SUFFOLK, Va., (WVEC) -- Hidden on Main Street in downtown Suffolk is a challenge you just can’t miss.
Baron’s Pub boasts one of the biggest, baddest burgers in Hampton Roads: The Baronator.
Coupled with a huge pile of fries, this one-hour challenge will cost you about six pounds on the scale.
Finish it all, and you’ll earn a Baron’s T-shirt, maybe some regret, but best of all…it’ll be on the house.
Luckily for us, 13News Now has our own big, bad dude who’s up to the task.
Photojournalist Bono Herrera, came out swinging to try and take the title.
Eyes pop as the Baronator makes its grand arrival to the table, and Bono is immediately intimidated.
“Coming here I was confident but now when they put this on the plate, I’m really shocked. I have some fear in me right now,” he said.
Co-owner Mike Williams starts the 60-minute timer and Bono methodically begins landing body blows to his heavyweight opponent.
“I’ve done 72 chicken nuggets before in the span of one hour, but something like this in one hour, I’ve never attempted this,” Bono said, still nervous.
Chipping away slowly, he just about polishes off the burger in about 30 minutes.
“He’s really doing well, I was really surprised,” said Williams, who is used to seeing big talkers come in and struggle.
Bono however, humble from the start, starts to find his confidence as he whittles the plate down to a few fries left.
“Little pile of baby food right here, just baby food! A baby could eat this right here.”
He pounds his chest, but not too hard…he’s got to keep it all down.
Slowly but surely, the fries disappear and all that stands between Bono and a (slightly larger) belt is one last bite.
“I didn’t think I could do this, but I did this,” he said, sinking his teeth into victory.
The good folks at Baron’s inform him that aside from being in the elite 33 percent of challengers to knock out the Baronator, he did it in record time, just over 45 minutes.
Bono has finished, but apparently he wasn’t done.
“Can I get some dessert here?!” he smiles. “I had a lot of fear going into this, when I saw it come to the table, I didn’t think I was going to do it. I was really scared.”
Able to harness his fear and a mountain of beef, mixed feelings are what’s left with our champion today.
“I just found out I broke the record. I was the fastest one to complete the Baronator. I gotta tell you it really feels good.”
Does it though? “It feels good here,” he says, pointing to his head. “Down here it doesn’t feel that well.”
What probably felt worst of all, was that Bono left Baron’s and went straight to work.