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Chacho's monster 3 1/2-pound taco tempts, tests big eaters

Chacho's monster 14-inch taco
Posted at 6:53 PM, May 19, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-19 21:17:15-04

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Thousands have tried the Chacho's Taco Challenge.

But only a select few - 26 to be exact - have been triumphant over the whopping 14-inch taco that has challenged and bedeviled Coastal Benders for years.

That's only a part of the appeal of the iconic taco shop at 3700 Ayers St. that has been serving up the goods for 19 years.

They serve a delicious array of breakfast tacos along with a wide assortment of lunch plates six days a week.

But that whopping 14-inch taco that weights a hefty three and a half pounds gets a lot of attention.

Crammed with potatoes, eggs, carne guisada, bacon and cheese, it's a real mouthful.

Anyone who can eat it solo in less than 10 minutes gets the taco for free, along with a t-shirt and immortality as their picture hangs proudly on Chacho's Wall of Fame.

"My boys said 'Mom, we need something different.' So I said well, let's try a big taco so they put all the ingredients in together and it’s been in the business for 19 years," owner Mary Gutierrez said.

It's been a challenge for competitive eaters ever since.