(Amarillo, Texas) Texas is home to some pretty insane food challenges. One of the most extreme food challenges in the Lone Star State can be found in Amarillo at a steakhouse called The Big Texan.
The Big Texan is a legend when it comes to their steaks and the 72oz Steak Challenge.
The challenge was born in 1962 and as the story goes, according to The Big Texan, the challenge was born after the owner, Bob Lee, witnessed a customer consume 4 & 1/2 pounds of steak (which is 72 ounces), a baked potato, a shrimp cocktail, a salad, and a bread roll all within an hour.
Lee then declared to the restaurant that the guy's meal was free and proclaimed that anyone else attempting to do the same within an hour would get it for free too!
One of the most recent challengers set a one-day record for not only completing the challenge, but completing it three times in the same day! Social media influencer Mohamed Mbengue, known online as MoMotion, was the first man ever to complete the challenge three times on the same day. The feat was accomplished on August 7, according to My San Antonio (MYSA).
Let me state that again, MoMotion completed THREE OF THE CHALLENGES IN THE SAME DAY! That's 3 - 72oz steaks, 3 baked potatoes, 3 shrimp cocktails, 3 salads, and 3 bread rolls all in the same day.
It's unbelievable to me that a person can eat that much food. While MoMotion ate all that food, unfortunately, Molly Schuyler still holds the record for eating three of the massive steaks in only 20 minutes in 2015, according to MySA.
When it comes to the rules, they're pretty basic - you have an hour to clean every plate, you cannot stand up or leave the table, sit at an assigned table, no outside assistance, you don't have to eat the fat, and a few other rules. But they're simple and upfront.
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The 72oz Steak Challenge will cost you $72, which you must pay for before beginning the challenge. If you fail, you've covered your meal cost, and you get to take your leftovers home. If you succeed, then you'll receive a refund along with a certificate stating you completed the Texas-sized food challenge.
While on a trip to Colorado a few years back, we stopped into the legendary steakhouse, and while we were eating, a guy from Australia came in and attempted the challenge.
We decided to stay an hour to see if he could do it. Customers were cheering him on, and so were we; unfortunately, though, he did not complete the challenge. From the looks of things from a distance, he probably got three-fourths of the way through the challenge.
While the Australian guy was attempting the challenge, his mates from down under were watching him via the live stream that the restaurant had set up. You can jump on anytime and see if anyone is attempting the challenge, and then watch to see if they succeed or not.
The Big Texan has been keeping records since the inception of the 72oz Steak Challenge. As of June 9, 2025, The Big Texan stat page states they have served 98,027 pounds of steak to 10,504 challengers, and only 12% of them complete the challenge.
So, if you've got a healthy appetite, a large stomach, and an hour to eat your way through a 72oz steak and the four additional sides, let us know - just email me the day and time you're attempting it and I'll tune into the live stream to see if you can complete it.