The 13 Best French Fries Ranked & Why You Should Consider Them for Your Restaurant.

With the election looming in the near future, let’s make a connection with fries and politics. Weird, I know. Did you know that in 2003 Republicans tried to rename French Fries to Freedom Fries? They even changed the name of this dish in their congressional cafeterias. This all centered around France’s unwillingness to support us in the Iraqi war. Obviously, this did not fly, as we are writing about French Fries not Freedom Fries.

Okay, I think we have all had enough politics, onto the fries! We cannot begin to tell you how much we love this deep fired indulgence. They are a staple on menus worldwide. From Pommes Frites in France to Belgian Fries in, well Belgium, there are so many options and it’s hard to know what’s right for your concept. So, we’re going to cover everything fries in this blog. We’re going to dive into this critically important side dish in a two part series, where we will cover trends, best fries in the game, hand-cutting versus frozen options, potato varieties and everything else you can think of for fries.

Let’s start it off with the top 13 fries ranked and why you should or shouldn’t consider them for your restaurant.

13. Chips

We decided to add the OG British Chip into the mix because of its similarity to the steak fry. There are places here in the states that offer genuine Fish & Chips, so it’s a good topic to speak on. British chips are a smaller, sometime less crispy version of a steak fry. They’re more like “bits” of steak fries and are closer to square shape vs. the potato length of steak fries.

If you’re looking for authenticity for a British pub, this is must for your menu. Fish & Chip fanatics will settle for nothing less. If your menu offers a wider variety of options, you may have more traction with a more familiar variety.

12. Cottage

Such a strange name for a potato cut. It comes from those picturesque, woodland cottages you see in movies. When the fries are laid out for presentation, they resemble the shingles on the roof. Anyways, you don’t see these too often anymore. There isn’t much to complain about, but they’re pretty unique in the fry game.

Buffalo Wild Wings, used to carry these and they were insanely popular. Through the transition of their brand, they ended up removing these for simplicity purposes. The biggest problem with the cottage fries is that they take a while to cook and because of that, they typically end up browning on the outside. In essence, they look like a kettle chip. We’ve been trained subconsciously by the likes of McDonald’s that a golden fry is optimal. That isn’t to say that a browned fry is bad. In fact, the browning is the sugars caramelizing and it can add a wonderful flavor. The problem is it’s hard to see in a deep fryer when caramelization turns to burning.

Cottage fries have an opening in the market, again for the simple fact that they are unique. They would make a great and trendy vessel for toppings or even a fun untraditional nacho.

11. Potato Wedges

Unfortunately for the wedge, we constantly see these mishandled. The outside becomes severely browned and the inside is at times reminiscent of an undercooked baked potato. Achieving the perfect texture can be difficult. Back to our friends at Buffalo Wild Wings, they executed these well, but again due to simplifying their menu, they have since been removed.

Wedges are thick, to be honest they are the thickest on our list. They require a hefty cook time and are hard to execute consistently. There is a variation of the wedge that has seen success, the larger varieties. These are typically seen at theme parks and festivals alike. They are heavily seasoned or coated which creates a barrier, delaying the browning effect. This unique coating helps to make the wedge a viable option, for the simple fact that it creates a consistent product.

If you were to go the wedges route, be sure to do your due diligence. Find out what your equipment works best with. Remember, a thicker fry drops your fryer temperature lower, which leads to longer recovery times.

10. Curly Fries

A childhood favorite for us, however, one that hasn’t gained much traction since. Curly fries are fun and relatively unique in the industry. Arby’s owns the game here and there isn’t much in the way of competition, at all.

Curly fries are typically seen with a coating, or a seasoning. This is in part due to their cook time. Most fries are created equal (not in this list 😊), from a sizing perspective, but curly fries cannot achieve this. This is due to the way they are sliced. You will have odds and ends, bits and pieces, and even some curls that are potato length, and thus the issue with curly fries.

The entire batch of fries will come out completely different in texture depending on the size of the fry. Some of the fries received will be soft and others will be severely overcooked, that is nature of the beast. If you are known for them, like Arby’s, you’re in a good spot, but transitioning to them now would not be recommended. There are better, more consistent, cheaper, and higher quality options on this list.

9. Sweet Potato

On our list of fries, I believe this may be the most controversial. People either love or hate sweet potato fries and let us say, we love them. They are a concept differentiator and add a pop of color to any dish. This dish started out relatively standard with a regular cut style and has since moved to multiple options including waffle cut and tater tots.

For those of you on the fence around adding sweet potato fries onto your menu, a new-aged style may be the option you’re looking for. Standard cut sweet potato fries may not be enough to convince them to switch, but a different cut may just be enough to bring them to the dark side…. well, sweet side.

There are rarely brands out there that simply offer only sweet potato fries. Typically, they are an accompaniment to the standard style fry. This could be an opportunity for market share here. However, remember, not everyone is in love with this style. An option may be to offer sweet potato fries as your main side and an upcharge for regular fries. This would set you apart and give them something to talk about.

8. Shoestring

Let’s look at the opposite end of the spectrum, the shoestring fry. This variety is on fire right now; very trendy. You’ll see it in smaller upscale restaurants and someone who has owned this style for quick some time, Steak ‘n Shake. It is a great option for dining in and a nightmare for off-premise.

Shoestring fries are notoriously cold regardless of when you receive them; take them to-go and eat them slightly later and they are colder than room temp. If there was a way to keep these fries warm, they would be much higher on the list.

Your consumer will be pleased with them on your menu, they are always well received; just be prepared for cold fry comments, it is part of the process.

7. Tornado

This option isn’t seen much in restaurants, but it can be seen at festivals and theme parks. To be honest, these didn’t exist in the United States until the early 2000’s, coming all the way from Korea. When consumers see this, it is most definitely a wow factor.

Tornado Potato has an 18-inch skewer through the center of the potato. It is sliced in a spiral fashion, with a special piece of equipment. The slices are around an 1/8” thick, all the way down the potato. These slices do not completely cut through the potato and that’s the fun part about this item. It is all one connected potato “streamer”, that you can enjoy any way you like. Some consumers choose to eat it straight off the skewers; others will remove it and slice accordingly. There are infinite number of possibilities with this item.

We worked on a tornado project for a concept awhile back. It is hard to achieve consistency at first, but when you get it, it will be a game-changer. This is an item that could set you apart and make you a destination for fries. However, being a trendsetter requires educating your consumer constantly. You must introduce them to the idea and convince them to try it. Once they fall in love, they’ll do the rest of the work for you via word of mouth marketing.

6. Standard Cut

This is the standard that we all know and love. Places like McDonald’s and Burger King are great examples of this staple. This fry is typically only fried once and for the most part comes in frozen. Frozen fries are treated with a coating in production prior to freezing. This is a starch-based application that keeps moisture on the inside and crispiness on the outside. It sounds much more extreme than it is in industry. This is a standard issue and remember potatoes are packed full of starch. This coating is enhancing the texture and therefore the flavor of the fry.

Standard Cut are great for QSR & fast-food chains alike for one simple reason. They cook quickly. Your cook time is contingent upon how far you ask your manufacturer to “precook” the fries. We’ve seen cook times as low as 2 ½ minutes for standard cut. The issue with these fries

5. Waffle Fries

Chick-fil-A owns the game here. They’ve done a great job with a consistent product that everyone has come to know and love. Waffle fries are fun and unique in the industry. They carry sauce extremely well and become a fan favorite if executed properly.,

The downside with waffle fries is their inability to retain heat. The further you spread out surface area, the less bulk there is to maintain temperature. The upside, they are always crispy, if they are executed properly.

We love waffle fries, too much at times. Consider these if you are looking for something different. Add an even further twist with sweet potato waffle fries. If you are ever passing through Denver International Airport, Root Down offers these and they are amazing!

4. Steak Fries

Here’s another unique cut that not a lot of concepts use, steak fries. Red Robin does an amazing job with these. They own a large market share on this product. That is not to say it can’t be done for your concept, just make sure you do it well.

Steak fries are fun because of their size. They’re typically the length of a standard cut, nearly triple as wide and sometimes double in thickness. The idea behind a great steak fry is a crispy exterior with a baked potato interior. When you consume them, it should remind you of a crispy piece of an actual baked potato.

Another benefit of the steak fry is its ability to carry sauces. You’re able to pick up significantly more flavor with a steak fry than other varieties. In today’s restaurant world, the sauce game is super important. We’ll get into that more in part 2.

A downfall of the steak fries is the long cook time required. If you’re buying a frozen fry, you can typically get away with one deep fry, but it takes around 4 to 5 minutes to complete. If you’re hand-cutting steak fries, these take two stops in the fryer to achieve perfect. The first is set low around 300°F and the second is finished at a higher temp, somewhere around 375°F.

3. Tots

Ah, the tater tot. Such a strange name, but don’t let them fool you, they are making a solid comeback. Any guesses as to why? There are a few reasons actually and thus why they have ranked so high on our list.

Tots are thick and hard to mess up. Because of that, they hold their heat like nobody’s business. They are perfect for catering. As you may know, fries aren’t great at traveling. Most larger brands with a catering platform have chosen to leave fries off of the menu, just because they are not an exemplary item for quality. Tots can change that for you, they’ll perform well over time and remain crispy. Tots also are huge for nostalgia and that is hot right now; especially in a time where everyone fears, well, everything.

Tots hold toppings well and this gives a lot of versatility to this variety. There is a draw back to tots though. If you overcook them, like most things, they dry out and are very unappealing texturally. The difference with tots is they take on oil because of their girth. So, if your cook times are not dialed in, you’ll have a crunchy greaseball on your hands.

2. Crinkle Fries

Ah, the crinkle. A consistent, unique shape that stays crispy on the outside and soft in the center. The only problem with crinkle fries is their subconscious association with home cooking. Most of us grew up with a crinkle fry at the dinner table. That being said, if you execute them consistently, you’ve got a winner. Hardly anyone aside from Shake Shack is offering them. If it is executed properly, it can provide instant nostalgia for your consumer; executed poorly, and you have your guests evaluating their meal and how they can make it better at home.

All in all, we love crinkle fries. Their unique shape allows sauce to fit into their crevices, creating a perfect mix of salty and sweet. No issues here from a frying standpoint, they are standard procedure. They are slightly thicker, coming in around ½”, so they may take slightly longer. The reason these ranked so highly on our list is due to their uniqueness and ease of execution.

1.  Belgian Style Fries

Our favorite on the list. If you’ve ever been to Europe, you know of the small street-side stands serving this tasty treat and this tasty treat alone. Belgian fries are a thicker cut fry, that is fried twice. The first cook is to soften the potato and the second is to crisp it. The great thing about these fries is that you can cook the first fry hours before service and then when ordered, it is just a quick finish in the fryer.

Typically speaking, Belgian fries are golden brown. However, depending on the potato used, the outcome drastically changes. The starch content in a potato is critical for success. We will get into potato varieties in part 2 of this blog.

 In Europe, these fires are served in cones or specialty carboard vessels and topped with your choice of sauce, right on the fries. They hold sauce and heat very well due to their size and their texture is unlike anything else on this list.

The only issue for Belgian fries is that they are hand cut and require an extra cook. That being said, they are hardier and retain heat much better than their smaller counterparts. Saying “Belgian fries” on your menu will also add instant credibility and intrigue with your guests.

We hope you enjoyed our list of fries. Did we get it right for you? We’d love to hear from you. Send us a note on your thoughts www.alteredconceptsgroup.com/contact.

Check back for part two on fries, where we will talk about equipment, potato varieties, fryer oil and much more!