RI’s ultimate food challenges: The toughest food competitions in the Ocean State

 

 

RI’s ultimate food challenges: The toughest food competitions in the Ocean State

Savana Dunning

Olneyville New York System's Hot Weiner Challenge

18 Plainfield St., Providence(401) 621-9500

The archetypal challenge of the competitive eating scene, other than the classic Washington County Fair pie-eating contest, is the hot dog eating competition. Nathan’s, famously, holds an annual Fourth of July contest wherein Chestnut set a new record in 2021 for eating 76 dogs and their buns in 10 minutes.

Rhode Island, however, deals not in naked beef hot dogs but in dressed-up beef, pork and veal hot wieners. At Olneyville New York System, the culinarily competitive are tasked with eating as many wieners as they can within a 45-minute time limit. The sausages come five-at-a-time and are served "all the way," with their traditional meat sauce, mustard, celery salt and chopped onions in tow. As of May 2025, the current record sits at 45 wieners in 15 minutes, according to the restaurant’s Providence location.