The Spiciest Food in America

Some studies suggest that eating extremely spicy food can make you feel high. When capsaicin — the compound that makes chili peppers spicy — hits your pain receptors, your brain thinks you’re under attack, and it floods your system with endorphins and dopamine. 

That’s probably the only explanation for why some people willingly subject themselves to dishes so hot they come with waivers, gloves, or a side of dairy products meant to stop the suffering. 

And speaking of spice — if you're looking to put your taste buds through literal hell, here are eight places serving pure inferno on a plate. 

Jersey City, New Jersey

When the menu itself  describes a dish as “excruciatingly hot, more pain and sweat than flavor,” then you better be prepared for it. Even if you’re not, you’re signing a verbal disclaimer that you are not holding the restaurant liable for any “physical or emotional damage after eating the Brick Lane Curry House’s P’haal Curry — the dish so hot it has made grown men cry. 

This lava-adjacent monster is made from a blend of the hottest chili peppers topping the Scoville scale, including Carolina Reaper and ghost pepper, and chefs reportedly wear gas masks while cooking it just to survive. 

The bravest — or the most foolish — who finish the meal in under 30 minutes get a certificate and a spot in the restaurant’s coveted P’hall of Fame.

Los Angeles

Another scorcher that’s masochistically hot can be found under the name “Dynamite Spicy Seafood Challenge” at Jitlada, a small, homey Thai restaurant in LA’s Thai Town. The infamous challenge is a bubbling cauldron of green mussels, scallops, squid, crab, and veggies, all smothered in a fiery chili sauce made from a secret blend of Thai bird’s eye chilies and chili paste. 

The dish comes with a disclaimer urging challengers to eat at their own risk, stating that Jitlada won’t be responsible for “burnt mouth, tongue, excessive sweating, or stomach pain.” That being said, you might require therapy after this one. 

Chicago

Jake Melnick’s “XXX” wings were deadly enough, but recently the Chicago spot added another X to the already infamous wings — now rumored to be “XXXX,” with an even hotter recipe. These wings were among the first in the U.S. to harness the power of the Bhut Jolokia ghost pepper. For the latest version, the kitchen layers in Trinidad Moruga Scorpion peppers, ghost pepper, habanero, and the notorious Carolina Reaper. 

The basket of fiery wings comes with a waiver, firefighter’s hat, gloves, and a bell to ring if you spontaneously combust. It’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but so is the blistering pain that follows. If you manage to finish an order without seeing your life flash before your eyes, you earn a spot on Jake’s Wall of Flame — plus access to post-battle comforts like ice cream, bread, and probably a discount for a colonoscopy.

San Antonio, Texas

Ominously dubbed the “Hottest Burger on the Planet,” this Texas-sized creation tops a juicy patty with four different chilies: fresh jalapeño and serrano peppers, a slathering of habanero sauce, and the dreaded Bhut Jolokia ghost pepper​. It’s a spicy burger that will have you breathing fire like a four-headed dragon.

To win Chunky’s challenge, you must conquer the entire burger in under 25 minutes without puking and then endure a 5-minute afterburn without relief​. Survivors earn their photo on the “Wall of Flame” and eternal admiration (or concern) from onlookers.​ 

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville hot chicken is known for bringing the heat, but Pepperfire’s “XX-Hot” chicken takes it to a whole new realm of pain. This Music City joint cranks their top-level spice with Carolina Reaper chili — the spiciest pepper on the planet according to Guinness World Records​. 

The tender fried chicken comes out an evil red color, drenched in a Reaper-infused hot oil that will make your eyes water from five tables away. Pepperfire’s menu doesn’t even describe the top heat in detail — locals just know “XX-Hot” means approach at your own risk. One bite in, and you’ll be hiccuping, sweating, and possibly seeing the ghost of Colonel Sanders beckoning you toward a glass of milk. 

Portland, Oregon 

Don’t be fooled by the playful name — these fritters will come for your soul. Salvador Molly’s, a Portland spot known for global eats, serves Great Balls of Fire: deep-fried fritters that are absolutely soaked in habanero and chili​. They look like harmless hushpuppies, but one bite and you’ll be breathing fire like an otherworldly creature. 

The restaurant’s challenge is to finish five of these molten morsels, which earns you a trip to their Hall of Flame (and presumably a fire extinguisher for your mouth)​. 

San Francisco

At this quirky SF wing joint, the menu warns you about The Ghost Pepper Wings, which are liberally coated in a fiery sauce made with not one but two of the world’s spiciest peppers​: the infamous ghost pepper and the current king, the Carolina Reaper. Regulars say the flavor is fantastic — if you can survive the first few bites without crying.

Los Angeles

This infamous ramen challenge in LA’s Little Tokyo has defeated many a hopeful eater. Orochon’s Special #2 Ramen looks innocuous — a big comforting bowl of noodles, veggies, and pork in broth — but its spice level might be the highest in the nation for a soup​.

The exact blend of chilies is a trade secret​, but the volcano-red broth arrives literally boiling, with chili oil bubbles that warn of the pain to come.​ 

Challengers have 30 minutes to finish every drop. Most manage the noodles and meat, but drinking the molten broth is the real test — many report it’s “downright impossible.”​