11 Chain Restaurants That Only Use Fresh Fries
Parmesan truffle, sweet potato, and animal style. Fries come in all shapes in sizes but which chain restaurants have actually stuck to the never frozen philosophy?
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00:00Parmesan truffle, sweet potato, and animal style — fries come in all shapes and sizes.
00:07But which chain restaurants have actually stuck to the never-frozen philosophy?
00:13In-N-Out is very proud of the fact that the chain has no need for freezers or microwaves.
00:18It's not just the USDA ground chuck patties that are served fresh — the fries are, too.
00:24The chain's French fries are made from scratch at its numerous locations across the U.S.
00:29The potatoes are hand-cut in-house and fried in 100 percent sunflower oil.
00:35With so much effort put into the humble French fry, it's sad to see that it isn't exactly
00:40paying off.
00:41In fact, most fast food enthusiasts seem critical of In-N-Out fries.
00:46Conceding that the restaurant's French fries are fresh, food columnist Lucas Peterson notes
00:51that they are also,
00:52"...bland, crumbly little matchsticks that aren't improved by any amount of ketchup,
00:57salt, cheese, or salad dressing you want to add to them."
01:01Community reviewers seem to agree, and multiple Quora patrons have debated why the fries are
01:06not up to par compared with the competition, ultimately explaining it by the fact that
01:11In-N-Out doesn't fry the potatoes twice.
01:14There are a few ways to improve upon the standard fries, though.
01:18You can always order them well-done if you want more of that desired crisp, and of course
01:22you can always try the chain's animal-style fries.
01:26The secret menu item comes loaded with melted cheese, grilled onions, and a secret spread.
01:31"...that's what a French fry is all about!"
01:36Founded in 1986, Five Guys currently operates 1,500 locations around the globe, and there's
01:43a good reason why the franchise has grown — its delicious burgers, hot dogs, and sides.
01:49When it comes to French fries, the chain offers classic Five Guys-style fries and Cajun-style
01:55fries.
01:56Both are made from freshly cut potatoes that are fried twice in cholesterol-free 100% peanut
02:02oil.
02:03While most fast food lovers view French fries as a mere side dish, this isn't the approach
02:08taken by the family behind Five Guys.
02:11Chad Murrell, one of the sons of the chain's founder Jerry Murrell, explains,
02:16"...they are the hardest thing we have to do, but people think that it's the easiest.
02:20If you don't do them right, they're still kinda good and people don't complain, but
02:24that doesn't cut it with us."
02:26So what's the lowdown?
02:28Five Guys sources its Russet Burbank potatoes from Idaho for 10 months each year.
02:34When these get too soft for frying, the restaurant replaces them with spuds from Washington or
02:39Oregon.
02:40Once in the kitchen, the potatoes are sliced, rinsed, and soaked to eliminate excess starch.
02:46Then they're pre-cooked for around two and a half minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit,
02:51left out to cool for at least 10 minutes, and fried again.
02:56For Muya, fries are a serious business.
02:59The chain offers regular, hand-cut Idaho French fries and sweet potato fries.
03:04It also prides itself on its 24-hour, six-step, fatiguing fry frenzy.
03:10More specifically, the restaurant's fry-making process involves washing, cutting, rinsing,
03:16agitating, and double-frying in canola oil.
03:19The effort Muya is putting into its fries seems to be paying off.
03:23Nancy Nichols from DM Magazine writes that despite the fact that the Muya burger she
03:28sampled was delicious, it wasn't mouth-watering enough to make her repeat the experience.
03:33However, this wasn't the case for the French fries.
03:37Nichols describes,
03:38"...I found a slight crunch with every bite and a soft, hot center.
03:42At the bottom of the cup, I found a treasure trove of salty, crunchy nubs."
03:48While Wingstop is generally known for its flavored chicken wings, the chain also has
03:52plenty to offer in the French fries department.
03:55In fact, the restaurant's menu features four different takes on the ubiquitous side dish,
04:00all made with fresh-cut Idaho potatoes.
04:03While the seasoned fries are a Wingstop staple, you can also pick from cheese fries, buffalo
04:08ranch fries, and Louisiana voodoo fries topped with cheese sauce, ranch sauce, and Cajun
04:14seasoning.
04:15According to Don Odiorn, the vice president of food service at the Idaho Potato Commission,
04:21Wingstop consulted the organization about perfecting its fries.
04:25Odiorn shared,
04:26"...we had potato expert Greg Shannon — a consultant who used to do training seminars
04:31for Simplot — visit the chain on multiple occasions, and he developed a set of specs
04:36for the fryer equipment, the potato variety to use, storage requirements, and preparation."
04:43Wingstop's passion and commitment certainly show in the final product.
04:47One TripAdvisor reviewer praises the chain's fries, saying,
04:51"...I love hand-cut fries.
04:53My whole family does.
04:55We hate the pre-cut, pre-cooked frozen fries.
04:58Wingstop has the best.
05:00You get a huge portion, the best fries around, hot right out of the fryer."
05:05"...we make it our way, and in doing so, make it irresistible.
05:10Wingstop."
05:11With nine locations in Ohio, Melbar & Grilled is a regional grilled cheese chain that specializes
05:17in craft beer and classic American comfort food all dressed up.
05:22More specifically, the venue serves gourmet sandwiches with various types of cheese and
05:27other favorites, such as pulled beef brisket, homemade meatballs, and smoked turkey.
05:33The chain's selection of French fries is nothing to sneeze at, either, and includes cheese
05:38bacon fries, chili cheese fries, cheese gravy fries, and garlic Romano fries.
05:44The star of the menu, however, is the hangover fries, with pulled pork, gravy, mozzarella
05:50cheese, fried sunny-side-up egg, and scallions.
05:54So what's the verdict?
05:56Reviewers rave about the Melbar & Grilled fries, with one satisfied patron saying,
06:01"...fries are my obsession.
06:03These fries were perfectly salted and very filling.
06:06No ketchup was required because they were that good."
06:10Another reviewer recommends the chain's hangover fries, adding that they are a, quote,
06:14"...meal within themselves and to die for."
06:18The folks from BurgerFi proclaim in a post on the restaurant's Facebook page,
06:22"...we don't just tear open a bag of frozen fries and call it a day like those other guys."
06:27Instead, the burger joint's fries are made from russet potatoes, which are sliced, blanched,
06:33double-fried for added crunch, and seasoned on the premise.
06:37BurgerFi's fries seem to be a hit with community reviewers.
06:40One patron calls them,
06:42"...the best French fries ever.
06:44The burgers are great and the beer and tea are very good, but the fries are to die for.
06:49They are crunchy and not greasy at all like at Five Guys."
06:53Another fry connoisseur says,
06:55"...they were served sizzling hot and crispy.
06:58They were perfection, and the portion was a pretty good size."
07:01Rachel Askenasy, who reviewed BurgerFi for Insider,
07:05says that the fries arrived at her table salted and hot.
07:09She comments,
07:10"...the potatoes were cut to around one-half inch thick,
07:13varied in length, and some had brown potato skin on the outside, which I personally love.
07:18They were soft inside and had a semi-crunchy exterior."
07:22On the downside, Askenasy also writes that the fries didn't retain their flavor,
07:28turning cold and stiff within 30 minutes.
07:31Come in! Come in! Mayday! I'm losing your transmission!
07:35I said French fries!
07:38Boasting six locations around Atlanta and Athens, the Varsity specializes in hot dogs and burgers.
07:45And we all know that nothing takes these fast food staples to the next level like a batch of
07:50crispy, mouth-watering fries. Going back to basics, the Varsity serves its hand-cut Idaho
07:56potatoes fried in canola oil and salted. So how do the Varsity French fries measure up?
08:03Unfortunately, the community consensus probably isn't what the chain's founders envisaged when
08:08they first launched the fast food joint way back in 1928. One TripAdvisor reviewer said,
08:14"...never again."
08:15They also added that the restaurant's French fries were undercooked.
08:19Another fast food enthusiast called them the,
08:22"...worst French fries in the world."
08:24The side dish has also been described as limp and lifeless,
08:27dried and overcooked-looking, and greasy. You get the drift.
08:32Hubcap Grill is a regional chain with just three outlets,
08:36so you may be forgiven for not having had the opportunity to sample its menu.
08:41Nevertheless, the burger joint does make its fries from freshly cut potatoes,
08:45so we felt that we had to give it a spot on our list.
08:48While there's little information out there about the restaurant's fry preparation process,
08:53there's little doubt that it offers imaginative variations of the popular side dish.
08:59Some of the options on the Hubcap Grill menu include buffalo fries,
09:03smothered in blue cheese and wing sauce, or country fries with cream gravy and bacon bits.
09:09For more adventurous diners, there are the Hell Fries with cayenne and chili powder,
09:14sriracha mayo sauce, and jalapenos, as well as the affectionately named Stinky Fries with
09:20a splash of malt vinegar and garlic salt. The reception to the Hubcap Grill French
09:25fries has been lukewarm, suggesting that while they aren't bad, they aren't showstoppers, either.
09:31Although the fries are repeatedly described as good,
09:35they mostly seem overshadowed by other Hubcap Grill menu items.
09:39That being said, one reviewer says that they love the chain's Hell Fries,
09:43adding that they are very spicy.
09:46With 10 locations across the Houston area and one in Dallas,
09:51Beck's Prime is a regional chain that serves a huge range of dishes,
09:55from burgers and hot dogs to fresh salads. With a motto like,
09:59our only freezer is for the beer mugs, there's little doubt that all of the chain's offerings
10:04are made from fresh produce. And the restaurant's French fries are no exception. Hand-cut from
10:10Idaho potatoes, the chain's French fries come with optional melted cheddar or chili.
10:16Beck's Prime also serves Parmesan Truffle Fries and Sweet Potato Fries,
10:21although it's unclear if these also arrive at the restaurant fresh.
10:25The Leader News reviewed Beck's Prime and seemed particularly impressed with the franchise's
10:30Parmesan Truffle Fries, saying,
10:32"[The Parmesan had some extra zing and zeal to it, so much so that I found I had eaten them all
10:38before I had so much as glanced at the ketchup bottle on the table. The fries themselves weren't
10:43overly dry or oily and had a slightly crunchy texture."
10:47A Yelp reviewer echoes this sentiment, saying,
10:50"[The fries were also excellent with the right balance of Parmesan and truffle flavor.]
10:55"'Ding fries it done, ding fries it done, ding fries it done, ding fries it done."
11:00When it comes to fries, HopDotty offers some interesting choices,
11:04including hand-cut BBQ Ranch Fries, Buffalo Fries, Parmesan Truffle Fries, Green Chili Queso Fries,
11:12and Nacho Fries loaded with cheese, pico de gallo, avocado, and sour cream.
11:17There are also two types of Sweet Potato Fries, including Hot Honey and Sage,
11:22but the menu doesn't specify if these are also made from fresh potatoes.
11:27While we didn't find a lot of information about the restaurant's fry preparation process,
11:32it's likely that it involves frying sliced Kennebec potatoes in Mel-Fry oil.
11:37The community seems happy with the HopDotty fries. One French fry enthusiast says,
11:43"'Never have enjoyed French fries like I did here. Never ate so many fries as I did here.'"
11:48Patrons seem particularly impressed with the restaurant's Parmesan Truffle Fries,
11:53with one reviewer simply exclaiming,
11:55"'Get them!' and another highlighting that they are the real star of the show.
12:00One happy patron elaborates,
12:02"'Perfect for sharing. Or not, lol.'"
12:05Our waiter Michael gave us an awesome tip to try it with a side of Chili Green Queso.
12:10Trust me, your life will change and your taste buds will be taken out of this world.
12:16With nine locations in the Washington area, it's only fitting that Dick's Drive-In's French
12:21Fries are made from Washington potatoes. Hand-cut daily on-premises, the fries are
12:26fried in high-olaic sunflower oil. With so much thought and preparation, it's unfortunate that
12:32customers seem to find the accompaniment underwhelming. Daryl, who reviewed the
12:37chain for Soda Fry, says that while the fries tasted all right, they were overly greasy.
12:43He explains,
12:44"'They cut and soak the potatoes to remove some of the starch,
12:48but from what I can tell they don't double-drop the fries. Without that step,
12:52it's almost impossible to obtain a crispy exterior. It also causes the fries to soak
12:58up the cooking grease.'"
13:00Sarah Jackson reviewed the chain for Business Insider with similar results,
13:04the caveat here being that for some reason she only tried the food 30 minutes after purchasing
13:09it. She writes,
13:11"'The fries lost all semblance of crispiness and became soggy from the condensation in the bag.
13:17They were cold but tasted decent.'"
13:20The burger chain's very specific potato choice landed it in hot water at the end of 2022
13:26due to the state's potato shortage. After the restaurant replaced its spuds with other
13:30potato varieties, some patrons noticed the difference. Recognizing the problem,
13:36Dick's Drive-In's representatives even tweeted,
13:39"'Thank you for your patience as we make it through this week,
13:42and if you get a fry that isn't satisfying, please bring it back for a replacement.'"