In addition to its craft brews and crowd-pleasing burgers, this joint offers Extreme Milkshakes that are a 3-D culinary extravaganza. Chef-Owner Joe Isidori begins his towering bonanzas of sugar and ice cream by affixing candy to old-school soda fountain glasses using cake frosting as glue. The extreme options come in four flavors: Sweet n’ Salty, The Cookie, Cotton Candy and Sour Power. For Halloween, they create a special shake called the Candy Cauldron which is garnished with sweet treats, candy corn and a whole candied apple.
The Bakn Quake is the creation that calls Josh Denny to this pork mecca. The dish features a massive pancake topped with a dozen fried eggs, a pound of cheese, seven types of house made bacon and greens tossed in honey produced by on-site bees. “Look at this thing. This is crazy,” Denny said of the mammoth pancake taco.
Diners head here for comfort food dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients like the grass-fed Florida beef used for the Jalapeño Popper Burger. This monster of a burger is actually composed of two deep-fried patties with a heat-packed surprise inside: a spicy, creamy jalapeno-and-cheese filling. The Full Tank is the creation that stops Josh Denny in his tracks. The three-pound sandwich is constructed with two burgers, a deep-fried pulled pork patty and a patty of deep-fried pimento cheese. "You need to patent that my friend," says Denny.
Owner and chef Mike LaSage keeps hungry diners coming back with his classic pulled pork, smoked wings and brisket. Josh Denny comes for Chef LaSage's most-monstrous hits which include his pork rind nachos, a Bloody Mary that eats like a meal and his over-the-top five-pound muffuletta aka Death by Sandwich. The massive Death By Sandwich is piled high with pulled pork, pepper jack sausage, deboned ribs, bacon brisket, collard greens and coleslaw.
Burger lovers crowd in to this joint for the beef patties smothered with ingenious toppings. Josh Denny couldn’t resist the Macho Nacho, a massive creation that comes stacked with a trio of 12-inch patties covered in molten cheese. This burger is shot through with nacho-inspired flavors, thanks to the addition of guacamole, pico de gallo and chipotle mayonnaise. “The pico’s bite balances perfectly with the rich guac and cheese,” Josh declared after tucking into the towering creation.
For your entire Thanksgiving dinner on a bun take a trip to The Square Pub for The Gobbler. This massive sandwich is anchored by a 5-pound turkey burger topped with house-made green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and a layer of roasted turkey. If you have a smaller appetite try the luscious Pork Belly Mac & Cheese.
Built on classically barbecued meats, Porkopolis is packed with return customers hungry for a taste of their unique smoky sensations. Josh Denny came for their crowning achievement, the Triple Brady Bacon Burger, a 14-inch-high sandwich piled with three juicy hamburger patties and three different types of pork, jalapeno coleslaw, cheese and sauce. "This is getting crazy,” exclaimed Denny as he assisted in the construction of the the towering creation.
People come from all over for the authentic BBQ and the gargantuan dishes at Rollin Smoke. The Triple Gut Buster, a thirteen-pound, two-foot sandwich overflowing with three types of smoked meat and waffle fries is Josh Denny’s formidable foe. “This thing is impressive,” gushes Denny.
At Boca Tacos, Chef Maria Mazon grinds chiltepin – pea-sized, wicked-hot chiles that grow wild in southern Arizona – into her unique and ever-changing salsas. The salsas are served with signature made-to-order red tortilla chips. The restaurant also houses a true wonder called The Titanic Taco Dog. This five-pound taco is piled high with pinto beans, a salsa made from cactus buds and 10 bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Denny dubbed it delicious and praised the unique salsa.
Arizona’s past and present come together in the home-style, south-of-the-border cuisine at El Palacio. Josh Denny made a pit stop for the massive five-pound burrito stuffed with their signature tamales, a whole chile relleno, rice and beans, red and green sauce, cheese and avocado. “It’s really delicious,” said Denny of the colorful masterpiece.
Pie-Sci Pizza is home to a Motown mash-up called Pizzagna. This behemoth is a enitre Detroit-style pizza topped with sausage, pepperoni and two pans of lasagna.
Adventurous eaters head to Beetle House for a Halloween atmosphere anytime of the year. The menu is collection of food inspired by popular thrillers and other things that go bump in the night. Josh Denny tried the Platos de Los Muertos, a layered monster of seafood, rice and pasta. Diners also love the deliciously gory Sweeny Beef.
Henry's is a popular spot because of its big portions of classic Southern food but The Hungriest Bennet takes this idea to another level. “This is like the South on a plate,” says Josh Denny before he digs in to the 12 1/2 pound Herculean hash brown casserole of shrimp and grits, country fried steak and cheesy waffles all drenched in thick gravy.
Piranha’s may be a party spot, but Chef/Owner Mike Hanlon serves seriously inventive eats. Josh Denny started with the Cap & Egg sandwich piled high with spicy Italian ham, provolone cheese, eggs, coleslaw and fries, then moved on to the Doughnut Burger composed of an 8-ounce patty, fried eggs and crisp bacon sandwiched between 2 glazed doughnuts. His ultimate indulgence, though, was the 10-pound Titan Cheesesteak stuffed with grilled steak, provolone cheese, a mound of coleslaw and a heap of fries.
Crowds pack in to Bard’s for the craft burgers and Cincinnati-style chili. There’s even one dish that combines them both: the Cincinnasty. Six cheese-smothered beef patties are layered with bacon and a Cincinnati breakfast meat known as goetta, then crowned with grilled onions and chili. The result is a 5-pound burger that Josh Denny says is “stacked with Cincinnati attitude.” The fried cheese curds are another menu favorite. Each nib of ultra-fresh cheddar cheese is coated in a crunchy golden crust.
Make restaurant favorites at home with copycat recipes from FN Magazine.
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