Food and Drink

Charlotte restaurant makes Yelp’s ‘Outrageous Oversized Eats’ list for 2024

Sausage and pepperoni pizza from Benny Pennello’s in Charlotte, NC.
Sausage and pepperoni pizza from Benny Pennello’s in Charlotte, NC.

With a bustling culinary scene like Charlotte’s, there’s a long list of fan-favorite and unique dishes for foodies around the city.

But one local spot has been named for having one of the most ‘outrageous, oversized’ foods in the U.S.

Yelp released a list of some of the most enormous eats across the country, like football-sized burritos, ice-cream-filled kitchen sinks and the famous 28-inch pizza from Benny Pennello’s in Charlotte.

Benny Pennello’s is located at 2909 N Davidson St STE 100 in Charlotte.
Benny Pennello’s is located at 2909 N Davidson St STE 100 in Charlotte. Courtesy of Benny Pennello's

“If 28 is your lucky number, Benny Pennello’s has a pizza-perfect challenge for you. Eat a 28-inch-wide cheese pie by yourself in 28 minutes, and you’ll win $280, as long as you’re not a competitive eater (if you are, you win $100), plus a T-shirt, a photo on the restaurant’s website, and bragging rights. Not up for a challenge? You can still enjoy a massive pie — all of Benny Pennello’s pizzas are oversized. Even the slices are a photo-worthy 14 inches long,” the report says.

“Benny’s ‘excellent,’ ‘always hot and fresh; pizzas are ‘Virginia-style; (named for the chain’s origins in Blacksburg, Virginia) — with a ‘thin…crispy’ crust similar to New York–style pizza.”

A slice of cheese pizza from Benny Pennello’s in Charlotte, NC.
A slice of cheese pizza from Benny Pennello’s in Charlotte, NC. Courtesy of Benny Pennello's

The NoDa pizza joint is one of many Benny restaurants around the U.S. — named in honor of the Charlotte arts district. (There are also a few other locations in the area in South End and Concord!)

[DIG DEEPER: What’s the story behind the unique names of these 12 Charlotte restaurants, breweries?]

Whether you want a slice or the whole pie, Benny’s offers a wide variety of flavors such as:

  • Cheese

  • Pepperoni

  • Italian sausage

  • Garlic mushroom

  • Garden state with spinach, ricotta and garlic

“Very simple menu, 5 or 6 choices of pizza max. However, the slice is the size of a small country,” one Yelp review says. “They only make 28-inch [whole] pizzas (4 times the size of a regular large pizza). One, maybe 2 [slices] will definitely fill you up. They have a good selection of beer and a very laid-back atmosphere.”

Of all the delicious restaurants offering jumbo treats across the U.S., Benny Pennello’s is the only North Carolina spot to make the list.

[READ MORE: 6 mega desserts to check out in the Charlotte area.]

You can find Yelp’s top 10 picks of the most outrageous oversized eats online at www.yelp.com.

Benny Pennello’s

Location: 2909 N Davidson St STE 100, Charlotte, NC 28205

Menu

Instagram: @bennypennellos

Benny Pennello’s in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood.
Benny Pennello’s in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood. Courtesy of Benny Pennello's

This story was originally published July 16, 2024 at 6:00 AM.

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Chyna Blackmon
The Charlotte Observer
Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription
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