Popular fitness YouTuber Will Tennyson recently embarked on an ambitious fast food challenge that had him questioning everything he thought he knew about “worth it” calories.
In a video that’s quickly gaining traction, Tennyson set out to try the highest-calorie menu item from every major fast food chain.
His mission? To determine which calorie bombs are actually worth the nutritional damage.
Spoiler alert: some were surprisingly good, while others left him with instant regret.
Jump to:
- The Challenge Rules
- McDonald’s Big Breakfast With Hotcakes: 1,340 Calories
- Burger King Roadhouse King: 1,430 Calories
- Subway’s The Beast: 1,460 Calories
- Taco Bell Deluxe Box: 1,730 Calories
- Papa John’s Shaq-a-Roni: Over 3,000 Calories
- Wendy’s Bacon Deluxe Triple: Worth Every Calorie
- Dairy Queen Royal Oreo Blizzard: 1,180 Calories of Heaven
- Starbucks Venti Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino: 590 Calories
- The Real Cost of Chasing Flavor
- The Bottom Line on Fast Food Indulgence
The Challenge Rules
Tennyson established three non-negotiable rules for his fast food gauntlet. First, he had to order the highest-calorie menu item at each location. Second, no modifications allowed—everything comes exactly as advertised. Third, he had to use every condiment, sauce, and side that came with the meal.
Oh, and he decided to wear all white. Because apparently, chaos wasn’t enough without the added risk of permanent stains.
McDonald’s Big Breakfast With Hotcakes: 1,340 Calories
Tennyson kicked things off by flying to America specifically for McDonald’s—a menu item unavailable in his home country. The Big Breakfast with Hotcakes clocks in at 1,340 calories, 36g protein, 158g carbs, and 63g fat.
This just looks like the downfall of humanity. But more importantly, my physique on a plate.
After buttering his pancakes and drowning his biscuit in honey (because that’s what you do when McDonald’s gives you enough for Winnie the Pooh), Tennyson dove in.
The Verdict on McDonald’s
The sausage delivered instant serotonin. The scrambled eggs tasted surprisingly real. But those pancakes? They fell flat—literally and figuratively.
You know when you get hugged by someone that you know doesn’t like you? That’s the feeling I have right now while I’m eating this.
The hash brown remained the star of the show, proving once again that McDonald’s is undefeated when it comes to cooking potatoes. Final rating: Once was enough.
Burger King Roadhouse King: 1,430 Calories
Next up was Burger King’s monster creation—the Roadhouse King. With 1,430 calories, 78g protein, and 89g fat, this burger is less about feeding you and more about defeating you.
Tennyson described it as “a buffet stacked vertically” and noted that even the wrapper was wet before he opened it. Ominous.
Too Much of Everything
The first few bites were incredible—beef forward with solid barbecue sauce. But somewhere around the halfway point, things got chaotic. The bacon was playing hide-and-seek. The onion rings were more like “deep-fried question marks.”
Each bite, I feel like I’m agreeing to a contract with the devil.
Despite the sensory overload, Tennyson kept going back for more—describing it as “culinary Stockholm syndrome.” He admitted the burger needed freshness, like tomato or lettuce, just to provide visual relief. Final rating: Questionable decisions were made.
Subway’s The Beast: 1,460 Calories
At Subway, Tennyson ordered “The Beast”—a sub featuring half a pound of meat with five premium deli options, double provolone, veggies, and mayo. Total damage: 1,460 calories.
When he whispered “the beast” to the sandwich artist, the employee’s eyes popped with knowing concern. Sadre, the sandwich creator, stacked every meat in the store onto one footlong.
The Magic Bite
Initially, Tennyson was skeptical about whether all five meats were distinguishable. He experienced “meat fatigue” partway through. But then something magical happened.
All right, guys. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I just hit a pocket. I just hit the most magical bite that makes this sandwich worth it.
That single transcendent bite changed everything. Despite the calorie overload and questionable value of distinguishing five different meats, The Beast earned a rare designation. Final rating: I would do it again.
Taco Bell Deluxe Box: 1,730 Calories
Taco Bell’s Deluxe Box represents peak fast food chaos theory—a chalupa, burrito, taco, and nacho fries with cheese sauce, totaling 1,730 calories.
Tennyson retreated to his car to eat after being intimidated by the high schoolers inside. Fair enough.
Mixed Results Across the Board
The chalupa exceeded expectations with surprisingly complex flavors and perfectly fried dough. The taco passed without issue—because making a bad taco is genuinely difficult.
But that burrito? Disaster.
If I was at a Mexican restaurant, I would send this back immediately and then I would leave.
The nacho fries with questionably addictive cheese sauce saved the meal. Final rating: Would do it again—without the burrito.
Papa John’s Shaq-a-Roni: Over 3,000 Calories
This pizza deserves its own category of absurdity. At 390 calories per slice times eight slices, the Shaq-a-Roni exceeds 3,000 calories for the entire pie.
Tennyson paid $44 for this Shaq-endorsed creation featuring over half a pound of cheese and extra pepperoni on an extra-large crust.
When More Isn’t Better
Initially impressive with respectable pepperoni coverage, the pizza started strong. The garlic dipping sauce was transformative—turning plain crust into garlic bread heaven.
But here’s where things went wrong: there was simply too much pepperoni.
It’s like pepperoni peer pressure. Like, it’s just in my face. And there’s no relief from it.
Compared to a regular pepperoni pizza at 70 fewer calories per slice (560 total difference), Tennyson couldn’t justify the Shaq tax. Final rating: Questionable decisions were made.
Wendy’s Bacon Deluxe Triple: Worth Every Calorie
Wendy’s brought redemption with their Bacon Deluxe Triple. Fresh, never-frozen beef executed to perfection in what Tennyson called “a delicate dance between beef and cheese.”
The quality difference was immediately noticeable compared to competitors. Despite the triple bypass warning inherent in anything called a “triple,” this burger earned high marks.
Final rating: I’d do it again.
Dairy Queen Royal Oreo Blizzard: 1,180 Calories of Heaven
For dessert, Tennyson hit Dairy Queen for a large Royal Oreo Blizzard filled with fudge. The stats: 1,180 calories, 51g fat, and 151g sugar.
After successfully completing the upside-down Blizzard test, he discovered warm fudge in the center mixing with cold ice cream and crunchy Oreos.
This is the tastiest form of self-destruction I have ever had.
Every bite hit consistently hard. As a massive Oreo fan, Tennyson declared this “less of a dessert and more of a life event” that everyone should experience at least once. Final rating: Once was enough (but worth it).
Starbucks Venti Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino: 590 Calories
The final stop brought Tennyson and his sidekick Katie to Starbucks for a Venti Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino—590 calories that barely resembles coffee.
Dessert Disguised as a Drink
With whipped cream on both top and bottom, cookie crumbles throughout, and chocolate syrup, this drink exists in a category all its own.
Calling this coffee is like calling Mountain Dew green juice.
Katie loved it, gravitating toward the sweetness and texture. Tennyson appreciated that compared to the Dairy Queen Blizzard at similar size, this represented about a third of the calories—making it a relatively lower-calorie dessert option.
Both agreed: Final rating: Worth it.
The Real Cost of Chasing Flavor
After days of massive burgers, absurd desserts, and more sauce than humanly necessary, Tennyson arrived at an important realization.
The real question isn’t how good something tastes in the moment—it’s how you’ll feel afterward.
Most items delivered incredible flavor experiences. Some even justified their caloric cost. But treating these meals as regular occurrences would quickly derail anyone’s health goals.
Key Takeaways From the Challenge
- Quality matters: Wendy’s fresh beef noticeably outperformed frozen alternatives
- More isn’t always better: The Shaq-a-Roni proved too much of a good thing becomes bad
- The magic bite exists: Subway’s Beast had one transcendent moment that changed everything
- Dessert drinks count: Liquid calories add up faster than people realize
- Context is everything: These meals work as rare treats, not regular rotation items
Tennyson’s white shirt miraculously survived mostly intact—a small victory in a sea of dietary chaos.
The Bottom Line on Fast Food Indulgence
Will Tennyson’s fast food marathon offers valuable perspective for anyone trying to balance enjoyment with health goals.
Occasional indulgence isn’t the enemy. Understanding what’s actually worth the calories helps make informed decisions when cravings hit.
Some items delivered exceptional taste experiences that justified their nutritional cost—at least occasionally. Others were immediately regrettable, offering minimal satisfaction relative to their caloric damage.
The challenge highlights an important truth: chasing flavor like a sport eventually forces confrontation with how food makes you feel beyond the initial taste. That awareness matters more than any single meal ever could.
