The Quirky Idaho Restaurant That Challenges You To Eat 72 Ounces Of Steak

Indian Creek Steakhouse is more than you can manage in one sitting and it's not just because its portions are huge. Situated in a two-story building in south-central Idaho, the steakhouse has a menu stacked with everything from wagyu beef burgers and steaks to roasted chicken and seafood. The restaurant also has sides of salads, soups, beans, and potatoes — cooked pretty much any way you can imagine. But there's more. At Indian Creek Steakhouse you can two-step on the dance floor, ride the mechanical bull, and wander over to the tavern for a local brew from the selection on tap. It's a place where Pecos Bill would have pulled up a chair, where the tales are tall, where the steaks sizzle, and where you can become your very own larger-than-life legend.

At Indian Creek, you can take on an eating challenge that'll cost you $80 if you lose and get you a free meal with a side of bragging rights if you win. All you have to do is belly up to a 72-ounce steak meal and devour the whole thing in one sitting. Clean your plate and you'll get the steak comped, along with a free T-shirt. Fail to eat everything and you'll have to pay for your meal like everyone else.

A big appetite is the best thing to bring to Indian Creek Steakhouse, especially if you're taking on the steak challenge. The 72-ounce sirloin steak is three times the size of most of the meat on the restaurant's regular menu, which offers steaks that range from 8 ounces to 26 ounces. You can also find a 53-ounce tomahawk steak on the dinner menu for $130.

Order the Indian Creek Steakhouse food challenge and you'll sit down to a 4.5-pound slab of Idaho-raised beef, perfectly seared over an open flame in an applewood firepit. From your table, you'll be able to watch one of the best cuts of beef for steak sizzle as it cooks in the open kitchen. The giant sirloin will dwarf other, smaller cuts of ribeye, sirloin, chicken, and seafood; a marbled pattern of fat melting into lean meat. When it's delivered to your table, you'll realize there's more to this challenge than meets the eye. To win, you're not only required to eat the whole 72 ounces of meat set before you; you have to also eat a side salad, a baked potato, a side of buckaroo baked beans, and a piece of fried bread. Plus, you have a one-hour time limit to finish the challenge.

You can learn all you need to know about Idaho from the folks at Indian Creek Steakhouse, from the smell of meat roasting over an open flame in the dining room to the saddles that serve as barstools. Antlers and wagon wheels decorate the stairs. It's a restaurant with a Wild West flair. And just like the American West, discovery is part of the fun of the Indian Creek Steakhouse challenge.

The first step of the Indian Creek Steakhouse food challenge is knowing about it at all, and that's because the 72-ounce steak isn't boldly advertised on the menu. It isn't on the restaurant's website landing pages either; this food challenge is only for people in the know. Several food bloggers and content creators have given it a shot and won the challenge — among them is Raina Huang, a competitive eater who finished the challenge in a little over 18 minutes. 

Even if you miss out on the food challenge at Indian Creek Steakhouse, there's no question you'll find the best cut of steak to suit your taste buds at the restaurant. You'll also find some other Idaho favorites including rocky mountain oysters, cattle kabobs, and finger steaks. Lobster, chicken, shrimp kabobs, and salmon are all on the menu, and if you're feeling like a little pasta, you can order the Cow Poke Pasta, a dish made from fettuccine noodles with garlic white sauce and your choice of protein.