The Best Burgers Ever Seen On Man V. Food
Do you have a hefty appetite? If so, you probably have that in common with "Man v. Food" hosts Adam Richman and Casey Webb. The two competitive eating champions put buffet enthusiasts to shame with their astounding ability to vacuum up gargantuan quantities of food in one sitting. The show "Man v. Food" premiered in 2008 on the Travel Channel and has since developed a fan base of foodies. Richman hooked us on the show and led the episodes until 2012, when the show took a break. "Man v. Food" resumed in 2017 with Webb, its new host, who would take on a slew of new challenges.
Many people watch the show to witness some of the crazy culinary creations out there, while others hope to see Adam and Casey suffer as they push their consumption to the max. The show has featured various foods, from steaks as big as the cow they came from to pizzas as big as the heads of competitive eating amateurs. Burgers have also been a commonly featured item on the show. Richman and Webb have stared down and sampled burgers of all shapes and sizes over the years.
Mallie's Ridiculous Burger
How many pounds is too many for a burger? Whatever your answer may be, we'd be willing to bet that Mallie's Ridiculous Burger transcends any expected limit. This burger weighs 190 pounds and posed a heavyweight challenge for Richman. This burger had 210 pounds of ground beef. This 190-pound burger required a three-man team an entire day to create. After 16 hours of cooking, this burger was far too big for Richman to hug, and it even broke its own world record.
The toppings included ten pounds of assorted cheeses and 15 pounds of mixed vegetables, including onion, tomato, and pickles: So many pickles. Four pounds of crispy bacon and three entire heads of iceberg lettuce were placed under its 20-pound top bun, making it the biggest burger in the world: It was a terrifying sight to behold. The burger was served alongside bottomless bowls of condiments, which brought the classic burger taste together.
Thankfully, Richman was not alone in this challenge. He had a fierce army in his corner, including wrestlers, a Kiss cover band, and a hockey team to help him eat the giant creature. The team's spirits were high for the first hour and a half, and in the end, the teammates dropped out one by one, waving white napkins in surrender. When all was said and done, they annihilated 160 pounds of the 190-pound monstrosity.
Lindy's OM*G Burger
This episode was one of the worst challenges on "Man v. Food," and it highlighted one of the best burgers. Lindy's OM*G Burger didn't look like an overly scary stack of beef at first, but it still put Richman to the test. This burger contained far beyond your typical patty count, with 12 beef patties that came in at a quarter pound of meat each. Brave souls who dared to tame this dragon of a burger had their choice of cheese and would also receive toppings like lettuce, tomato, onion, and a house-made sauce. Naturally, something had to hold this yummy mess together, so it also included a 14-inch sword, er, skewer.
The challenge was to finish the $20 burger in less than 20 minutes to get the meal for free and to achieve endless bragging rights. While Richman seemed to enjoy the burger overall; eventually, the constant chewing became tiresome, and it left his jaw feeling quite overworked. Finally, he successfully demolished the burger in slightly over 40 minutes. While he didn't get his victory in the prescribed 20-minute timeframe, he still ate the whole thing. In the end, Lindy's OM*G Burger remains an impressive challenge. This burger was both delicious and attainable, even for us mere mortals. If you feel called to a burger-based battle, you can visit Lindy's today. The restaurant is still very much alive and well in Tucson, Arizona.
Hash House Stuffed Burger
If you're a breakfast lover and a burger lover, then the Hash House Stuffed Burger is the perfect meal for you. Richman visited Hash House A Go Go in Las Vegas, Nevada, and tried a few delicious breakfast-themed menu items, including the breakfast stuffed burger that is worth waking up for, even for the night owls and morning haters. It consists of a one-pound beef burger stuffed with scrumptious ingredients like ham, eggs, and smoked cheddar cheese breakfast. What could be better than breakfast inside of a burger, wrapped in a homemade bun?
Richman met with Chef Jim, who is to thank for the stuffed burger breakfast creation, and took a big bite to get all of the goodness at once. Considering the beefy, cheesy, egg and ham delight this burger offered, it was not long before Richman declared that he was already satiated by eating just one corner.
Even a viewer looking at this burger on Man v. Food can tell that it's a meal worth having, which you can do by visiting Hash House A Go Go in Vegas. It's well known for the spins it puts on farm food, specifically, the breakfast stuffed burger and fried chicken eggs benedict: Delicious.
The Burger from Hell
Coyote Bluff Cafe in Amarillo, Texas, brought the heat to Richman's palette with its Burger from Hell. The beef burgers are surprisingly average in size: About half a pound each. Owner Rob Haas walked Richman through the basics of this best-selling burger. Richman got hands-on and helped to build up the hellish entrée and learned the ins and outs of making it this smoldering delight. Once the patties are cooked, they're topped with a full cup of jalapeños with all of their spicy seeds, followed by both habanero hot sauce and cayenne hot sauce. Finally, it's topped with a heaping handful of cheddar and mozzarella, along with veggies.
As Richman chowed down on this burger, he had nothing but great things to say about it, particularly how nicely balanced the spices were with the flavor. He ate this burger with a side of chili cheese fries to suit his appetite and raved through every bite. It seems like the burger from hell can make a diner feel like they're in heaven. If you want to try it for yourself, you can jaunt over to Coyote Bluff Cafe and see exactly how this small restaurant got its big, flavored reputation.
The Sasquatch Burger
Bigfoot Lodge in Memphis, Tennessee, is known for its massive bigfoot-sized portions, and it is especially famous for The Sasquatch, a seven-and-a-half-pound burger that only 4 out of 1,300 people have successfully finished. The bun is the size of a bar stool cushion, and it weighs two pounds. The sasquatch burger is topped with an entire tomato and a red onion topped with a full cup of sliced pickles, seven pieces of leaf lettuce, and eight pieces of American cheese. The burger that was specifically made for Richman also had a hefty portion of bacon and mushrooms because it wasn't huge enough without them. Whew.
Richman reported that the burger was delicious for the first couple thousand bites, but in the end, he had to tap out after taking in just under three-quarters of the burger. This burger beat the man, even with cheers from the other diners, a surprise kiss from a stranger, and coaching from one of the three successful contestants. Bigfoot Lodge and its giant food live on, but the establishment has changed its name, and it is now known as Kooky Canuck. To try the Sasquatch burger today, you have to ask restaurant staff about the Kookamonga Challenge, which is essentially the same burger but under a different name.
Fried Onion Burger
Sid's Diner is based out of El Reno, Oklahoma, and it has a diner-themed claim to fame, with a burger that is exclusive to its location. Richman visited Sid's Diner to chow down on its famous Fried Onion Burger, which features beef that is mixed in with caramelized onions and then cooked to perfection.
The story goes that the onion burger was created during the Great Depression when there was a shortage of beef and other ingredients. In those days, chefs would supplement their beef products with onions to fill it out and save valuable meat that was hard to come by. Sid's has held tight to the tradition and has served up the eight-inch diameter burger while using a construction-grade spatula that was designed specifically for its special burgers.
The famous onion burger is fully loaded with Spanish onions that stay true to old-school Oklahoma ingredients. After cooking the patty on both sides, the burger patty is placed on its bun and topped in traditional Oklahoma style, with classic pickles and mustard. Richman loved this burger and its perfect onions. If you'd like to try this traditional Oklahoma burger, you can visit Sid's Diner with a quick stop off Route 66.
The Portable Defibrillator
Dain's Place in Durham, North Carolina, serves up its own claim to fame: The Portable Defibrillator Burger. The menacingly named burger consists of 8 ounces of beef, topped with chili, bacon, coleslaw, and a four-ounce hot dog. This burger is essentially an entire cookout in a burger, and it sends Richman on a delicious yet arduous journey. While the restaurant also offers craft beer selections and other cookout-reminiscent foods, the fully loaded burger remains a source of attraction for tourists and locals alike.
Dain's Place now offers a burger called "The Dainer" (to hint at it being Dain's favorite). The "Dainer" burger could be yours for a mere $13.99, and it is cooked to order with a half-pound of ground beef, bacon, lettuce, tomato, sauteed onions, cheddar cheese, and thousand Island dressing. The Portable Defibrillator goes down in Man v. Food history as one of the tastiest burgers, even with the warning label that is inherent in its name.
Green and Gold Burger
One fairly recent "Man v. Food" episode features host Casey Webb as he goes on a journey consuming egg rolls, a fish fry, and the infamous tailgate-themed Green and Gold Burger from Al's Hamburgers in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This creative and meaty dish is made with bratwurst, onion, cheese curds, and jalapeños. It is well-loved by locals, and it definitely stands up as yet another delicious and amazing burger from "Man v. Food."
To make this burger, Webb and owner Michael Wirz toast a crunchy sourdough roll, which serves as the base for the Green Bay Burger. Toppings like jalapeños, sliced white onion, and Wisconsin-created cheese curds are fried up until they're melty best friends that go perfectly with German brown mustard when the burger is fully assembled. Webb commented on the joy of these melty cheese curds, the spicy jalapeños, and the perfectly cooked burger. Fans of the show can experience this burger for themselves with a quick visit to the cheese state, home to the Green and Gold Burger.
Thurman Burger
After a brief stop at an Ohio tailgate, Richman visited the Thurman Cafe, which is well-known for its Thurman Burger. This burger has made itself so well known in the community that locals refer to eating the burger and getting it all over yourself as being "Thurmanized." Richman hoped to achieve this rite of passage, but not just with the Thurman burger. Instead, he hoped to also devour the Thurmanator, a burger that is not even on the menu due to its confidential, secret status.
The classic Thurman Burger is a three-quarter pound burger topped with sliced ham, onions, mushrooms, and gloriously copious amounts of cheese. He dove in and immediately comments on the delicious, complex flavor of the meat. It's part burger, part ham and cheese sandwich, and the onions complement the burger as a whole and left Richman happy as can be. However, the mystery of the Thurmanator had yet to be solved, so Richman spoke with head burger technician Dave Martin and helped orchestrate the preparation of the giant, secret sandwich. The Thurmanator is part Thurman and part bacon-cheddar burger. It transcends the best dishes on the menu, and it is a favorite among local bodybuilders. If you'd like to stock up on calories yourself, you need to visit the Thurman Cafe, which continues to grace the community with its scrumptious offerings.
Fifth Third Burger
Sports and indulgent junk food seem to go together very well. Such is the case with the Fifth Third Burger at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Grand Rapids, where Richman ate a major league meal during a minor league ballgame. The famous Fifth Third Burger is a five-pound burger that starts with a one-and-a-half-pound bun. This burger monster consists of a generous smear of chili and five beef patties topped with five slices of American cheese (one for each burger patty, of course), nacho cheese sauce, tortilla chips, an overflow of salsa, a mountain of chopped tomatoes, and an obscene amount of sour cream. The top half-pound bun brings it all together and gives Richman 15 outs to eat the burger in its gigantic entirety.
Richman loved the first few bites and reported that it tasted like a Mexican taco burger, with its starchy, delicious bun and an overabundance of scrumptious ballpark toppings. However, the quantity soon outweighed the yummy quality, making it a true "Man v. Food" challenge. Since there were only three outs left in the game and Richman's time was running out, this burger challenge was saved by a foul ball. Richman conquered the Fifth Third Burger right in the nick of time. To join Richman as one of the few who have succeeded in eating this burger, visit the Fifth and Third Ballpark in Grand Rapids and enjoy the ballpark burger of champions.
El Diablo Burger
Webb visited Orange County, California, to warm up before taking on Bourbon Street's El Diablo Burger. This spicy sandwich consists of a giant three-pound burger topped with ghost chilis, scorpion, and Carolina reaper sauce. This burger is especially feisty, as its El Diablo sauce is made from three of the spiciest peppers in the world: Ghost peppers, Trinidad scorpion peppers, and Carolina reaper peppers. Yikes.
When Webb arrived, he learned that around 200 people had taken on the challenge, and only 19 were successful. This makes sense, considering the content. In addition to the three pounds of meat and spicy fury, the El Diablo is topped with sautéed bell peppers, onions, and celery. As the veggies were mixed with the dangerously hot peppers, gas masks were distributed to protect Webb from the equivalent of pepper spray that hits the air as the peppers cook. This burger also contains shrimp, sautéd in the spicy sauce, bacon, and cheese times three.
This burger is held together with a steak knife, which seems appropriately intense. Webb has one hour to eat up the burger inferno and came close, but not close enough. The all-consuming heat got the best of him. You might also find the heat overpowering; however, if you desire not to feel your face after a scorching hot meal, then the El Diablo is waiting for you.
Monster Pork Burger
Mug N' Bun in Indianapolis serves up a monster pork tenderloin combo meal, which includes a hefty pork burger, a family side of fries, and a large mug of root beer. After a brief stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Webb went off to find some traditional comfort food. Mug N' Bun is known for its signature root beer floats and pork burgers, Webb went after the giant combo meal. The famous pork tenderloin sandwich is essentially three of its normal sandwiches in one delicious pile. Only ten out of 300 people had won this challenge when Webb arrived, and he hoped to become number 11.
This burger comes to life with 6.5 ounces of fried pork tenderloin, half a fry-basket of French fries, and a synchronized deep fryer dip. Onions, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise are added between every layer until you have a perfectly tasty, towering monolith on your hands. Webb paired a mug of house-made root beer and started his 30-minute nom-fest. He enjoyed the tender, crunchy pork layers, delicious root beer, and crispy French fries. Ultimately, he struggled with the remaining carbs, and he was bested by a tiny bit of remaining bread in the last five seconds. Mug N' Bun still stands and is ready for its next Monster Pork Burger recipient.
Surf and Turf Burger
Webb went to the lobster capital of the United States, Portland, Maine, for a lobster-topped burger like no other. He visited Highroller Lobster Co., which specializes in seafood and comfort food of all forms. The particularly famous Surf and Turf Burger consists of a brisket-bend patty, topped with a mix of cheddar and Jarlsberg cheese, and a full portion (quarter pound) of fresh-made, local lobster that is cooked in clarified lobster ghee. In case you aren't familiar with lobster ghee, it's made with lobster shells, and it's a total game-changer: It's absolutely heavenly.
Locals and tourists love this burger. Webb met up with the owner, Baxter Key, and learned a bit more about how the surf and turf burger is made. Key toasted up the pile of mixed cheeses with a fancy, large blow torch and topped it with homemade jalapeño mayo. Webb was impressed upon the first bite and commented on the perfect burger, the sharp cheese, and the delicate, scrumptious lobster. Highroller Lobster Co. is there for you and all your lobster-fueled desires.
808 Burger
Webb headed over to Hawaii to visit the Cool Cat Cafe for a dose of paradisal dining and, of course, gratuitous portion sizes. Cool Cat Cafe has won the award for "best burger in Maui" for its 808 Burger for over a decade. Some of the tourists that Webb spoke to mentioned that they had already visited three times in their one-week-long visit. To create the 808 burger, Webb worked with the chef to grill up eight patties that were then topped with garlic, pepper, and mystery seasonings. Each patty receives its own slice of American cheese and sits atop a mayo-slathered bun with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and Maui's famous sweet onions.
Finally, a hefty dose of homemade thousand Island dressing tops off the burger and courses down the ridges of the tower, which just barely stands up before it is speared with two long wooden dowels. Webb loved the beefy, cheesy flavor and tackled it one component at a time to finish it within the 30-minute time limit. Webb conquered the challenge with one last mouthful of lettuce and won his T-shirt. To enjoy this burger, enjoy a trip to Hawaii, and visit the Cool Cat Cafe.
Five Alarm Fire Burger
Webb visited Houston, Texas, and headed to the Burger Barn, which has been known as the ultimate burger destination of Houston since 2017. Webb went in search of Charlie's Five Alarm Fire Burger, which combines jalapeño, serrano, and habanero peppers into a spicy sauce that will burn off your tastebuds. As if that wasn't enough, the burger is also topped with Louisiana hot sauce, cayenne, and ghost pepper sauce, not to mention ghost pepper extract, which is 100 times hotter than a jalapeño. Chef Chris did not wear a gas mask and is filmed coughing and struggling to breathe as he blends up the fiery combo in the blender.
Webb dives into the spicy burger with just one glass of water and only 30 minutes to consume the fiery burger before it consumes him. The audience waited for him to sound the fire alarm, but Webb left them waiting and successfully ate the whole burger before desperately chugging his one glass of water. Despite the burger's raging heat, it must be a great burger to chow down on if it can still be eaten in its entirety. If you feel the heat summoning you, the Burger Barn is ready to give you a Five-Alarm Burger and help you earn your fiery stripes.