People Flock To One Georgia Restaurant To Attempt A Monster Pizza Challenge Featured On Man V. Food

Yes, competitive eating is a popular spectator sport, and it's been around since the beginning of the 20th century. Whether you're watching the Nathan's hot dog-eating contest or someone taking a local food challenge, it may have inspired you to actually try one out yourself (or not, depending on how it goes). If you've always bragged that you could eat pizza until you explode, there is a place in Georgia where you can prove your gastronomic skills. Around 10 miles from Marietta, a vibrant, walkable Atlanta suburb, is Big Pie in the Sky Pizzeria, widely known for its Carnivore Challenge. Right in the historic college town of Kennesaw, this tasty pizza spot has seen its share of hungry challengers over the years, from competitive eater Randy Santel to food video blogger BeardMeatsFood and even Adam Richman from Food Network's "Man v. Food."

The Carnivore Challenge is simple. Two people have to eat an 11-pound, 30-inch Carnivore pizza in an hour. This monster pie is covered with pepperoni, ground beef, Italian sausage, ham, and bacon. The menu says this pizza is meant to feed between eight and 10 people, so you have your work cut out for you. It costs $60 to take the challenge, and if you win, you get $120, which will buy you a lot of the antacids you may soon need. If you want to know more about what you're up against, the restaurant says they get about one attempt a week since the Carnivore Challenge started in 2007, and that there are currently 21 successful attempts at the time of this writing. Think you've got what it takes?

If you want to try Big Pie in the Sky's Carnivore Challenge, make sure you hit the restroom first. Once you start, you can't just get up and walk away (however, you can actually stand). If things end, erm, messily, you have to clean it up, and there is a $40 cleanup gratuity if you don't. You have to call beforehand to set up a time, and the pizzeria generally sees the Challenge attempted during less busy times of the day and week. On the episode of "Man v. Food," Richman and his Carnivore Challenge partner Drew Middlebrooks stacked their slices to make what Richman called a "giant lasagna-layered slice." However, despite a valiant effort by both men, they couldn't make it to the end. Can you do better?

Big Pie in the Sky Pizzeria opened in 2007 and makes its dough from scratch each day, and the pies are hand-tossed. The pizzeria has been written up and won awards all over the state, including a spot on OnlyInYourState's list of must-visit restaurants in Georgia and a space in a collection of must-try over-the-top Atlanta dishes from Atlanta Eats. It has all sorts of pizza pies and two gluten-free crust options: Cauliflower parmesan and rice flour. Whether or not you're stuffing yourself to the gills with the Challenge, bring your heartiest appetite. Even the single slices the pizzeria sells are enormous. Finally, since Kennesaw is so close to Atlanta, check out these underrated, local favorite restaurants — if you have any room left in your stomach.