Weekend Guide

Hot dog devouring contests and three-pound burger challenges? Better put your eatin' pants on

Hope you’ve recovered from your Memorial Day pig out, because this weekend is shaping up to be a calorie-fueled catastrophe. And we mean that in a good way. It all starts this Saturday as Arizona Mills hosts a hot dog eating contest inside the food court at 1 pm. Of course, this is no mere doggie devouring event. Instead this is a state-wide qualifier for the 95th Annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, held every Fourth of July in Coney Island, NY. Although registration has already closed, you can cheer on AZ’s top competitive eaters as they eat more hot dogs in a few minutes than any sane person should probably eat in a lifetime.

But why just watch people pig out when you could be the one scarfing down dangerous amounts of salted meats? Yes, the rumblings have been echoing around the Valley for a while. Rumors of a beefy monstrosity stacked an artery-clogging nine-patties high and larded up with an equal amount of melted cheese slices. Well, it’s all true and the New Times has the pics to prove it. Called the “Three Pound Burger Challenge” it’s offered at the new Lobby’s Beef, Burgers, Dogs in Tempe. Unfortunately, the New Times writer came up short in his quest to tackle this $20 burger behemoth in 10 minutes. However, our pals at Desert Living Today have offered to publish the first person to email us a pic of anyone even attempting to eat it.