MAN v. FOOD in DESTIN: Fort Walton Beach man claims victory against 3.2-pound Jetty Giant burger (PHOTOS and VIDEO)

Move over Adam Richman, Destin has its own version of a gargantuan “Man v. Food” challenge — The Jetty Giant at Fisherman’s Wharf.

“It’s like a giant meatloaf between two pieces of bread,” Fisherman’s Wharf chef Steve Koczak told The Log while preparing a Jetty Giant Wednesday.

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE JETTY GIANT, CLICK HERE.

The Jetty Giant is a 3.2-pound behemoth, which starts off with two pounds of 85/15 ground beef, eight pieces of cheese (cheddar and white), sautéed onions and mushrooms, fried jalapenos, six slices of bacon, a whole tomato, half a head of lettuce and is sandwiched between a specialty made bun and topped with four pickle spears.

Competitors have 60 minutes to eat the entire burger, unassisted.  To the gastronomical victor goes a Fisherman’s Wharf T-shirt.

“I didn’t think anybody would eat it,” said John Olivarez, general manager at Fisherman’s Wharf. “At first nobody could finish it, because like most competitions, they had to eat everything on the plate.”

Nowadays, competitors only have to finish the burger, compared to the original challenge that included a serving of cole slaw and a pound of French fries.

Looking at the challenge, the numbers are in favor of the $24.99 burger. Forty-nine people have attempted the feat and only nine have succeeded.

“It’s pretty intense, since most of the people that try the burger have never seen it before,” Olivarez said. “You see this massive 3.2-pound burger come out on a platter and I think that in itself is overwhelming; it’s like they have already been defeated.”

At the urging of some friends, Fort Walton Beach resident Matt Hull sat down to the table Aug. 11 to attempt the Jetty Giant challenge. He was not alone though, as two of his youth ministry students and one of the boy’s fathers attempted the challenge with him.

“I was astonished that it was that big,” the 34-year-old youth minister told The Log Friday. “My initial thought was, that’s a lot of bread.”

With the burger, that was easily bigger than his head, staring him in the face, Hull said he felt as though he would have no problems making his way through the two pounds of beef, but the “other pound” was what seemed daunting.

“There was a lot of onions, which gave me a little trouble,” Hull remembered.

Halfway through the Jetty Giant, Hull said he was feeling pretty good thanks to the juicy, flavorful burger.

“It was probably one of the best burgers I have ever had,” he said. “The last quarter is where it really became work.”

Looking around the table, Hull realized that he was further ahead than his fellow diners. With the clock working against his tablemates, Hull said the students were about eight to 10 bites away from finishing.

With the buzz from curious onlookers and support from the wait staff and food runners serving as cheerleaders, Hull was able to fight through the dreaded food wall, with help from the bounce technique that is commonly used in food competitions to make more stomach room, and finish the crouton-sized pieces of bread he left until the end.

Hull said he finished the Jetty Giant challenge in about 40 minutes.

“I knew if I used the whole hour I was going to be in trouble,” he said.

As for slaying the giant, Hull said he wasn’t necessarily shocked that he accomplished feat, despite the success rate not being in his favor.

“I felt full, accomplished,” he said.

After consuming a 3.2-pound burger, one might think they would shy away from beef patties for at least a week or so, but Hull said with a chuckle that he had a cheeseburger the very next night.

“I look back and can’t believe I did that, but nothing else on the menu looked good,” he said.

The Wharf averages about one Jetty Giant challenger a week, Olivarez said. And it’s not always the people he thinks are going to finish that do.

“I have stopped being surprised at this point,” he said laughing.

Olivarez said the Wharf is the only restaurant that he is aware of that has any type of a food challenge in Destin, which is something that the restaurant staff is proud of.

“I couldn’t have expected anything better from the results we have had,” Olivarez said. “This has really been something that people enjoy.”

Given his accomplishment, Hull thinks Adam Richman might be up for the Jetty Giant challenge as well.

“Maybe Man V. Food will come to the Panhandle one day and try the challenge.”