From North America to Asia, adventurous eaters are pushing themselves more than ever, and the restaurants we have handpicked are challenging them creatively.

A three-foot-long burrito. A $40 chicken sandwich. A hamburger 10 patties tall. At these Kansas City restaurants, finishing a food challenge will bring eternal glory, and possibly a stomachache too.

When weighing the most intimidating food challenge in Iowa, I decided volume is the primary metric-anybody can attempt an eat-as-much-as-you-can challenge; spicy challenges are for specialists.