10 Extreme Eating Contests Across the United States

Believe it or not, eating contests are more than seeing who can eat the most the fastest at the county fair. Major League Eating, much in the way Major League Baseball regulates baseball, is an actual organization that oversees professional eating contests nationwide. These contests take place during festivals around the country, celebrating heritage, food and culture. While you might not be on stage eating, stop by these festivals on your next trip to check out some of the country's best eaters. 

Record: Joey Chestnut with 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes

The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog slogan asserts “This is the original,” and it’s true. Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is the Super Bowl of eating competitions. The hot dog company has been serving up classic style hot dogs since 1916 and hosting the famous contest since 1972. Legend has it the contest began when four immigrants had an eating contest to prove who was more patriotic. The legacy continues as the competition takes place annually on the Fourth of July weekend. Since then, after many attempts by professsonal eaters, Joey Chestnut claimed the world record by eating 68 hot dogs in 2009, only to trump it again four years later with 69 hot dogs. In 2021, he topped himself once again by downing 76 hot dogs. By the way, that’s some 24,000 calories each time. While you might think this display is unnecessarily wasteful, the festival donates $10,000 to the Food Bank for New York City to help feed the hungry. 

 

Record: Joey Chestnut with 384 gyoza in 10 minutes

All-you-can-eat restaurants beware: Joey Chestnut might give you a run for your money.  Chestnut essentially ate 64 typical gyoza appetizers during the Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship. But gyoza is more than just the soft meat-and-veggie-filled dumpling we know and love: It's part of the Japanese culture that's celebrated during the Nisei Week Japanese Festival which raises money to support Japanese American Cultural foundations.  

Record: Joey Chestnut with 12 lbs 8.75 oz in 10 minutes

Mom might’ve wanted you to finish your vegetables at dinner, but did she mean for you to eat 13 pounds of it? The San Joaquin Asparagus Festival honors the vegetable with live music, celebrity chefs, and plenty of asparagus. The asparagus surplus comes from the perfect growing conditions of the San Joaquin River Delta wetlands, making the Stockton area one of the country’s biggest producers of the stuff.  

Record: Matthew Stonie with 43 Slugburgers in 10 minutes

The race to eat slugburgers is anything but sluggish. Competitors grab burger after burger, each a deep-fried patty made from beef and soy meal, mustard, onions and pickles. The ingredients were tossed together by the slugburger creator John Weeks and were oringinally called "Weeksburgers." Back when Weeks first brought the burgers to Corinth from Chicago in 1917, they sold for just a nickel. In Mississippi at the time, "slug" was slang for nickel and the name "slugburger" stuck. 

 

Record: Molly Shuyler with three 72-ounce steak meals in 20 minutes

Finally, a challenge any eater can take on—even you. The Big Texan Steak Ranch restaurant charges $72 for each steak, but if you eat every bite, the money is refunded and you get the glory. Molly Shuyler, a mother of four, weighs 120 pounds yet she still managed to consume 13.5 pounds of meat, three baked potatoes, three shrimp cocktails, three salads, and three buttered rolls. And she did it all In 20 minutes. Do you have the courage to road trip to Texas for the challenge?