The Stand Arcadia Burger Shoppe
3538 East Indian School Road602-314-5259 The Stand has been serving standout fries since 2013. Hand-cut daily, these craggy, creviced creations come out well-seasoned with a side of Stand sauce. Originally made to put on their burgers, people kept coming back and asking for a side for their fries – and rightfully so. A top-secret mix of mayo and ketchup with just the right blend of herbs and spices, this creamy, dreamy dipper with a hint of heat makes these spuds sing, down to the crispy bits on the bottom.
Dazzo’s Dog House
6143 West Glendale Avenue, Glendale623-934-3536 A Glendale go-to since 1979, Dazzo’s is a nostalgic ode to all things Chicago, from the menu to the sports memorabilia covering the walls. The dogs are great, but the fries are top-notch. Cut fresh every day and deep-fried in good old lard, they come out hot – crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside – and just the right amount of greasy. You can get fries all on their own ($2.15) or with a dog ($4.20). Dazzo's is cash only.
Welcome Diner
929 East Pierce Street602-495-1111 The fries at Welcome Diner stand all on their own, crispy shoestrings, all golden and salted, served with house aioli. But the real stars of the menu are the loaded versions, piled-high plates that’ll put your fork, or fingers, to work. Poutine combines country-style gravy and cheddar for the ultimate melty mashup or go vegan with braised jackfruit, crunchy coleslaw, and zippy Carolina barbecue sauce.
5th Street Burger & Fries
1158 West Washington Street, Tempe480-912-1621 There’s nothing accidental about the fries at 5th Street Burger & Fries. Owners Pasha Khosravani and Sean Silverman, who opened the counter service burger shop in the middle of the pandemic, love waffle-cut fries with all their round-ridged precision, but craved something crispier than those served at Chick-fil-A. So they perfected the deep-frying time and found the crispy sweet spot to create a waffle with an ideal outside yet still-chewy inside, and tossed it in their secret seasoning. Traditionalists can dip in ketchup or go rogue with one of their house-made aiolis.
Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.
721 North Arizona Avenue, Gilbert480-497-2739
201 East Roosevelt Street, Phoenix
480-462-1836 Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co’s fries have a secret weapon: Duck fat. Far superior to the commonly used vegetable oil, duck fat adds another dimension, imparting an unctuous, rich flavor into the hand-cut spuds. The fries are cut medium in width and topped with rosemary and thyme. Part of the fun is picking your two dips. Pick from 15 different made-from-scratch sauces, ranging from habanero honey mustard to chipotle ranch. For extra indulgence, upgrade to the confetti fries for a beer cheese, bacon, and braised onion feast.
Ingo’s Tasty Food
101 East Washington Street602-825-3000
4502 North 40th Street
602-795-2884 Ingo’s shattered potato chips change how you think fries should be shaped. Instead of your standard blocky starch sticks, these revelations are cut vertically into rounds. That means more surface area for scooping up the two sides, both made in-house. There’s lebni, a creamy Mediterranean yogurt dip spiked with lemon, and a green hot sauce with a jalapeno and garlic kick. No shame in double dipping for the perfect bite of potato bliss.
Zinc Bistro
15034 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale480-603-0922 Zinc’s house frites know how to make an entrance. Served in a stainless steel cylinder lined with paper, the fries arrive loud and proud, like they’re giving themselves a standing ovation – and rightfully so. The hand-cut shoestrings are slim, but not too slim, tossed with smoked paprika and herbs, and served with a side of creamy paprika aioli that perfectly plays off their crispy finish. Or, go for the even fancier truffle parmesan fries for extra decadence.
Monroe’s Hot Chicken
45 West Jefferson Street602-872-7100
430 North Scottsdale Road, Tempe
480-687-0007 Move over Shake Shack, there’s a superior crinkle-cut fries game in town. Monroe’s Hot Chicken not only serves monster chicken sandwiches, but they also deliver on fries – a whole box full for $3.50. Crisped to perfection in peanut oil with a hefty shake of Cajun seasoning that sticks to all the creviced edges, they don’t need to be dipped, but heat seekers can add a side of the Kick-it-Up Sauce for 50 cents.
Seed Shack
3861 East Baseline Road, Gilbert480-488-8217 Sweet potato fries can get soggy fast. But that's not so at Seed Shack, a vegan eatery in Gilbert that gets them just right. Impossibly long and delightfully crispy, these spuds come out with a glorious golden exterior. Points for seasoning too: They’re finished with a dusting of kosher salt, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. By all means, pair them with the house-made black bean burger for vegan comfort in a box.
Linger Longer Lounge
6522 North 16th Street 602-694-0342 What’s a dive bar doing on a best fry list? For starters, Linger Longer Lounge isn’t just any dive bar. Sure, they have the requisite pool tables, arcade games, dim lighting, neighborhood patrons, strong drinks, and friendly bartenders any self-respecting dive should, but it’s also a food go-to. Nicholas Hyche, owner of Der Wurst Hot Dogs, runs the restaurant’s kitchen, and not only turns out masterful schnitzel chicken fingers and hot dogs, his fries are next level. Hand-cut Kennebec potatoes are first rinsed in cold water and refrigerated back down to 40 degrees before going into the fryer where they’re twice-fried so the starches get extra crispy on the outside while remaining fluffy on the inside. Seasoned with ionized salt and served with curry-spiked ketchup, which adds a touch of heat to the sweet condiment, you get way more fries than you should for $6.
Beaut Burger
3301 East Indian School Road480-239-6983 At Beaut Burger, Idaho potatoes are hand-cut daily, blanched in an ice bath, and double fried in non-GMO rice oil for a crispy, fresh from the fryer bronzed exterior and creamy interior. Get them with the spicy rub, a flavor jolt of chipotle powder, cayenne, Old Bay, and salt and pepper, and dunk them in vegan ranch for a creamy finish. Beaut also serves standout sweet potato fries that taste even better upgraded with an herby topper of fresh chopped parsley, chives, rosemary, and basil. Pair them with a vegan burger and homemade limeade with prickly pear for a satisfying treat.
Jobot Coffee & Bar
333 East Roosevelt Street602-281-7127 Yes, it’s called Jobot Coffee & Bar, but it just as easily could have been named Jobot Coffee & Bar & Dang Good Fries. It’s not just that they’re waffle cut, an immediate novelty that gives the spuds more surface area and opportunity for crisped up, burnished edges, all those extra nooks and crannies are perfect for catching paprika, turmeric, onion, powder, garlic powder, and salt. Sturdy and seasoned, these fries easily retain their texture whether doused in ketchup or ordered in “Chola” form, a best-seller that comes loaded with tajin-lime crema, Oaxaca cheese, queso fresco, pico, pickled jalapenos, and bacon.
