New Bedford Hot Chicken Challenge Leaves Competitors in Tears

The older I get, you’d think I’d develop a little common sense. Yet here we are.

You’d think I learned my lesson about extreme heat after my disastrous attempt to find the SouthCoast’s hottest wings back in April 2017.

Spoiler alert: I did not.

Enter Smashed NB, the smash burger and giant chicken tender joint on Pleasant Street in New Bedford.

On Monday, March 31, Smashed threw down the gauntlet with a hot chicken challenge: devour six massive, fire-breathing tenders in under five minutes, and walk away $100 richer. Simple, right?

Wrong.

No ranch. No bleu cheese. No drinks. Just you, your taste buds and pure, unrelenting pain. Seven brave (and slightly unhinged) souls attempted it. Seven failed, torched by the almighty Carolina Reaper sauce. One guy made it to three tenders before making a quick (and messy) exit outside.

Seeing no winners, owner Brandon Sadeck cranked up the stakes. First, he doubled the prize to $200. Still, no winner. Then, he went all in: $1,000 cash, no strings attached, if someone could finish the challenge for a $20 buy-in.

That’s when my curiosity got the best of me. I showed up around lunchtime, ready to prove my spice tolerance was stronger than my better judgment.

I barely made it past one bite.

The second that sauce hit, I was a goner. Instant tears. Uncontrollable hiccups. Forehead sweat like I just ran a marathon. The heat came in relentless waves; just when I thought I’d survived, it came back stronger. Twenty minutes of pure, fiery regret before my mouth finally waved the white flag. That's when I asked Rafael Flores, the cook behind this devilish masterpiece, to take the remaining chicken away.

It was an emotional roller coaster, and my not-so-steel stomach was no match.

READ MORE: New Bedford Ghost Kitchen Brings the "Hot Ones" Heat

Think you can handle the heat?

Head to 640 Pleasant Street and put yourself to the test. Just know this: the flavor might be incredible, but this challenge is no joke. Consider yourself warned.