Wild Jo's and Mudman Burgers-Two delicious spots to eat in Columbia Falls, MT

Last week my family and I returned to Seattle after visiting my hometown, Columbia Falls, Montana. We spent one week there, catching up with family, as I still have my parents there and many close relatives, too. We visited Glacier National Park, Whitefish Mountain Resort, and of course, we ate. Since it had been two years since we were in Columbia Falls, there were a lot of positive changes. We saw a lot of growth and new businesses. While driving into town to head to my parents where we stayed, two restaurants caught my eye, Wild Jo's and Mudman Burgers. Sure enough, my family had eaten at both of them and recommended we try them. You didn't have to tell me twice, so the second day we had lunch at Wild Jo's and the third day we had lunch at Mudman. Both places impressed me and I loved the food. I'm happy that Columbia Falls is touting some quality options now. When I grew up there, it was mostly chains, save for a couple locally owned favorites that are still open today.

I adored Wild Jo's for many reasons. The first thing I noticed was how cute the restaurant looked with its color scheme. Then how unique the hot dog options were. I ended up with one with bacon, Fritos, avocado, jalapenos, and sour cream. Yeah, it was a little messy and spicy, but it hit the spot and my taste buds were happy. Another part that's great is the price. I've never seen a deal like this and it was a good one. For one price of around $7.50, you get a hot dog, chips, soda, and ice cream. When you're done polishing off that hot dog, just grab a paper cup and walk down the row of choices of ice cream and frozen yogurt. Then choose your toppings from the large selection of candies, crushed cookies, fudge sauce, you name it. I was happily surprised with Wild Jo's and they are a sweet addition to town.

We headed to the drive-through for Mudman Burgers because the kids were restless and sometimes eating back at the house is the ticket. We didn't know what to expect except we knew that the Huckleberry Shakes were incredible. Yes, one sip in and we knew that was true. The shake was so creamy, smooth, and rich that it tasted like Huckleberry Cheesecake in a shake version. And topped with whipped cream just made it that much creamier. We later found out that Mudman was voted the Best Burger in the Flathead Valley. They for sure deserve that award because both my husband and I loved our burgers. For one, they were huge, especially for the price. We paid $29 for the four of us to eat and found that the value was there. The burger was very high quality, especially for fast food. The thing was so big, I had to finish it the next day. Their fries are hand cut, which I was impressed by, too. We both had the burger with everything and it really packed a punch to the taste buds.

Now I have two more favorite spots to eat at when I go home for a visit. There are other new places to try for next time though, since I can only go to so many in one visit!