Free Meals: 83 Restaurants That Pay You to Finish
Years ago my childhood friend Farah and I visited Dylan's Candy Bar in Manhattan - which, if you've yet to witness it, is like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Candy Land meets heaven. Adrenaline pumping, we headed to the ice cream parlor upstairs to experience what we would later call our "Man vs. Food" moment. Yes: We decided to order the "I Bet You Can't Sundae," 10 scoops of ice cream dressed with 10 toppings. "Of course we can," we declared.
We were so wrong.
Fifteen minutes in to our gooey mound of sweetness, we'd hardly made a dent. Not only had we overestimated our appetites, we were now completely self-conscious - with parents and small children pointing, staring and laughing at our ridiculous order. Defeated, we dumped the ice cream tray still filled with a mixture of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, rocky road, mint chocolate chip, birthday cake, chocolate chip, cookies and cream, cookie dough and cherry ice cream - and, let's not forget, peanut butter cup, whipped cream, Oreo, chocolate chip, chocolate sprinkle, rainbow sprinkle, M&M, gummy bear and hot fudge toppings. (I did, however, manage to eat all the cherry toppings.)
We spent $20 on the I Bet You Can't sundae, only to prove the store right. There was no reward for finishing, but had there been a prize, would we have suffered a little longer?
Coupon Sherpa, a money-saving website and smartphone application, has compiled a list of 83 American dining spots advertising "gut-busting challenges" in exchange for free food. Most of the restaurants will either comp your meal or give you cash and other prizes for successfully completing the challenge. For example: If you can finish the "Texas King" 72-ounce steak at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, the $72 meal is free. (It also comes with a buttered roll, shrimp cocktail, salad, beans and potato, which must also be consumed to win.)
Here are the top 5 challenges I found to be relatively reasonable. Winners here also get additional prizes beyond just a comped meal. Unless specified below, these are solo projects - no fair bringing an extra mouth. (To see all 83 deals, check out Coupon Sherpa's posting.)
Nascar Cafe's Burrito Challenge
The Las Vegas restaurant says if you can eat its 6-pound burrito (pictured), your meal is free. Winners also receive unlimited free rides on The Sahara's Speed Roller Coaster - but since this could be a toxic combination, let a few days go by before you jump on any type of carnival ride.
Pointers Delivery Pizza Challenge
Located in Richmond Heights, Mo., this restaurant challenges two people to finish a 28-inch pizza called the Pointersaurus Pizza in one hour. The prize: $500! The catch: The pizza weighs roughly 10 pounds with two meat and four veggie toppings.
Eat at the Eye Another pizza challenge: You and a fellow diner at this LaPorte, Ind., eatery can attempt the "I" Pie Challenge. The pizza is a 16-by-24-inch Sicilian-style Meat Lovers Pizza and must be devoured within one hour. If you win, the pizza is free, plus you get a T-shirt and one free pizza per month for a year.
Burritos Mexican Grill This Sarasota, Fla., restaurant offers the Mongo Burrito challenge: an 8-pound dish, measuring nearly two feet in length, that comes with four tortillas, refried beans, beef, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and onion, topped with cheese. Finish in one hour - no help allowed - and it's free, plus one free dinner every month for a year.
West End Tavern
The Boulder, Colo., restaurant runs the Wing King Challenge. Eat all 50 wings to the bone in 30 minutes and receive your wings for free, plus a T-shirt and a dozen free wings for another visit.
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