Category: Food & Drink

Joey Chestnut nearly beat the 2024 men’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest winner … in half the time

Joey Chestnut is unstoppable, even when he’s not in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

We were robbed of what could have been a masterful performance on July 4th.

Patrick Bertoletti took the Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest crown from Joey Chestnut on Thursday after Chestnut had to bow out due to his partnership with Impossible Foods. Bertoletti ate 57 hot dogs in the allotted 10 minutes, which is pretty impressive.

But perhaps Chestnut knew he had to make a statement. So at Fort Bliss in Texas later that day, Chestnut did a five-minute contest and ate … 57 hot dogs.

That’s pretty wild and means we could have seen him perhaps deliver another incredible record-setting day in Coney Island.

Watch:

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Here’s every winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest since 2000

A look back at every winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest over the last decades.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.

With the Fourth of July comes everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure: the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual tradition featuring the art of consuming an absurd amount of processed meat in a short amount of time.

The competition rose to notoriety through the likes of Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, who have each won the event multiple times.

For this year’s contest, Chestnut isn’t competing due to his deal with Impossible Foods, so we’ll have a new men’s winner in 2024.

With that in mind, we’re taking a look back at every winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest since 2000, both men and women.

MORE: 

Patrick Bertoletti shocks the field and wins first Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Joey Chestnut’s absence

A first-time winner in the annual competition.

Patrick Bertoletti took advantage of the absence of Joey Chestnut to make a statement at the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Chestnut, who had won 8-straight and 16 of the last 17, was disqualified from this year’s event due to a brand deal with a competitor.

MORE: Eric ‘Badlands’ Booker set a new record in the Nathan’s lemonade chug and roared into the microphone

Instead, the raucous crowd saw Bertoletti demolish 58 hot dogs and buns — a new personal best for the eater — earn the coveted mustard belt. Bertoletti beat out Geoffrey Esper, the No. 2 eater in the world, to snag the victory.

“I wasn’t going to stop eating until the job was done,” Bertoletti said after his win.

Eric ‘Badlands’ Booker set a new record in the Nathan’s lemonade chug and roared into the microphone

Another dominant performance from Badlands Booker.

There may not be any Joey Chestnut at this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, but that doesn’t mean the afternoon in Coney Island was without drama and excitement. In the women’s competition, Miki Sudo crushed a record-setting 51 hot dogs and buns. And she wasn’t the only one putting new entries into the record book.

MORE: Why Joey Chestnut isn’t in the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

Chugging icon Eric “Badlands” Booker took just 21 seconds to down an entire gallon of lemonade, setting a new standard in the event. While others at the table took breaks for air, Badlands powered through in one fell swoop, making the gallon look like nothing more than a swig of your favorite beverage.

After his victory, Booker celebrated with a deep roar into the microphone. Perfect performance, no notes.

Watch Miki Sudo break a Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest record with her 10th win

Sudo once again shows how dominant she can be in the field.

No woman is better at eating a lot of Nathan’s hot dogs in a short amount of time than competitive eater Miki Sudo, and she proved it yet again this Fourth of July. Sudo absolutely lapped the field in 2024, crushing a record-breaking 51 dogs and buns in just 10 minutes during the iconic Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. She is now the first woman to eclipse the 50-mark in the competition.

MORE: Why Joey Chestnut isn’t in the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

Sudo broke her own record of 48-and-a-half hot dogs set in 2020 and smashed her 2023 performance of 39-and-a-half. This was Sudo’s 10th Nathan’s win, and her 10th straight that she participated in (Sudo did not compete in 2021 as she was out due to her pregnancy).

Why Joey Chestnut isn’t in the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

Here’s why you won’t see the legendary competitive eater this year.

Are you tuning into the annual July 4th extravaganza known as the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and wondering why you’re not seeing Joey Chestnut downing dogs as usual, breaking records along the way and winning an event he’s won so many times?

We have an answer. We did a longer explainer about the whole thing, but here’s the summary: Chestnut made a deal with Impossible Foods to promote their hot dogs made with plant-based ingredients. Because he made a promotion deal with another brand that he can’t promote — because, y’know, Nathan’s runs the event! — he was out.

Major League Eating said he wasn’t banned, but Chestnut is out. He’ll be at Fort Bliss in El Paso, downing dogs against soldiers on Thursday.

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The rules of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, explained

There’s a little more to it than just “eat as many dogs as you can in 10 minutes.” But yeah, that’s the gist.

On the Fourth of July, we come together as a nation to celebrate America. No brand understands this better than Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.

Since 1967, albeit with occasional breaks, the company has sponsored an eating contest either on or around Independence Day. The proceedings have changed, as have the prizes and the fame that follows the event. The premise remains the same: Whoever eats the most hot dogs wins.

Since Takeru Kobayashi’s incredible 2001 debut, that’s meant putting down at least 50 hot dogs and buns (HDBs) in a ludicrously short timeline (10 minutes, down from 12 after the 2007 contest).

But there’s a little more to the competition than showing up and chowing down. The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has some strict rules that must be followed to complete one dedicated gurgitator’s quest for the mustard yellow (or pink, in the case of the women’s competition) belt.

Here’s a breakdown of what they include.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest: The top-10 record-holders for most eaten (all by Joey Chestnut)

A look back at the top-10 of most hot dogs eaten — it all belongs to Chestnut.

Joey Chestnut won’t be back to defend his crown at the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Well, it was the crown that he’s had for the past eight years — he was last defeated in 2015, when Matt Stonie beat him 62 to 60. But it’ll be interesting to see if someone else competing — say, Geoffrey Esper — breaks Chestnut’s record from 2021 of 76 dogs.

And if you’re here, you might be wondering: What are the records that Chestnut has set and broken over the years that he’s won? Fun fact: The top-10 of all time all belongs to him.

Let’s run through the list:

52 Major League Eating records that belong to Joey Chestnut

Hot dogs aren’t Joey Chestnut’s only specialty.

There are few traditions more American than the equal parts fascinating and disgusting art of competitive eating.

And when it comes to competitive eating, there’s one undisputed king: Joey Chestnut.

Chestnut is best known for dominating the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which is held on July 4 at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. He’s won the men’s title 15 times, which includes every year since 2007 except for 2015 when he was upset by Matt Stonie.

But Chestnut’s record-setting eating includes more than just hot dogs. Ahead of the latest installment of the contest, here’s a rundown of all the Major League Eating world records held by Chestnut.

Celebrate July 4th 2024 with 6 free food deals and discounts on Thursday

Go get some free or discounted food on Independence Day!

It’s July 4th, 2024, also known as Independence Day in the United States. We hope you’re enjoying the day in which we remember the commemoration of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

And if you’re here, you might be looking for some discounts and food deals for Thursday, because there are some places you’re familiar with giving out some free stuff or food at a lower price than usual. If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place!

Here are a few deals we saw at some chains around the United States for you all to enjoy. Have a great day!

Krispy Kreme

(Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Simply walk into a Krispy Kreme wearing red, white and blue and you get a free Original Glazed donut!

Wendy’s

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

You can get a free small Frosty if you use the app and spend at least $5.

White Castle

Syndication: Daytona Beach News-Journal

You can do buy-one-get-one-free on individual combo meals. Make sure to check their site for coupons.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Syndication: The Tennessean

Use the code GOWINGS on Buffalo Wild Wings GO and you can get six wings for free if you have an order of at least $10.

Insomnia Cookies

Syndication: Iowa City Press-Citizen

Buy 12 classic cookies and get four free!

Jimmy John’s

MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images

If you’re a rewards member, you can get buy-one-get-one Firecracker Wraps.

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