Completing This Georgia Pizza Challenge Could Win You A Big Chunk Of Change

Acts of competitive eating have always fascinated us, from those YouTube videos of folks spending 24 hours in AYCE buffets to obsessing over the alleged cheating scandal at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. In Kennesaw, Georgia, a small pizzeria is home to an eating challenge that seems like Mission: Impossible for even the staunchest 'za fanatic — eating a 30-inch, 11-pound pie loaded up with five different kinds of meat, and doing it in just an hour.

The venue is Big Pie in the Sky Pizzeria, and the name of the game is the Carnivore Challenge. Many have attempted it, but only 24 teams in history have successfully pulled it off, as of this writing. Contenders are allowed a partner. Both challengers must sit down at the table and not get up for 60 minutes of meaty, saucy, cheesy pizza warfare, during which they must complete the entire pie. The pizza costs $60, but you get $120 if you win. Rules are strict and firmly enforced: If you upchuck any of your pizza, you are disqualified, and there is a $40 "cleaning gratuity" held on file just in case you can't escape from the table fast enough.

The Carnivore pizza is truly mammoth. It consists of a hand-stretched crust loaded down with zesty tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, whole-milk shredded mozzarella, and a panoply of meats: Pepperoni, beef, sausage, ham, and bacon. Attempts to win the Carnivore Challenge have been well-documented, with some hilarious and grotesque failures.

America helped change the way we think about pizza, and stuffing down half a 30-inch meat lovers pie in just 60 minutes is about as patriotic as the Stars and Stripes on July 4th. Looking to have your picture immortalized on the Big Pie in the Sky Wall of Fame? Adam Richman of "Man vs. Food" took on the task with his partner, Drew, who came close to finishing before, but didn't seal the deal. Despite plentiful cups of water, containers of marinara to lubricate mouthfuls of pizza, and a fascinating strategy (stacking each of their four slices into a pizza tower for easier eating), Adam and Drew not only couldn't handle the pizza, but Drew, complaining of meat sweats, had to stagger outside to avoid making a mess. The team behind FoodChallenges.com took on the Carnivore in 2015, conquering the beast by eating it slice-by-slice with time to spare! According to Big Pie in the Sky, the fastest win was accomplished by Erik Unger and Anthony Reganato of Birmingham, Alabama, who polished off the Carnivore in 33 minutes!

Even if you can't try the challenge, the Carnivore pizza sounds pretty darn tasty, with slices literally as big as an adult's head. It's a pricey pizza, but well worth it for the experience of tackling a culinary mountain that has felled many worthy warriors. Just remember the restaurant etiquette for splitting the check if you go in with a friend to try and achieve Carnivore glory!