10 Of The Most Epic Man V. Food Challenges Of All Time

"Man v. Food" is one of those shows that you just can't look away from. It started back in 2008 and followed host Adam Richman (later Casey Webb) as he traveled around the U.S. seeking out the most epic food challenges in the country. It's hard not to watch in awe (or, for some viewers, disgust) as he put away pound after pound of food while surrounded by chanting customers eager for him to reach victory. 

But which challenges are the most epic on "Man v. Food?" Honestly, it's an incredibly tough call. Over the course of the series, Richman and Webb have achieved some pretty impressive feats (and feasts). But below, we've tried to boil it down to a few of the most intense and epic food challenges. They include a 72-ounce steak, the world's biggest burger, the spiciest curry in America, and even 180 oysters. Feeling hungry? Let's go.

In season one, Adam Richman traveled to Amarillo, Texas, to take on a monumental challenge: eating a 72-ounce steak, with sides, in under an hour. According to the "Man v. Food" host, nearly 50,000 people had attempted the challenge at The Big Texan before his visit, but most had failed. This made it all the more epic when Richman seemed to sail through.

He took on the steak with ease, getting through what he dubbed the "20-minute meat wall" by mixing the meat with the side salad. After he finished the giant steak, he polished off the remaining baked potato and bread, completing the entire challenge in under 30 minutes. According to the host, it was one of the tastiest challenges of filming "Man v. Food," which likely helped power him through to the end.

There's no doubt that Richman's performance was impressive. The two competitors next to him had barely made inroads on their steaks by the time he cleared his plate. But he has since been outdone. The steak challenge is now a seriously big deal, and in 2025, content creator Mohamed Mbengue completed the contest three times in one single day. But it was in 2016 that competitive eater Molly Schuyler set the record when she managed to eat three of the 72-ounce steaks in just 20 minutes.

Back in 2009, Adam Richman found himself in New Orleans, where he took on multiple challenges at local restaurants, including attempting to eat 180 oysters in under an hour. At the time of the host's visit, more than 150 people had tried the challenge at Acme Oyster House, which sources its oysters from the Louisiana Gulf Coast, but only 28 had succeeded.

After putting away 15 plates, Richman was proud to call himself the 29th member of that exclusive club. But it wasn't easy. While he said he loved the fresh horseradish sauce on top of the seafood, and he developed his own technique of stacking oysters on the fork to speed things up, by the 12th plate, the slippery, slimy texture of the oysters was starting to get to him. Richman even referred to the tower of oyster platters as his Everest. But the host powered through, finishing the challenge to chants from onlookers asking him to eat another two dozen. Unsurprisingly, he met their demands with some pretty choice words.

Speaking a few years later on Radio X in the U.K., Richman confirmed that the challenge put him off oysters completely for about four years. He did say, however, that he appreciated the opportunity to support Gulf Coast seafood, acknowledging that the year after the show aired, the local seafood industry took a huge hit as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

A mountain of oysters was Adam Richman's Everest, but a burrito the size of a baby was his K2. For the uninitiated, K2 is the world's second-highest mountain, but it is widely acknowledged to be far more treacherous and challenging to climb than its taller sibling. That was certainly the case for Richman in season two of "Man v. Food" with the 6-pound burrito at Las Vegas' Nascar Café.

The battle between Richman and the burrito, named the Biggest Baddest Burrito, was undeniably epic. He managed to chow down more than a third of the dish, made with four 16-inch tortillas, as well as beans, rice, cheese, beef, sour cream, and guacamole, in just 10 minutes. But at 35 minutes in, he visibly started to flag, and in the end, he put down his fork and gave up with just a pound to go.

That said, the host still seemed to enjoy the experience and stated multiple times that he thought the burrito was delicious. Prior to Richman's attempt, only two people had managed to finish the burrito since its debut. If you were hoping to see if you could join them and beat Richman, unfortunately, the Nascar Café closed in 2011.

Catfish are a big deal in Oklahoma. It makes sense, considering that the species can be found in nearly every single body of water in the state. So, of course, when Adam Richman headed to the Steak & Catfish Barn in Oklahoma City for season three of "Man v. Food," he had to take on a mountain of fried catfish for his epic eating challenge.

Richman was visibly excited before he started the challenge, as he watched the chef prepare the fish fillets ahead of time. When he was eating, he complimented the eatery's signature breading, noting that it gave each bite of fish a delicious flavor. For his sides, he ordered a double dose of coleslaw and even asked for more before finishing the entire plate. In total, Richman managed to chow down 29 fillets of fried catfish seemingly with ease. He beat the previous win of 28 fillets and set a new record for the restaurant. 

If you were enticed by the catfish on display at the Steak & Catfish Barn, the location that Richman visited closed in 2013 after the owners decided to retire to Italy. In 2014, a loyal customer tried to revive the business, but as of 2026, it is permanently closed.

If you pride yourself on being able to polish off an entire pizza in one sitting, take a trip to Big Pie in the Sky in Kennesaw, Georgia, to be humbled. While at most pizza places, a standard large measures between 14 and 16 inches, at Big Pie in The Sky Pizzeria, 16 inches is just a medium. The extra-large comes in at 30 inches, which, for most, would be big enough to feed a family. But Adam Richman is not like most people.

When he visited the pizzeria for season one of "Man v. Food," the host took on the Carnivore Pizza Challenge with Kennesaw local, Drew Middlebrooks. The two valiantly attempted to demolish the pizza, which was covered with 5 pounds of meat, in less than an hour. At the time, 400 people had tried to finish the challenge, but nobody had been successful.

At first, it seemed to be going pretty well. Richman created a technique of stacking the slices like a lasagna and eating them in one go, and by the 15-minute mark, he had just the crusts and assorted toppings left on the plate. But Middlebrooks ultimately wasn't up to the task, and at around 44 minutes, the challenge had to be called after he vomited outside the restaurant. Think you can do better? Big Pie in The Sky Pizzeria is still running the challenge to this day.

In London's East End, there's a street called Brick Lane, which is famous for street art, culture, and, above all else, curry. In fact, the street has even been dubbed the curry capital of the U.K., so it makes sense that if you want a British-style Indian curry in the U.S., you'll find it at a restaurant called Brick Lane.

Adam Richman visited Brick Lane in season one of "Man v. Food," taking on the epic phaal challenge. There was no time limit for this challenge; the bowl simply had to be cleared completely. Easy, right? The catch is that phaal is so hot that the chef preparing it had to wear a gas mask to protect their airways from the ferocious heat. One person who attempted the challenge even started bleeding from their nose. None of this stopped Richman from taking it on, of course.

From the first bite, the host started struggling. He was sweating, and his lips were on fire, but he powered through. Not helped by the fact that he accidentally wiped a napkin with phaal on it over his face, Richman managed to finish the curry, receiving a free beer and a place in the Brick Lane hall of fame. The New York location of Brick Lane closed in 2024, but the restaurant still has a spot in Jersey City for anyone who wants a taste of phaal (or maybe something tamer, like a vindaloo).

In season two, Adam Richman took on a world-record-breaking burger made with 190 pounds of ground beef, cheese, bacon, vegetables, and a bread bun. We hear you: There is no man on Earth who could do that all by himself, right? Well, yes, actually, that's probably right. Thankfully, Richman didn't attempt to eat this creation at Mallie's Sports Grill & Bar in Detroit on his own. He actually had a team of 40 people, including wrestlers, police officers, firefighters, and even a Kiss tribute band, to help him do it.

The burger, worth $8,000, took more than a day and three people to make, but despite their best efforts, Richman and his team couldn't finish it within the time limit. But by the time the two hours were up, they had managed to put away 160 pounds. So, arguably, still a pretty epic feat.

Mallie's Sports Grill & Bar is closed now, but it will long be remembered for its giant burgers. In 2017, several years after Richman's challenge, Mallie's set a new record for the world's largest commercially available burger. This burger dwarfed its 190-pound predecessor, weighing in at an unthinkable 1,774 pounds.

In 2025, a survey by the Tillamook County Creamery Association revealed that America's favorite sandwich is a classic grilled cheese. People love it because it's comforting, creamy, and easy to make quickly. Adam Richman is definitely in the grilled cheese fan club. This was particularly evident when he watched chef Matt Fish pull together a gigantic version of the sandwich at Melt Bar and Grilled in Cleveland, Ohio, for season three of "Man v. Food."

But sometimes, love isn't enough. When Richman took on the huge grilled cheese — made with 14 different types of cheese, including American, smoked Gouda, sharp cheddar, blue cheese, feta, and pepperjack — for the restaurant's Melt Challenge, he visibly struggled. That's not surprising, considering that along with the mandatory sides (fries, coleslaw, and pickles), the grilled cheese weighed in at 5 pounds.

Despite the struggle, Richman actually managed to polish off the sandwich, although it was far from his easiest victory. He battled with the "dreaded cheese wall," which involved cooling, hardening cheese, and "an intense wall of flavor." In the end, he said the zing of the coleslaw cut through the cheese and helped him score a win. It's no longer possible to try the Melt Challenge, as Melt Bar and Grilled closed in 2025. That said, it has since hinted at a possible return. Time for round two?

The cheesesteak is a Philadelphia icon. With roots in the early 20th century, this sandwich, loaded up with beef, onions, and cheese, is available in dozens of eateries across the city. But one of the most famous places to grab this beloved sandwich is at Tony Luke's. The sandwich shop was founded in South Philadelphia in 1992 and has since expanded across the U.S., with locations in Atlanta, Ocean City, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. So, when Adam Richman decided it was time to take on a cheesesteak challenge, of course, he headed to Tony Luke's original spot.

Alongside co-owner Tony Luke Jr. (he's the son of the original founder, who has since split from the brand amid major controversies, including tax fraud and franchising rights), Richman tackled three pounds of ribeye. The sandwich was also loaded with more than 1 pound of American cheese and ½ pound of fried onions. Richman opted for American cheese over the more traditional Cheez Whiz because he felt it would be easier to stomach, and he was right. While the American cheese cooled and hardened, making Richman's job difficult, Luke opted for the Cheez Whiz and found his sandwich even tougher to finish.

While Luke bowed out, Richman managed to finish the sandwich in under an hour with the help of a generous drizzle of hot sauce on the last few bites. Ultimately, he said it was the great flavor of the cheesesteak that pushed him through to the end.

Adam Richman stepped away from "Man v. Food" in 2012. While some speculated health concerns had ended his stint on the show, he later confirmed it was actually because he had become tired of the feeling he got after deliberately overeating, and he wanted to pursue new projects. It wasn't the end of "Man v. Food," though, because actor and TV host Casey Webb stepped in to host the show.

Just like Richman, Webb has taken on multiple epic eating challenges during his time as host. In season seven, for example, he headed to Lu's Sandwiches in Minneapolis to attempt to eat more than 2 feet of banh mi in under 30 minutes. At the beginning of the show, to demonstrate just how big this sandwich was, Webb compared the banh mi to the size of a baby. According to restaurant owner Quang Pham, while nearly 200 people had tried to complete the challenge, only 10 had actually managed it.

Webb put in an impressive performance, getting through nearly 2 pounds of pork shoulder banh mi by the halfway mark. But in the end, he couldn't quite finish it in time. His downfall, he said, was the bread, which took up a lot of time due to the excessive amounts of chewing required. If you think you can do better, you won't be able to put that theory to the test, unfortunately, as Lu's is no longer running the contest.