(Lucia Calfapietra / For The Times)
Your guide to the wonderful world of L.A. French fries
Even if confronted with loaded fries, I’ll do it. While still 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, a fluffy center and coated in salt.
We are lovers of French fries in Los Angeles, and as our team has found below, many of our favorite restaurants and chefs take them quite seriously.
Give the name, you might assume that the dish at hand was 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.
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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 potato-derived 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 a differing 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?
I wrote the book on In-N-Out. Here’s why Julia Child kept a list of its restaurant locations in her purse.
No matter your preference, you’re guaranteed to find your perfect fry in L.A. Here, in addition to fries hand-cut from local artisan potatoes, you can expect a range of toppings that reflect a global assortment of cuisines. On this list, you’ll find 17 of the best, most indulgent fries in Los Angeles, including options loaded with Wagyu shawarma, pastrami, chicken tikka, carne asada and more, as well as simply seasoned options that stand on their own. And no, you don’t have to share. — Danielle Dorsey
Showing Places
(Amy Wong / Los Angeles Times)
Alibi Room
Culver City Bar Bites $
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 informed me that 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. My preference is the simplest version, which are crunchy and offer a hint of spice. Pair them with the three-taco combo and don’t forget there’s a full bar to order from too. They make a great Naked and Famous.
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. My preference is the simplest version, which are crunchy and offer a hint of spice. Pair them with the three-taco combo and don’t forget there’s a full bar to order from too. They make a great Naked and Famous.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Avi Cue
Studio City Mediterranean $
Spit-roasted Wagyu shawarma draws diners to this quick-service 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.
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(Ricardo DeAratanha)
Badmaash
Fairfax Modern Indian $$
Pawan Mahendro runs Badmaash with his sons Nakul and Arjun, offering Indian street food that taps into their Punjabi heritage, Toronto upbringing and current surroundings of L.A. Though this may sound casual by nature, the menu is quite adaptive, with traditional-leaning plates like butter chicken and their mom’s saag paneer, as well as comforting mash-ups such as chili cheese naan and two takes on poutine. Let’s start with the channa masala version, with masala-spiced fries that are blanketed in Punjabi chickpeas and cheese curds, with pickled onion and cilantro on top (decline the cheese curds to make it vegan). A fine choice, if a bit starchy with the combination of fries and chickpeas. I prefer the chicken tikka poutine, which was so popular when it was first introduced that copycat versions quickly sprouted up around the country. The masala fries are submerged in a hot beef gravy with cheese curds and tandoori chicken tikka piled on top, plus cilantro for a pop of freshness. The simple masala-seasoned fries are also a great option, especially alongside the spiced lamb burger.
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(Lucas Kwan Peterson/Los Angeles Times)
Bone Kettle
Pasadena Southeast Asian $$$
Mapo tofu is a food that is on the upswing, a trend that will hopefully continue. There is the humble Sichuan dish itself, of course, but I’ve also enjoyed it smothering tater tots at Bopomofo in San Gabriel and as the glue in a grade-A lasagna at the now-closed restaurant Nightshade.
So it’s only natural that we see this spicy, numbing creation poured over a plate of French fries and I, for one, am here for it. If you like wet fries, disco fries or poutine, you should take a flier on the mapo tofu fries from Bone Kettle. Made with beef, as any proper mapo is, this is a generous ladling of beefy, slightly piquant gravy that leaves you with the signature gentle tingle of the Sichuan peppercorn. To stretch the poutine analogy a bit longer than warranted, think of each chunk of silky tofu as a cheese curd of sorts.
So it’s only natural that we see this spicy, numbing creation poured over a plate of French fries and I, for one, am here for it. If you like wet fries, disco fries or poutine, you should take a flier on the mapo tofu fries from Bone Kettle. Made with beef, as any proper mapo is, this is a generous ladling of beefy, slightly piquant gravy that leaves you with the signature gentle tingle of the Sichuan peppercorn. To stretch the poutine analogy a bit longer than warranted, think of each chunk of silky tofu as a cheese curd of sorts.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Dino's Famous Chicken
Pico-Union Greek Latin American $
Dino’s is an L.A. institution, serving up chicken that’s tinged crimson from a spicy garlic marinade that draws from founder Demetrios Pantazis’ Greek background, as well as the Pico-Union neighborhood that’s home to the original location. When Pantazis died in 2017, his family carried on the legacy, including his beloved chicken recipe. As for the fries, they’re chopped skinny and have the ideal McDonald’s-reminiscent consistency of slightly crispy ends with soft centers. They come as a generous side in the popular chicken combo plate and are saturated in the addictive marinade. You can also skip the chicken (though why would you?) and get Dino’s fries with the chicken juice poured directly on top. There are also the infamous DUI fries, loaded with carne asada, pastrami and chili, which I assume are most attractive when you’re looking for something hearty to soak up a night’s worth of booze with little concern as to how your stomach will feel in the morning when you wake up.
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El Huero
University Park Mexican American $
I spent a significant portion of my youth in San Diego, the undisputed birthplace of carne asada fries, and El Huero delivers a version that I closely associate with the options I’d find there. The probably-frozen fries form a layer at the bottom of the takeout container and are barely visible under a heap of carne asada, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and a web of melted shredded cheese, with sides of red and green salsa that you should pour on top. These are true nacho fries; all of the piping-hot ingredients meld together into a delicious, indistinguishable pile that you’re unlikely to finish on your own. El Huero has a drive-through as well as a small covered patio and is open 24 hours, a blessing for nearby USC students looking for late-night options. Grab a jamaica or horchata to round out your order.
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(Go Go Bird)
Go Go Bird
Culver City Fried Chicken $
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 thick-crusted 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.
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.
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(Danny Gordon / Heavy Handed)
Heavy Handed
Santa Monica American $
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 one of 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-a-gallon 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.
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(Danielle Dorsey/Los Angeles Times)
Johnny's West Adams
Jefferson Park American $
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, Black-owned 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).
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).
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Katsu Sando
San Gabriel Valley Japanese $
Waffle fries are top tier. The extra surface area and all its holes provide more opportunity for crispy edges along each divot, while the wider cut allows for better scoopability — a blessing when the dipping sauce in question is Katsu Sando’s Wagyu curry. At the casual Japanese restaurant with locations in San Gabriel and Chinatown, the thick, seasoned waffle fries can be ordered a la carte, topped with flecks of aonori and squiggles of Kewpie mayo, as well as with a hearty, creamy side of chef-partner Daniel Son’s signature curry. It starts with a Wagyu-fat roux, deepened by charred onions, tomato purée, curry seasoning and beef stock. The entire process takes three or four hours and results in a velvety, beefy, gravy-like Japanese curry that’s then topped with a silken, velouté-like blend of cheddar and American cheese. The regular fries are popular, Son says, but the No. 1 side is fries with curry and cheese, and aside from the sandos, “They’re what people come back for.”
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Lingua Franca
Elysian Valley New American $$
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.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Little Jewel of New Orleans
Chinatown Southern $
It’s no surprise that one of L.A.’s most beloved bayou-inspired spots knows how to serve fries with deep flavor and a kick. Chinatown’s Little Jewel of New Orleans lets the good times roll throughout its lengthy list of po’ boys, fried oysters, beignets, catfish plates, hush puppies and jambalaya, but one of the sleeper hits of the menu is the massive “side” of fries that’s a meal unto itself. The team whips up a house Cajun spice blend and tosses piping-hot fries in the stuff to ensure each fry’s got bite. They’re served as-is and also as chili cheese fries, but the prize of them all is the “Louisiana-style poutine,” where a small mountain of fries gets smothered in an avalanche of a thick, salty, unctuous debris gravy. The secret to the sauce is its “debris,” or base of pan drippings from Little Jewel’s roast beef — which can be found studded throughout the gravy fries in meaty, tender shreds along with morsels of bell peppers, carrots and other vegetables. There’s a blanket of cheddar and mozzarella too, for maximum creaminess and cheese pull, and it’s all topped with diced red onions to brighten it up. Grab an Abita from the restaurant’s attached liquor store and it’s almost — almost — like you’re in the Big Easy.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Love Hour
Koreatown American $
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.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Maple Block Meat Co.
Culver City Barbecue $$
In the pantheon of L.A.’s loaded fries, Maple Block Meat Co. makes some of the finest and the meatiest. Tucked into the list of barbecue platters, sandwiches and all the classic accouterments of mac and cheese, beans and slaw, there’s a smoky spin on asada fries hidden under the “sides” portion of the menu. At both the Culver City and Grand Central Market locations, the team tops thick fries with a generous helping of one of Maple Block’s top sellers: succulent, tender brisket. The sizable morsels of the long-smoked beef add complex pops of seasoning to every forkful, thanks in part to the ample bark along the brisket’s edges. Chipotle aioli lends even more smokiness and a creamy cheese sauce adds decadence, while a heap of pico de gallo brightens it all up. Not to be neglected is the jalapeño toreado, a whole blistered pepper to bring the heat. Served in a no-frills cardboard box that’s filled to bursting, these hefty loaded fries are a complete meal.
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(Mariscos Za Za Zá)
Mariscos Za Za Zá
Elysian Valley Seafood Mexican $
For a Baja California take on loaded fries, try the version at Za Za Zá, a shaded lunchtime patio in a quiet Elysian Valley neighborhood that does simple mariscos staples with quality seafood. The Frogtown fries are like a cross between French fries and ceviche, with fluffy, not-quite-skinny sticks topped with chunks of lobster and shrimp, pickled red onion, cherry tomato and a zesty mayo sauce striped on top. The result is an addictive, refreshing dish — eat it quickly while the fries are still hot. The dish is big enough to share, leaving you more room for La Tostada, with a thick cut of Baja yellowtail and bright tobiko mayo. Wash it down with a house agua fresca; my favorite is the cardamom, lime and saffron combination.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Trophies Burger Club
Beverly Grove American $
These are not artisanal French fries. They taste like the ones from that fast-food restaurant, only better. Crisper, well seasoned and perfectly tender in the middle. Each paper sleeve is a jumble of tightly curled fries mixed with some half moons of potato. The broken pieces are extra crunchy, like little treasures you dig for throughout the bag. Are the fries battered? What’s that light coating of golden brown crust that hugs each curl? It’s a mystery I’ll happily leave unsolved. Just pass the ketchup, please.
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(Lucas Kwan Peterson/Los Angeles Times)
Wurstküche
Downtown L.A. German $
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 peanut satay-like accompaniment. I was partial to the tzatziki, which imparts a cool tanginess that works nicely with the hot, salty fries.
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 peanut satay-like accompaniment. I was partial to the tzatziki, which imparts a cool tanginess that works nicely with the hot, salty fries.
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