Forget fine dining—Joburg Food Challenges are where culinary chaos reigns. Can you finish a meal bigger than your head? Think you have an impressive spice tolerance? It's time to prove it. We've rounded up some restaurants in Jozi offering food challenges that may leave your ego needing an ambulance.
Smack Pizza Co.
You might need an extra stomach to survive the Smack Daddy Party Pie Challenge. Finish a 1x 58cm Party Pie and 1L beer/coldrink within 45 minutes and get it for free. Bonus: fastest time gets a R1000 voucher and a t-shirt to go with the bragging rights. There's a vegetarian option available, so if you squint hard enough, it's almost a salad.
Gilroy's Brewery
If you've ever been scolded for eating too fast, the One Oh 111 Burger Challenge is your chance to stick it to the haters. What's on the menu? A 1kg Gilroy’s burger, 1kg of loaded fries, and a litre of beer to wash it down. Clear your plate within 15 minutes to earn your spot on the Wall of Fame and get your meal for free!
Burger Bistro
The Kamikaze Challenge might show you literal flames. Can you survive a burger topped with Carolina Reaper chilli sauce? If spice isn't for you, take on the Mike Tyson burger for a chance to win a legendary knife.
Out And About
The Heater Challenge is one for our seasoned competitors with both stomach capacity and spice tolerance. Make it through an extra-hot pizza and wings combo within the 20-minute window, and you'll get the meal for free. Plus, you'll go home with a trophy.
Blue Parrot Cafe
This delightful 1.5kg monstrosity is called the Heart Attack Burger, and should be high up on your list of reasons to visit Cowboy Town in Roodepoort. If you can finish it—with a shake and side of fries—before time's up, it's free! We'd recommend you pack some Gaviscon.
Honourable Mention: Grill King
This one's not quite in Joburg, but a giant this formidable is worth mentioning nonetheless. If you're up for a trip to Heidelberg, the King's Mountain Man Challenge awaits. Think you can take down a burger, chilli wings, and a large drink in 25 minutes? Find out.
RocoMamas
We'd be remiss not to mention RocoMamas on this list. While there isn't a food challenge running at this time, this beloved restaurant chain frequently hosts some of the most popular (and outlandish!) challenges in Joburg. If the rumours are true, there's likely to be a new one soon. Keep your eyes peeled, and your tummy ready.
At this point, eating as much as you can, as fast as you can, works out to be a wise economic decision, and one that might see you coming home with more valuables than you left with. If you have a hearty appetite, a food challenge might just be your one-way ticket to fame. Which one will you take on first?
Got a competitive streak? If your idea of a fun day out involves a proverbial podium, Shooters in Fourways may be your new stomping grounds. Go head-to-head with your squad for a chance at victory at this brand new neon playground. The food's good, too; you've read this far, so we know that's important to you.
