Video filmed at Wilmington seafood restaurant has more than 6 million views

Earlier this year, a well-known British competitive eater and YouTube personality came to the Carolinas to take on local food challenges. One of those was filmed at a Wilmington restaurant. Adam Moran visited the downtown Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar location in January, and he released the episode in April on his popular Beard Meats Food channel.

Since then, it’s racked up more than 6.5 million views, thanks in part to the title – “The Hardest Challenge I’ve Done this Year... The World’s Biggest Lobster Roll.” The lobster roll he’s talking about is the Meggah Greggah Challenge.

Jonathan Weathington, Shuckin’ Shack’s CEO, said it’s the equivalent of 16 regular lobster rolls and also comes with a pound and a half of french fries and a half pound of slaw. If you want to dip, it also comes with a hefty portion of the Greggah sauce. Ordering it requires 24-hour notice and it typically costs $200.

Unless you can finish all of it in one hour. Then you get the meal for free, a T-shirt and a spot on the restaurant’s wall of fame. (Those who don’t finish it in the allotted time have to pay their bill and get a spot on the wall of shame.)

More: Try these 7 restaurants if you want Calabash-style seafood in the Wilmington area

It isn't the only video to feature the area's seafood. A few years ago, competitive eater Randy Santel also completed the Shuckin' Shack challenge. And in 2022, Mark Weins visited local purveyors with Chef Keith Rhodes. That video now has more than 3 million views.

Moran meanwhile has 4 million subscribers on YouTube and is a former No. 1 ESPN Ranked Eater In Europe. While he was in the North Carolina, he also filmed episodes at Papa's & Beer in Asheville for their Monster Burrito Challenge, and at Benny’s Pizzeria in Charlotte to enjoy their 28-inch pizza challenge. Other regional stops were at the Greenville, S.C., location of Mac’s Speed Shop and in Easley, S.C., at Skin's Hot Dogs (where he broke the house record for most chili dogs eaten) and Smitty's Soul Food.

The popularity of the video hasn’t really resulted in more people attempting the challenge.

“There are definitely more people asking about it,” Weathington said. “And it’s been great for brand recognition.”

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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Video filmed at Wilmington seafood restaurant has more than 6 million views