-size biscuits smothered with gravy for a total of about 6 pounds of food. Challengers have an hour to consume it all to win the $17 meal for free, as well as a certificate, a T-shirt, and a photo on the Wall of Fame.

Mesa
For those in Mesa who are up to the task, the Broken Yolk Cafe has a challenge featuring a 12-egg omelet stuffed with mushrooms, onions, and cheese, then topped with chili and more cheese, plus home fries and two biscuits. Eat it in one hour and it's free, plus winners get a spot on Broken Yolk's Hall of Fame. Folks who don't polish the whole thing off pay $25.95.

Kent
In seven minutes, contenders must consume seven extremely spicy wings at the Wing Dome in Kent. Wings must be taken down to the bone, and any sauce left on the fingers must be licked off. If conquered, the $7.77 (a nod to the 7-alarms) meal is free, along with a free T-shirt and a photo on their Wall of Fame.

Stafford
Family Pizzeria offers a 6-and-a-half-pound sub free of charge — if it can be eaten within 45 minutes. Losers must pay $35, while winners also receive a $20 prize and a free T-shirt. Also, if anyone throws up anyplace other than the dumpster behind the building, there's a $50 cleanup fee.

Mount Pleasant
Customers at Dog Central can try to finish three footlong hot dogs with chili and two additional toppings, a bed of fries, a stack of onion rings, and a 20-ounce fountain drink. If successful, not only do they get the meal free, but Dog Central gives the winners $10. Losers must pony up $25.

Wilmington
El Cerro Grande in Wilmington has the Papi Grande Challenge, which consists of enough burrito ingredients to feed five to seven people. The $35 meal is free if it's gone in an hour.

Morrow
At VN Pho, customers can take the 4.5-pound pho challenge. If the 2 pounds of beef, 2 pounds of noodles, and assorted veggies are finished in 30 minutes (contenders do not need to drink the broth), the $20 fee is waived.

Germantown
At KJ's Cafe customers can get 4 pounds of breakfast food including sausage patties, home fries, gravy, eggs, and Belgian waffles free — if it's all eaten in 25 minutes or less. Losers pay $15.

Philadelphia
Bagel aficionados will appreciate the Classic Whale Challenge at Spread Bagelry in Philadelphia. The gigantic meal consists of a 4-pound Montreal-style everything bagel piled with 3 pounds of salmon, two pounds of whitefish salad, 2 pounds of cream cheese, and veggies. Solo contenders have 60 minutes to finish, teams of two have 45 minutes, and teams of three have 30 minutes. Beat the time limit and it's free. Otherwise, it's $125.

Chicago
At Paddy Long's in Chicago, "The Bomb" is 5 pounds of ground sausage, pork, and beef wrapped with bacon and served with potato salad and fries. Finish it in 45 minutes and the $60 monstrosity is free. Winners are also given a free T-shirt and a spot on the Wall of Fame.

Boca Raton
Finish 5 pounds of stromboli in 40 minutes or less at Boca's Best Pizza Bar in Boca Raton and the $20 meal is free. Winners also get a T-shirt and a photo on the Wall of Fame. Losers end up on the Wall of Shame. The restaurant is temporarily closed for remodeling, but that just gives hopefuls time to train their stomachs.

San Jose
Mori Kitchen challenges diners to eat four servings of ramen, including the broth, in 25 minutes. Not only do winners get a free meal and T-shirt, plus a spot on the Wall of Fame, they also get 10 percent off for life at the restaurant. Losers pay $29.

Bub and Pop's sandwich shop in the nation’s capital offers serious eaters a sandwich stuffed with prosciutto, capicola, Genoa salami, pepperoni, brisket, aged provolone, and fried mozzarella sticks. Finish everything in just 15 minutes to get it free (along with a picture on the Wall of Fame) or pay $50.

Anchorage
Humpy's challenges diners to wolf down seven crab nuggets, 1 foot of reindeer sausage, 3 pounds of Alaskan king crab, assorted side dishes, and a wild berry crisp with ice cream in 60 minutes for a T-shirt and a photo on the Wall of Fame. Fall short and pay a whopping $180 tab.

Los Angeles
If you can wolf down a 27-inch garlic roll loaded with five burger patties, one-and-a-half pound cheesesteak, one-and-a-half pound pastrami, chicken fingers, a whole package of bacon, mozzarella sticks, five fried eggs, jalapeno poppers, onion rings, and french fries topped with chili, marinara, and fat sauce — and do it in 40 minutes — you won't have to pay for the $50 monstrosity and you'll get to name a sandwich of your own design which will be added to the Fat Sal's menu, 

Amarillo
This challenge has been around since 1962, when Bob (RJ) Lee invited some cowboys to pay $5 to eat as many steaks as they could in an hour. Whoever ate the most would get his entry fee refunded. The very hungry winner consumed 72 ounces of steak (along with shrimp cocktail, rolls, salad, and a baked potato) — just shy of the 96 ounces that John Candy's character Chet Ripley powered through in "The Great Outdoors" — setting the bar for the challenge for more than 50 years. While competitors don't have to eat all the side dishes today, they still get the massive steak for free.