Some famous NJ restaurants featured on TV’s ‘Man v Food’

“Man v Food,” one of the Travel Channel’s most popular series, follows host Adam Richman, and later actor Casey Webb, across America as they sample some iconic dishes from restaurants. In some episodes, they even take on some daunting, heart-stopping, next-to-impossible, and yes, sometimes nauseating food challenges.

In 2009, 2010, 2018, and 2019, Richman and Webb visited 12 of New Jersey’s most interesting and famous eateries in towns including Hoboken, Edison, Point Pleasant Beach, Asbury Park, and Seaside Heights.

Harold’s New York Deli

1173 King Georges Post Rd., Edison, NJ
Airdate: 12-09-09
http://www.haroldsfamousdeli.com/

Harold’s is home to some of the best and biggest deli food in the world, including their triple-decker sandwich, the world’s best-corned beef and pastrami, the world’s largest pickle bar, and their 2-foot-tall layer cakes.

Man v Food host Adam Richman tried the pastrami sandwich, which he said was excellent, according to tvfoodies.com. “I loved it! The table next to us was from out of town so they over-ordered just to try as much as they could. I’ve never seen so much food on a table,” he said. Richman warns not to judge this place by the building you would be making a big mistake.

R U Hungry

95 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ
Airdate: 12-09-09
https://www.ruhungrynj.net/challenge

Five grease trucks run through the heart of the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, but host Adam Richman said RU Hungry is the most prominent.

The food truck has been home to “fat” sandwiches for over 30 years. It’s also famous for its massive triple-decker deli sandwiches and two-pound strombolis.

The challenge is always to eat five of their stuffed Fat sandwiches in 45 minutes or less. RU Grease Truck owner Ayman Elnaggar told The Daily Targum that about 250 people have attempted the challenge in the past five years. Of them, only 16 were successful, he said.

Tradition says if a person can finish five fat sandwiches within the 45-minute time frame, a new sandwich gets named after the challenger, the Daily Targum reported.

Richman took the challenge. Each sandwich weighs nearly a pound and a half each, loaded with fried eggs, and mozzarella sticks and always topped with a fistful of fries, he said.

However, despite cheers and shouts from the crowd encouraging Richman to take one more bite after scarfing down four fat sandwiches, the host exceeded the 45-minute time frame.

He failed to complete the challenge, not being able to eat the veggie fat cat in time.
“In man v food, food won,” he said.

Stuff Yer Face

49 Easton Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ
Airdate: 12-09-2009
https://stuffyerface.com/

Stuff Yer Face is known for its gigantic “bolis, aka strombolis.” According to their website, bolis are 18 inches and weigh about two pounds.

Host Adam Richman arrived with his Man v Food crew, ready to taste the famous Stuff Yer Face stromboli.

In the Man v Food episode, Richman and the crew spent hours making strombolis. His favorite ‘boli is on the Stuff Yer Face menu: brie, cheddar, sauteed onions, onions, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, steak, chicken, and ancho chipotle sauce.

Hoffman’s Ice Cream

800 Richmond Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Airdate: 8-25-2010
https://www.travelchannel.com/videos/adam-vs-super-sized-sundae-0171388

Man v Food host Adam Richman visited Hoffman’s for some of the best ice creams at the Jersey Shore.

Since 1976, Hoffman’s has been serving up huge cones and enormous with over 35 flavors available.

Richman sampled Hoffman’s three-pound sundae called “The Octopus.” It is 8 scoops of ice cream, 8 toppings, and 8 whipped cream tentacles, weighing three pounds.

Richman loved it calling the sundae simply creamy and delicious!

https://www.travelchannel.com/videos/adam-vs-super-sized-sundae-0171388

Maruca’s Tomato Pies

601 Boardwalk, Seaside Heights, NJ
Airdate: 8-25-2010
https://www.marucaspizza.com/

In this episode of Man v Food, host Adam Richman went to Maruca’s, a 60-year-old New Jersey pizzeria, known for their original take on pizza: a thin-crust Trenton-style tomato pie that stands out with its delicious swirls of tomato sauce where the sauce is on top of the pie.

“It goes from fruit-like sweetness to a rich, bakery, buttery taste because of the crust and the cheese. Unbelievable! A toast to Maruca’s” said Richman via YouTube upon taking a bite of the iconic pie fresh from Maruca’s oven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoJITsvlkcQ

The Chicken or the Egg

207 North Bay Avenue, Beach Haven, NJ
Airdate: 08-25-2010
https://492fowl.com/

Host Adam Richman takes on the restaurant’s “Ludicrous Wings Challenge.” That’s 12 jumbo wings soaked in a spicy sauce made with an ingredient so spicy, that they call it “Devil’s Blood.”

During the episode, Richman talks about how thousands have tried the challenge but only 3 have been able to do it. Richman has to wear plastic gloves to protect his hands from the spices.

According to Food Network UK, Richman has only 15 minutes to complete the challenge.

With only seconds left, Richman completes the challenge, becoming only the fourth person to do so.

In this episode of “Man v Food”, man wins.

“I cannot say enough nice things about this place! Love their creative and mouthwatering eats, friendly staffers with incredible memories, and quirky environment,” Richman told tvfoodies.com.

Papa Pancho Pizza

1670 Oak Tree Road, Edison
Airdate: 05-28-2018
https://www.papapanchopizza.com/

Host Casey Webb takes on the “Spicy Pizza Challenge.” This is a wood-fired 12-inch Indo-Chinese-influenced pizza topped with a spicy take on marinara sauce. This sauce includes olive oil, onions, garlic, basil, white wine, and bhut jolokia (ghost chili powder) plus assorted vegetables, mozzarella cheese, pineapple pieces, chopped Thai red chili Indian green chili, all squirted with a bhut jolokia sauce.

Webb won the challenge, finishing this eye-watering dish in 10 minutes.

Bahr’s Landing Famous Seafood Restaurant and Marina

2 Bay Avenue, Highlands
Airdate: 05-28-2018
https://bahrslandingnj.com/

“Man v Food” host, Casey Webb visited this century-old Monmouth County restaurant in April 2018, according to The Asbury Park Press. At Bahr’s Landing, Webb ate a six-pound crabmeat-stuffed lobster.

The stuffing featured a mix of back fin, lump, and jumbo lump crab meat, along with homemade Old Bay seasoning, Dijon mustard, onion, red and green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, eggs, and panko bread crumbs.

The Speakeatery

705 Cookman Ave, Asbury Park, NJ
Airdate: 05-28-2018
https://www.thespeakeatery.com/

Host Casey Webb, from Red Bank, ate at The Speakeatery, which is known for its specialty sandwiches.

Webb dove in and ate The Hand Grenade, a wrapped sandwich of smoked baby back ribs (coated in a sugar-based dry rub, and also includes a pull-out bone for the hand grenade feel), topped with barbecue sauce, five-cheese macaroni and cheese (using mozzarella, cheddar, muenster, parmesan, and Velveeta), and coleslaw, all piled into a hot dog bun, slathered with a baked bean bourbon puree.

O’Bagel

600 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ
Airdate: 07-16-2019
https://www.obagel.net/

O’Bagel is known for its jumbo bagels, so big, that they are 30 pounds and serve up to 20 people.

According to TV Food Maps, host Casey Webb tried the “Jumbo Ridge Diablo,” a humongous sandwich loaded with scrambled eggs, pepper jack cheese, bacon, Taylor Ham pork roll, jalapenos, hash browns, and smoked chipotle aioli, all of which sit inside an 18-inch everything-seasoned 30-pound jumbo bagel.

Fiore’s House of Quality

414 Adams Street, Hoboken, New Jersey

Airdate: 07-16-2019

During his tour of Hoboken, host Casey Webb stopped at Fiore’s House of Quality to try their melt-in-your-mouth roast beef sandwich, featuring two-hour roasted top round beef soaked with gravy, and mozzarella inside a fresh baguette.

Webb takes a huge bite into this juicy treat, and simply says, “Oh my God.”

Tony Baloney’s

263 1st Street, Hoboken, New Jersey

Airdate: 07-16-2019

In another wacky food challenge, “Man v Food” host Casey Webb dives into the “Seven Deadly Rings Challenge.” This is a large (really large) slice of scamorza-cheese pizza, topped with seven sections of chicken tenders, each doused in increasingly hot pepper sauces: jalapeno, Calabrian chili, cayenne, habanero, Scotch bonnet, smoked ghost chili, and scorpion, all on top of a spicy crust peppered with chili oil.

No one has ever been able to finish the Seven Deadly Rings Challenge.

In the video, you can see Webb literally sweating through each ring. He gets to the final ring with the scorpion peppers and just can’t get it down.

In this episode of “Man v Food,” food wins.

Bon Appetit!

Jen Ursillo is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at jennifer.ursillo@townsquaremedia.com

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