Brittany vs. The Kookamunga Burger Challenge

If you aren't aware, I LOVE really BIG food (and really small food too). I love to go to restaurants where they serve oddly BIG food. I guess that is one of the side effects of being a Texan! :) Because I have a BIG food fetish, Man vs. Food is one of my favorite TV shows. In fact, I really think that Adam Richman could use a female co-host and I would be perfect for the job. It has been a goal of mine to go to the restaurants that Adam visits across the country and try all of the eating challenges. When I knew my dad and I were driving to Indy I knew I had a shot at finding at least one place on the list. I had always wanted to try this HUUGE burger that I had saw Adam eat in Memphis, TN at the Kooky Canuk. With my luck, we were going right by Memphis. So, on the way back to Dallas my dad and I made a slight detour and stopped off in Memphis. Fortunately, I had wanted to meet my friend Kirstin, who also lives in Memphis and so she agreed to meet us there.

Although it looks sort of like a whole in the wall, the Kooky Canuk is a popular bar and restaurant in downtown Memphis and is home of the 7 1/2 pound burger known as the Kookamunga Challenge! Immediately as you walk into the restaurant on the wall by the door are the pictures of the only 3 people that have been able to finish the challenge out of the thousands that have tried. Two of the winners have actually done it more than once.

 

At this point I was excited and eager to sit down and order it. On the road on the way to Memphis I has already looked up the menu and tried to call to see about the even BIGGER burger so that my dad and I could share it. Yet, their phone was busy the entire time. When we got there and I asked about it she said that you have to notify them about 24 hours in advance but if I wanted to wait a couple of hours then she could have the King Kookamunga, a  delicious and HUGE 12lb burger, ready.  Although disappointed, I decided that a couple of hours was too long to set us back on our drive and so I would settle for the measly 7 1/2lb Kookamunga burger.

The Kookamunga Challenge consists of  4 pounds of pure beef, on a fresh baked bun, topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese. If you and only you eat it ALL, plus the fixings, in under 60 minutes it's on us, not to mention that you get your picture on the Kooky Canuck wall of fame!

Not only is there 4 pounds of 80/20 ground chuck meat, there is a pound of bun on the top and a pound of bun on the bottom, and 1 1/2 pounds of the fixings totaling the 7 1/2 lb massive burger. The manager brought it out in one hand and a stopwatch and camera in the other. I graciously accepted it and looked a little scared as he explained the rules.

WOW it is HUGE!

Yep, def in shock over the size of the burger but to eat it all in only an hour...OMG!

Well, it was definitely worth a try!

I hadn't even made a dent in it yet.

Well, this is what I had left with a little time left.

The interesting thing about it is that if I would have started the challenge with the mindset that I could actually finish it, I think I actually would have and could have done it. When I started, I was eating slowly because in my mind, there was no way that it was going to happen. Yet, when I got a fourth of the way into it I started to get more confident. And the stakes were definitely raised when the guy at the table in front of me said he would pay me a $100 if I could finish it.

All of the waiters kept coming by to check on me and see what my progess was after the realized that I wasn't just an "average" girl and that I could actually take down some food (and put it in my hollow leg, like my dad always says). I tried to have them give me some extra time because I was a girl and all the waiters were on board, but the manager was too busy to take the time and said that they would bring it up in their next meeting and that I would have to come back and try again. (Not so sure that will happen, but if it does, I WILL finish it!) Yet, despite the disappointment of not being able to finish it in the alloted time, they did tell me that I was the best girl that has ever tried it and that I got the farthest out of any girl! (That was enough vicotry for this attempt!) In fact I was pretty stocked because I beat one of my "heros" Adam Richman too! What more could a girl ask for?

My friend Kirstin lives in Memphis, so she joined us for the crazyness! She could barely finish a 1/4lb burger! (Wimp!)

This was lots of fun and I am glad that I was able to attempt it. Although I hate losing, this one I think I will  have to just be ok with my attemp. Yet, I did make it onto the hall of shame (2nd row from the bottom). Now I can check that one off the list of many things to do and many restaurants to try and many food challenges! Hmm...I wonder what will be next?