photo by Talia Hodge
Two pounds of hamburger patties, 1 pound of french fries and a milkshake: intrepid souls taking on the Hall of Famer food challenge, at George’s Lounge in Canton, must down all these items in just one hour.
“We wanted some sort of challenge for fun, something exciting to watch,” says co-owner Ryan McMichael. “We definitely wanted people to succeed but … the majority don’t the first time.”
The challenge burger is comprised of three Gorgeous George sandwiches, each stacked with double local grass-fed patties, a fried egg, sauteed onions and mushrooms, bacon and kamikaze sauce on a toasted egg bun. From cool and creamy to strong and spicy, the kamikaze — a blend of 10 house-made sauces, including Italian herb aioli, PBR beer cheese, wasabi ranch, hot sauce and more — is packed with a motherload of flavors. It’s accompanied by hand-cut french fries, cooked in lard, and a milkshake — available in varieties like chocolate froth, mocha and maple cream.
Challengers must follow the rules: keep it all down, no modifications, no help, eat at the bar and don’t leave the bar. George’s 40-seat bar is the focal point of the restaurant — an attempt becomes a show for other diners.
“Most people are entertained, curious, interested to see how they do,” says McMichael.
The quickest challenge completion time was 9 minutes and 24 seconds.
“Some people will try to pace themselves,” McMichael says. “People who are the fastest have to be attacking them from the beginning and just never stop.”
Each winner gets their eats for free and a gold George’s Lounge Hall of Famer T-shirt, along with the glory of appearing on George’s wall of fame. Losers who can’t finish or run to the bathroom — an automatic disqualification — must pony up $55 for the mammoth meal. Over 100 participants have attempted and about 30 have conquered the gargantuan challenge — a few have won multiple times. While the Hall of Famer gets the best of most, some, like one recent contestant, surprise by besting it with ease.
“He looked as cool and comfortable as anybody [having] a relaxing meal. At the end, he asked if there were any other good places to grab some extra dessert,” McMichael says. “He was ready for more!”
229 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, 330-452-0029,
