Community Corner
Can Anyone Handle RUB's 7-Pound Sandwich?
Highland Park's Allstate Agency takes on the barbecue spot's Homewrecker Challenge.
On Tuesday, Allstate Insurance Company employee Joe Fejes tried to take on Hungry Home Wrecker -- a 7-pound sandwich with sliced Texas sausage, pulled pork, spicy pickles, a pint of cole slaw and a 10-inch bun.
See more photos from the attempt on Patch's Facebook page.
To win this challenge, Fejes not only needed to eat this behemoth, but he needed to do so in 40 minutes. A timer that looked like a pig was used to keep track of how long he had.
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Edward Litke, an Allstate employee from , invited me to watch Fejes' attempt. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't even close. Here's how it went.
Before the clock starts: Fejes stretches at his table. Does he think he'll be able to get through 7 pounds of meat?
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"It's a lot of poundage," he says with an air of confidence. The sandwich comes out, and as its placed in front of him, Fejes shares his strategy with me. "Eat everything else first and save the bread for last." He takes the top bun slices off and places them on a plate.
Fork in hand, Fejes looks ready to begin. General manager Gina Booth turns the timer on and the challenge starts.
36 minutes 31 seconds remaining: While eating the layer of pulled pork, Fejes explains with a bit of pride how he plans to deal with the bread when he finishes everything else.
"I'm going to pour water on it, then slurp it up," he says. Someone at his tables utters an audible "Ew," but he doesn't seem to notice.
He keeps eating.
20 minutes remaining: Fejes has made his way through the pulled pork and is now working on the Texas sausage and pickles. His face looks flushed, but determined.
"I'm getting full," he says. "I feel like I've got to burp."
Real Urban Barbecue employees give each other knowing looks: he's not going to make it.
10 minutes: Fejes is struggling with the spiciness of the food still on the sandwich.
"It's spicy hot," he says after a big gulp of soda.
The Real Urban Barbecue employee who built Fejes' sandwich acknowledges the dangers of its spiciness.
"With the pickles, the sausage and the sauce you've got to like spicy or it's going to take you," he says.
Fejes keeps eating, albeit more slowly, with more stops for soda.
5 minutes: Fejes belches. The crowd around him applauds.
0 minutes left: The bun remains, in addition to about a third of the sausage and pickles. A Real Urban Barbecue employees commends Fejes on the effort.
"I've only seen one person come closer than you did before," he says, "And they looked a lot worse than you by the end of it."
Fejes nods, accepting his defeat with humility.
Then he begins belching again. And he doesn't stop for a while.
Though Fejes did not win a place on RUB's Wall of Conquerors (or a refund for the $29.95 sandwich), he gets a place on the wall for those who have tried and failed: Honorable Munchins.
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