who makes the best french fries

The Swan Drive-In Theater in downtown Blue Ridge, GA! For $2 you get a huge basket of potato wedges, and they cook them to perfection. I think they have some kind of coating on them, but it is a light coating.
The Swan is open year round showing first run movies. I drove the family up there last weekend to see a double feature.... And boy was it cold!!!!
They have very good funnel cakes also.

Sorry - gave them up over a year ago and have lost 15 pounds. Do miss them!!

Have to agree with the Nathan's assessment as the best fries. Though I do miss the long little wooden forks to eat them with. Plastic is just not the same!

I'll go with Wendy's, McD's slightly overcooks them for my taste...

Oooooooo french fries!!! I could LIVE on french fries (if I didn't die from a massive coronary first).

My Fry Reviews...

McDonald's - Awesome if they're hot (as with any fry!)
Wendy's - Good...
Arby's - TERRIBLE - they used to be DECENT but then they changed their recipe...what the crap? I really hate their curly fries, too. However I love me some Arby's sandwiches!
White Castles - Yum...good stuff...greasier than most though
In-N-Out - Mmmmm - King of greasiness, but they are good - however they rank #1 in cardboard-taste when they get cold.
Burger King - grrrrr...another company that changed their fries years ago and I've been ticked off about it ever since because I do love their burgers.
Del Taco - Did I say In-N-Out was the greasiest? I digress.
Carl's Jr/Hardees - From what I remember...they were OK
Jack In the Box - Decent, but I HATE their burgers - Ick!

The best fries EVER
I usually find these in obscure places like bowling alleys and tiny roadside diners. I don't know why, but they're always the best.

Outback Aussie cheese fries get an honorable mention.

Are you a fry-enthusiast looking for a twist?
Go to Cincinnati, Ohio and visit Habit's Café in the Oakley neighborhood. They have sweet potato fries with apple-butter dipping sauce - pretty unique.

I don't care for fries made in vegetable oil. I prefer a fry boiled in animal fat such as duck or goose fat(it makes for a much tastier product). My favorite fries are pommes frites or Belgian fries that are commonly found on the streets of Amsterdam. There are a few places in the U.S. that have tried to replicate real pommes frites, but they don't use animal fat as the cooking oil. The oil is what creates the taste. Authentic pommes frites are made from fresh, never frozen potatoes. Once cut, they're soaked in water, completely dried, blanched for a few minutes in a low temp oil, sweated, finished of in a higher temp oil, and then served in a paper cone with various home made dips. Once you've tried authentic pommes frites, you become addicted. Unfortunately, it's next to impossible to find authentic pommes frites in the U.S. But the next time you're in Amsterdam......

There was a local sandwhich shop in town that went out of business. Wish I knew why, best subs I've ever had. I think it was just that she was such a witch. They had the best fries, don't know why. They just had one of those cutter deals on the wall. Cut the potato right in front of you and threw it in the broaster. They we're actually very limp, but tasty.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark in Ohio

I'll go with Wendy's, McD's slightly overcooks them for my taste...

that's funny..I have always thought that Wendy's were a bit UNDERcooked..got a batch once that had been accidentally 'overcooked' a few secs...mmm.were they GOOD...

Here in beautiful Santa Cruz County, my favorite places for fries are:

Cole's BBQ
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/04.17.97/dining-9716.html

Carpo's
http://www.carposrestaurant.com/

Yah, yah. . . . Micky D and their chemically enhanced food product[Note: Not 'food'], and oil in Portland that has exponential numbers of hours on it, and pomme frites in Amsterdam with mayo. Had them all.

As Bingo914 above notes, real fries come from Thrashers, on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, MD. Served in cups, with malt vinegar, and you burn your mouth on the first few. Them's fries!!

To bring this post back to life...

As far as fast food is concerned, I have always been a fan of McDonald's fries. Charley's has some pretty decent fries, too, especially if you get them smothered in cheese or ranch & bacon.

Loaded fries are seriously addicting, too. Most places serve loaded fries with several kinds of cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, chives, salt, pepper, etc. Mmmm.

~Jessica

I'm not much of a fan of French fries, and when I do eat them I like them with a good vinegar. Not long ago I tasted some fries that my grandson had and they were terrific. They were from Rally's -- known as Checker's in some areas -- and they were nicely seasoned and not greasy.

My husband, hands down and uncontested!

Not much of a fries fan but when I do have them I like the little thin ones like Steak and Shake or White Castle. And I don't have them often. Love potatoes but there are ways to have potatoes that are far better than in fries, I think.

Donna

Usually the crinkle cuts found in a small diner!

Or, the ones on the Pier at Old Orchard Beach, Maine... With the vinegar, of course!, and LOT'S of salt.
Sssh.. my blood pressure med's are calling my name!
Shush, I said!

My favorite all-time fry was from a white wagon outside of the Parliment building in Ottawa Canada.
I think a well done crinkle cut fry served on an unbleached grey pressed paper plate tastes best. Hmm. sort of the like The Kewpie Diner in downtown Racine Wisconsin. Dam, now I'm thinking road trip!

The fries on the boardwalk (actually, an asphalt walk) at Keansburg, N.J. I think it's called Anne's. There are vinegar dispensers aplenty on the counter. Very, very good fries. A small order is served in a paper cone.

It's right opposite Old Heidelberg's hot dog place and tavern, now owned by Nickerson's, which is a story unto itself. Old Heidelberg has traditionally had a sign up that says "No outside food permitted".....that is, except for the fries from across the way.

Now, that's tradition. If you go this summer, at Old Heidelberg's check out the old marble tables. The marble is actually bent from age. A true wonder of the world.
The Bear

McDonald's were always pretty good until the dreaded food police shamed them into changing to veg oil from lard.

Of course I go back far enough to rememeber when each McDonald's store fresh cut (yes fresh cut!) their own fries. Now those were GOOD!

Wally
Cornell '67

If the fries at McD's of Wendy's look like they've been lying around for a while, ask for salt free fries. Then they'll do a new bunch, which you can salt yourself. A little bit of trickery, but it works.

I always ask for fries without salt only way to get hot ones.
As far as Fries go I generally perfer MCD's, I really can't even eat Burger King's. Wendy's are decent if hot. I really perfer a crisp not undercooked steak fry myself.

Listen people....you want a satisfying, gratifying french fry experience?? Drop by the Pittsburgh Area anytime between Labor Day and memorial day, give me a ring and I'll take you to Kennywood Park. Within this 100 year old, world class amusement park is a place called The Potato Patch. Fresh potatoes are turned into fries alllll day. Skin on, crispy, long and salty (with cheese if you please). I can't figure out how they keep the oil so sweet when the lines are constantly backed up for a mile; dueling fryers I suppose. There is nothing like smelling the smells, seeing the sights, listening to the screams from the Thunderbolt coaster and feeling the mist from the Log Jammer while munching on Potato Patch fries and drinking a freshly squeezed lemonade!

Hey, if you're lucky and it's a nice hot day, I might even wear my daisy dukes and a belly shirt for you! HEH

The best fries I ever had were from Ollie's Trolley in Louisville, KY, and from a little hamburger stand in Crailsheim, Germany (best burger ever there as well!). G.D. Ritzy's had good fries as well, and I liked them because I like the thin shoestring type and not the thicker ones or crinkle cut.


Andrea

Hello All,
In the fast food nation world- McDonalds, though Wendy's are good when eaten with their chili.
Locally- Dave's Taverna, Jesse's Quick Lunch, and the local bowling alley makes awesome ones.
Also, I have found Bravo's, an Italian place makes great fries.
Best of all- when the cosmos and I are one, I make the best, but that has happened about 5 times in the
last 10 years.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

quote:

Originally posted by AndreaB

The best fries I ever had were from Ollie's Trolley in Louisville, KY, and from a little hamburger stand in Crailsheim, Germany (best burger ever there as well!). G.D. Ritzy's had good fries as well, and I liked them because I like the thin shoestring type and not the thicker ones or crinkle cut.


Andrea

Andrea,

A friend of mine gave me the "secret recipe" for Ollies Trolly french fry spice about 20 years ago.

I bet about now you are thinking,"so lets have it already".

I didn't use it much at the time(although it is super-fantastic on fries)because there was some controversy about the safety MSG at the time.I believe now MSG is known to be safe,and it is the "secret ingredient" in Ollies Trolly fries.

Enough rambling so here it is...

EQUAL parts of chile powder,salt,and MSG.

Don't skimp on the MSG,EQUAL parts.

So simple but so good,try it,you will like it!

Deep fry some taters(I fresh cut),drain and then dust VERY HEAVY with this spice mixture,and you have it,just like Ollies Trolly fries.

Try it and let me know what you think !

One of my best kept secrets,dont spread it around.

I prefer the fresh cut twice cooked fries but actually don't mind the frozen ones served at Long John Silvers.

Anyone who makes them "steak cut" and buttery on the inside and crispy on the outside.

1. Nathan's of Coney Island circa 1973- I haven't had them in a verrry long time, but I have very fond memories. I wonder if they still stack up a bunch of those thick-cut fries on the long wooden fork?

2. Union Square Cafe, NY, NY- Best fries in a 5 star restaurant

3. In N Out, West coast- The only chain that gets it right (that I am aware of)

4. Googie's, NY, NY- Big mountains of shoestrings that come with your sandwich or burger.

Nationally - Nathan's

Local - Town Spa Pizza in Stoughton, MA. Certainly ate my share of those during college.

Wow, there are so many folk saying "I do" to this topic it is sort of like a Las Vegas wedding chapel on Saturday night.

Of course I could join the chorus, but will demure for now.