French Fry Diary 673: Ichiban Buffet

Recently some old friends and The Bride and I got together at a new buffet where the old Old Country Buffet in Cherry Hill used to be - the Ichiban Buffet. In Japanese, 'ichiban' means 'number one' or 'first,' but I think in this case, I think they're just being hopeful, as this was less than satisfying.

I'm not a big fan of buffets to begin with. I dislike the idea of not knowing who has been touching my food, maybe multiple times, for who knows how long, perhaps getting it on their plate, then changing their mind and putting it back. It's just not sanitary, no matter how many employees and cooks are watching to make sure that kind of shenanigans doesn't happen.

This buffet was $16.00 per person, and they seemed to have a good variety, as well as (boo) Pepsi products. One big highlight was the 'donuts,' or more accurately the little chunks of fried and sugared dough, but I was disappointed at there being no soft ice cream, usually a buffet staple. I was a bit irritated by this seemingly professional place in all other effects having the ingredients of the trays written on signs below in Magic Marker. Tacky.

But of course, I wasn't there for the signage, or the donuts, or even the ice cream, I was there for, among other things, the French fries. They were only warm, probably baked frozen seasoned fries, seasoned to the point of being as dark golden brown as the sweet and sour chicken, whose sauce was great on the fries. The mashed potatoes only okay, and I didn't see any onion rings.

There was one puzzle I couldn't figure out. Why won't they trust us with knives? We can cut our own meat at the serving station, dish our own hard ice cream, but they won't trust us with knives at our seats unless we flag someone down and ask for one? Weird. I probably won't be coming back, the company was excellent though.

French Fry Diary 667: The Marlton Diner

I have known this building for well over two decades. It used to be the Denny's where dear friend Anne-Sophie waitressed, and where our Rocky Horror group would go after shows. Good times, but long, long ago.

When Denny's pulled out of the South Jersey area, the restaurant was repurposed into the Marlton Diner. As the quality of the food and service at landmark Olga's Diner down the street was going downhill, it was easy for the new restaurant to claim the limelight. And when construction and removal of the Marlton Circle temporarily closed Olga's, perhaps it was the Marlton Diner that put the last nails in Olga's coffin, finally out-dinering the queen of Jersey diners.

When the Marlton Diner first opened, the food was very good, of special note for me the onion rings and milkshakes. Over the years however, and perhaps it's the lack of competition, but the food and service are not what they once were. The Bride and I stopped going altogether when she and her friends got paper sheets in their meat, after it was cooked, and management didn't care, and did nothing.

My friend Marni was having work done on her car at the Pep Boys next door, so, since I had never officially reviewed the Marlton Diner before, I figured I'd give them a second chance, and kill two birds with one stone. First thing I noticed, remembering the old Denny's, besides the slightly smaller seating area than that older restaurant, is the hideous chef statue as you enter. I am sure this thing has given many a child nightmares after eating here. Hideous, and so not appetizing.

The Marlton Diner was nearly abandoned when we went, save for the senior citizen crowd, one of whom was out in the lobby watching the TV both when we arrived, and when we left. Perhaps he was homeless? When we were seated, I found they had Pepsi not Coke, so not a good start. With no one to wait on, we listened the staff talk shop and how much they hate their jobs, and the customers. That's not quite the kind of pre-dinner entertainment I expected, but it passed the time.

I ordered my Medport Diner (the best diner in my area for my money) standby, breakfast potatoes (called home fries here) and onion rings, which in the past had been quite good. The home fries looked great, even the waitress commented so. They were however only semi-warm. And they tasted a bit off, as if they'd been sitting on the grill since the morning. They were very crispily done though. But that doesn't help if they make me sick, ya know? The French fries, which I spied at another table, were, I think, battered and regular cut. No matter, as I recall, the fries at the Marlton Diner were never very good.

The onion rings, which as I said, I remember as being really good, were also kind of meh. Only warm, they also had that vibe of sitting around for a while. Marni, because of her predilection for special ordering, got freshly made food, but it was also only okay. I took most of the home fries and the onion rings home for later. At the old Marlton, and current Medport, reheated potatoes and rings were always pretty good. Not this time. I ended up throwing it all out, as it all tasted off.

This is not high marks for this place. I have avoided the Marlton Diner for a while, and this encounter pretty much cements that I'll continue to do so. Shame.

French Fry Diary 599: Rutt's Hut, Clifton NJ

Rutt's Hut. I had seen this place dozens of times on Food Network shows, spotlighted as the place to get hot dogs, and not just hot dogs, but those fabled deep-fried hot dogs called 'rippers.' I had always dreamed of going there, but never thought it possible until recently when I found out that it actually was in New Jersey.

On a recent trip to see friends in North Jersey, it was early evening and we were kinda hungry, I noted that we were not that far from where I'd heard Rutt's Hut was. We loaded the address from their website into the GPS and we were off. We started driving through a wooded industrial park with hardly any lights, and the GPS startled us when it said we had reached our destination. Um, there was nothing there.

The Bride was sure we were lost, and that our TomTom was a DumDum (it wouldn't be the first time, remind me to tell you about the time in Baltimore it kept telling me to drive into the harbor). That's when I saw the silhouette of the building I recognized from all those Food Network appearances. There was no signage, and it vaguely looks like a biker bar, transformed from a small factory. I don't think we'll be trying to find it after dark again.

There were two doors. One led to a very small restaurant area - two tables and a counter, not counting the Attack from Mars pinball machine and Big Buck Hunter video game, and the other led to the taproom/bar. Neither of us are drinkers so we went to the restaurant.

We both ordered hot dogs (rippers of course), then saw the sign that said cash only. We're card people for the most part, so that cut us short and made us scramble suddenly. We had to be selective in what we ordered next. We shared a Pepsi, and ordered fries, that's all we could afford, but still that was a lot for $8.55.

We sacrificed the onion rings, as we couldn't afford them. I have also gotten strong recommendations for these rings as well as the dogs and the fries. The other people who were there had them on their plates. They looked a bit limp but were crispy-looking and thinly sliced. Ah well, next time we will bring cash.

When I ordered the fries the man behind the counter yelled to the back, "One Frenchie!" just as he had "Two rippers!" Yeah, I loved that. The service - just one guy at the counter, and at least one in the kitchen - was incredibly quick, efficient, and friendly. Our order was ready in minutes, and when I expressed disbelief, I was told if I ordered it again, I could come back and watch.

The rippers were true to their reputation, the absolute best - big dogs on soft buns, full of hot deep-fried goodness. The fries were frozen regular cuts, also full of hot, deep-fried deliciousness. They were not greasy, had a baked texture, lightly salted and peppered, and were the hottest fries I have had in recent memory.

The Bride thought they could have used salt, but what does she know? (kidding, kidding) She also loved her ripper, which she drowned in molten perfect orange cheese, and also used as a dip for her fries. For the price, this was a huge portion serving, and very filling. Good stuff here, we would definitely go back. Next time, we'll have cash, get more dogs, more fries, and try those famous rings. Serious thumbs up for Rutt's.

French Fry Diary 517: Ruffles Max Steak Potato Chips

This is the newest in a disturbing trend of meat-flavored potato chips. Some are quite good like the recent Lay's Chicken & Waffles chips, and some are just disasters, and I hate to say it, most of those are steak-based. These chips, fully named Ruffles Max Maximum Taste Flame Grilled Steak Flavored potato chips, hopefully will be different.

My first question is - what's the difference between Ruffles Max, and Ruffles Ultimate? It just seems a bit redundant to me. The bag suggests drinking Pepsi Max with the chips, so maybe that's what the distinction is - marketing.

Looking at the ingredients, other than the mysterious 'flame grilled steak flavoring,' these might be along the lines of a barbecue potato chip. I hope so. With stuff approximating onion, garlic, smoke, brown sugar, etc., it's a good bet.

But I wouldn't take that bet, especially after opening the bag and getting a whiff of the aroma that came out. To say it was unpleasant would be insufficient. To quote The Bride after she got the scent, "It smells like feet." And there you go. Being a good husband, I made her try one first.

Her reaction was scattered. "I suppose it tastes like steak. I don't think it tastes like feet," then to me she said, "you're not going to like them." She went on to say she wished it tasted like well done steak.

I tried one. Surprisingly The Bride was kinda right. They tasted like well done steak, specifically well done steak cooked on an outdoor grill. That is exactly what these chips tasted like. I liked these a lot, and I was very surprised. Yep, I liked them. It's a shame these are only available in a Limited Edition. Get them while you can.

French Fry Diary 446: Have It Burger King's Way

Rant warning. It seems there's a reason the slogan "Have it your way." is no longer part of Burger King's advertising reportoire and corporate mission. It simply no longer applies. Burger King used to get this kind of thing right - no matter how you wanted your food, you got it right, and you got it quick. No longer.



I used to love Burger King. There was a time when the only bad thing I could say about them was that they had Pepsi instead of Coke, but that was a long long time ago. Recently when they changed their fries for the worse, I thought that not coming back to BK was no big deal, I wouldn't miss it much at all.

Sometimes in a pinch, of when you just want something different, you go back to old habits. In my case, I still like their chicken sandwiches, and on a Sunday night, where else am I going to go?

Regular readers of this blog and folks who know me, know that I am a catastrophically picky eater. I usually like my burgers and sandwiches plain. In simple language that I always have to use when ordering from fast food places, that's 'nothing on it, plain, just the burger and the bun.' Or chicken, should that be the case. And of course, at McDonalds, you always have to stress 'no cheese.' They never get that right there.


As I said, Burger King used to, now they don't care.  No, strike that, most Burger Kings are pretty good.  The one in Marlton is amazing.  However one particular store locally really doesn't care. The Burger King on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, yeah, Restaurant #9865, I'm talking about you. I've had numerous bad experiences there.

Once I ordered a plain chicken sandwich there and after I re-explained what plain meant, I was told "That's nasty." Manager told me that was the clerk's opinion. No apology, no credit, no excuses. Multiple times there I've been told they were out of onion rings, fries, shakes, even sodas. But the last time I was there, when again they were out of onion rings, I was told something interesting about their Original Chicken Sandwich.

"We don't make them no more." Mind you, it's on the menu board behind his head. When I pointed that out, I was told the menu was wrong. As I was picking up dinner for the family and still wanted something for myself, I went with the Crispy Chicken Sandwich, again plain, stressing it because I was sure I was dealing with someone who didn't care. The first receipt didn't say 'plain,' so made sure it went through again.

Now please understand, I am trying desperately not to be an a-hole, being as polite as possible, because I know the thin line between a special order and someone spitting (or worse) in my food. I did not want the latter so I was all smiles and unicorns. In that regard, I did not check the sandwich before leaving. I guess I should have, apparently making sure my order is correct is my responsibility. Dummy me, I thought that was their job.

When I got home of course the sandwich wasn't plain. Despite the receipt saying it was, and the clerk saying it was, it wasn't. I called them, asked for a manager. She was less than friendly. Although I was unsure who I talked to was a manager as she asked, "What do you want me to do about it? You can come back, but we ain't got no more chicken."

There's a point when you just give up, ya know? The BK in Marlton proper usually gets orders right if I get another hankering for their food, I suppose. But I'm never going back to 9865. And I would advise everyone else to steer clear as well. I'm not alone in my assessment of the location either.


Have it your way is dead.

French Fry Diary 421: Jake's Wayback Burgers

This place has been on my to do list for quite some time. The location I had heard about and gotten so many recommendations for was over the bridge in Philly though, on Cottman Avenue, across from the old Roosevelt Mall (there used to be a Gulliver's there that I absolutely loved), so it would take some planning for a road trip. Imagine my surprise when after getting my haircut I found a Jake's Wayback Burgers had opened right store on Route 73 in Voorhees.

The first thing that struck me about Jake's Wayback Burgers was how much like Five Guys the layout of the place was. Granted, the music was more oldies, the menu was bigger, no peanuts, and (boo hiss) they had Pepsi products instead of Coke, - but other than all that, this could have easily been a refurbished Five Guys. The burgers are cooked well done on the griddle however, just like Five Guys, and are very similar except for their bigger size and the softer non-sesame seed bun.

The burgers are wrapped in brown wax paper, printed to look like newspaper but detailing the chain's history, restaurant reviews, and the different burgers they have available. The various sides are also served on and/or in this brown wax paper. It's a nice touch, reminiscent of when fish and chips were wrapped in newspaper. I like it.

Their fries also have something in common with Five Guys, but they're not as good as theirs. They are natural cuts, cooked to order. They're nothing spectacular - not great, not bad, and remember to eat 'em while they're hot. They are also a bit saltier than I would have liked. They do reheat well in the oven later however.

Besides fries as sides, Jake's Wayback Burgers also has onion rings and house made chips. The big deal here is the house made chips, nearly perfect homemade potato chips, not greasy and full of a big crispy crunch. I would have preferred myself a bit more flesh on them, but then they'd be more potato slices than potato chips in that case. These are all crunchy potato chip goodness, and better than any bag of store made chips you can buy. These chips are awesome.

Folks who know me and have been following the blog a while know I'm not fond of beer batter onion rings, but here at Jake's I may have found the exception. These big beer battered onion rings might look greasy but they are not. These big (but not thick) rings are deep-fried to a golden brown crispness with a juicy sweet onion within. They're delicious.

On the second visit, yep, that's right, I went back, the onion rings and the house made potato chips were even better.

So, if you like Five Guys or not, come on out and try Jake's Wayback Burgers. The burgers are good, and the onion rings and the house made potato chips are awesome. The big thick shakes are also highly recommended. Check it out.

French Fry Diary 335: Burgers in Paradise

We have a special treat for folks this week. While I'm busy running the Virtual Book Tour for THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES by my friend author Fran Metzman, another good friend of mine, Terry Willitts will be guest blogging here at French Fry Diary this week.

First up, Burgers in Paradise...

BURGERS IN PARADISE - SEMINOLE TOWNE CENTER MALL, SANFORD, FL

Burgers in Paradise is a relatively new addition to the Food Court in the Seminole Towne Center Mall in Sanford, FL. On a whim, I thought I'd pop in and try it out - I had not heard anything about it, so this was a completely blind date. It was December 12, mid afternoon, so the mall was packed with people doing their Christmas shopping, but I was just there to grab something to eat. I had planned to walk the mall, but one of my sandals blew out, and I still had a grocery run to make, so I stayed in the Food Court instead.

From the menu, it seemed they were a basic burger joint, with a little more variety than a Five Guys, but not the convoluted menu of a fast food restaurant. There was a line, but the wait wasn't that long, and the order taker (her name was Terri, which I only remember as my name is Terry) was very polite and in the Christmas spirit. The drink menu included fountain drinks (Coke products, iced tea) and bottled/canned drinks (water, flavoured water, Pepsi products), giving a decent variety. I ordered a Bacon Burger with cheese (strangely the Bacon Cheeseburger wasn't on the menu, had to get a Bacon Burger and pay for cheese to be added.) The food was cooked quickly enough (but fresh to the order, so it took a few minutes) on a black top. My burger, an order of fries and a large soda came to over nine dollars - pretty much what you can expect to pay for a combo for a good burger.

Sadly, this was not a good burger. It wasn't bad, by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't good. When I sat down and got my burger out, I could hear the little old lady from the Wendy's commercial demanding to know where the beef was. The patty was VERY thin, I'm sure it was a frozen burger (not that I have any particular problem with that, but for $9+ for a burger and combo, it'd better be a thick frozen patty), and the bun was obviously something they bought at the local grocery store - just a run of the mill burger bun, not toasted, not buttered and heated on the black top, nothing.

But you're here for the fries, so maybe that was the saving grace of this blind date? No. Sadly, the fries were cheap frozen crinkle fries that weren't particularly noteworthy at all. Plus, I have to say that a good third of the order were the tiny crunchy, over-cooked ones that hardly have any potato inside. There is no way I should have paid more than $5 for the entire meal.

Sadly, this was not remotely a good experience and I won't ever return there.

Thanks, Terry! If you'd like more of Terry online, check out his regular blog here, his daily year long journey through "Doctor Who" from the very beginning here, and his eBay page here.

French Fry Diary 324: 25 Burgers

Like Smashburger, 25 Burgers is mostly a North Jersey phenomenon, but with one location in my area, in Woodbury. The claim to fame of 25 Burgers is that you have at least twenty-five choices, including angus beef burgers, chicken breast burgers, and other specialty burgers. They've been around since 2009, and have expanded their franchise since.

The day after New Year's Day was a day off for most folks, so The Bride and her folks decided we'd make a road trip to 25 Burgers, as I had wanted to for some time. Over the last couple years I have gotten several recommendations for their fries, so I was looking forward to it.

25 Burgers, other than Boardwalk Fries, also offers cheese fries, chili cheese fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and potato pancakes as sides as well. For this trip, I ordered the rather inexpensive Boardwalk Fries, along with my usual plain burger. Notably, this is a Pepsi place, no Coca-Cola products, but they did have Orange Crush on tap. Bonus points.

The restaurant itself reminded me of Five Guys in color scheme, very red and white and checkered. The overhead music was oldies and the walls were covered with pics of Marilyn, Sinatra, Elvis, and other icons of the 1950s and 60s. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

The burgers can be huge, depending on what you order. Mine was small, others were big, and all were (no choice) well done. And like Tony Luke says, it's all about the roll - and the rolls are fabulous. The burger, other than being a bit more than well done, was fairly good. The Bride got the Maui Burger, which she liked, but found unwieldy to eat. It might be better without the roll, and with a knife and fork.

The fries, very golden brown, were regular natural cuts, and very spicy. I found them similar to the fries at Checker's, spicy with the crunchy coating. The difference though is the size, these are shorter than Checker's fries, which are pretty long. That said, we might have just gotten to the end of a batch. Quite addictive, but have a drink close by as they have time delay heat. The mother-in-law liked them a lot.

All around, it was a good lunch with the family. I don't know if we'll be rushing back any time soon, but it was pretty good.

French Fry Diary 306: Burger King Onion Rings

When Burger King changed their French fries for the worse several years ago, that left me in a quandary. I loved Burger King, loved their burgers and their chicken sandwiches and especially their shakes, and sadly their introduction of Coca-Cola products over Pepsi coincided with the crappy fries. So much to enjoy, but no sides to enjoy them with.

Fear not, unlike many of its major competitors, Burger King also has onion rings, and they're not bad. These aren't traditional onion rings however as they're composed of diced onion and shaped into rings approximately the size of a half-dollar and deep fried with a crunchy breaded coating. Over the years the size has varied, getting smaller at times and now the sizes go from dime to half-dollar size in one offering.

As a bonus, because they are cooked at the same station, sometimes a fry will find its way into an order of rings and vice-versa. This is known as a 'ringer.' Once again, like the FryPod, much thanks to Burger King for adding to the lexicon and vocabulary of the mythology of the favorite fried food.

It should be noted that the BK onion ring is also excellent for dipping in milkshakes (although fries and burgers are preferred), and also for stacking in sandwiches. Great stuff. I would rather have had the old original BK fries but their onion rings are a great substitute. Thumbs up.

French Fry Diary 305: The Old Burger King French Fries

A couple days ago I talked about Burger King's new French fries, today I take a look at the previous version that was so bad it kept me from eating their fries for years.

In 1990, about the same time Burger King changed from Pepsi to Coca-Cola products, they also changed their French fries. First they changed the oil they used, changing the taste slightly, and then changed the fries completely. This reformulation of what I thought was a terrific product caused me to stop eating Burger King fries. Yeah, they were that bad. The fry guy wouldn't even eat them, that's saying something. Maybe that's why this month BK is changing their fries again.

Where they were once wonderful if slightly more greasy versions of McDonald's golden French fries, BK went to a crunchier, healthier shoestring variety. These were battered with Invisicoat which not only makes them crispier but also acts as a preservative and makes them last longer. Cost cutting and arguably healthier, these fries were not tastier in my opinion, and put me off of Burger King.

I eventually went back, fast food junkie that I am, but I went back for the burgers, the shakes, the chicken sandwiches, the onion rings, even the Cokes - but not for the fries. Over the years BK has tweaked the fries, or tried stunts to garner new interest. There was the brilliant invention of the FryPod that lets your fries rest comfortably in your car's cup holder, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

BK also tried Shake Em Up fries, also a brilliant idea, one still used in Europe and Asia. The idea is similar to Shake and Bake, with fries instead of chicken, and the powder being anything from cheddar cheese to BBQ to just about any variety of spices. You shake it up and you get spice-covered fries, you could even do it with onion rings. I never fell for it, because it still wouldn't make BK's crappy fries taste better but filed the idea away for home use.

They also tried Chicken Fries, strips of breaded chicken in the shape of fries, packaged in a FryPod. Overseas, BK offers curly fries as well as potato wedges at some locations. The recipe was even tampered with again in 1998, with little noticeable change. None of these variations have made me turn back to the dark side to try BK's crappy fries, until this most current change. I'm still not impressed. I wish they'd bring back the originals.

French Fry Diary 293: Bill's Bar & Burger, Harrah's, Atlantic City

I was intrigued when I heard that this place, Bill's Bar & Burger, was coming to Harrah's in Atlantic City. BB&B actually has a pretty interesting reputation up in New York, and I was looking forward to trying out their burgers, and especially their fries. Until, of course, I found out that that it would be replacing The Deli.

The Deli was a place I could almost twenty-four hours a day while The Bride was playing the slots. I could go, and get some lunch (or whatever meal), hang out, and write. If I got fries, it would come in an over-generous portion of terrific hot steak fries, less if I got a hot dog with it, even though I'd be charged the same price. It was a good deal, and a good place - and good fries. The Deli will be missed. But I'm open-minded, I'll give Bill a shot.

I hate to say it, but at first glance, I was unimpressed. Indicative of a restaurant in a casino, it looks nice but the food is not so hot, and crazy expensive - more expensive than The Deli. For example, the six-dollar milkshake came in a cup slightly bigger than a McDonald's small soft drink. And the sodas (notably all Pepsi products, rather than Coca-Cola) in the same size cup cost four dollars.

I ordered a burger (come on, guys, what else would I order?), and it was very good, very juicy on a soft sesame seed bun. All burgers come cooked medium, but you can get them done more if you desire. I'm not a big fan of rare, but it does kinda bug me when it's not an option. I understand not wanting to make anyone sick, but to me that sorta reflects a distrust of the cook by management, don't you think? Anyway, the burger was pricey, but definitely worth that price, and worth coming back for, I thought.

The fries however, were another story, and it should be noted that they came separate from the burger, not with it, an unusual practice. They were undercooked natural cut spicy potato wedges, some of them thinner than usual, but unusually not crispy. They were good, soft and hot on the inside, but without the crispy crunch most potato wedges have. They also came with cheddar whiz cheese, or as disco fries, but I didn't try them.

They weren't horrible, I ate them and enjoyed them, but didn't finish them. They were however disappointing, especially when compared to the gigantic portion size The Deli would have provided, and I would have eaten all of those delicious steak fries. Bill's also has beer battered onion rings, which were typical of beer battered - greasy. Sweet potato fries were also available as well, maybe next time, when I get another burger.

French Fry Diary 250: Arby's

I've already talked about my unpleasant experience with the onion rings at Arby's but I haven't actually reviewed the place yet. Arby's has changed quite a bit in the last few years when it comes to the favorite fried food. They used to have very good natural cuts, and as noted previously, terrific Onion Petals, but no longer. No Onion Petals, and the lack of a burger product are why I usually don't come to Arby's. And I'm really not a big roast beef guy.

Arby's started back in 1964, as old as I am, in Ohio. The RB in the name stands for Raffel Brothers, the founders, not roast beef, as most folks think. They are known for their roast beef sandwiches however, and their big cowboy hat logo and their 'horsey sauce.' They're part of the Wendy's company and they serve Pepsi products, and at the beginning, they served potato chips, not fries. They haven't been very successful in my area, however, as many of the restaurants that have opened, haven't stayed open more than five to ten years. Just sayin'.

Usually when I would come to Arby's I would get one of the chicken sandwiches, which is sometimes a pain in the neck to get the folks behind the counter to understand the concept of plain. "Just the chicken, and the bun," and still they get confused. Their shakes are pretty good too. They used to have shake it up chicken nuggets with bbq sauce that were great but no longer. And I would get the aforementioned Onion Petals quite often but they don't have them any more either.

What they do have, and have had for some time are Curly Fries. I believe these are among the first fast food franchise curly fries. They are natural cut and well seasoned. They are very good when hot, but this order, gotten on a Sunday afternoon at the nearly empty Arby's in Oaklyn, were barely warm. The cuts are very nice, lots of corkscrews. I like the corkscrews. I still wish they had the old natural cut fries too - it was nice to have a choice, or to have both.

They also have something called Loaded Potato Bites. Little triangles of potato product stuffed with sour cream, cheese, chives and God only knows what else - these were so not my thing. I did not like them. Sometimes they also have Potato Cakes, sort of a poor man's McDonald's Hash Brown, but not for breakfast. I'll review them on another trip I guess, as this one was not good so far.

Not a pleasant experience this stop, guys. Arby's, please bring back the natural cut regular cut fries and the Onion Petals.

French Fry Diary 245: Chickie's & Pete's Crab House and Sports Bar, Parx Casino

Stuck at Parx Casino again while The Bride gambled, I swore I wouldn't go to Foodies again but this time I decided to try Chickie's & Pete's in the casino. This was my first time having their World Famous Crabfries in a restaurant setting as opposed to counter service at a sports event.

Notable from seeing the Crabfries on a menu for the first time it's worth mentioning that they have zero trans fat, and are cholesterol free and gluten free. I ordered the Crabfries of course, plus the Onion Ring Tower. We didn't get the Crabby Sweets, but were intrigued by these Crabfries made from sweet potato. Maybe next time. Also, no Coke, but Pepsi, but I'll live.

We were served a rather large serving of the Crabfries, which I think is bigger than the same priced serving in a cup at the Wings games. There was the added bonus of an extra cup of the cheese. They were as delicious and hot as ever. If I haven't mentioned it before, these pixie crinkle cuts with spicy hot old bay seasoning are fantastic. And while I could have dug on in with my fingers I ate them off a plate with a fork, just for the different experience. No difference, the Crabfries were still rocking.

The Onion Ring Tower arrived, reminding me a bit if Red Robin's version, only bigger. These thick rings came with three dipping sauces - barbecue, ranch and cucumber wasabi. The last was a bit overpowering but I really liked the barbecue for both the rings and the fries. The rings also seemed to have a hotness of their own, but it might just be aftermath of the spicy hotness of the fries.

This was a terrific experience, as I expected it to be, and there are many reasons to return - including quick friendly service (thanks, Shannon) and new food items to try. Highly recommended.

French Fry Diary 232: Foodies, Parx Casino

At most casinos they don't want you to eat, much less know what time it is. Their concern is getting you to gamble, nothing else. That's the reason for the quirky restaurant hours in these 24/7 casinos. They don't want you there eating, just shoveling your money into their pockets. Heck, I have spent huge chunks of my life at Harrahs in Atlantic City and still haven't been to every food place there.

Parx, the newly revamped version in Bucks County has a few places to eat, including one of my faves, Chickie's & Pete's, but since I was bored with nothing else to do (longtime readers know I don't gamble), I wanted to amuse myself by writing a FFD review - so I chose the intriguingly named Foodies. Sadly, the name was the only thing intriguing about this wannabe cafeteria.

Simply midnight snack fare was on my mind - a hot dog, small fries and, as preferred Coke was unavailable, a Pepsi. The all beef hot dog was pretty good, but then again I have been spoiled for hot dogs since the Cool Dog Café opened. The Pepsi was, well, Pepsi. And the fries were... well, let's just say it's a good thing they give you Utz potato chips with every sandwich - so I had some potato with my meal.

These grocery frozen shoestrings are freezer burned and deep-fried, perhaps too much. Most are too crunchy to eat and many are stuck together. There's too much salt and what at first I thought was pepper, on closer inspection, really put me off of these things. I don't think its black pepper - I think it's debris from the deep fryer. Thank heaven for the factory sealed snack bag of Utz.

Next time, I'm going to Chickie's & Pete's. Promise.

French Fry Diary 185: Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que

Black Friday this year was spent chilling with my brother-in-law and my nephew, and before jumping into the crazy world of holiday shopping, the bro treated me to lunch at Famous Dave's. It had been some time since I'd been there and was looking forward to seeing what they had and didn't have.

Famous Dave's is a bit on the darker side of franchise restaurants like T.G.I.Fridays and Applebee's with all the stuff on the walls. It's like hunting lodge from hell décor, with bad country music and southern rock, interspersed with the occasional holiday song. Not the happiest environment, especially with ammo boxes on the wall, but the food is good.

Our waitress 'Famous' Keri happily announced that they had Pepsi products. I had noticed that the various barbeque sauces on the table were in Hank's Root Beer boxes but I was unsure if they offered it - they do. Pepsi worked though, nice and cold to counteract the hotness of the sauces.

Speaking of the sauces, after we ordered we were treated to a 'sauce tour.' A basket of homemade potato chips were served with five empty cups for sampling the five different sauces. They include: Sweet and Zesty, my personal favorite that I even have at home (Famous Dave's also sells these at supermarkets); Texas Pit, kinda hot for me; Devil Spit, this was milder than I thought it be, not bad; Rich and Sassy, was just good bbq sauce and my nephew's favorite; and Georgia Mustard, being mustard, I passed on it.

The sauce tour came with those homemade potato chips, similar to the ones at the British Chip Shop, only not hot, more like traditional potato chips. They were very crispy, but as I said, not very hot, but that's okay, they were for the sauces. I enjoyed them very much.

The burger was very good, just like a burger cooked on the grill at a summer cookout, just the way I like it. The fries that came with them were natural cut potato wedges with ripples on them, thin ones like on Utz Ripple chips as opposed to Utz Wavy chips, ya know? And they go with the fry, not against it like crinkle cuts. These ripples should allow for more crispiness, which I wish they were. Otherwise these were quite good, and the bbq sauces made them even better.

All in all, a great meal with family, and the fries were pretty good too. Thanks for lunch, Matt!