Epic Pancake Challenge: Long Island Diners Struggle to Conquer 18-Minute Giant Pizza-Sized Stack

This breakfast might just be your undoing.

Many have attempted, yet less than 50 have triumphed over the colossal pancake stack at Nappi’s Nook in Nesconset. Known as one of Long Island’s most infamous and surprisingly tough food challenges, it has captured the attention of social media enthusiasts. 

“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, that’s a piece of cake, I can do it, my kid can do it!'” shared Steve Nappi, the co-owner who manages the eatery alongside his family, in a conversation with The Post.

“We’ve seen over 400 attempts, with only about 10% or roughly 40 people completing it successfully,” he noted.

Josh Holland-Weiss found himself among those who underestimated the challenge, gaining viral fame after attempting it on the popular Instagram account, Long Island Wiseguy, last month.

“When those pancakes hit the table, I realized, ‘Oh man, I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with this one,'” confessed the 22-year-old from Port Jefferson.

“These are much bigger in person than they look.”

The tale of the taste is this: customers have 18 minutes to fully consume four of Nappi’s flapjacks, which he estimates individually weigh between 10 and 14 ounces, are close to 3 inches tall each, and total around 3,000 calories. 

“You can do whatever you want to the pancakes. You can put some toppings in them…I don’t start the timer until you’re ready to cut in. We’ll let you dress it, we’ll let you put syrup and butter on it.”

“I picked 18 minutes because it costs $18, so you get a dollar a minute,” added Nappi, who began the challenge three years ago at the suggestion of a worker.

The rare winners earn a free meal, a desktop-sized trophy, and a picture on the diner’s wall of fame next to the front door. It’s mostly college-aged guys and fitness buffs, plus one senior citizen who’s claimed victory.

So far, no woman has won but Nappi said he would eagerly throw in a $30 gift card to celebrate the first female winner.

The breakfast joint has special metal stovetop rings for the gargantuan griddlecakes to take shape and cook in about double the time it takes for an average pancake. 

If the generous portion of batter overflows, cooks have a pizza cutter handy to shave off the excess.

“I do tell people, hopefully they have nothing better to do the rest of the day except sit on the couch,” Nappi laughed.

The breakfast club

Coming out victorious in the breakfast battle doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. 

“I’ve seen people roll them up to eat. I’ve seen people make it like a taco, I’ve seen people do the Joey Chestnut style, dipping it in water,” Nappi said.

“Everybody has their own technique.”

The co-owner — who’s never worked up the gall to try himself — observed that the most successful attempts are “the drier, the better.” 

Loading up the flapjacks with syrup and butter turns them into digestive quicksand that stops eaters dead in their tracks, he warned.

Holland-Weiss became the chow down champ by setting a jaw-dropping 8:58-second record, far ahead of the second-best time of 10:35, and light-years away from the many near 18-minute buzzer beaters. 

“Everybody in the restaurant was clapping and all of that – it kind of put in perspective how many people were watching,” he said. 

The human resources professional pulled out all the stops. He fasted the night before and did a high-octane boxing workout.

“I tried eating as quickly as I could, not trying to get a crazy time, but just before your brain can signal that you’re full,” said Holland-Weiss, who ripped apart the carb contraptions with his bare hands.

“I genuinely didn’t feel full until a few minutes after.” 

Batter up

The most unexpected trial is the piping-hot temperature at which the pancakes are served, Holland-Weiss said.

“I ended up squeezing them into my palm to get the heat out of them,” he said.

Coming out of the gate fast is the hardest part of the pancakes being around the temperature of a fresh cup of tea – and Nappi said that’s all part of what makes winning such an impressive accolade. 

Once things begin cooling down after three or four minutes, it’s mind over matter to scarf down what starts to feel dense like four plain Pizza Hut pan-style pies.