Charley’s Five-Star General outranks all others

Sol Ridgeway takes his first bite from the burger in his attempt to consume the entire meal in under 30 minutes. Can he do it? Photo by David W. Shelton

Every war needs a general, and the Burger War was no exception. This general, the Five-Star General from Cheeseburger Charley’s, clearly trumps all others when it comes to size. All throughout town, several restaurants — sit-down and fast food alike — all have multiple-patty burgers. Burger King, Hardee’s, and Wendy’s, to name a few, all made clear attempts to satisfy egomaniacs looking for that seriously huge burger.

The Charley’s Five-Star General points its bacon finger at all of them and laughs.

Kris Bender, owner of the Cheeseburger Charley’s franchise at Exit 1 in Clarksville (in front of the Great Escape theatre), conceived the idea early last year. “I want to make a burger that the soldiers will come to try just to see if they can do it.” In short, Bender wanted a massive burger to appeal to massive egos.

Because of the store’s proximity to Fort Campbell, much of the marketing and outreach is to the more than 30,000 soldiers that reside in Clarksville. It’s a strategy that revolves around Bender’s absolute appreciation and honor for those who serve our country.

The Five-Star General features five, half-pound patties stacked on a hoagie bun, with five slices of cheese, tons of bacon, grilled onions, and mushrooms. Served with a basket of fries and a drink. Can you tackle it in under 30 minutes? Photo by David W. Shelton

He described it as a burger with five half-pound patties stacked on top of each other, five pieces of cheese, bacon, grilled onions, and a hoagie bun. In short, this would be the largest burger served anywhere within 150 miles. It was a gargantuan sandwich that needed a name to fit. For this, he contacted Business Clarksville’s parent company, Imagine Media Solutions.

Several ideas were bandied about, but only one fit: “Charley’s Five-Star General.” One star for each patty. “It’s two and a half pounds of all-American ego,” drones the final video advertisement. The ad was produced by Imagine Media Solutions and edited by Dennis Devincolis, senior editor at The Patriot Channel (WCKV) in Clarksville.

Naturally, a massive burger needed a serious challenge to go along with it. Bender conceived just the idea to attract people from everywhere, not just the soldiers who are looking to prove how much they can take down.

“The rules are simple. You have 30 minutes to eat the burger, a drink, and a full basket of hand-cut fries. You can’t have any help, you can’t leave, and you can’t go to the bathroom.” Bender explained the rules of the Five Star General challenge. Since the General was introduced last year, people from all across the country have tried it. Only a few dozen have succeeded. Winners are honored with their photo along side five-star generals from World War II, a T-shirt, exclusive seating in the “General’s Quarters,” and of course, General-sized bragging rights.

Our own Sol Ridgeway was convinced he could tackle the Five-Star General. He brought his family along to help cheer him on as he took his first bite. “I can take it,” he declared. Ridgeway sports a thin frame that most of us despise — his appetite is that of a small army, and doesn’t have an ounce of body fat. Clearly, his ego was ready for the challenge, but would his appetite cooperate?

His wife Andrea sat by his side (with a much smaller burger, mind you) and gave every bit of moral support that she could muster. She patted him on the back, got him drink refills, and offered encouraging words for her husband. In the end, the General was too much. 28 minutes into the challenge, Ridgeway was visibly uncomfortable. “I can’t do it,” he said as he tapped out. “I’m done.”

This year’s Burger War is replete with great burgers from all across the Business Clarksville coverage area, with Cheeseburger Charley’s proud to offer the mushroom cloud of a bombastic burger salvo.

For those with a little more humility in their appetite, Cheeseburger Charley’s also offers (much) smaller burgers, chicken sandwiches, salmon, turkey, and veggie burgers.