Foot-tall sandwiches, 105-pound burgers: These are the biggest foods in Central Jersey

In a dining scene full of tiny, upscale eats, sometimes bigger really is better.

At least that's the premise that these Central Jersey restaurants are operating on while serving oversized burritos, burgers and more.

Customers at these spots in Somerset, Hunterdon, Middlesex and Union counties have the option for a plate suitable for up to a dozen people, or, they can try their taste buds at eating challenges that encourage them to finish whole servings for prizes.

Here's where to go if you have a really big appetite.

8th Wonder at Clinton Station Diner, Clinton

If you’ve heard of one gargantuan Central Jersey food, it’s probably the mammoth 8th Wonder at the Clinton Station Diner in Clinton.

This 105-pound burger holds the Guinness World Record for the planet’s largest commercially-available burger.

Featured on the Food Network show “Outrageous Food,” the burger comes with cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a house-made bun.

But no one expects you to finish it by yourself. If you and nine friends can finish it within an hour, you’ll win $2,000 and the $596.06 burger is free. Plus, you’ll join just two groups of people who have been able to finish the monstrosity out of about 50 attempts since it became the diner’s claim to fame nearly two decades ago.

“We wanted to push the boundaries and make something unique that you didn't see too often,” said Nick Zambas, the restaurant’s director of business development, and son of Clinton Station Diner founder Mike Zambas. “And being that burgers are very popular in the U.S., we decided to supersize it.”

Don’t have the appetite for a 3-foot-tall burger with 50 pounds of meat? The Clinton Station diner offers several other burger challenges, the smallest being the 3-pound Atlas burger for $40.69. If you finish it in 45 minutes, it’s free.

Go: 2 Bank St., Clinton; 908-713-0012, clintonstationdiner.com .

22 West Burger at 22 West Tap & Grill, Bridgewater

22 West Tap & Grill is known for its burger menu and build-your-own burger option. But those whose only dining criteria is "big" can order the $27.22 West Burger.

The piled-high burger includes two patties, two pieces of fried chicken, mac 'n cheese, pork belly, lettuce, tomato, onions and an onion ring.

Diners who finish the burger in 30 minutes — as well as a side of fries — recieve a free T-shirt that says "I completed the ultimate challenge." Over 50 people have conquered the burger since it was added to the menu in 2019. But it's more than just a notch on a competitive eater's belt.

"It's everything that we do great, all in one," said 22 West Tap & Grill owner Kevin Trimarchi.

The burger's patties are made of a customized meat blend, the fried chicken is made in-house, and the mac 'n cheese is made to order.

"It actually tastes good and it’s a smorgasbord," he said. "It all blends really well together and it’s crazy big."

Go: 1601 Route 22, Bridgewater; 732-627-5012, 22westtapandgrill.com .

Outrageous Burrito at Elixir Bar & Grill, Edison

For two years prior to the onset of COVID-19, about a dozen competitive eaters tried their appetites on Elixir Bar & Grill’s Outrageous Burrito, a 6-pound burrito with pretty much everything you can ask for on a tortilla.

That includes cilantro rice, black beans, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, carnitas, grilled chicken, steak, queso sauce, inferno sauce, melted cheddar jack cheese, salsa roja, pico de gallo and crema.

Rising food costs led to the burrito’s end at the Edison restaurant. But starting Memorial Day Weekend, it’s back after popular demand.

“We’ve had families call us and ask for it since they wanted to order it for the table,” owner Manny Dhruv said.

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The $50 burrito can feed four people, or competitive eaters can try to finish it in 30 minutes to get the burrito for free, a T-shirt, a discount card for 25% off an order, and their name on a plaque.

So far, only four people — all professional eaters — have been able to finish it on their own, including YouTuber Randy Santel. He finished it in 18 minutes, and ordered a few beers and dessert afterward.

The Outrageous Burrito is so large that it’s made with three tortillas and presented on a serving tray. But it has both good looks and good taste.

“It has a lot of flavor because it has all of the different marinated meats so no bite is ever going to be bland,” Dhruv said. “And it’s long but not thick, so you have flavor with every bite and it’s easier to eat.”

Go: 2222 Woodbridge Ave., Edison; 732-819-4026, elixirbarandgrill.com .

Triple-decker sandwiches at Harold’s New York Deli, Edison

Harold Jaffe has been serving supersized food since before it was cool. Over more than 50 years at 40 of his delis, he’s offered foot-tall triple-decker sandwiches that can feed up to a dozen people.

He continues to do so at the 26-year-old Harold’s in Edison. This diner-style Jewish deli — the only one Jaffe owns now, and a landmark in the township — serves big plates of everything from sandwiches to brisket.

The triple-decker sandwiches, which come in several varieties, all include 6 pounds of meat. The most popular is the turkey, corned beef and pastrami with coleslaw and Russian dressing on rye.

Customers can also choose their own meats for the gigantic sandwiches; all cost $143.95.

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“I wanted to offer them because people get more of a value when they share,” said Jaffe. If a dozen people share the sandwich, it costs about $12 per person.

About a decade ago, Jaffe invited six professional eaters to try to each finish a sandwich by themselves. None could do it. Neither could Adam Richman on “Man v. Food,” who only finished about a quarter of it.

Rumors have circulated that the spot would soon be no more, but the truth is that only the hotel that Harold’s Deli is attached to was closing. Soon, that business will be a storage facility.

“We plan on being here another 50 years,” the website for Harold's New York Deli says.

Go: 1173 King Georges Post Road, Edison; 732-661-9100, haroldsfamousdeli.com .

Two-Pound Burger challenge at The Tiger's Tale, Montgomery

Montgomery might not have a ton of dining options, but it makes up for it with the colossal menu at The Tiger's Tale — and the restaurant's colossal burger.

The Two-Pound Burger Challenge includes a 2-pound beef patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese and bacon inside a 14-inch semolina bun. It costs $19.85, in honor of the year that Tiger's Tale opened.

If customers can finish the burger in 30 minutes, they win a free T-shirt, their photo on the Wall of Fame, and a dice roll. If the dice roll is seven, the burger is free; if it's 11, the burger is half-price; is it's snake-eyes, the burger is $2.

At least 500 people have completed the challenge, which The Tiger's Tale added to the menu in 2010. The fastest eater finished in nine minutes, 28 seconds.

Go: 1290 Route 206, Skillman; 609-924-0262, tigerstalenj.com .

Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, although she's a lifetime Jersey girl who considers herself an expert in everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State's buzzing downtowns. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun , please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone .

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Foot-tall sandwiches, 105-pound burgers: These are the biggest foods in Central Jersey