Man v. Food Nation Season 4 Episode 6: Mobile Alabama
Adam arrives at Wintzell’s Oyster House for the Wintzell’s Oyster House Challenge. The Man v. Food Nation competitor in this challenge has won before, eating 403 oysters in 1 hour, if he wins he gets his photo up on the wall of fame. The champ was beaten by another challenger who downed 421 oysters. Today the challenger “Big Joe” Evans is taking on 422 oysters in order to beat the current champ. Adam took out 180 oysters in his oyster challenge but can’t imagine anyone eating over 400 oysters in an hour!
First stop for Adam is The Hungry Owl, where they are famous for their creole creations and stepped up burgers. Adam has heard about their legendary Hungry Owl stuffed burger, stuffed with 20 ingredients! Adam heads back to the kitchen where the owner shows him how this fantastic burger is made. The owner creates two beef patties of Black Angus beef, a total of 1 pound of meat, covered with the special house creole seasoning and stuffed with 20 ingredients, including cooked veggies, pork sausage, and a trio of cheeses. As the burger cooks it is hit with more spice and more cheese, then topped with a secret homemade creole BBQ sauce, bacon, more cheese, and a fried egg. Adam tears into this juicy burger and proclaims “That is awesome!…it’s more like steak!”
Adam heads to The Brick Pit next, where they are known for their smoked pulled pork. The owner tells Adam that they smoke their pork butt 25 to 30 hours, much longer than most restaurants smoke their pork. Adam heads to the back where the giant smoker called “Big Red”, that cooks pork and just about anything else the restaurant serves. The owner tells Adam you can’t find a fat pork butt like this in a regular store. Adam jokes he’s got one right here and slaps his own butt making the owner and the audience laugh.
The montage shows Adam and “Big Joe” Evans at Wintzell’s Oyster House, practicing for the big challenge. Adam mentors Big Joe on how to eat so many oysters. Dressed up in work gloves and aprons, Adam tells Big Joe to pace himself while he eats the oysters, use a condiment (Adam jokes use “a safe condiment”), and use crackers to get down more oysters. Adam and Big Joe shuck an oyster each and try the challenge oyster and remark on how tasty they are.
Adam is at Wintzell’s Oyster House readying Big Joe for the Wintzell’s Oyster House Challenge. The previous champ of the challenge ate 421 oysters beating Big Joe’s record, that’s 32.5 dozen oysters total! Adam remembers how hard getting 180 oysters down was in one of his Man v. Food challenges.
The owner brings Big Joe his first tray of 100 oysters from the bar and the challenge begins! Adam and the crow cheers Big Joe on. Adam is amazed as Big Joe swallows oyster after oyster, averaging 1 oyster per second! In 30 seconds Big Joe has downed 2 dozen oysters. Adam and the crowd chant “Joe vs Food!” as Joe eats on.
The first tray of 100 oysters is gone in 5 minutes! Adam is stunned at Big Joe’s speed. Big Joe starts on the second tray as Adam and the crowd chant “Big Joe Evans!” At 10 minutes in 200 oysters are history as Big Joe starts his third tray of 100 oysters. Suddenly Joe hits the oyster wall and asks Adam for lemon, then crackers, to help get down the next 100 oysters.
Joe is struggling closing in on finishing 300 oysters with 15 minutes left to the challenge. Adam encourages Joe to keep on as Joe completes tray 3 and starts on tray 4 of the challenge. As the clock ticks down Big Joe gets 5 more oysters eaten but must surrender at 305 oysters. Even though Big Joe is disappointed that he didn’t beat the challenge, Adam is shocked that Big Joe ate 305 oysters! Adam announces that today, in the battle between man and food, food won. Adam happily presents Big Joe with an official Man v. Food Nation title belt, making Big Joe smile.
