The Big-Food Hall of Fame

Yeah, we know, Americans are getting bigger and restaurant portions are partly to blame. But we still stand in awe of these eight purveyors of really giant eats.

By Bret Stetka for MSN City Guides

Judging by our shameless obsession with SUVs, plasma screens and bulky trips to Costco, Americans just can't get enough of big. And nowhere is this more evident than in our food.

Now, I'm not talking about gargantuan Guinness Record holders that were only prepared once. Nor the super-sized fast food phenomenon and its untoward effects on public health—that’s an altogether more serious matter. I'm instead talking about those playful attempts at shock and awe meant for only occasional, celebratory or multi-party indulging that can actually be ordered off a menu. Numerous restaurants around the country offer such over-sized belly bombs, and below are eight big foods worth loosening your belt for.  

Clearfield, Pa.: Denny's Beer Barrel Pub 
1452 Woodland Rd. | (814) 765-7190

Assembling the country's largest commercially available hamburger is a tumultuous endeavor requiring competitive dedication, impeccable grilling skills and lots of ground beef. In 1998, Denny's Beer Barrel Pub brought this coveted title home to Central Pennsylvania with its respectable six-pound offering. Then in 2005, the Clinton Station Diner in Clinton, New Jersey, trumped Denny's with their 12.5-pound "Zeus" burger, only to be outdone one year later by the build-your-own-burger chain Fuddrucker's, which grilled up a 29-pounder.

Well, to the delight of Pennsylvanians everywhere, in 2008 Denny's reclaimed the record with its mammoth 123-pound Main Event Charity Burger! Here's the breakdown: an 80-pound beef patty, a 30-pound bun, 160 slices of cheese, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and—to assuage any nutritional guilt—a pound of lettuce and 12 tomatoes. Outstanding.