Gargantuan bites to the very end

For more than two weeks, three best friends have been planning to take a trip to the Orange County Fair during their lunch break.

And for more than two weeks, they’ve been preparing their gastrointestinal tracts, jawbones and palates for their visit.

The wait ended Wednesday for Mauricio Joaquin, Kevin Arch and Eddie Aguirre as they sank their teeth into the only thing that’s been on their minds all this time: Hucowamongous Burgers at California Grill.

Swallowing his first gargantuan bite, Arch’s eyes widened and he admitted, “It’s really good, actually. I didn’t expect it to be this good.” Grinning and rubbing his neck, he added, “I think I pulled a muscle on that one.”

Pulling a muscle might be a mild consequence of eating one of the burgers, which are veritable towers of beef, bacon, cheese, onion, tomato, gourmet sauce and bun, skewered on picks so they don’t topple over.

Watching Joaquin, Arch and Aguirre enjoying the two behemoth burgers they ordered to share, California Grill Executive Chef Jessie Lopez gave insight into how much effort went into creating the Hucowamongous Burger.

“The name was already there really, because of the word ‘cowabunga,’ but it was a whole team effort, six or seven people including corporate, to think of it … it’s really good,” Lopez said, as he prepared to cook up more of the chunky charbroiled treats.

This is the burger’s first year at the Orange County Fair, and from the start it proved successful, selling 25 on its first day. As of Tuesday night, 526 had been sold. And the buyers aren’t quite whom you might expect.

“Oh, it’s a big range of people. The most surprising one was a little old lady on senior day last week. She came up on a cart and she ordered one for herself. She just took it away,” chef Jimmy Whitsitt said, laughing.

Not to be outdone by a “little old lady,” Joaquin, Arch and Aguirre chipped away at the meaty marvels. In fewer than 15 minutes and just 20 to 30 bites, Arch finished off an entire Hucowamongous Burger on his own. According to his friends, this was par for the course for Arch.

“We’ve been practicing,” said Aguirre, who punctuated the meal with booming renditions of what he calls “the two-pound burger song,” — a ditty set to the tune made famous in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Aguirre explained some Fridays at the three friends’ Costa Mesa workplace, they order pizza. Arch boasted he once ate one-and-a-half pizzas on his own, prompting Joaquin to chime in with his own accomplishment: a half-pound hot dog in one sitting.

The burgers almost got the best of these three buddies, despite all their hard practice.

Leaning back in his chair after finishing the burger, Arch said, “Right now, my stomach’s like, ‘What the hell, dude?!’”

To see a staff photo gallery of the Orange County Fair, click here.

Introducing the Hucowamongous Burger, from California Grill. Offered this year for the first time, the burger has enjoyed huge popularity among fairgoers. Here are some fun facts about the charbroiled fare.

½ pound beef patties: three

Bacon strips: six

Number sold as of Tuesday night: 526

Preparation time: five minutes

Cost: $15

Weight: more than 2 pounds

Number of people it feeds: four

ZIGGY MARLEY AND DONAVON FRANKENREITER

Get ready for the weekend with a relaxing set by Marley, whose voice echoes the timbre of his famous dad but whose music ranges from smooth pop to true reggae. Former pro surfer Donavon Frankenreiter opens with a combination of soulfulness and pop sensibility.

The show begins at 7 p.m. and tickets are $29.50. For more information, go to www.ocfair.com.

MILKING DEMONSTRATION

Check out the Moo-llennium Barn at Centennial Farm to learn all the ins and outs of milking a cow as well as processing, pasteurizing and packaging milk. Demonstrations are at 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

AGA-BOOM!

The Theatre of Physical Comedy and Circus Arts ends its fair fun today.

Catch the final performance of AGA-BOOM! at 8 p.m. at the OC Register Arena.