Super Sized Edition with FOUR Reviews!!!

If this is your first time finding this blog, congratulations!  You have hit upon the jackpot!  The mother-lode!  The cat's meow!  Basically any kind of saying for great, you can apply it here.  Not only are you about to read the opinions of the world's greatest french fry eater, but you are getting a super sized edition!  Below you will read about Texas Roadhouse for a 2nd look, Chick-fil-A for a first time review, Raising Cane's with a surprise life changing epiphany, and a demanded review of a store bought bag of fries cooked at home.  For the newbies, I will not review any fries that come with spices other than salt.  That means no Arby's curly fries, no Rally's, and no crack fries from Hop Cat.  I could go on and on about how I know more about what fries are great, but why not just get to what you all came here for?

Texas Roadhouse

A new reader of the blog, Mark Onishi, and I checked out Texas Roadhouse last week.  Mark is the owner of 4 Benefits.  If you are in need of group or individual health insurance, Mark is your guy.  You can find out more at www.fourbenefits.com.  Now that the commercial is out of the way, here's a trick for you at Texas Roadhouse.  The fries there tend to range from top ten list worthy to well above average (somewhere in the 30's).  It all depends on how crazy the cooks get with the spices.  Sometimes they will pour the spice on the fries like the top came off the shaker.  Then I'm working hard to wipe them off.  Sometimes they barely shake the spice on, and they are nearly perfect.  I decided to ask for no spice this time, and they came out close to great.  The fries were sitting for a little while before coming out to the table, so they didn't have that fresh out of the grease feel that normally makes them incredible.  That being said, the fries at Texas Roadhouse are always satisfying.  They are very meaty while being cooked all the way through.  They aren't particularly crispy on the outside, but that doesn't hurt the taste.  Order your fries without the spice, and you will be happy.  Not only that, but the service is excellent, and the lunch specials are great.  Texas Roadhouse gives a lot back to the community, so reward them with your business.

Chick-fil-A

It's kind of funny how people will get excited about Chick-fil-A one way or the other.  For reasons that don't involve french fries, folks are either super pro Chick-fil-A, or they hate them with a passion.  I've always believed their chicken was too plump and too juicy.  In Georgetown there is a small stretch of road that has a Chick-fil-A, a KFC, and a Raising Cane's.  There is always a line doubled around the store for Chick-fil-A, the KFC never has anyone in the parking lot, and Raising Cane's usually has 2-3 cars in the drive through with other cars parked for dining in.  That normally makes my go to choice for chicken and fries Raising Cane's.  On a recent occasion my son wanted chicken, fries, and dip.  We decided to take advantage of a rare dead time at CFA to use their drive through.  I was impressed with the waffle fries.  They aren't top 10 worthy, so don't get too crazy if you are pro or anti CFA.  They are pleasantly dry, and they have no spice on them whatsoever.  These are definitely fried, but they taste like they are oven baked.  There is zero crisp on these fries, so there is that something missing to these fries.  Still these are a good choice if you are in a pinch.  You'll find these have sufficient heft, and they keep their taste even when they have cooled down after a trip home from the drive through.  Their chicken is still too juicy, so this isn't going to be a weekly or monthly choice for me.  I just won't be mad if someone else is going, and they decide to bring some waffle fries my way.  

Raising Cane's

There is nothing quite like starting a lunch where the guy across from you says, "We have been friends now for 26 years."  Mike Houchens requested after the last blog that I review Raising Cane's.  The rules are if you ask for a review, you have to go with me to try it out.  Mike is a friend from my college days, so I felt it necessary to get these fries on the blog.  Raising Cane's has the same type of fries roughly as White Castle.  Good long skinny crinkle cuts that are not fried to the point of getting crispy.  With fries this size, you must not overcook them.  Otherwise they will be too crispy with none of the meatiness inside.  These fries are always hot out of the grease when you eat at Cane's.  I can eat these non stop, and I'm always left wanting more.  They are top 10 list worthy, but they do need to be bottomless to climb up the charts.  You can always sub extra fries for the bread or slaw, but you don't always get enough extra in my opinion.  Still Cane's are top quality, and they belong on my list.

I promised an epiphany, and here it is.  Our family picked up Raising Cane's after I had a rough day and a half.  UK basketball being played at 10 pm on a Friday night made for a very late evening for your fry blogger.  Then I had an outing during the day on Saturday with my father in law and two brothers in law.  I was in no condition to eat dinner, so my wife put the fries and the chicken into Tupperware for the refrigerator.  I am normally against reheating fries, as they never come out well.  The fries are always limp, and they feel clammy no matter how hot you make them in the microwave or oven.  Well my wife discovered something AMAZING!  Place the leftovers in an air fryer.  Hit them with a shot of Pam, cook them for 8 minutes, and they come out great!  They aren't as fantastic as being fresh at Cane's, but they taste way better than any store bought fry.  They become crispy, and they still maintain the fluff from the fries.  This is a true game changer if you ever have the unlikely problem of leftover Cane's fries.  

Kroger Brand French Fries

If there was ever a friend of mine who I wasn't sure about giving him exposure, it is Schmoo.  Since I don't know if he would really want to be exposed as a fry blog enthusiast, I won't use his real name.  Schmoo is a professional writer, musician, father, husband, beard grower, and he has great taste in fry blogs.  When he asked me to start reviewing store bought fries, I had to take this one seriously.  Where does one start?  The classic answer to best store bought fries is Ore Ida.  Unfortunately Ore Ida fries have gone through a change in the past 3-5 years.  I have no proof of this, but I believe their taste changed dramatically during this time.  I would bet that they have changed the oil they use to blanch the fries before bagging.  They also remain one of the most expensive fries in the freezer aisle.

Due to the cost (and having a baby), my wife and I started buying Kroger brand french fries.  Normally I will go for the steak fries, but for this review I chose the cleverly named "French Fries."  These are your basic straight cut fries that are slightly less meaty than a standard golden crinkle, but they have more girth than a shoestring fry.  I put these frozen pieces of goodness in the air fryer with a couple shots of Pam.  Don't put too much oil on the fries in the air fryer, as they will come out too greasy if you overdo it.  2-3 spritzes is all you need.  They come out perfectly after keeping your air fryer at 390 degrees for 15 minutes.  Make sure you shake the basket up every 4-5 minutes to make sure the fries cook evenly without being stuck together.  They have just the right amount of crisp, and the insides are nice and fluffy.  Make sure you use a bit of salt, and you will be happy you decided to save some money on your fry purchase at Kroger.  How's that Schmoo?

As always, please let me know if you have any requests for the next blog.  Also remember that spicing your fries or drowning them in toppings is unconscionable.