GREAT BALLS OF FIRE: 30 MINUTES, 44 OUNCES, NO EXCUSES

by Joshua Barber

Some people come to the T-Room for a Cheesy Western. Some order two hots all the way. Then there are the people who look at a giant bowl of chili beans and say, “Yeah, I can finish that.”

Those people need to meet the Great Balls of Fire Chili Challenge.

This is not your normal bowl of chili. It is not a light lunch. And it is definitely not something you order because you already filled up on breakfast.

WHAT’S IN THE BOWL?

The challenge starts with 44 ounces of Texas Inn chili beans. Then we pile on:

  • 4 ounces of chopped onion
  • 4 ounces of our famous relish
  • 2 ounces of hot sauce
  • 9 packs of oyster crackers

That comes to 54 ounces before you even count the crackers. In other words, you are staring down more than three pounds of chili beans and fixings.

And because simply finishing it would apparently be too easy, you only get 30 minutes.

WHAT DO YOU WIN?

Finish the whole thing before time runs out and your challenge is free.

You also leave with two prizes worthy of the accomplishment:

  • A toilet bowl trophy
  • A can of Febreze

Why the Febreze?

We trust you can connect the dots.

If the clock wins, you pay $34.95 plus tax and tip. You will not receive a trophy, but you will leave with a story and a newfound respect for the humble chili bean.

THIS CHALLENGE HAS SOME HISTORY

The current challenge is not the first time Texas Inn has put hungry customers in front of an unreasonable amount of chili.

For National Chili Day in 2022, six contestants faced an earlier version involving two 36-ounce bowls and a one-hour time limit. Every contestant eventually tapped out or was disqualified. Nobody took home the toilet bowl trophy that night. Liberty Champion covered the competition.

That does not mean the challenge is impossible.

In January 2026, Harrisonburg High School student Micah Wenger completed the 44-ounce version at the Harrisonburg T-Room. His final time was 27 minutes and 54 seconds, leaving him just over two minutes to spare. He walked out with the trophy, the Febreze, and whatever dignity remained after eating that much chili. The Weather Vane documented his attempt.

So yes, it can be done.

Probably.

THINK YOU’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

Come hungry. Know your limits. Bring somebody willing to watch you make a series of increasingly questionable decisions.

There is no shame in ordering a regular bowl of chili instead. It tastes just as good, requires considerably less paperwork, and is far less likely to become the main event of your afternoon.

But if you are ready to face 44 ounces of chili beans, all the fixings, nine packs of crackers, and one unforgiving clock, ask the crew about the Great Balls of Fire Chili Challenge.

Thirty minutes. One big bowl. No excuses.

What are ya havin’?

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