7 wild food challenges in Calgary that everyone should try at least once (PHOTOS)
How fast and furious can you eat?
Punchbowl Poutine Challenge at Leopold's Tavern. Right: Great Canadian Burger Challenge at The Canadian Brewhouse.
Massive meals are nothing new out West. However, these wild food challenges in Calgary take things to a whole other level. Think punchbowls full of poutine, super stacked burgers and bowls of ramen that are bigger than your head.
The premise of a food challenge is pretty simple — eat an outrageous amount of food in a limited amount of time. Complete it and you could win a free meal or t-shirt and get your photo on a wall of fame. Then, of course, there are the bragging rights.
If you think you can take on a monstrous meal and outrace the clock, these are Calgary's wildest food challenges that you need to try at least once.
Great Canadian Burger Challenge at The Canadian Brewhouse
Address: Multiple locations
The Challenge: Want to show off your Canadian pride? Consider taking on the Great Canadian Burger Challenge at The Canadian Brewhouse. There are five locations in Calgary where you can take the challenge.
Your task is to put back a massive six-patty burger smothered in cheese and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and bacon. Oh yeah — and a giant bowl of poutine.
You only have one hour to finish the entire meal. Pack it all back and you'll get your meal for free and a t-shirt. Fail it and you'll be out $49.99.
Giga Dragon Challenge at Ramen Taka
Address: 843 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
The Challenge: If you love Japanese ramen, the Giga Dragon Challenge at Ramen Taka will be right up your alley. You'll have to eat a massive bowl of ramen including every last drop of broth within 30 minutes.
You have your choice of three different types of ramen for the challenge including shoyu, shio or miso. Each bowl is filled with noodles, pork, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, eggs and nori.
Slurp back the soup in under 30 minutes and you get it for free and your picture will be shared on Ramen Taka's social media accounts. If you can't beat the clock, you'll be out the equivalent of four bowls of ramen.
Note: Ramen Taka requests that potential challengers book at least one day in advance.
Punchbowl Poutine Challenge at Leopold's Tavern
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: Leopold's Tavern is known for its unique poutines featuring fun ingredients like cheeseburgers, perogies and buffalo chicken. It's also famous for its massive Punchbowl Poutine Challenge.
Like the name suggests, the challenge features a literal punchbowl full of poutine. It works out to five pounds of fries, one pound of cheese curds and a litre of gravy.
Successfully finish it and you'll get a photo of you holding a championship belt on the wall of fame. You'll also get a polaroid to take home and a special pin that includes a top secret link to a page where you can purchase an official belt for yourself at Leopold's cost.
The challenge can be completed by individuals or small groups, but major props are given for solo attempts:
Pig Challenge at Pig & Duke
Address: 1312 12 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
The Challenge: The Pig & Duke is a friendly neighborhood pub that serves porky fare like burgers topped with bacon and pulled pork sandwiches. Think you can handle a whole lot of pork? Try the Pig Challenge.
This burger challenge features three six-ounce burger patties with smoked ham, peameal bacon, Canadian bacon, pulled pork, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheddar, guacamole and Grubec cheese in burger buns. It also comes with a side of fries.
You only have 40 minutes to take down this beast of a meal and you're not allowed to leave the table during the challenge. If you can devour the whole thing, the meal is free. Leave any food behind and it will cost you $59.
Mega Burger Challenge at The Cat n' Fiddle Pub
Address: 540 16 Ave NW, Calgary, AB
The Challenge: The Cat n' Fiddle is a Celtic-themed pub that serves comfort food and craft beers. One thing on the menu that might not be so comforting is the Mega Burger Challenge.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take down four eight-ounce beef patties topped with onion rings, eight slices of cheese, eight slices of bacon, banana peppers, jalapeño peppers, carved ham and a fried egg in a brioche bun. You'll also have to scarf back a large bacon poutine.
If you can complete this illustrious task, you'll be in the ranks of one of the world's top competitive eaters. Beard Meats Food star Adam Moran took on the challenge and won in 2023.
D-Rex Challenge at Uncle Moe's
Address: 1440 52 St NE Unit 232, Calgary, AB & 4524 Edmonton Trail, Calgary, AB
The Challenge: You're not a true Canadian unless you've tried certain foods like the iconic donair. In Calgary, Uncle Moe's is renowned for its delicious donairs and the epic D-Rex Challenge.
The Donairosaurus Rex (aka D-rex) is a colossal donair with a kilo of shaved beef, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and sweet donair sauce on a dinner plate-sized pita. If you can take down the D-Rex in 45 minutes or less, it's free and you'll get your picture on Uncle Moe's wall of fame.
Many have attempted the D-Rex Challenge and failed. However, quite a few have also beaten the beast. The current record holder is Scott Watkins, a competitive eater from Kelowna. He took down the donair in 11 minutes and 40 seconds.
OMFGWTF!!! at Big Sky BBQ
Address: 306016 15 St E, Foothills, AB
The Challenge: If you don't mind heading out of town for a massive meal, Big Sky BBQ in Okotoks has a sandwich that will make your head spin just by looking at it.
The OMGWTF!!! sandwich isn't a food challenge per se, but it deserves a mention for its epic proportions. This behemoth includes brisket, house-made sausage, smoked chicken, pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, mac n' cheese, coleslaw and the BBQ joint's signature beans.
The sandwich costs $64.99 and is meant to feed about four people. Think you can handle it on your own? You'd be brave to try. Then again, those would be some serious bragging rights.