5 epic food challenges to try around Vancouver Island
Loosen your belts, my friends, this list is not for the faint of heart.
Food challenges started as a way for restaurants to have fun, get noticed, and draw in customers. Gradually, they’ve become a hit, and people often drive across countries for the chance to take down a food challenge and get their picture hung on a wall of fame.
Vancouver Island isn’t shy when it comes to food challenges, so here are five of the most epic ones we found!
Gladiator Caesar Challenge at Extreme Eatery
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When your restaurant slogan is “You’re gonna need a napkin,” you know you’re in for a challenge. While most of Extreme Eatery’s food is, well, extreme, the “Gladiator” challenge is extraordinary, with a big garnished Caesar that includes a bacon double cheeseburger, a pound of wings, a pound of dry ribs, a stack of onion rings, two churros, a poutine flight, four chicken strips, and an ice cream sundae. I need to take a breath just to list all of those garnishes.
You have 30 minutes to finish it for a chance at a T-shirt and a photo on the wall of fame.
Where: 155 Morison Avenue, Parksville
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K2 Mountain Burger Challenge at Mrs. Richies
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The K2 Burger Challenge at Mrs. Riches Restaurant in Nanaimo has put the mom-and-pop restaurant on the map. The restaurant was featured on Food Network Canada’s You Gotta Eat Here for its Famous K2 Mountain Burger. The challenge involves eating a massive 11-pound burger within 30 minutes.
Successful participants will receive a free meal and have their names on the wall of fame. But beware: If you fail to complete the challenge, you’ll have to pay for the burger.
Where: 199 Fraser Street, Nanaimo
Rita Burger Challenge at Canadian Brewhouse
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The Great Canadian Burger Challenge, formerly known as the Rita Burger Challenge, is a daunting six-patty burger adorned with all the fixings, accompanied by a hefty serving of poutine. The record for the challenge currently sits at six minutes and 15 seconds.
The challenge, from the Canadian Brewhouse, involves eating the burger within 30 to 60 minutes (the details of the challenge may vary depending on the location).
Participants who successfully finish the entire burger within the allotted time frame often receive rewards, such as having their meal for free, receiving a special T-shirt or certificate, and earning a spot on the restaurant’s wall of fame. However, if you fail to complete the challenge within the time limit, you’ll have to pay for your food.
Where: 3500 Uptown Boulevard #117, Victoria
6-pound Bowl of Pho Challenge at Pho Halong
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Finish a hefty 6-pound pho bowl from Pho Halong in under 30 minutes, and you’ll snag the $40 meal for free, along with a $100 restaurant gift card. But there are rules: Your bowl must be spotless, and you can’t leave your table or take bathroom breaks during the challenge if you want to claim the prize. It costs $25 to enter the Big Pho Challenge.
Pho Halong throws down the gauntlet — are you up to the challenge?
Location: 4480 W Saanich Road
Diablo Hot Wing Challenge at Bucky’s Taphouse
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Have you ever had to sign a waiver before eating? Well, at Bucky’s Taphouse in Langford, you’ll need to sign your rights away before you delve into their famous Diablo hot wings. While there’s no prize for finishing a plate of Diablo hot wings (other than bragging rights), Bucky’s has been known to host Diablo wing competitions, too.
Where: 2668 Sooke Road
Punchbowl Poutine Challenge at Leopold’s
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Leopold’s Tavern has a seriously epic dish on its menu that looks like it’s more of a challenge than a meal: Punch Bowl Poutine. Folks who finish this wild poutine will earn a spot on Leopold’s Wall of Fame (and probably some serious indigestion, too).
Where: 570 Yates Street, Victoria
Know of any more? Let us know in the comments.
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