French Fries.... Does Size Really Matter?
I've always been a shoestring man from way back. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate a good steak fry. What do you think? What do you like to put on your "Fries" aside from Ketchup, salt or Vinegar? Oh by the way restaurants, please hold the nasty "magic sprinkles"/ prarie dust/ cajun seasoning...
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41 Comments:
I grew up with a girl who dipped her fries always in mayo!! SOO greasy!!
stacemace at 4:30PM on 08/21/08
Yeah, I confess to dipping my fries in Helman's Mayonaise. It's sooo tasty!
earlybirdkate at 4:49PM on 08/21/08
Mayo is fine, but it's gotta be mayo AND ketchup - dunked first in the mayo then the ketchup (not mixed together... that would just be gross :) )
Or dunk it into a chocolate milkshake at a diner (a favorite of mine in high school)
Or make 'em cheese fries and coat them in marinara sauce..... ( i switched to this one college...)
nalega at 5:00PM on 08/21/08
Given the choice, I'd probably go for thin-cut chips (such as shoestring or curly fires) in 99 cases out of 100. But there will be that one time when I'd prefer thick-cut ones (like steak fries).
I don't ever use ketchup on mine, I eat them either plain with salt, or dip then in malt or balsamic vinegar.
brooke29 at 5:20PM on 08/21/08
I like all fries, but tend to have very low expectations with steak fries because whenever I order them, they're usually mushy and not so great. Aside from ketchup, I like ranch, occasionally sweet and sour/Polynesian (a la Chick Fil A), BBQ sauce and mayo. I like seasoned fries as well, mixes things up a bit!
marieinla at 5:24PM on 08/21/08
dude, totally; size is of crucial importance to the perfect fry.
firstly, distinctions must be made; a french fry is a distinct entity, separate from steak fries, tater tots and potato wedges; it's close relatives include shoestrings, crinkle fries, and curly fries.
so far as i'm concerned, a fry, perfectly made, should be square, or square-esque, and somewhere around 1/2" thick on all sides. it should measure between two and three inches, though at least one in any given serving must be at least five inches.
also, texture is important, and the way i see it, variety is what you really want--the shorter fries need to be crispy and greasy-licious, whereas the longer ones should be soft, so as to encourage folding prior to dipping.
yes, i'm a food geek. and I accept that.
rasellers0 at 5:33PM on 08/21/08
Homemade fries, salted then dipped in cane syrup is the best! I've never eaten ketchup, but I love syrup on my fries! Preferably thin-cut and crispy...
cajunnan at 6:17PM on 08/21/08
I'm a sucker for curly fries and ketchup is all I need. I don't mind mayo or even the occasional milk shake, but they can be too heavy after just a few bites.
AliNC at 6:18PM on 08/21/08
i don't like potatoes (i know, it makes no sense -- and i'm of irish ancestry!) so i only like thin fries where they basically just taste like, well, crispy oil. hah.
megannesta at 6:43PM on 08/21/08
No, no, no--chips from an English 'chippy' are best of all. Thick-cut, crispy at the edges and outside, slightly limp, steaming hot at the centers. Some slightly overgrown and underdone, others tiny, thin and extremely crispy. Perhaps some salt and vinegar, depending on my mood. And they should taste like potatoes, not oil, and be served in a paper cone.
I don't eat fries much any more, but when I do they're usually thick or crinkle-cut, and I dip them in ketchup. Always have, except when I ate McDonald's fries, which I only consumed plain for some reason.
I've lost my taste for some of my favorites of my teens--curly fries with barbecue sauce, and cheese fries.
HeartofGlass at 8:34PM on 08/21/08
I don't care if they're thin or thick, as long as they're really crispy and golden. I dip them in mayo+ketchup. They have to be well-salted, too.
heelsonbricks at 10:03PM on 08/21/08
Chinese five spice seasoned salt, sprinkled on hot fries, right out of hot (preferably peanut) oil. Yum.
But occasionally I revert to a guilty pleasure I learned from an old friend: ranch dressing. Thanks Regis.
hungryinhouston at 11:05PM on 08/21/08
Ranch is the best fry condiment. Ever.
I usually end up ordering shoestring or "regular" fries, out of habit: I used to teach line dancing lessons, and beforehand, all of us would gather to touch bases and make sure everyone knew who was teaching what. We often ordered fries to go with this gab session, but by the time they were ready, we'd only have about 5 minutes to eat them. After lots of burned tongues, we figured out that steak fries are generally a bad idea, since they stay hotter longer.
Long story short: shoestrings offer a higher level of instant gratification. :) (without painful tongues)
amanda0730 at 11:27PM on 08/21/08
Also, nacho cheese is good.
amanda0730 at 11:29PM on 08/21/08
I prefer skinny fries over steak fries, jojos, Greek fries, tater tots, home fries (yeah I know it's different)...maybe a close second would be thin waffle fries.
I don't really eat fries often, but when I do, I enjoy a mix of almost crunchy fries (not burnt or that funky oil soaked ones) with fries that you can roll between your fingers.
Ideally, I eat my fries with mayonnaise, ketchup, and a dab of yellow mustard.
Cassaendra at 12:01AM on 08/22/08
sometimes i get nostalgic for the fries of my chicago youth: thick, limp, salty, and greasy. preferably served in a red and white paper boat, alongside a hot dog dragged through the garden and a root beer with crushed ice.
cybercita at 12:06AM on 08/22/08
I swear my fingers continue typing while my brain falls asleep at the keyboard.
I meant: I enjoy a mix of almost crunchy fries (not burnt or the funky soaked ones) along with soft fries that you can roll between your fingers.
Cassaendra at 12:11AM on 08/22/08
Hand cut, random sizes. Double fried after a good soaking in cold, salted water. Sprinkled with both salt and pepper and dipped in tartar sauce. It don't get much better!
czken at 1:19AM on 08/22/08
Malt vinegar or hot ketchup or hot sweet mustard
JerzeeTomato at 1:53AM on 08/22/08
Yes size matters! So does shape! Crinkle cut, fried to a golden blond, crispy on the outside, soft and hot on the inside with the texture of fluffy mashed potatoes, and salty. Sometimes with catsup, sometimes with barbecue sauce, sometimes with cocktail sauce and sometimes plain.
I really can't imagine many things worse on fries than five-spice powder. But then, I really dislike anise.
Calichef at 3:38AM on 08/22/08
I like mine the shoestring, skin on, crisp and seasoned on the outside fluffy on the inside. Usually I eat them just plain no dipping except when I eat at Dick's Drive-in and then dipping in their tartar is a must!!
pjracz10 at 5:15AM on 08/22/08
in high school we all would eat the fries dipped in italian dressing (so good!) or a mayo/ketchup mixture. i'm hungry...
_greenbean at 10:24AM on 08/22/08
Steak fries or shoestring...either are fine w/me....my favorite dipping condiment is blue cheese dressing....yum!
Ranch or mayo will do in a pinch... ;-)
mepolo at 10:27AM on 08/22/08
Must be shoestring and dipped into musells in a garlicky wine with a dash of tomato. Moules et frites...nothing like it
Nonny at 10:39AM on 08/22/08
I personally love chip fries. The ones that are shaped like potato chips, are soft in the middle and crispy on the outside. Yum! Ketchup and vinegar for me.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 11:16AM on 08/22/08
Size and cut doesn't matter, except in these these things should be changed up on a regular basis, for variety's sake. What does count, and is essential, and in this city seems entirely ignored, is that french fries Must have a crispy texture on the outside! No one takes the time to double dip their fries any more. In the oil till they're cooked, then up, let the oil heat and the fries cool, then back in that oil for a second time to promote crispiness!
thepirateking at 11:24AM on 08/22/08
my favorite fries have the dimensions of a mcd's fry-skinny and long. (tho, let me make clear that mcd's fries are not my favorite)
i like them to be limp and salty.
if they're perfect (like the fries they make at club185 in columbus, ohio) then i need nothing on them.
if i must dip, then i'll often go with ranch dressing, but it usually means the fries aren't up to par.
when i was young my family used to make them ourselves sometimes. my mom would give my sister and i a brown paper bag full of hot fries and salt for us to shake around to coat, cool, and knock some of the grease off. fun and delicious.
gastronomeg at 11:30AM on 08/22/08
I like them crispy on the outside but not brown and steamy soft on the inside. I usually eat them naked, but when I dip, my favorites are:
1. Brown gravy (to die for!)
2. Homemade tartar sauce
3. Hellmann's mayo
If you haven't done the gravy thing, you gotta try it.
Josdean at 12:29PM on 08/22/08
When we moved to Utah, we discovered fry sauce. It's pretty much a mayo-ketchup mix, but every restaurant does theirs different - mayo/bbq, mayo/ketchup/pickle relish, ketchup/ranch dressing, etc. I have to admit, I am a big fan of fry sauce now, and every restaurant here carries it, even if they don't do it nationally. As for fries, they have to be thin, crispy and right out of the fryer with lots of salt.
eatingoutwest at 2:31PM on 08/22/08
When I was a kid, my favourite were diner fries (medium cut, slightly limp) smothered in gravy. As I got older, I changed to fresh cut thick fries doused with malt vinegar, salt and pepper, with ketchup on the side for dipping. I do enjoy steak-cut fries, but I've never been a fan of skinny fries. They need to have a substantial amount of potato-y goodness inside.
blush at 2:39PM on 08/22/08
Many of you may have missed @pjracz10's reference to Dick's Drive-in but that nailed one of the best sources of fried tubers in Seattle. We used to make a Dick's run on the night that daylight savings changed. We'd hit all four outlets and have a deluxe, fries and a vanilla shake at each one and be home before we left!
That reminds me too, I should mentions Zesto's (also a Seattle institution) and their "snowshoe" fries. They are sliced on a mandoline and look like minature waffles when finished. If their oil was hot and clean enough, they'd be the epitome of crisp. Unfortunately, more often than not it wouldn't be the case ;~(
Good idea though...
czken at 4:31PM on 08/22/08
@czken Zesto's , I heard of theat place but never ate there, was it Ballard? If so I don't think it is there anymore (like everything else in Seattle), not sure though. The other place in Seattle that everyone is raving about (and Ii have not been there yet ) in regards to really realy good burgers and fires is Red Mill Burgers. The other place that I have eaten their fries and they are out of this world is at Scultzy's Burger and brat pub located in the U dist. Man with our beers we get baskets and baskets of those gems. Have you been to these places?
pjracz10 at 5:35PM on 08/22/08
In general, I prefer my fries skinny and long. When they're not that hot or salty, I require ketchup. If they're hot, I can eat them plain or with gravy. However, my favorite fries I eat almost never, because of how fattening they are. They're from a bar. They have two kinds that I usually get:
Debris fries: Waffle fries covered in roast beef and its debris (the bits and pieces and juices from the bottom of the pan), then smothered in colby jack cheese.
Boudreaux fries: Sweet potato waffle fries with golden raisins, toasted walnuts, and bleu cheese. And yes, bar food! Crazy!
nightowl at 6:17PM on 08/22/08
Oh, I forgot to add, the sweet potato fries have roast beef debris as well.
nightowl at 6:18PM on 08/22/08
regular potatoes, McD's dimensions, steak fries only if they're done properly (I'm a sucker for Red Robin's - I actually like the season salt!) or shoestring sweet potato fries with sea salt. I'll dip anything but the sweet potatoes in whatever's handy if the salt and frying aren't perfect.
Oh, and the soggy garlic fries at Qwest Field or Safeco Field in Seattle!
cowprintrabbit at 10:57AM on 08/23/08
I always order them unsalted. :)
Arby's curly fries are the anomaly for me. Those are awesome, but only when they're fresh. They're god awful when they're 10 minutes old. I can eat other fries after 10 minutes, even fries that have been in the fridge, but not the curly fries...
Cassaendra at 11:04AM on 08/23/08
Oh yeah it's been years since i ate Red Robin's fries. I liked them w/their seasoning salt as well. To me if fries are made well and has the right seasoning, ect., I want to taste the potato not anything else, WITH the exception of Dick's fries, It is a must that I dip them in their tartar.
pjracz10 at 8:11PM on 08/23/08
I like any size, but the must be smothered in something! Chili and cheese is the best! (I am such a food snob I cant believe I posted my secret vice!)
SavoryTv at 8:16PM on 08/23/08
Thrashers french fries are the perfect fry in every way.
pbisNOTmyname at 11:01PM on 08/23/08
Karl in Sling Blade liked "taters and mustard".
Mustard is pretty good but I seldom eat them that way. I'm a ketchup man.
I prefer French Fries cut thicker than McDonald's and fried twice is best. I am pretty sick of french fries automatically coming with a hamburger.
eatorama at 2:31AM on 08/24/08
Thin, crispy and salted.
Kerosena at 4:21PM on 08/25/08