Dig into some of Vegas’ extreme burger adventures

Jim Begley

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010 | midnight

Looking for big? The Big Dog Daddy Challenge ($35) at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill (inside Harrah's, 369-5000) threatens you with the false advertisement of 100 ounces of sustenance — it eclipsed the century mark with the recent inclusion of two deep-fried Twinkies. This dessert accompanies a burger the size of your head, a side of fries and a 32-ounce beer to wash it all down. Eat all this by yourself and you get a T-shirt proclaiming your gastronomic superiority.

Heat more your style? Then try the Firecracker Burger ($18) at Aria's Skybox Sports Bar and Grill (590-8545). This monstrosity is an 8-ounce patty blended with the world's hottest Bhut Jolokia chili peppers — aka ghost chilies. The heat is unrelenting from start to finish while masking a surprisingly tasty burger amid a dish conceived in hell. Complete this one and you can bask in a free draft beer to quench the burn.

Can't pick? Then the Extreme Burger Challenge ($30) at LBS (at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa, 835-9393) is what you're looking for — an amalgam of both hot and huge. This challenge presents six half-pound patties covered with aforementioned ghost-chili sauce, American cheese, bacon, portobello mushrooms and 1.5 pounds of fries. Finish this beast in less than an hour and you get your meal for free and $100 — just enough to start that rainy day fund for your impending bypass surgery.