Photo Credit: Wanna Iguana Challenge – Blue Iguana (LeClaire, IA)

Extreme Food on the Great River Road

These supersized foods will test Great River Road travelers. The Mississippi creates a heavy-pounded burger and burrito, along with apple pie that’s a foot high!

  ~Minnesota~

Texas Donut – Hans’ Bakery (Anoka, MN)

Customers can eat a donut the size of their faces! The donut is not for the weak of heart—or stomach.

10-Pound Pho – iPho by Saigon (St. Paul, MN)

Participate in the 10-Pound Pho challenge to eat a gigantic bowl under 45 minutes! Winners get a t-shirt calling them “Pho-King”.

 ~Wisconsin~

Golden Brat – La Crosse Oktoberfest (La Crosse, WI)

An 80-pound brat debuts every year at Oktoberfest. The tradition helps raise funds for veterans programs.

Galesville Apple Affair (Galesville, WI) 

Drawing thousands of visitors to pay homage to the local apple orchards, the event includes a 10-foot apple pie and scrambled egg omelet made out of thousands of eggs.

~Iowa~

6lb Wanna Iguana Burrito Challenge (Le Claire, IA)

Burritos and beer make a great combo, especially in an extreme challenge! Visit Blue Iguana to test your stomach capacity with a 6-pound burrito, side of rice and beans, and a 24-ounce draft beer. Winners who eat under 30 minutes get their names on the Hall of Fame and a t-shirt!

~Illinois~

The Fifty/50 Ultimate Eating Challenge (Chicago, IL)

This challenge is a little ways off the Great River Road, but it calls for eating 50 menu items in 50 minutes or less! That breaks down into 30 Buffalo wings, 5 onion rings, 5 strips of bacon, one side of mac & cheese, a half rack of ribs, one turkey burger slider, one regular burger slider, one pulled pork slider, one grilled cheese slider, one duck slider, one crab cake slider, one PB&J slider and 50oz of beer.

 ~Missouri~

Levee High Apple Pie – The Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery (Kimmswick, MO)

In a small town south of St.Louis, Great River Road travelers can order an apple pie—that’s a foot high! The pie is made out of stacked apple slices covered in a pecan caramel glaze.

Mama’s Pasta Challenge – Mama’s On The Hill (St. Louis, MO)

The “hill” of spaghetti will test pasta lovers on the Great River Road. On top of the pasta, a gigantic meatball that practically covers the bowl. Finish the dish and win a t-shirt!

~Kentucky~

The Pounder Challenge – Pizza by the Pound (Paducah, KY)

Great River Road travelers may like pizza, but how about a 16 inch, 8-pound, meat smothered, thick crust pizza? Whoever can eat the whole pizza within an hour doesn’t have to pay and could win $100.

One Ton Banana Pudding (Fulton, KY)

You read that right.  At the Fulton Banana Festival, a one TON banana pudding is served each year.  Plus there’s a Banana Pudding Cook-off and a Banana Bake.  Go team Chiquita!

~Tennessee~

The Kookamonga Burger – Kooky Canuck (Memphis, TN)

This burger has 12,000 calories! The Kookamonga Burger is so notorious it was featured on Travel Channel’s Man v. Food.

~ARKANSAS~

Great River Road travelers who are searching for the extreme may have to go off the main road to find those types of foods. There are multiple eating challenges further west, such as Bocadillo’s “Cheat Meal” Burrito and Reid’s Hometown Barbecue “Stump” Challenge.

~Mississippi~

Swamp Monster Burger – T’Beaux’s Blues Le Roux (Vicksburg, MS)

This burger meal challenge is ready to test hungry visitors: three one-pound burgers (with lots of toppings), one-pound french fries and a 20-ounce drink. The test: only 30 minutes to eat it all.

~Louisiana~

The Tchoupitoulas Challenge – Creole Creamery (New Orleans, LA)

Ice cream lovers welcomed! The challenge offers eight scoops of ice cream and eight toppings of choice with whip cream covering the top.

500-foot po-boy – Lafayette Square (New Orleans, LA)

Great River Road travelers can experience National Sandwich day on another level! In 2018, the po-boy stretched longer than a football field, which is only 200 ft.