For those of you who are planning to take advantage of the $2.99 Krystal Pup Value Meal (or if you’re just a Pup Lover), we’ve come up with five different ways to enjoy your Krystal Pup. Of course, no one way is the right way, but there’s “Nothin’ like” shaking it up a little!

1. No Mess, No Fuss – Want to keep your car (and your face) clean? This Krystal Pup eating style may be just the one for you. A plain Pup may seem simple, but it is a tasty Krystal-sized hot dog served on a soft, steamy bun and a perfect option for kids.

Eat your Krystal Pup Kobayashi Style

2. Kobayashi Style – Some like to relish in each and every bite of their Krystal Pup, others enjoy devouring down the entire Krystal Pup as quickly as possible. Just check out the photos here of Takeru Kobayashi in action.

3. Finger Lickin’ Good - How the Krystal Pup Value Meal was intended…these fully-loaded chili cheese pups are just a little mess for a lot of flavor. Savor each and every bite and don’t forget the best part – to lick the good stuff off your fingers!

4. Like a Picky Eater – Don’t like your foods mixed together, but still love the taste of a soft, steamy bun and hot dog? Take it apart! That’s right, just order a plain Pup and eat each piece separately. We know it sounds weird, but a few of us here at Krystalist actually do this. Go figure.

5. All-American Ballpark Style -It’s summer time and if you are craving that authentic-tasting hot dog you thought you could only find at the ballpark, think again. Try your Krystal Pup Meal with that single squiggly-line of mustard, sit back and relax just like it’s game day!

How do you eat your Krystal Pups? Let us know on here, Facebook and Twitter or send in a photo of you enjoying a Krystal Pup your way. We’ll feature it here on Krystalist.

Takeru Kobayashi celebrates after winning his fourth Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating title.

Japanese speed-eating legend Takeru Kobayashi defeated his arch-rival and reigning champ Joey Chestnut to reclaim the world hamburger eating title Sunday at the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The 31-year-old from Tokyo earned a score of 93 Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes, setting a world record under a new no-dunking rule established this year. Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., finished second with 81.

Presented by The Krystal Company, the Krystal Square Off is the only world hamburger eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating.

Kobayashi’s victory over Chestnut today before a live televised audience and a crowd of more than 10,000 puts him back on top of the sport he brought into the American mainstream more than eight years ago, only to see his star fall the past three years following several high-profile losses, including a loss to Chestnut at last year’s championship in Chattanooga.

“We knew today’s Krystal Square Off championship was going to be a battle for the ages with Kobayashi hoping to reclaim his glory and Chestnut defending his two-year reign as champ, and both eaters did not disappoint,” said Brad Wahl, vice president of marketing, The Krystal Company. “Kobayashi’s commanding win over Chestnut proved once again why he is the sport’s biggest star.”

Read more about Kobayashi’s stunning victory on the Krystal Square Off blog.

Take the family down to Chattanooga Waterfront to join all the fun for the Krystal Square Off VI!

Courtesy of KrystalSquareOff.com:

With only two days left until the main event, the countdown is officially on to see who will take home the honor, the eminence and all the glory of what it is to be the Krystal Square Off VI Champion. And while the showdown between Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi, Patrick Bertoletti and all the best eaters is what you’ve all been waiting for, there is much more to come leading up to the main event to help satiate your appetite until Sunday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m.

The Krystal Square Off VI list of weekend events will also include the World Hamburger Eating Championship Official Press Conference, the “KrystalFest” Tailgating Party, an amateur eating contest and much more. All events will take place at Chattanooga’s 21st Century Waterfront (Ross’ Landing) and are free and open to the public.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25

2:30 p.m. – Press Conference at Ross’s Landing: For those that need a refresher course from the pros on the biggest competitive eating competition this side of the Mason-Dixon line, head on down to the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship Official Press Conference. There, the top three ranked eaters in the world, Joey Chestnut, Patrick Bertoletti and Takeru Kobayashi, will meet face-to-face for the official pre-contest press conference and photo opportunity. These top gurgitators will make predictions, talk about the new rules and discuss their strategies for winning competitive eating’s most coveted title, its $20,000 cash prize and bragging rights for establishing a new world-record in front of a live audience of 10,000 people.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27

9:00 a.m. - Krystal Square Off VI Bicycle Poker Run begins.

Noon – 2 p.m. – “KrystalFest” Tailgating Party: Come get your grub, game, and groove on with Krystal as they close in on one of the biggest sports competitions in the world. Activities include:

- Free Krystal Burgers and Krystal Blitz Energy Drink to first 1,000 people
- Carnival games for kids, balloons, Krystal prize giveaways and more
- Live music from 38 Special’s Jeff Carlisi and The Hold On Bruce Lees
- Boat Parade of Competitive Eaters and a stop by Autograph Alley to sign autographs for spectators.
- Registration and Drawing for 12th Man Contest. Must be 18+ and have valid photo ID.
- Registration and Drawing for Sackful Challenge Teams. Must be 18+ and have valid photo ID.

2 – 3:00 p.m. – Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship

- SportSouth Live broadcast begins
- 2-minute Sackful Challenge with four teams of two eaters competing to win $100 each.
- Introduction of eaters by George Shea, Chairman of the IFOCE
- 8-minute Krystal Square Off VI World Championship Final
- Award Presentations

Courtesy of KrystalSquareOff.com:

The biggest names in the sport of competitive eating will go head-to-head and bite-for-bite live on SportSouth starting at 2 p.m. this Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn. And, for the first time since it’s inception, Krystal Lovers will also be able to watch this same great coverage LIVE ONLINE at KrystalSquareOff.com

Among the eaters set to battle for the $50,000 cash prize purse include defending Krystal Square Off champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, three-time Krystal Square Off winner Takeru Kobayashi, the second-ranked eater in the world Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti and nine other masters of mastication.

The live-televised and live online streaming 60-minute special event coverage will include behind-the-scenes footage with the eaters, exclusive interviews and the main event featuring top gustatory athletes tackling the famous Krystal Burger, and for the first time ever, the Krystal Big Angus Burger, a two-handed, all-Angus beef burger. Also new this year is a “No Dunking” rule, making this year’s event the most thrilling event in Major League Eating.

And just in case you miss it the first go ’round, the contest will also re-air on television immediately after the Atlanta Braves game on Sunday, Sept. 27 on FOX Sports South.

For more Krystal Square Off VI live coverage, follow @KSquareOff on Twitter.

On Sept. 27, the city of Chattanooga, Tenn. will play host to the most thrilling Major League Eating event in history as Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi and all of the world’s best eaters face off for the title of Krystal Square Off VI World Hamburger Eating Championship. And thanks to the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau, one lucky family will get to experience this monumental event and a full weekend of fun-filled activities “VIP” style.

Beginning today, competitive eating fans hungry for the ultimate Chattanooga Family Vacation and Krystal Square Off VI Getaway can register for a chance to win by visiting Chattanoogafun.com/krystal. The package includes:

• Two-night luxury accommodations at the fabulous Sheraton Read House
• One Chattanooga area attraction VIP Pass good for two people at over 40 attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium, the IMAX 3D Theater, Ruby Falls and Rock City Gardens
• Krystal Square Off VI VIP Access that includes your very own luxury suite “sky box” at the live televised championship, complete with catered food and beverages and the best view of the contest.

It’s definitely a weekend you won’t want to miss, so be sure and register today. The drawing will take place on September 21.

About The Krystal Square Off
The Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship is one of the majors in the sport of competitive eating and the only world hamburger-eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating, the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports.  SportSouth, the nation’s largest regional sports network, will televise the finals of Krystal Square Off VI live from Chattanooga, Tenn. during a one-hour program.

As host of the annual Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship, Krystal has become an avid fan of the famed competitive eating greats and loves to give a shout out when possible. Luckily, we’re not the only ones!

Eat Feats recently posted the following poll: Top Male & Female Competitive Eaters of 2008 and the votes are in. However, after much debate the top spot is still undecided. Nominees include:

Male
•    “Furious” Pete Czerwinski
•    Joey “Jaws” Chestnut
•    Bruce “The Hangman” Pobanz
•    Takeru Kobayashi “The Tsunami”
•    “Beautiful” Brian Seiken
•    Don “Moses” Lerman
•    “Crazy Legs” Conti
•    Tim Janus “Eater X”
•    Arnie “Chowhound” Chapman
•    “Gentleman” Joe Menchetti
•    “Pretty Boy” Pete Davekos
•    Brad “Old School” Sciullo
•    Rich LeFevre “The Locust”
•    Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti

Female
•    Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas
•    Natsuko “Gal” Sone
•    “Little” Tomoko Miyake

We can already think of a few food major-leaguers that aren’t on the list. And, is it just us, or do we need some more women in the game? Tell us who you think deserves the title of best competitive eater.

The Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship will be in the spotlight tonight on ESPN as the network’s prime-time television newsmagazine, E:60, takes an in-depth look at the sport of competitive eating. The program airs at 7:00 p.m. ET.

A camera crew from E:60 covered several stops along this year’s Krystal Square Off tour, including qualifiers in Nashville and Knoxville and the World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga. Among the competitive eaters who will be showcased include Takeru Kobayashi, Joey Chestnut, “Crazy Legs” Conti and Tim “Eater X” Janus.

A press release from ESPN describes the coverage as follows:

There are 80-100 competitive eating events a year at venues across the country. The top two are Nathan’s in New York and Krystal’s hamburgers in Tennessee. In a sport replete with colorful personalities, E:60 correspondent Jeremy Schaap takes an in-depth look at competitive eating . . . Highlights include interviews with some of the greatest “eaters” in the world such as Takeru Kobayashi, Joey Chestnut, Juliet Lee, “Crazy Legs” Conti and Tim “Eater X” Janus.

If you missed the action at this year’s Krystal Square Off, head over to the Krystal Square Off blog for coverage, podcasts, videos and photos.

Pat Bertoletti moves up to second place in the Major League Eating Eater's Poll after coming in second at the Krystal Square Off V, defeating Takeru Kobayashi who came third.

Krystal compeititive eater Hall Hunt has posted the October edition of the Major League Eating Eater’s Poll on his blog.  This poll is the first to come out after the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship.

Joey Chestnut remains at the top of the list with Pat Bertoletti moving up one spot to claim second.  Takeru Kobayashi moves down one taking third.  “Humble” Bob keeps his fourth place ranking and Hunt himself moves up to fifth from seventh.

The complete list of the top 10 are below.

1. Joey “Jaws” Chestnut
2. Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti
3. Takeru Kobayashi
4. “Humble” Bob Shoudt
5. Hall “Hoover” Hunt
6. Tim “Eater-X” Janus
7. Rich “The Locust” LeFevre
8. Sonya “The Blackwidow” Thomas
9. Eric “Badlands” Booker
10. Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama

For a complete list of the top 25 eaters, head over to Hunt’s blog.

We don’t think we ever got around to posting some of our favorite photos from the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship, so here they are.

And no, we’re not crying, we just have something in our eye.  Ok, ok, we may be crying just a little, but looking at these makes us a little sad that we have to wait an entire year for the next Krystal Square Off. Stop laughing!

For more Krystal Square Off photos, head over to Flickr.

Joey Chestnut downed 93 Krystals in 8 minutes yesterday, reclaiming his title as World Hamburger Eating Champ.

Courtesy of the Krystal Square Off Blog:

American eating sensation Joey Chestnut retained his hamburger eating title today at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 24-year-old from San Jose, Calif. downed 93 Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes, ten shy of his world record mark set at last year’s championship.

Billed as the highly anticipated rematch between Chestnut, the No.1-ranked eater in the world, and Japan’s speed-eating legend Takeru Kobayashi, the contest quickly became a one-man show as Chestnut jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as a crowd of 10,000 cheered him on in downtown Chattanooga.

Kobayashi, a three-time Krystal Square Off winner who missed last year’s championship due to a jaw injury, finished in a disappointing third place, eating just 84 Krystals, 13 less than he ate when he won Krystal Square Off III in 2006. Twenty-three-year-old rising star Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti was the second-place spoiler, out-eating Kobayashi by just one Krystal.

“Chestnut’s win today at Krystal Square Off V proves once again that he is competitive eating’s new superstar and the undisputed number one ranked eater in the world,” said Brad Wahl, vice president of marketing, The Krystal Company.

Chestnut pockets $20,000 for his win, along with the coveted Krystal Square Off Champion’s Belt and Trophy made out of crystal. Bertoletti earns $10,00 for his second place finish while Kobayashi takes away $5,000. The remaining top eleven finalists receive payouts ranging from $3,000 to $500. The $50,000 total cash purse is the largest in competitive eating history.

Presented by The Krystal Company and featuring the iconic fresh, hot, small, square Krystal hamburger, the Krystal Square Off is one of the two majors in the sport of competitive eating and the only world hamburger eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating, the governing body of all stomach-centric sports.

“There are precious few moments in professional sports when you can watch as a competitor affirms his place in the history books. With this win today, Joey Chestnut just said to the world: I am Krystal King hear me growl,” said Richard Shea, president of Major League Eating. “In today’s economy anybody can be negatively impacted by unforeseen circumstances. Kobayashi is feeling that impact, but if I know him he’ll be back.”

Today’s victory was Chestnut’s first win over Kobayashi in a Krystal-eating contest, and further cements his dominance over the 30-year-old Japanese eating star. Kobayashi is responsible for first bringing the sport of competitive eating into the American mainstream more than seven years ago, only to see his star fall lately after several high-profile losses.

The official results are as follows:

1. Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, San Jose, Calif. – 93 Krystals
2. Pat “”Deep Dish”” Bertoletti, Chicago, Ill. – 85 Krystals
3. Takeru Kobayashi, Tokyo, Japan – 84 Krystals
4. “Humble” Bob Shoudt, Philadelphia, Pa. – 76 Krystals
5. Tim “”Eater X”” Janus, New York, N.Y. – 64 Krystals
6. Hall “Hoover” Hunt, Jacksonville, Fla. – 63 Krystals
7. Juliet “The Lovely” Lee, Germantown, Md. – 55 Krystals
8. Crazy Legs Conti, New York, N.Y. – 49 Krystals
9. Rich “”The Locust”” LeFevre, Henderson, Nev. – 47 Krystals
10. Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama, Murfreesboro, Tenn. – 43 Krystals
11. Eric “Badlands” Booker, Long Island, N.Y. – 41 Krystals
12. Kyle “12th Eater” Brogdon, Hixson, Tenn. – 10 Krystals

Click here for hundreds of photos from today’s Krystal Square Off V in Chattanooga, including the tailgating party, The Marshall Tucker Band concert, arrival of eaters by boat, autograph alley, crowd shots, Sackful Challenge and the 8-minute championship.

Also, head over to the Chattanooga Times Free Press for their coverage of the event including audio from Chestnut and a video of yesterday’s championship belt presentation.