5 Colorado Food Challenges In Denver Restaurants With Enormous Helpings

Many travelers see Denver as a must-visit destination in Colorado – and a big part of its appeal is the food scene. From a steakhouse that showcases Denver's Old West legacy to contemporary Mexican food with Michelin recognition, the city offers something for nearly every palate. That includes diners who like to make their restaurant visits a "go big or go home" affair by taking on food challenges. We found five Denver restaurants with supersized specialties of all kinds where you can attempt to show off your digestive fortitude.

Each challenge dish isn't just massive for the time you have to consume it — it's also surprisingly good, at least at the start. Even if you're not planning to take one on yourself, all of these restaurants serve more moderately sized dishes that are well worth ordering. You never know, you might even spot someone mid-challenge while you're there — or find yourself inspired to attempt it on a future visit.

A few things to keep in mind: For many of these challenges, you can't simply walk in and participate. You may need to give the restaurant a couple of days' notice so the kitchen can prepare, and you can expect to sign a waiver as these are very much try-at-your-own-risk dishes. Finish successfully, and you'll typically earn bragging rights, a free meal, and sometimes merch to prove it.

Pho95 bills itself as the "best Vietnamese food in Colorado," and reviewers seem largely convinced, with a Yelp rating hovering around 4.3 stars. The star of the show here is its traditional Vietnamese pho, which is also the centerpiece of the Pho-King Challenge. Instead of a standard bowl, it features two pounds of noodles and two pounds of meat in more than 1.5 gallons of broth, plus a plate of vegetables. The clock starts at one hour. Fail to finish, and you'll pay $40 – along with receiving a pink T-shirt that says, "I am a Pho-King loser." If you win, your meal is free, your photo goes up on the wall, and you walk away with a shirt declaring you a "Pho King champion."

Competitive eater Raina Huang shared her experience on YouTube, starting with the required waiver that includes the line, "I acknowledge that this is in no way a wise or healthy decision." Rules include no leaving the table, immediate disqualification if you throw up at any point, and responsibility for cleaning up the mess if you don't make it to the restroom. Fair, but also, yikes!

Huang made it through the challenge in just over 20 minutes, but she's a pro — and judging by the restaurant's posted photos, there are more losers than winners.

Denver is, perhaps unexpectedly, the best pizza city in the country. For a taste of some of that Colorado pizza goodness, you'll want to visit Beau Jo's, a local chain with multiple locations, including one near the University of Denver. The restaurant is known for its thick, hand-rolled crust designed to support loads of toppings.That's just for the everyday pizza. 

The Mountain Man Challenge takes that idea to the extreme: A 20-inch pizza with a braided crust that's 3 inches tall, piled high with pepperoni, mushrooms, red onion, sausage, mozzarella, and more. It can weigh a whopping 14 pounds and typically requires two people just to carry it. If you and a buddy finish the pizza within an hour, it's free, and you'll even get to take home $150 and T-shirts. Plus, you'll be forever remembered for your accomplishment with a place on their wall of fame. But if you don't make it, you're on the hook for $150.

Competitive eater Nathen Figueroa called this challenge "seriously difficult," and by the looks of it, he wasn't wrong. If you do want to try it, one of his tips was to use marinara sauce to help you eat all the crust.

Located near the Denver-Aurora border, The Piper Inn is a classic neighborhood dive bar that opened in 1968. It's popular for its wings and laid-back atmosphere, but if you want to truly test your digestive mettle, you'll want to try the Mount Carne challenge. 

The dish includes 1.4 pounds of fries topped with 1.4 pounds of carne asada and another 1.4 pounds of beer cheese, all to be finished in 30 minutes. It's just plausible enough to tempt everyday diners, particularly if you've spent a day hiking and working up an appetite. As one person on Instagram commented, "This is fun and kinda scary, just like a fourteener."

If you do make it through, you'll get a T-shirt and a free meal. If you don't, you're paying $40. Either way, your photo goes on the wall — fame or shame depends on you and your stomach. The contest started in May 2024, and it took eight tries before they saw their first winner in August 2024.

Fire on the Mountain, originally founded in Portland, expanded into Denver with two Mile High City locations — and brought its El Jefe Challenge along with it. 

The task is simple in theory: Consume 15 El Jefe wings. The catch? You only get 3.5 minutes, and you're limited to one napkin and one drink (no milk or booze), with no celery or dipping sauces to cut the heat. Winners get their names on the Wall of Flame, a "Jefe" hat, and don't have to pay for the wings. Everyone else pays $19.99. At first glance, the challenge may not seem like much, but when it comes to wings you have to consume per minute, the portions are massive. It's messy and super spicy – it's a true test of fortitude.

One Reddit user who said they completed the challenge offered some insight into the experience: "I love the spiciest of foods and thought this would be easy," they wrote. "It wasn't so much the spiciness of the wings, but the amount of sauce they put on them ... It was the most miserable I've ever been." So you've been warned.

Swanky's is a Wisconsin-themed bar in Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood, making it a popular stop for Packers fans — and anyone devoted to cheese. The Swanky's Food Challenge doubles down on that reputation.

Participants have 2 hours to finish a 3-pound grilled cheese sandwich made with 6 slices of Texas toast and 18 slices of American cheese, plus a full order of mac and cheese and a full order of fried white cheddar cheese curds. That amount of food by itself would prove daunting to the everyday eater, but there's even more to the dish – the plate also includes a combined pound of fries and tater tots. If there's one thing Wisconsin does well, it's cheese, so the dish's overall theme makes sense. It's definitely not for the lactose-intolerant. 

You must complete the challenge solo, remain at the table, and attempt it outside peak hours. Winners get to show the world their accomplishment with a T-shirt and a Wall of Fame photo at the restaurant, along with a $10 gift card. Those who don't finish pay $35 and land on the Wall of Shame – which, judging by appearances, is much more crowded.