The World’s Biggest Burger

In America the challenge to create the world’s biggest burger is one that is taken very seriously indeed. It began with the imaginable 6 pounds of meat used to make the “Olde 96er” at Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, Pennsylvania.

Denny Leigey Jr., owner of Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub says his world’s biggest burger building race began all the way back in 1991 with a 2 pound offering to compete with another local diner. This local race led to a 3 pounder in 1993 but things really got going when Denny began competing with not so local diners.

In 1998 his daughter went to college and came back with tales of a 4 pounder being served at a restaurant – Denny could only respond in one way, he had to beat it. The result was the massive Olde 96er which used 6 pounds of meat, one large onion, two whole tomatoes, one half head of lettuce, 1 1/4 pounds of cheese, top and bottom buns, and a cup each of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, banana peppers and some pickles.

Since its launch on to the menu, the Olde 96er has drawn attention from all over the world. The pub itself challenges eaters to finish the burger within 3 hours to make it onto the Denny’s wall of fame and receive the burger for free. Many challengers have tried to eat the burger within 3 hours and most have failed, including veteran competitive eating star Eric “Badlands” Booker.

Badlands made his gallant attempt in June 2004 and managed to down the burger – but it took him over 7 hours to do so. Although he was the first person to eat the Olde 96er in full, the challenge to eat the burger in one 3-hour sitting was still unmatched. In January 2005 came an unlikely challenger – 100lb college student Kate Stelnick.

Kate Stelnick took a five hour drive from New Jersey when she saw photos of the giant burger online. She prepared by not eating for 2 days and wearing loose clothes. She came and she conquered. She ate the Olde 96er on 2 hours and 54 minutes. Another petit female, Lori Weiss, managed to meet the challenge on her 4th attempt in July 2005.

Leigey said he was pretty sure somebody would meet his world’s biggest burger challenge, though he didn’t have a petite woman in mind. “I wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t think it was possible,” Leigey said.

News of Denny’s Olde 96er has spread all over the world and has led to new challengers to the thrown of world’s biggest burger.

The Baloo Burger Co. of Glasgow, Scotland has even had its attempt at making the world’s biggest cheeseburger with its Baloo Big Burger which uses 7 pounds of meat and will set you back a huge $125. But the real challenger to the thrown is the Clinton Station Diner, New Jersey which created the Zeus in 2005 that also used 7 pounds of meat.

Once again, Denny’s was eager to hold the accolade of world’s biggest cheeseburger and could only respond in one way – the result was the Beer Barrel Belly Buster. This mammoth creation consists of 11.5 pounds of meat, 25 slices of cheese, 1 full lettuce, 2 onions, 3 tomatoes and 25,000 calories. This would set you back a modest $34.99.

And the challenge? To eat this creation within 6 hours. The prize consists of $350 cash, burger is free, a certificate of achievement, photo on the “wall of fame,” and a t-shirt. It is unlikely that someone will meet this challenge – but many will try. Believe it or not the Beer Barrel Belly Buster is not the current thrown holder, the big burger race has one final leg.

The Clinton Station Diner has introduced the Mount Olympus burger which, wait for it, uses 25 pounds of meat and its total weight is over 50 pounds. Taking over 1 hour to prepare and costing $99 the challenge that goes along with the burger is for a 5 person team to complete the burger within 3 hours.

Denny’s response? Queue the out of this world Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser. Using two 25 pound beef patties, 4 pounds of cheese, five heads of lettuce, a couple of onions, a cup of peppers, a jar of relish, smothered with loads of ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Nobody can deny that this is the world’s biggest burger.

Denny created the Bruiser just for a bit of family fun and doesn’t challenge anyone to eat it in full. The burger stands 34 inches tall and easily feeds groups of 35 to 50 diners. It takes an understandable 4 hours to make and must be ordered 24 hours in advance, and the price? A mere $179.

Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub has entered the 50 pound burger in to the Guinness World Records and is awaiting there approval to crown the Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser as the world’s largest commercially available burger.

The race for the world’s biggest cheeseburger continues, watch this space…
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