Canberra Food Challenges to Test Your Hunger

Have you ever been so hungry that you could eat a horse? What about 50 buffalo wings, a 1kg steak or even two gigantic burgers?

If this sounds like your kind of thing, then taking up one of Canberra’s  food challenges could be for you.

Currently there are only three restaurants in Canberra that offer a food challenge: Outback Jacks, Smoque and The London Burgers & Beers. The food feats range in time limit and difficulty.

After watching two of the challenges and attempting one myself, I have rated each based on both difficulty and value for money.

Outback Jacks Steak Challenge

Where: Shop 332, Level 3, Westfield, Benjamin Way Belconnen and Outback Jacks Canberra City, 99 London Circuit.

Cost: $49.95.

Requirements: Challengers are required to eat 1kg of Outback Jacks’ diamond cut rump steak, along with a side of wedges and steamed vegetables.

There is also a leader board of the fastest times that the challenge has been completed at the venue.  The current record in Belconnen is a ridiculous 9 minutes and 8 seconds.

Time limit: 30 minutes to take down the large steak and sides.

Prize: Winners of the challenge receive a t-shirt and their meal for free.

Verdict: To be honest eating 1kg of steak isn’t the hardest challenge in the world, in fact most people reading this article could probably do it. With that said, this is one tasty challenge, and the extra chance to be the quickest to complete it adds a nice element to the experience.

$50 is a bit of a hit to the pocket, though, for those who fail the challenge, so with that in mind I have rated it a 7/10.

Smoque Wing King challenge

Where: Bailey’s Arcade, Shop 2 131 London Circuit Canberra.

Cost: $59.50.

Requirements: Challengers are required to eat 50 buffalo wings within the set time. The challenge is held every Wednesday, but can be pre-booked for any other time during the week.

Time limit: 30 minutes to eat all 50 wings.

Prize: If a challenger is successful, they get their picture put on the Wing King wall of fame. They also receive a Wing King badge in honour of their achievement.

Verdict: This one is a bit of a step up from the Outback Jacks challenge, it’s disappointing that they don’t offer a free meal for completing it as 50 buffalo wings is a ton of food to eat.

However when you consider that you are buying 50 wings at $1.20 each, it presents great value, I’ve rated this challenge an 8/10.

London Burgers challenge

Where: 121 London Circuit, Canberra, 191-202 Anketell St Tuggeranong, and Emu Bank, Belconnen.

Cost: $40

Requirements: A challenger is required to consume two stacked London Lot burgers, a side of fries and a jug of your choice of alcohol. This challenge involves eating nearly 2 kgs of food.

On each burger there are two pineapple rings, four rashers of bacon, two eggs, heaps of onion and a burger patty that weighs close to 500g. I attempted this challenge and it was no easy feat.

Time limit: 30 minutes to complete this epic food challenge.

Prize: If successful you become an absolute legend amongst everyone you know, and become one of just ten people who have completed the challenge attempted by nearly 1,000.

The challenge has been completed 11 times, with one person having completed the challenge twice, and both times being able to go back for dessert!

Verdict: This is an epic challenge which takes a lot of heart and a big stomach. General tips would be to train your stomach before attempting the challenge, otherwise you simply won’t get close.

Starving yourself before the challenge is also on the not to do list. The challenge provides some good bang for your buck, and if you fail the challenge you are more than welcome to take home your left overs.

With just under 1% being able to complete this challenge, and the last victor completing it just over 2 and a half year ago, this challenge gets the perfect 10/10.

So what are you waiting for? Why not grab a mate and go and attack one of these challenges today!

Text by Brent Ford

Images courtesy of Outback Jacks Facebook and Smoque Facebook.