We rated the best fries in Airdrie. Read on – warning you might get a sudden craving!
Easy to grow in every climate, the humble potato is one of the premier vegetables coveted by man and beast.
This versatile root vegetable can be manipulated several times over, from mashed, to roasted, to baked, to being sliced into chips and, in higher circles, they become pommes frites, or, as we commonly know them this side of the pond, french fries.
With origins dating back to the 17th century and now an addictive starch staple around the globe, french fries gripped the fast-food industry after McDonald’s started serving them in the 1960s and eventually became the kissing-cousin side dish to the hamburger.
On the tasty-tuber meter, we’re looking at texture, crunch and grease (the higher number, the less grease) for this commonplace, hunger-curing staple.
Abe’s Modern Diner
This quaint little burger shop, known for handheld meals, breakfast and poutine, is no stranger to the potato, offering hand-cut fries.
Bits of crispy skin help produce a satisfying crunch on the outside, covering a fluffy, pillow texture on the inside.
A hearty contribution to the meal, these lightly salted fries produce a gratifying starch finish in their side-dish capacity. The large half-plate of spuds doesn’t relinquish its consistency through the meal.
For a bit of dressing up, Abe’s will slather the fries with several different flavours of poutine and a sweet potato fry option.
Texture – 8, Crunch – 8, Grease – 9
Five Guys
Five Guys promotes a cholesterol-free french fry cooked in pure peanut oil.
With stacked bagged potatoes, and cans of oil, greeting restaurant goers the minute they enter the front door, you know the food is going to be fresh.
Served in a small container, the twice-cooked spuds overflow into a brown-paper bag. Large portions are their modus operandi.
Long-stem russet tubers come screaming hot out of the fryer basket, ensuring a firm munch on the outside and soft, mashed potato-like texture inside.
Five Guys style is lightly salted, with a minimal oil factor, while the Cajun style leaves a spicy, red tint on your fingers and slight afterburn going down.
Texture – 9, Crunch – 9, Grease – 8
Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes
If you and your squeeze are looking for a place to get a quick meal and signature fries, you won’t need a blanket at Boardwalk Fries Burgers Shakes.
Promoting its world-famous fries, this bright, airy burger joint gives many options for tater toppings. Along with a poutine, fries can be topped with cheese, bacon, jalapeno, chipotle and Parmesan garlic flavours.
The undressed, golden-brown fries slot between a thick-cut and shoestring size served in a checker pattern-lined basket. Not as firm as some, these fries are enhanced by a touch of salt and, paired with flavours, are a perfect meal with freshly shaved Parmesan and a touch of garlic oil.
Texture – 8, Crunch – 7, Grease – 9
Fatburger
While the name may be slightly judgmental, at least to a sandwich, Fatburger kicks french-fry calories to a whole new level.
Fatburger, which features a straight-cut Canadian russet potato, also cooks up these delightful twisted fries we know as curly. These entwined starchy morsels gives the diner an option of several different spices. Apart from another popular sliced beef-supporting franchise, curly fries can be a rarity inside many restaurant doors.
With skins intact, garlic pepper flavouring adds a bit of sophistication to these crispy, pigtail-coiled fries. Small end bits produce even more crunch and the grease factor is almost imperceptible. While the straight cuts are pleasurable, it’s curly for the win.
Taste – 10, Crunch– 9, Grease – 10
Sorso Lounge
As a wine bar/restaurant combination, the petite Sorso Lounge produces lively music, a cool get-together location, some unique menu selections and, of course, french fries.
Modish dinners and young-at-heart food-lovers can easily dive into a plate of regular or Parmesan truffle potato strings steaming from the fryer.
Using a thicker cut, Sorso Lounge’s side-dish staple fries have plenty of body with an outside firm crunch and tender inside.
No golden arches or dancing bears here, this is unique restaurant fare with a touch of upscale dining sophistication displayed in a pile of fries covered with shaved Parmesan cheese and a touch of truffle oil. There’s still ketchup and dill sauce on the side for dipping.
Taste – 9, Crunch – 10, Grease – 10
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