who makes the best french fries

Today on the home page of AT&T worldnet they have a poll on who makes the best french fries. Mcdonald's is leading at 42%. I do like the fries there but I rather have them from the local hamberg joint. They are only at 17%. Go cast your vote.

I'd have to say if we are talking about fries from a hamburger joint I'd say Wendy's only because i can't remember the last time i've eaten at a McDonalds (years). I love the fries at "Penn Station" or Steak Escape. They have the skins on and a deep golden brown color with a great potato and salty flavor. I must admit i love dipping them into cheese and not ketchup

In the Sundancer's own personal opinion, McDonalds and Wendys fries are only good when they are hot and immersed in ketchup. Captain D's has tasty fries but I tend to think they are coated with something.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

McDonald's uses some kind of sugar on their fries to promote browning.

If you had written "who MADE..." I'd say the little sandwich shop called Irv's Lunch next door to Sears in Galesburg IL, that closed over 20 years ago. My dad was the appliance division manager at Sears and would send us to Irv's for fries and sodas when he wanted to get rid of us kids. My sister said, "Yeah, Irv fried his fries in beef tallow, which is what made them so good."

varelas, would you mind if we also talked about what makes great fries great so we can figure out how to do this at home?

The McDonalds fries of years ago when they used beef fat. The new ones are better than most, but to make them taste good with the new veg oil formula, I understand that they fiddled with the recipe, but I didn't know that the secret was sugar. My wife has a thing against frozen fries. From my viewpoint a good fry can be fresh or frozen, as long as it is fresh from the fryer. Bad fries must be easy to make because I have had a lot of them over the years.

Michaelgemmell- we sure can talk about what makes good fries. When I cook them I double fry, fry once to cook and then I fry them again to brown & crisp them up.

I do!

I really like McDonald's fries if they are HOT as Sundancer said ! I like them hot and salty with a chocolate milk shake !!! I have not really tasted any others that I like ! I like Mustard on my fries !!

There is a local burger joint in the town where I work (Rockaways)that makes excellent crinkle-cut fresh and hot fries. They have excellent burgers to boot !!

The very best fries ever were at my grandfather's hamburger joints back in Springfield, MO. Closed in the '70's, though...

W.F. Cody's in Springfield still has great fresh-cut fries.

In Austin, Martin's Kum-bak (aka "Dirty's") has the best.

Great ones are available at Snuffy's in Hutto, TX.

My friend Ben, who lives on a farm in Paige, TX makes fantastic ones in his little Fry-Daddy.

The absolute best by far in central Texas are available at the "lodge" at Rocky Hill Ranch outside of Smithville, TX.

quote:

Originally posted by varelas

Michaelgemmell- we sure can talk about what makes good fries. When I cook them I double fry, fry once to good and then I cook them again to brown & crisp them up.

Ha! How about dropping cold, stale fries in the hot oil to crisp them up

Wendy's is/was notorious for doing this; I bet most other FFR's do it also...

--Ex Wendy's GM--

I have my mother's Sunbeam fryer from the 1950s, and it calls for the two-fry method on the label. It works. You'd think the fast fooders dumping the cold fries into the oil again would work, too, but no. I see In 'n Out doing this every Tuesday. You can see them cut fresh potatoes, incidentally.

We have a Delonghi fryer that has a motorized rotating basket. Yes, it uses less oil, but that also means the oil drops more in temp than other fryers. Rotating out of the oil also means it takes longer to fry, and doesn't seem IMO to improve anything. Please note that I'd use the Sunbeam except for the oil drain built into the DeLonghi. THAT feature is the greatest help. It also features a nylon filter on a box that fits onto a bracket that slides out from the fryer, while your trash is on the floor below in case of drips. Washing is easy when you put the fryer on the drainboard and use your sprayer. We will seek a similar drain system when we replace this--which will be soon, as our unit is NOT reliable.

The other day I tried the North Carolina Seafood Restaurant at the Raleigh Farmers' Market. It's one of those everything-deep-fried places. Awsome potatos. They call them home fries; they looked like wedge-cut french fries to me. Great hush puppies, too. The fish all probably is frozen, but they do that good, too. I'm going back.

Best fries? Gus' Deli on the University of Tennessee campus.

I do! Real potatos--real lard-real sea salt-real hot-server with real Tabasco spiked catsup-real good!

quote:

Originally posted by pdxyyz

Stanich's, Portland Oregon.
1/2 inch square 6 inch long and dark brown, not golden dark brown. Tjhye haven't changed the oil since the Truman administration.

For chain fries Swiss Chalet/Harveys in Canada.

One wonders if the last person to fill the tank at Nathan's in Coney Island was Nathan Handwerker himself....seriously (OK..SEMI-seriously ),perhaps one of the reasons that the Nathan's at CI is SO good is the curing of the fryer (fries) and griddle(dogs) by a unique combination of not only the salty sea air, but...also the fact Nathan's sits by a VERY busy NYC subway elevated terminal- Several hundred subway trains a day make a sharp turn right across the street,grinding steel dust into the air..that just HAS to get into the fryers...coat the grill..especially in the summer when that whole thing is open to the air most of the day...I wonder...

Lou...in regard to Nathan's in Coney Island, you forgot the flying grease from the Cyclone ride gears. Actually, no fries I have EVER tried come as close to Nathan's original in Coney Island. They are sooooo sweet.

In Manhattan we have a real good fries place though- Pommes Frites on 2nd Ave and 8th Street. Great fries with innovative dipping sauces.



posted by ConeyIslandLou

quote:

Originally posted by pdxyyz

Stanich's, Portland Oregon.
1/2 inch square 6 inch long and dark brown, not golden dark brown. Tjhye haven't changed the oil since the Truman administration.

For chain fries Swiss Chalet/Harveys in Canada.

One wonders if the last person to fill the tank at Nathan's in Coney Island was Nathan Handwerker himself....seriously (OK..SEMI-seriously ),perhaps one of the reasons that the Nathan's at CI is SO good is the curing of the fryer (fries) and griddle(dogs) by a unique combination of not only the salty sea air, but...also the fact Nathan's sits by a VERY busy NYC subway elevated terminal- Several hundred subway trains a day make a sharp turn right across the street,grinding steel dust into the air..that just HAS to get into the fryers...coat the grill..especially in the summer when that whole thing is open to the air most of the day...I wonder...

I want to eat my fries with Tiki. Those sound so wonderful. Anytime I am out and hot sauce is on the table, I like to mix it in with my ketchup to dip my fries. I like to eat at the places that bring cold bottles of ketcup out to eat with the hot fries. On the rare occasion that I eat fast food fries, they must be hot or I will ask the person behind the counter to please get me some hot fries. Most of the time, they are nice about it.

In & out Burgers fries when they are hot and salty!

what about white castle fries?? they are the bomb... they are soooo good and always fresh.. and what better to have with them then a few sliders!!!!

hmmmmmmmmmm hungry just thinking about them...

I like Wendy's, White Castle and Steak N Shake fries as long as they're fresh and hot.The old McD's were good but nowadays are just so so.
Here in Ohio there is Fiske French Fries (concession)at county fairs and other summer events - they have yummy fries made fresh from start(pealing the spud) to finish- they use a multi stage cooking process for frying which cooks them just right. They have a vineger squirt bottle which really makes them good !

quote:

Originally posted by scbuzz

I really like McDonald's fries if they are HOT as Sundancer said ! I like them hot and salty with a chocolate milk shake !!! I have not really tasted any others that I like ! I like Mustard on my fries !!

There is a local burger joint in the town where I work (Rockaways)that makes excellent crinkle-cut fresh and hot fries. They have excellent burgers to boot !!

yay!..someone else that likes McD's fries with a chocolate shake.. I even dunk mine in! The place I use to be an asst. manager at has great fries too. They make their own... big fat steak fries..mmmm.. they are great dunked in bleu cheese dressing.

The best fries in Pittsburgh, PA are at the Original Hot Dog Shop in Oakland, on the University of Pittsburgh campus.

Affectionately called the Dirty O by locals, they sell ONE MILLION pounds of spuds a week. Fried in fresh peanut oil, they are a meal by themselves, if you get them topped with either cheese or gravy (wet fries). However, do NOT order large fries, as they can feed a small army.

Check out the Sterns review of the Original. They also sell wonderful hot dogs too! Rick Sebak also filmed them for his PBS Special, A Hot Dog Show.

I had the fries at the Nathan's in the Phoenix airport. They were the best I've had at a chain. There is a little hot dog place in Hollywood, CA called Skooby's. They have the best fresh cut fries I've had.

quote:

Originally posted by Saint Matt

I had the fries at the Nathan's in the Phoenix airport. They were the best I've had at a chain.

They're good, aren't they? We have Nathan's at each mall in the area, so they're available quite readily. I just wish the manager at the one in the Echelon Mall in Voorhees wasn't such a crabapple.

POSTED BY JM199:
Affectionately called the Dirty O by locals, they sell ONE MILLION pounds of spuds a week. Fried in fresh peanut oil, they are a meal by themselves, if you get them topped with either cheese or gravy (wet fries). However, do NOT order large fries, as they can feed a small army.


That is about two pounds of spuds per second sold. That is one really busy place. There is better than 600,000 seconds per week. If they are not open 24 hours daily, they have a hell of a day shift rush. Must be really good spuds.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Good work, sleuth!!

Thrashers in Ocean City, MD

Look forward to going there every summer.

One more time, you folks have got to go to this place. Willies Wee-Nee Wagon in Brunswick, Georgia. Family owned and the best hand cut fries I have ever had. Not to mention the hotdogs, porkchop sandwich etc. If you are down in that area forget the GA Pig and go to Willies.

BB

quote:

Originally posted by juliev

quote:

Originally posted by scbuzz

I really like McDonald's fries if they are HOT as Sundancer said ! I like them hot and salty with a chocolate milk shake !!! I have not really tasted any others that I like ! I like Mustard on my fries !!

There is a local burger joint in the town where I work (Rockaways)that makes excellent crinkle-cut fresh and hot fries. They have excellent burgers to boot !!

yay!..someone else that likes McD's fries with a chocolate shake.. I even dunk mine in! The place I use to be an asst. manager at has great fries too. They make their own... big fat steak fries..mmmm.. they are great dunked in bleu cheese dressing.

Julie... Have you ever read "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlossen? MMMMM... Fries...

I am from the southwest Ontario region in Canada. I grew up in Sarnia where we have what are called chip wagons, vehicles equipped with grills and deep fryers. One such "chipmobile" as I like to call them is called Albert's Rolling Lunch which specialized in making french fries. They have been around during the summer months located underneath the Blue Water Bridge that connects Sarnia with Port Huron , Michigan since about late 50s early 60s and have been a local landmark. There would be long lineups at Albert's for people wanting their delicious fresh cut fries. I liked them best with some white vinegar and salt. Then we would eat them by the St. Clair River while the big Laker vessels would sail by on a warm summer's evening. They were the best, and they're still around today.
Are there any places in America tha have "chipmobiles"?

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.