Boise restaurant makes Yelp’s ‘10 Outrageous Oversized Eats’ list. You can eat there free

With temperatures soaring past 100 degrees, it’s too hot outside to fret about beach bodies.

So read on — if you want to pack on some pounds.

Crowd-review website Yelp just released a list of “10 Outrageous Oversized Eats 2024.” In other words, restaurants serving obnoxiously large food portions.

Lurking among a football-sized burrito and a Triple Bypass omelet, there’s a familiar taste of Idaho: Big Jud’s.

The local hamburger chain, which has locations in Boise, Meridian and Archer, earned a place on Yelp’s porky new list for its Man v. Food Burger. It goes for $33.99.

“It’s always a burgerpalooza at Big Jud’s,” Yelp writes, “where everything is big — ‘from the big taste to the big portions.’ The burger joint’s behemoth two-pounder, featured on television’s ‘Man v. Food,’ boasts two ‘juicy’ one-pound patties, 10 pieces of bacon, two layers of mushrooms, two layers of blue cheese crumbles, Swiss cheese, mayo, tomato and lettuce. (The burger is so difficult to lift, a knife holds it together.)

“It’s built to share, but if you want to take on Big Jud’s Man v. Food Burger Challenge, you’ll have to tackle the entire ‘insane’ portion of meat yourself, along with all the trimmings, the bun, plus a large order of french fries and a drink, in 30 minutes. Devour it, and your meal is free. You also get a T-shirt and a photo of yourself on Big Jud’s Wall of Fame.”

If you’ve lived in the Treasure Valley for a minute, you’re aware that locals do occasionally attempt the Big Jud’s gut-busting burger challenge — especially at the Boise restaurant, when school is in session at Boise State.

In an article I wrote in 2017 about Treasure Valley food challenges, a co-owner of Big Jud’s in Meridian estimated that when you considered the two pounds of meat, the toppings, the mountain of fries and 32-ounce drink, you might be in the neighborhood of four pounds of food.

Got a stomach ache yet?

The Yelp review chosen for the “Outrageous Oversized Eats” article says that the Big Jud’s challenge “is just too much fun! Even if you’re not even gonna consider gorging that two-pound monster with all the sides, there’s always the chance someone else will be giving it a shot. Bottom line, if you like a fun burger joint atmosphere with good food, do it.” — Thayne M.

Personally, I’m sticking to the restaurant’s signature Big Jud Special. It’s a traditional cheeseburger — and only has a pound of meat.