Rochester, New York

No trip to the Rock is complete without an obligatory stop for a “garbage plate” at Nick Tahou Hots, a landmark restaurant famous for its extreme American cuisine. The earliest version of this dish dates back to 1918, when it was called “Hots and Potatoes.” This evolved to “Hots and Po-tots” and eventually to the “Garbage Plate.” So, why “garbage plate”?

Well, all it takes is one look.

The dish starts with a base of home fries. Simple enough. From that, macaroni salad, baked beans, two cheeseburgers, onions, mustard, chili and hot sauce are piled on top. Apparently, years ago, customers at Nick’s started asking for “one of those plates with all the garbage on it.” And thus, the garbage plate was born.

As unappetizing as it looks, the garbage plates are surprisingly delicious. We expected to be grossed out — but the burgers were cooked well and single forkfuls of meat, onion, chili and potato just the right mix. “This is actually really good,” Alex said. Still, the heaping portions were obscene and we barely put a dent in the three pound plate of food.

“Just one? For the twoaya?” the guy at the counter had asked incredulously when we placed our order. Yes, just one, we shamefully replied.

Give us a break here.

Washington, D.C.

Although it won’t be official for another couple of weeks, it’s safe to say that summer and grill season has arrived in the District. I’ve already talked about hotdogs. Now, let’s turn our attention to burgers.

There’s only one place to go when you’re really feeling the need for ground chuck: Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub. It’s out in Clearfield, Pa. For the competitive eater — amateur or pro — this hole in the wall is a dream, offering several different challenges:

• Beer Barrel Belly Buster: It’s 10.5 pounds of ground beef, 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes, two onions, a cup-and-a-half each of mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, mustard and banana peppers sandwiched in a gigantic bun. “It’s like trying to eat half a cow,” says one local resident.
• Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser: The Buster too easy? Move onto the Bruiser, two 25 pounds beef patties, 4 pounds of cheese, five heads of lettuce, a couple of onion, a cup of peppers, a jar of relish, smothered with loads of ketchup, mustard and mayo. It stands 34 inches tall and takes 4 hours to cook. It’ll set you and 50 of your friends back $179.
• Beer Barrel Main Event Charity Burger: This thing is just a monster, weighing in at 123 pounds (80 of which are beef). Counting calories? “If you were worried about calories you would be at home eating Kellogg’s,” says the owner. The beast costs $379 — almost as much as the triple bypass surgery you’ll require.

If quantity isn’t your thing, you can still get your burger on this summer. There’s “Baseball’s Best Burger,” available at the Gateway Grizzlies stadium in St. Louis. It’s a hamburger patty, topped with sharp cheddar cheese and two slices of bacon — all between a sliced Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut. And, for those not ready to leave the District, there’s this list of the best burgers.

Hungry yet?