This is the search for burgers that take two hands to eat and ooze grease and melted cheese down your forearms like delicious lava. It's a quest for barbecued ribs that deliver just as much sauce to your mouth as they do your mustache. It's a hunt for wings so habanero-hot that you momentarily forget your name and where you parked.
Men's Health is looking for the Manliest Restaurant in America.
And they need your help, sports fans -- guys and gals alike. Why? Because sports and food is one of the manliest combinations on the planet. Whether it's a few potato skins while watching your favorite team or a full-blown tailgate party that would make Emeril Lagasse blush, sports and food are attached at the hip.
The ultimate combination of sports and food may be the tailgate party, but
you can't always cook everything yourself. So Men's Health wants you to narrow down its list of the top 45 guy-friendly restaurants from all over the country. (Want to eat out, guilt-free? Then order one of these Surprisingly Healthy Restaurant Foods.)
Who will you vote for?
Father's Office in Los Angeles is so confident its burger is the best that they only serve one type, won't allow any substitutions and do not have ketchup anywhere on the premises.
Primanti Brothers knows it all ends up in the same place, so you'll get your fries in the middle of your sandwich at this Pittsburgh institution.
If that's not manly enough for you, how about a little fried pigskin? The Publican in Chicago is known for its spicy pork rinds and dozens of beers to wash them down with.
There are plenty more categories, from BBQ to seafood to chili to tacos. Log on to mh.com to throw in your two cents. Ladies too. As the saying goes, "Behind every good Manliest Restaurant in America contest is a good woman."
And guys, you don't have to smash your thumb with a hammer to be manly. Just vote. The nominees include ...
Men's Health Searches For Restaurants Guys (And Quite A Few Girls) Will Love Slideshow
Ben's Chili Bowl, Washington
The half smokes, chili, and décor haven’t changed one damn bit since the place opened back in 1958. They never needed to. A "half smoke" kicks sand in the face of your traditional wiener. It’s beefier, spicier, and a whole lot tastier than anything Hatfield every slapped its tag on. At Ben's, you order it like long-time patron Bill Cosby did: Topped with mustard, onions, and chili. On the side? More chili, straight up, or French fries topped with chili. The viscous, milk-chocolate-colored chili has a tinge of heat and goes best clobbered with cheese and chopped white onions.
Bone's Steakhouse, Atlanta
Steaks so good they’ll convert a vegan, and old-school service that makes every customer feel like they own a private jet and a black book filled with supermodels. And, come on, the place is named Bone's. There’s no signature cut, says co-owner Susan DeRose, no ludicrously marked-up brand of beef that’s forced upon you in the name of a house specialty. "We're kind of about what you want," DeRose says. So what's your pleasure: The 14-oz filet mignon, or perhaps the 20-oz dry-aged rib eye, both of which are served bone-in for more flavor? Or maybe you'd prefer the porterhouse for two, or the New York strip? For indecisive types, there's also a mixed grill with a filet, plus lamb and pheasant sausage.
El Guero Canelo, Tucson
Incredible, family-recipe Tex-Mex dishes and the best Sonoran hot dogs north of the border. Plus, the occasional live mariachi band. The menu's simple. There are char-grilled quesadillas, burritos with cabbage and beans, tortas, and the legendary Sonoran hot dog. If you're unfamiliar, a Sonoran is a hot dog, wrapped in bacon, stuffed inside a large, soft Mexican roll and adorned with jalapeno sauce, mayo, chopped tomatoes, beans, avocado, mustard and more.
Father's Office, Los Angeles
Arguably the best burger in Los Angeles served alongside a lengthy list of craft brews at two perennially packed outposts. And don’t try to change a thing because menu alterations will be politely declined. Father’s Office owner Sang Yoon spent years traveling around the country trying different burger variations before he came up with his proprietary dry-aged ribeye blend, which is topped with caramelized onions, a thick bacon compote, plus some Gruyere and Maytag blue cheese. And what's especially interesting about this burger is that it's served atop a French baguette-esque sub-shaped roll, so it looks like a sandwich more than a burger.
Fette-Sau, Brooklyn
Central-Texas-style barbecue (dry rub, no sauce), with standard cuts like ribs and brisket along with next-wave choices like beef cheeks and pork belly. They'll even do smoked prime rib cooked to a juicy medium-rare. And don't forget the sides: Options include half-sour pickles, German potato salad, and burnt end baked beans.
Keens Steakhouse, New York
No meat enters the kitchen without first receiving Keens' stamp of approval. Literally. Chef Bill Rodgers and his staff patrol the meat market with a copper stamp, branding with edible ink only the most pristine cuts of USDA prime protein. Of the beef, some 6,000 pounds will enter a dry-age locker every week to replenish the sirloins, T-bones, and porterhouses sold to Keens’ steak-loving clientele.
Kuma's Corner, Chicago
At Kuma's, a steely stomach's a prerequisite, whether you've chosen the Lair of the Minotaur (caramelized onions, pancetta, brie, bourbon-soaked pears), the Iron Maiden (avocado, cherry peppers, pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayo), or the Plague Bringer (roasted garlic mayo, tortilla strips, house made hot sauce, fresh garlic, pepper jack cheese, sliced jalapenos). Come to think of it, a defibrillator might not hurt, either.
Mike's Chili, Seattle
Beef chili is cooked with a family-protected secret spice mix. It's then poured on top of cooked red beans and strewn with cheddar, onions, and pickled jalapenos. Order it in a bowl, on top of a mound of fries, or piled inside a burger. Mike Semandiris -- the great-grandson of the guy with the same name who built the place -- and his dad Phil are the only ones who know the recipe. It's not written down, and they won't fly on the same airplane, says Semandiris. Seriously.
Rendezvous, Memphis
The guys at The Rendezvous know that true Memphis barbecue doesn't rely on heavy-handed seasoning or vats of sauce -- it's about top-quality meat and time-tested technique. Their world-famous loin back ribs (Elvis loved 'em) are grilled, naked, over a charcoal pit for 2 hours and then basted with vinegar, water, and a blend of Greek and Canjun seasonings. Their legendary pork BBQ cooks for 14 hours.
Taqueria Cancun, San Francisco
It’s been voted "best burrito" by SF Weekly 10 years running, but this hole-in-the-wall Mexicali joint offers so much more. Namely an Animal House vibe and horchata in vat-sized cups. While other taco joints in SF serve junky America spins on Mexcian food, this place focuses on fresh ingredients. There is no bland, grainy, 85 percent meat ground beef here. Just tacos, burritos and enchiladas filled with straight up carne asada, carnitas, pollo, chorizo and -- if you have the cojones -- beef tongue, beef head and beef brains.
