Scones - Merritt's Country Cafe, Boise, ID

Well deserving of their own entry even on a burger blog are the scones at Merritt's. There is nothing better at 1 am than a Merritt's face-sized scone. In fact, there is not much better at any time of the day, really. Always made fresh and always huge, the scones come in three basic flavors: plain, cinnamon and sugar (coated like a FUR coat! Thick and sweet.), powdered sugar, and Dutch Babies (powdered sugar with lemon wedges). This is what Merritt's is known for and excels at. If you are going to go to Merritt's you should be going there for the scones.

Merritt's Scones - 11/10 *********** (....but this one goes to eleven.......)

Trucker's Special - Merritt's Country Cafe, Boise, ID

It's 3 am. You ate dinner at 7, partied hard, and now it is time for 4th meal (Thank you, Taco Bell). In Boise the decision of where to eat is easy: Merritt's Country Cafe. I am sure that at 3 am Merritt's looks better than at 3 pm, just like a bar looks better late at night. Merritt's is not much to look at, but you don't go to Merritt's for high class dining. Merritt's is a treasure of the Treasure Valley known for being open 24 hours a day and super-awesome-amazing-giant scones. I went for the scone, but was enticed by the Trucker's Special.

The name itself rings of dirty toilets and a long day's travel. But you have to give it to 'truckers', they usually eat some pretty tasty food, even if it means an early, artery clogged death. The Trucker's Special consists of two burger patties, a slice of both American and Swiss cheese, and your choice of ham or bacon. Lets start with the last first. I chose ham, although I could have been fooled. I only know there was ham on the burger because I can see it in the picture I took. It looks like good ham, but I never tasted it. Next is cheese. First I will say that I am not a cheese snob! I admit that I still enjoy eating Kraft Singles processed cheese and Easy Cheese with Wheat Thins. However, there is only so much processing that can happen to a "cheese" before it 'jumps the shark', if you catch my drift. The Trucker's Special definitely flirts with the edge of what you can call cheese. Yes, it they were yellow and white (the appropriate colors for American and Swiss). Yes, they were salty and gooey like cheese on a burger should be. But all I could taste was the artificial, mostly hydrogenated oil, cheese flavoring. It put all the other flavors of the burger to shame. The hamburger patties didn't really call for any special attention, either. Definitely just your regular old frozen, corn-fed, beef patties that are cooked until they are just a bit dry. All in all, I would say that the Trucker's Special should stay where it is. Way down on the burger list of Merritt's where only the truly brave dare venture. Don't get me wrong, I ate the whole thing and I would definitely say that it was not the worst burger I have ever had. However, with all the splendor of life and the many, many burgers that are out there I doubt that the Trucker's Special will cross my lips again.

Trucker's Special - 4/10 ****

The Perks of Merritt's: It is open 24/7, they have a Juke Box, and SCONES (see the upcoming post!)

Charbroiled Ground Chuck Burger - Bardenay, Boise, ID

The City of Trees - Boise, ID. Yes, I know that most people think of Idaho as a backwoods, outlander state. But if you have ever been to Boise you might change your mind. Boise offers some of the nations best outdoors, culture, and the best college football team in the nation. Something else that you may not know about Boise is that it is home to one of the largest Basque communities outside of Europe. (Click here if you like find out more about the Basque people) Basques are a small ethnic group hailing from the south of France. They boast a rich heritage of dance, music, and most importantly food. Bardenay is a restaurant/distillery, founded April 2000, located in the heart of the Basque district of downtown Boise. Claiming to be one of the first restaurants that is also a distillery, they serve up some tasty eats and some wicked drinks. Suggested to me by the ever wise Red Beard, I ventured a taste of Bardenay's Charbroiled Ground Chuck Burger.

First of all, Bardenay has an awesome setup. The Basque district is beautiful, Boise has awesome weather, and the porch is on a pedestrian only street. Perfect setup. The burger comes to the table looking fabulous! Dark brown crusty bun, melty REAL cheese, and bacon draped over the patty. The bun was perfect! Just a bit crusty, almost stale, with a soft center that caresses the food inside and soaks up the juices. The cheddar (yes REAL cheddar) is Tillamook brand. Which if you have ever lived in the Oregon/Idaho area know is of unquestionable quality. In fact, Tillamook Medium Cheddar was awarded the world's best at the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest. Bardenay has an interesting take on the other toppings. First, the burger, cheese, and bacon are on top of the veggies. Not terribly novel, but also not the norm. The burger comes with sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce. In the lettuce is was a mayo-type mixture that was almost like coleslaw, but less sweet, more savory, and very refreshing. It reminded me of the burger-stand burgers you get at lake resorts all over the US. Only this was high quality instead of just an easy way to put more toppings on. It complimented the dark and savory flavors of the cheese and bacon exceptionally well. The burger itself I will admit was a bit 'ho hum'. It was overcooked a bit (I always ask for medium-rare), not too salty, but not overly tasty either. To be perfectly honest I guess it was probably a frozen patty from a food supplier. Definitely not the worst, but it is definitely was is holding this burger back from true greatness. All in all, the burger gets a thumbs up, though. I would definitely recommend a stop at Bardenay's for good drinks and some sweet food.

Charbroiled Ground Chuck Burger - 7.5/10 *******`

Other perks of Bardenay: It is a distillery! Mamadoula had what she terms 'the BEST mojito'. The list of liquors and drinks is EXTENSIVE. They also had a bunch of local beers (I had Sockeye Brewery IPA which was very, very hoppy but good), Bardenay is one of the few places I have been that offer Sweet Potato fries!!!!, cool locale, and Boise is awesome.

Big Jud - Big Jud's, Boise, ID

Nestled in the Treasure Valley of eastern Idaho lies the "City of Trees". Boise is home to beautiful scenery, a laid back life-style, Boise State University, and a legend. In this case I am not speaking of the "Smurf Turf" (which is indeed a legend of its own). Instead I am speaking of burger known as the Big Jud Special. Any true Bronco knows of Big Jud's. A mere 0.3 miles from Boise State University, Big Jud's offer great shakes, a hometown atmosphere, and a behemoth of a burger.

The Big Jud is nothing to be trifled with. The special cost $18! But considering what you get it is a small price to pay. The Big Jud consist of 1 lb of delicious beef. Usually this much meat needs to be burned on the outside just to cook all the way through. However, Big Jud's has solved the problem of keeping their giant burger juicy and delicious, just like their regular sized burgers (Yes, they do have them and they are all great!). The Big Jud is approximately over 8 inches across! That way they are able to seal in the juices, but still get the meat cooked through without burning the outside. The beef is savory, juicy, and does not disappoint. It tastes like the good cuts of hamburger I cook in my backyard. But what do you put a burger that size on, you say? How about a bun to match it's ferocity!! The bun is over 8 inches across, each side is over an inch tall, and it is beautifully soft with just a touch of sweetness. Add on top of this FOUR slices of real cheddar and about another pound (total) of pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, and mustard. THIS is the Big Jud. Big Jud's makes great normal sized burgers, many of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. But when ordering the Big Jud I expected the taste to be sacrificed for the sake of enormity. NOT THE CASE. The burger was juicy, delicious, and everything was in great ratio. I now understand why the bun was so big and why there are so many toppings. It is all about the ratio. Everything blended and created a great home-style burger.... just in massive proportions. The Big Jud definitely proved itself as a Top Ten burger. Enjoy the stay!


The Big Jud Special is actually the combo which includes the Big Jud, 1 lb of tater tots, and a drink. Finish it all and you have your picture put on the wall. Even as delicious as the Big Jud is, it was a challenge to put it down. Add on the tater tots and you have a REAL challenge. The tater tots are crispy and delicous, but around the 3/4 mark you start feeling like an artery is going to pop from salt overload. However, I did not want to disappoint my family (which was there), a few enthusiastic fans I gained during my eating at the shop, and most of all my faithful readers. So I stared the Special in the face, slammed the final bits in my gulliver, and claimed victory. A most delicious victory.

The Big Jud - 9/10 *********

Other perks of Big Jud's: ALL the burgers are great, Boise is an awesome place, the tater tots are superior (when eaten in moderation), and they have really great shakes!

--The Food Network listed the Big Jud as Idaho's Best Burger in their 50 State 50 Burgers feature.
--Man vs Food did a feature on the Big Jud when they were in Boise, too.

Yes, it is that good.