Joey Chestnut is the No. 1-ranked competitive eater in the world, but a rival from the past is back to challenge him on the most unusual of stages.
The 40-year-old Chestnut will go head-to-head with fellow champion Takeru Kobayashi, settling their Unfinished Beef in a live hot dog eating contest on Netflix. The Labor Day duel begins streaming Monday at 3 p.m. ET.
Chestnut and Kobayashi, 46, have been impressing—or nauseating, depending on whom you ask—viewers with their gluttonous abilities for years. The two have a combined 22 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest titles between them, including a streak of eight straight for Chestnut from 2016 through 2023. However, they have not faced each other since 2009.
While Chestnut is best known for hot dogs—ingesting a record 76 franks and buns in 10 minutes in 2021—he is not a picky eater. According to Major League Eating, the body that oversees all professional eating contests, Chestnut holds a ridiculous 55 world records across foods ranging from chicken wings to funnel cake. ESPN even featured Chestnut, aptly nicknamed “Jaws,” in a “Sport Science” segment explaining the mechanics behind his prolific skills.
With the eating star in the spotlight once again, here’s a list of seven other delicacies he’s conquered in record fashion.
Twinkies
The first-ever eating contest featuring the cream-filled snack cakes was held at Bally’s Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, on October 26, 2013. Chestnut ate 121 of them in only 6 minutes, topping rival Matt Stonie’s 111 and pocketing $5,000 in prize money.
Chestnut isn’t limited to only one Hostess product. He also set a 2018 record with 257 Donettes in 6 minutes.
Philly Cheesesteaks
Chestnut ate 23 6-inch cheesesteaks at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom—an amusement and water park complex in Allentown, Pennsylvania—on May 14, 2011. It was his second straight victory in the event. Hopefully, he didn’t try to ride any of the roller coasters following the 10-minute competition.
Eggo-Style Waffles
Chestnut, originally from San Jose, California, dueled against Stonie in front of hometown fans at a San Jose Barracuda hockey game on November 17, 2019. Chestnut consumed 81 waffles in 8 minutes to Stonie’s 75.
Fun fact: The Dorsa brothers—Tony, Sam, and Frank—invented Eggo frozen waffles in San Jose in 1953.
Turkey
Unable to wait until Thanksgiving, Chestnut more than doubled the previous world record by eating 9.35 pounds of meat off a 20-pound whole turkey on November, 22, 2014, at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. No word on if he needed a nap after ingesting all that tryptophan in only 10 minutes.
Ramen Noodles
With the sports world halted during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Major League Eating and BetOnline combined to form a bracket-style eating challenge in April 2020. Chestnut advanced through three rounds of competition—featuring sliced bologna, Oreo cookies and milk, and baked beans—to reach the final, where he set a championship-winning record by scarfing down 10 cups of Ramen noodles in only 1:50.
Shrimp Cocktail
The St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis, which notably appeared in an episode of the sitcom Parks and Recreation, played host to Chestnut’s shrimp cocktail eating record on December 1, 2018. He consumed 18 pounds and 9.6 ounces of the hors d’oeuvre in only 8 minutes.
Tacos
It doesn’t have to be Tuesday for Chestnut to enjoy tacos. He scarfed down 53 of the soft shell variety from Taco Bell on July 29, 2011—a Friday—in only 10 minutes.
One taco record apparently wasn’t enough, either. Chestnut set another mark for traditional 3-inch tortilla tacos five years later, downing 126 in 8 minutes.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
