We share our ranking of french fries from eight Davis restaurants
To celebrate our Best of Davis issue, the Editorial Board ordered takeout from eight restaurants to taste and rank their french fries. We tried fries from Ali Baba, Nick the Greek, Burgers and Brew, Burger Patch, The Gunrock, Cafe Bernardo, Fire Wings and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. We individually rated each fry (along with any signature sauce from the restaurant) as we tasted them, then calculated the average of our ratings at the end. It’s important to note that most of the fries were slightly soggy by the time we got around to eating them, so this list might have differed from an in-person dining experience. Below is an ordered list ranked from our favorite to least favorite fries.
Cafe Bernardo: 3.69 out of 5
We were pleasantly surprised by Cafe Bernardo’s thin, perfectly-salted fries, paired with their ranch dipping sauce. It’s hard to go wrong with this classic take on a french fry.
The Gunrock: 3.68 out of 5
These fries would have scored higher, but some members of the Editorial Board couldn’t try them due to dietary restrictions. Those who could, however, enjoyed their fun shape (curvy wedges) and over-the-top seasoning with garlic, herbs and salt.
Fire Wings: 3.44 out of 5
Fire Wings’ crinkle-cut fries were seasoned well and fried to a golden brown. Paired with the best ranch we tasted, they were perfectly satisfying.
Ali Baba: 3.28 out of 5
These thick, wedgy fries weren’t salted, but it was impossible (for most of us) to stop snacking on them. Pair them with Ali Baba’s signature sauce, and they would be even better.
Burger Patch: 3.2 out of 5
Burger Patch had the most visually-appealing and crispy fries of the bunch, but some of us thought their flavor didn’t live up to the presentation. A dipping sauce might have helped, but they didn’t pair well with the signature Patch Sauce.
Burgers and Brew: 2.17 out of 5
The fries we got from Burgers and Brew looked a little burnt, but they were cooked well. They were cut thick and needed much more seasoning to mask the overly starchy flavor.
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers: 1.76 out of 5
Besides the sauce, there was nothing special about these crinkle-cut fries.
Nick the Greek: 1.05 out of 5
The tzatziki sauce was great, but the fries were a miss. They were sized inconsistently, under-seasoned and either too chewy or too dry.
Written by: The Editorial Board
