11 Chain Restaurants That Only Use Fresh Fries

Parmesan, truffle, sweet potato, and animal style fries come in all shapes and sizes, but which chain restaurants have actually stuck to the Never Frozen philosophy? In and Out is very proud of the fact that the chain has no need for freezers or microwaves. It's not just the USDA ground Chuck patties that are served fresh, the fries are too. The chain's French fries are made from scratch at its numerous locations across the US. The potatoes are hand cut in house and fried in 100% sunflower oil. With so much effort put into the humble French fry, it's sad to see that it isn't exactly paying off. In fact, most fast food enthusiasts seem critical of in and out fries, conceding that the restaurant's French fries are fresh, food columnist Lucas Peterson notes that they are also bland, crumbly little matchsticks that aren't approved by any amount of ketchup, salt, cheese, or salad dressing you want to add to them. Community reviewers seem to agree, and multiple Quora patrons have debated why the phrase are not up to par compared with the competition, ultimately explaining it by the fact that now doesn't fry the potatoes twice. There are a few ways to improve upon the standard fries, though you can always order them well done if you want more of that desired crisp. And of course, you can always try the chains Animal Style fries. The secret menu item comes loaded with melted cheese, grilled onions, and a secret spread. Founded in 1986, Five Guys currently operates 1500 locations around the globe, and there's a good reason why the franchise has grown it's delicious burgers, hot dogs, and sides. When it comes to French fries, the chain offers classic Five Guy style fries and Cajun style fries. Both are made from freshly cut potatoes that are fried twice and cholesterol free 100% peanut oil. While most fast food lovers view French fries as a mere side dish, this isn't the approach taken by the family behind Five Guys. Chad Morell, one of the sons of the chain's founder Jerry Morell, explains. They are the hardest thing we have to do, but people think that it's the easiest. If you don't do them right, they're still kind of good and people don't complain, but that doesn't cut it with us. So what's the lowdown? Five Guy sources its russet Burbank potatoes from Idaho for 10 months each year. When these get too soft for frying, the restaurant replaces them with spuds from Washington or Oregon. Once in the kitchen, the potatoes are sliced, rinsed and soaked to eliminate excess starch. Then they're precooked for around 2 1/2 minutes at 350°F, left out to cool for at least 10 minutes and fried again. For Mooya, fries are a serious business. The chain offers regular hand cut Idaho French fries and sweet potato fries. It also prides itself on its 24 hour, six step fatiguing fry frenzy. More specifically, the restaurants fry making process involves washing, cutting, rinsing, agitating and double frying and canola oil. The effort Mooya is putting into its fries seems to be paying off. Nancy Nichols from DM Magazine writes that despite the fact that the Mooyah burger she sampled was delicious, it wasn't mouth watering enough to make her repeat the experience. However, this wasn't the case for the French fries Nichols describes. I found a slight crunch with every bite and a soft, hot center. At the bottom of the cup, I found a treasure trove of salty, crunchy nubs. While Wingstop is generally known for its flavored chicken wings, the chain also has plenty to offer in the French fries department. In fact, the restaurant's menu features four different takes on the ubiquitous side dish, all made with fresh cut Idaho potatoes. While the seasoned fries are a Wingstop staple, you can also pick from cheese fries, Buffalo ranch fries and Louisiana Voodoo fries topped with cheese sauce, ranch sauce and Cajun seasoning. According to Don Odeorn, the vice president of food service at the Idaho Potato Commission, Wingstop consulted the organization about perfecting its fries. Odeorne shared. We had potato expert Greg Shannon, a consultant who used to do training seminars for Simplot, visit the chain on multiple occasions, and he developed a set of specs for the fryer equipment, the potato variety to use, storage requirements and preparation. Wingstop's passion and commitment certainly show in the final product. One trip Pfizer reviewer praises the chains fries saying I love hand cut fries, my whole family does. We hate the pre cut, pre cooked frozen fries. Wingstop has the best. You get a huge portion, the best fries around hot right out of the fryer. We make it our way and in doing so make it irresistible. Wingstop, with nine locations in Ohio, Melt Bar and Grilled, is a regional grilled cheese chain that specializes in craft beer and classic American comfort food all dressed up. More specifically, the venue serves gourmet sandwiches with various types of cheese and other favorites such as pulled beef brisket, homemade meatballs, and smoked Turkey. The chain selection of French fries is nothing to sneeze at either, and includes cheese bacon fries, chili cheese fries, cheese grape fries and garlic Romano fries. This star of the menu, however, is the Hangover fries with pulled pork gravy, mozzarella cheese, fried sunny side up egg and scallions. So what's the verdict? Reviewers rave about the Melt bar and grilled fries, with one satisfied patron saying fries are my obsession. These fries were perfectly salted and very filling. No ketchup was required because they were that good. Another reviewer recommends the chains hangover fries, adding that they are a quote meal within themselves and to die for. The folks from Burger Fry proclaim in a post on the restaurants Facebook page. We don't just tear open a bag of frozen fries and call it a day like those other guys. Instead, the burger joints fries are made from russet potatoes, which are sliced, blanched, double fried for added crunch and seasoned on the premise. Burgerfi's fries seem to be a hit with community reviewers. 1 patron calls them the best French fries ever. The burgers are great and the beer and tea are very good, but the fries are to die for. They are crunchy and not greasy at all like at Five Guys. Another fried connoisseur says they were served sizzling hot and crispy. They were perfection and the portion was a pretty good size. Rachel Askanasi, who reviewed Burgerfi for Insider, says that the fries arrived at her table salted and hot. She comments the potatoes were cut to around 1/2 inch thick, varied in length, and some had brown potato skin on the outside, which I personally love. They were soft inside and had a semi crunchy exterior. On the downside, Askanasi also writes that the fries didn't retain their flavor, turning cold and stiff within 30 minutes. Come in, come in Mayday, I'm losing your transmission. I said French fries. Boasting 6 locations around Atlanta and Athens, The Varsity specializes in hot dogs and burgers. And we all know that nothing takes these fast food staples to the next level like a batch of crispy, mouth watering fries. Going back to basics, The Varsity serves its hand cut Idaho potatoes fried in canola oil and salted. So how do The Varsity French Fries fries measure up? Unfortunately, the community consensus probably isn't what the chain's founders envisaged when they first launched the fast food joint way back in 1928, one TripAdvisor reviewer said. Never again. They also added that the restaurant's French fries were undercooked. Another fast food enthusiast called them the worst French fries in the world. The side dish has also been described as limp and lifeless, dried and overcooked looking and greasy. You get the drift. Hubcap Grill is a regional chain with just three outlets, so you may be forgiven for not having had the opportunity to sample its menu. Nevertheless, the burger joint does make its fries from freshly cut potatoes, so we felt that we had to give it a spot on our list. While there's little information out there about the restaurant's fry preparation process, there's little doubt that it offers imaginative variations of the popular side dish. Some of the options on the Hubcap Grill menu include Buffalo fries smothered in blue cheese and wing sauce or country fries with cream gravy and bacon bits. For more adventurous diners, there are the Hell Fries with cayenne and chili powder, sriracha Mayo sauce, and jalapenos, as well as the affectionate Definitely named Stinky Fries with a splash of malt vinegar and garlic salt. The reception to the Hubcap Grill French fries has been lukewarm, suggesting that while they aren't bad, they aren't show stoppers either. Although the fries are repeatedly described as good, they mostly seem overshadowed by other Hubcap Grill menu items. That being said, one reviewer says that they love the chain's Hell Fries, adding that they are very spicy. With ten locations across the Houston area and one in Dallas, Becks Prime is a regional chain that serves a huge range of dishes from burgers and hot dogs to fresh salads. With a motto like our only freezer is for the beer mugs, there is little doubt that all of the chains offerings are made from fresh produce, and the restaurants French fries are no exception. Hand cut from Idaho potatoes, the chains French fries come with optional melted cheddar or chili. Vex Prime also serves Parmesan truffle fries and sweet potato fries, although it's unclear if these also arrive at the restaurant fresh. The Leader News reviewed Beck's Prime and seemed particularly impressed with the franchise's Parmesan truffle fries, saying the Parmesan had some extra Zing and zeal to it. So much so that I found I had eaten them all before I had so much as glanced at the ketchup bottle on the table. The fries themselves weren't overly dry or oily and had a slightly crunchy texture. A Yelp reviewer echoes the sentiment, saying the fries were also excellent with the right balance of Parmesan and truffle flavor. Ding fries it done. Ding fries it done. Ding fries it done. Ding fries it done. When it comes to fries, Hop Donny offers some interesting choices, including hand cut BBQ ranch fries, Buffalo fries, Parmesan, truffle fries, green chili queso fries, and Nacho fries loaded with cheese, pico de Gallo, avocado, and sour cream. There are also two types of sweet potato fries, including hot honey and sage, but the menu doesn't specify if these are all also made from fresh potatoes. While we didn't find a lot of information about the restaurants fry preparation process, it's likely that it involves frying sliced Kennebec potatoes and Mel fry oil. The community seems happy with the hot Dottie fries. 1 French fry enthusiast says Never have enjoyed French fries like I did here. Never eat so many fries as I did here. Patrons seem particularly impressed with the restaurants Parmesan truffle fries, with one reviewer simply exclaiming get them and another highlighting that they are the real star of the show. 1 happy patron elaborates. Perfect for sharing or not lol. Our waiter Michael gave us an awesome tip to try it with a side of chili green queso. Trust me, your life will change and your taste buds will be taken out of this world. With nine locations in the Washington area, it's only fitting that Dick's Drive in French fries are made from Washington potatoes. Hand cut daily on premises, the fries are fried in high oleic sunflower oil. With so much thought and preparation, it's unfortunate that customers seem to find the accompaniment underwhelming. Darrell, who reviewed the chain for Soda Fry, says that while the fries tasted all right, they were overly greasy. He explains they cut and soak the potatoes to remove some of the starch, but from what I can tell, they don't double drop the fries. Without that step, it's almost impossible to obtain a crispy exterior. It also causes the fries to soak up the cooking grease. Sarah Jackson reviewed the chain for Business Insider with similar results. The caveat here being that for some reason, she only tried the food 30 minutes after purchasing it. She writes the fries lost all semblance of crispiness and became soggy from the condensation in the bag. They were cold but tasted decent. The burger chain's very specific potato choice landed it in hot water at the end of 2022 due to the state's potato shortage. After the restaurant replaced its spuds with other potato varieties, some patrons noticed the difference. Recognizing the problem, Dick's Drive In's representatives even tweeted. Thank you for your patience as we make it through this week and if you get a fry that isn't satisfying, please bring it back for a replacement.