L.A. is home to a world of wonderful French fries
TRY THEM WITH WAGYU SHAWARMA, BUFFALO SAUCE OR AS JAPANESE POUTINE
EVENifconfronted with loaded fries, I’ll do it. While in my car after hitting a drive-through, I will be digging in prematurely at that container, my fingers probing desperately for my starchy prize, past layers of melted cheese, caramelized onions and pickles.
Reaching into a crinkly, grease-dotted bag of French fries elicits a specific type of joy. Like those claw machines at arcades, your hand roots around blindly, searching for that perfect specimen. For me, it’s long and thin with crispy golden edges and a fluffy center, coated in salt.
We are lovers of French fries in Los Angeles, and as our team has found, many of our favorite restaurants and chefs take them quite seriously.
You might assume that French fries were invented in France, but Belgium argues that their history began in the Meuse Valley in the 1680s, when residents would substitute fried potatoes for fish during the winters when the river froze over. Though that origin story has been disputed, UNESCO added the dish to Belgium’s list of cultural treasures in 2017.
The U.S. has no stakes in its creation, but French fries nevertheless rose to become a popular side dish for meals that range from casual to fine dining. There’s record of fries being served for President Thomas Jefferson at a White House dinner in 1802, and by the 1940s, French fries were commercialized and sold frozen, a boon to the then-developing industry of fast-food chains and fast-casual diners, to which Los Angeles was a breeding ground.
Within this sector of potatoderived dishes, there’s a whole world to explore — steak fries, curly fries, waffle fries, shoestring, crinkle cut, wedges, tater tots, poutine and so much more. Everyone has an opinion on the ideal fry consistency: Should they be crispy or soft? Fat or skinny? Do frozen fries achieve better crispness than potatoes that are chopped fresh?
No matter your preference, you’re guaranteed to find your perfect fry in L.A. In addition to fries hand-cut from local artisan potatoes, expect a range of toppings that reflect a global assortment of cuisines. On this list, you’ll find some of the best, most indulgent fries in L.A., including options loaded with Wagyu shawarma, pastrami or tzatziki, as well as simply seasoned options that stand on their own. And no, you don’t have to share.
— Danielle Dorsey
Alibi Room
The first time I tried to order the Korean-spiced fries at Alibi Room, where Roy Choi’s Kogi BBQ supplies the food, they were sold out. My server said the fries they use are frozen and they apparently hadn’t ordered enough that week. Thankfully, they were available at my next visit. Don’t let the fries’ frosty beginnings scare you off: They’re beer-battered and fried, then dusted with Korean spices and served with sesame-mayo dipping sauce; piled with cheese and caramelized kimchi; or loaded with barbecue short rib. I prefer the simplest version, which are crunchy with a hint of spice. Pair them with the threetaco combo and don’t forget there’s a full bar to order from too. They make a great Naked and Famous. — Danielle Dorsey
12236 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, alibiroomla.com
Avi Cue
Spit-roasted Wagyu shawarma draws diners to this quickservice spot from chef-owner Aviad Yalin, who grew up in Israel and hosted shawarma pop-ups for years before opening a small outpost in a Studio City strip mall over the summer. You can get the tender strips of seasoned beef stuffed into warm pita sandwiches or ground and griddled in arayes, but I’d also suggest the loaded house-made fries that are fried to a crispy (but not too crispy) golden brown and hidden beneath succulent strips of freshly shaved Wagyu, tomato, onion and parsley, with zigzags of tahini and amba sauce on top. Each bite is fatty, crunchy, garlicky, sharp, salty and slightly herbaceous. It’s filling but not so hefty that you can’t tack an arayes onto your order and eat it within an hour of the fries. Another formidable attack is to order a shawarma sandwich with a side of fries and pile them onto each bite. — D.D.
11288 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, instagram.com/avi_cue
Go Go Bird
It’s the bird at Go Go Bird that attracts many to this stall in Culver City’s Citizen Public Market. And don’t get me wrong, it’s really good fried chicken. You can order thickcrusted tenders that come with house pickles and a dense buttery biscuit or a big crispy breast tucked between a squishy bun with pimento cheese, lettuce and tomato. The pan-fried chicken, pork and vegetable gyozas are equally coveted and often sell out.
Lesser known and just as mighty are the three fry options, all featuring hand-cut potatoes. For a simple yet tongue-tingling option, get them sprinkled with Szechuan seasoning. Or go for my favorite, the furikake fries that come with a blend of nori, red pepper, sesame seeds, salt, pepper and flour for a salty and complex flavor profile with a hint of umami. Finally, the Japanese poutine reinterprets the classic Canadian dish with gooey cheese curds, curry gravy and curls of scallion. — D.D.
9355 Culver Blvd., Culver City, go-go-bird.com
Heavy Handed
On In-N-Out’s ever-expanding secret menu, animal fries topped with the chain’s relishy special sauce, caramelized onion and melted American cheese are among the most ordered items. The thing is, In-N-Out’s fries are famously bad, always either too soggy or too crispy. The fries at Danny Gordon and Max Miller’s Heavy Handed smashburger outpost, however, are fried in beef tallow and retain their crunch even after they’re drowned in a Thousand Island-inspired “heavy” sauce with bread-and-butter pickles and pepperoncinis on top. If Santa Monica’s not too far a trek, Heavy fries prove a more satisfying side than the version Southern Californians grew up with. Bonus: You won’t have to waste precious $7-agallon gas while you idle in the wraparound drive-through line. Instead, just walk up to the window and place your order. Don’t forget to add a cone of dipped soft serve, with chocolate sourced from the Midwest. — D.D.
2912 Main St., Santa Monica, heavyhanded.la
Johnny’s West Adams
Offering pastrami-packed dishes and Jewish favorites from a West Adams walk-up window, Johnny’s belongs to a new crop of restaurants that have opened along the historic boulevard in recent years, replacing the long-beloved, Blackowned Johnny’s Pastrami stand in 2020. From the beginning, Johnny’s had a lot to prove, and though parking can be a challenge in the evenings, it mostly lives up to its former occupant’s legacy.
Pastrami remains the name of the game, which you can get by the pound, sandwiched between slices of marble rye from nearby Tartine, thinly sliced and packed into a French roll for a French dip, or on white corn tortillas with the usual fixings of cilantro, white onion and lime. All of these represent stellar options, but let me plead the case of the Johnny fries. You’ll find them listed under sides, but take care: These fries represent a meal. They arrive in a heavy takeout container, even if you choose to enjoy them on the umbrella-strewn parking lot patio. A small mountain of well-seasoned, just-crispy crinkle cut fries is topped with shredded Swiss cheese, a Thousand Island-inspired sauce, chopped white onion, cilantro and chunks of tender pastrami. Tackle them with a fork and pair it with a house tamarindo and mint soda (which can be optionally spiked with vodka, tequila or whiskey). — D.D.
4327 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, johnnyswestadams .com
Lingua Franca
The matchstick potatoes at Lingua Franca are like the prized, well-done crispy strays at the bottom of a good basket of fries. Only chef Peter Lemos will serve you an overflowing plate of them. Inspired by the fries at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, Lemos’ fries are impossibly thin with a crispy exterior and a fluffy middle. He tosses the fries with a heap of fried herbs. Depending on the evening, it might be sage or even lavender. They’re great on their own, but Lemos serves the sticks alongside a ramekin of malt vinegar aioli for dipping. — Jenn Harris
2990 Allesandro St., Los Angeles
Love Hour
Who doesn’t like a customizable fry? Whether at the restaurant and bar in Koreatown, the weekly residency at Smorgasburg or any other pop-up appearance, the team behind smashburger spot Love Hour gives the people what they want when it comes to fries, tossing each order in a choice of seasoning for $1 extra. The classic battered fries with a crisp exterior and fluffy interior can come lightly dusted in salt and vinegar; sour cream and onion; buffalo; barbecue; or the most popular option, garlic Parmesan, for just a little oomph. None are too overpowering, which is a positive considering the array of house-made dipping sauces served here, ideal for the fries of any seasoning variety: a hyper-dilly ranch, a tangy take on a Thousand Island-leaning burger sauce, a sweet-smoky barbecue, a zingy honey mustard and, perhaps the best of all, a honey sambal that perfectly balances sweet with heat. Mix and match seasonings and sauces to your heart’s content. — Stephanie Breijo
532 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, love-hour.com
Wurstküche
Whether you’re enjoying patat, friet or pommes frites, there’s one fact that’s indisputable: When it comes to fries, they don’t mess around in Benelux. They know exactly what they’re doing. From the toppings (yes, mayo is delicious) to the serving method (paper cone, tiny wooden fork to pluck out each piping hot fry), fries are taken seriously in the Low Countries. And you can’t walk 100 feet (much less 100 meters) without coming across a place that fries a mean potato. So I was very happy to sit down one evening with a cone of Belgian fries from Wurstküche in the Arts District. Thick, piping hot, well salted and golden brown, they are practically a meal unto themselves. I also took it upon myself to try all of the dipping sauces they had available, which included barbecue sauce, chipotle ketchup, a chunky blue cheese mixture and a peanutty, satay-like accompaniment. I was partial to the tzatziki, which imparts a cool tanginess that works nicely with the hot, salty fries.
Kwan Peterson
●800 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (213) 457-7462, wurstkuche.com