What had been presented as a popular celebration and an attempt to achieve a world gastronomic record ended up becoming a scene of chaos, pushing and looting in the Buenos Aires district of Avellaneda. The historic grill El Tano Grill organized a massive event during the May 25 celebrations with the aim of preparing “the longest matambre pizza sandwich in the world”an initiative that also sought to celebrate the 25 years of the traditional gastronomic establishment located in Villa Domínico.
However, the call ended up being overwhelmed when hundreds of people broke down the security fences and began tearing off portions of the gigantic sandwich before the official measurement could be completed. The proposal had been announced for days on social networks and generated strong expectations in the south of the Buenos Aires suburbs. According to the organizers, the objective was to reach between 750 and 771 meters in length to try to surpass the current record.
The sandwich was made with pizza matambre, one of the emblematic dishes of the grill, and was prepared in the open air on an extensive row of tables set up especially for the event. The initiative also had institutional support and had been publicly promoted by the mayor of Avellaneda himself, Jorge Ferraresi.
According to the various audiovisual records that quickly went viral on social networks, the operation began to lose control as the hours passed. The delay in the distribution of the portions, added to the enormous number of attendees, led to moments of tension. Witnesses indicated that the call had been made for noon, but after 4 p.m. the formal distribution of the sandwich had not yet begun. In this context, groups of attendees began to jump over the fences, push members of the organization and jump directly on the food.
The images showed scenes of people tearing off pieces of bread and meat with their hands, taking away entire parts of the sandwich and even removing elements used to organize the event. According to the owners of the grill, in addition to the portions of food, “they took things that were part of the organization.” The organizers themselves described that “many people began to get out of control, climbing, pushing and getting directly into taking out and eating the sandwich before it could be delivered in an organized manner.”
The episode caused a strong public impact and opened an intense debate on social networks about the deterioration of social coexistence. On digital platforms, numerous users discussed both the disorganization of the operation and the public reaction. Some pointed out that the delay of several hours fueled the anger of those attending, while others directly described the incidents as an example of lack of respect towards those who worked on the activity.
After the chaos, Parrilla El Tano published an extensive statement on social networks where he deeply regretted what happened. Through Instagram stories, those responsible for the venue thanked “the families who peacefully accompanied” the event, although they noted that the behavior on the part of the attendees “left us with a bitter taste.” They also described the incidents as “a lack of respect for those who were working and for the people who were waiting calmly,” stressing that the organization had required months of effort and preparation.
Although the event had been promoted as an attempt to break the world record for the longest sandwich, the mark currently recognized by Guinness World Records corresponds to another gastronomic category. According to the official record, the current record for the “longest line of sandwiches in the world” was achieved in May 2025 in Sydney, Australia, by the organizations Wonder and Eat Up, who managed to make 14,520 sandwiches lined up along 1.75 kilometers. That preparation was made up of bread, butter and cheese, and had the participation of more than 500 volunteers.
Avellaneda’s frustrated attempt thus ended up becoming one of the most commented viral episodes of recent days in the country. What sought to become a gastronomic and community festival led to scenes of lack of control that completely overshadowed the original objective of the day and left its organizers between disappointment and indignation.
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