Fries and their counterpart the burger are forever intertwined like star crossed lovers, dedicated to bettering each other, the yin to their yang. I went on a quest to find out where the best pommes are located in our own Provo, Utah, along with fry consultants Henry Windsor and Henry Andrus. We narrowed down  locations to review, specifically avoiding big chains like Wendy’s or McDonalds. Note: the views held on fries in this review are those of the staff who ranked them, and we simply give recommendations, as this is a matter of opinion, not fact.

Five Guys

Five Guys is a consistent winner in terms of fries. Although it comes in at a pricey $5.59, a massive amount of fries are provided. Cut in a typical thickness, the fries have a perfect crispy exterior, and a delicious potato interior. Five Guys offered cajun (dusted with spices) and regular. Hot from the frier, these fries were hard to put down, but with more fries to try in the day, eventually the feasting had to end. Rating: 6.2/7

Seven Brothers

Although the wait was long (at least 20 minutes) the delay was worth it. These fries are cut rather unusually, coming in thicker slices. The flaky skin guaranteed with each fry due to the unique cut added a nice quality to the flavor. Like the Five Guys fries, it too had a soft baked quality, and were coated with the perfect amount of salt, as well as a fair amount of herbs to accentuate the flavors. A solid choice for any fast food goer. Rating: 6.4/7

JCW’s

If there was one thing that JCW’s did right, it was giving a hefty amount of fries for a “normal” size, more then enough for any single person. Although they started out strong, hot and firm enough to hold sauce, as well as a beefy thick cut, an odd change came over these fries frighteningly quick, growing soggy, as if the exposure to the air was just too much. In addition to dismal longevity for some fries, they had a rather uniform texture, the outside the same as the inside.Rating: 3.8/7

Cubby’s

The fries  were disappointing. Incredibly thin and they had a similar texture and taste to JCW’s. Although a considerable amount of fries were supplied, they weren’t anything particularly special and their thin cut required grabbing three or four to get any fry taste at all. Rating: 4.1/7

CHOM

Coming in clutch, CHOM burgers fries were nearly perfect in every way. A desirable medium cut, these fries had a crisp outside and a delectable soft interior, as well as a generous amount of salt, but not so much that one’s mouth was overwhelmed by the taste. A traditionally-prepared and tasting fry, it was a delight to consume the fries. Rating: 6.8/7

Ripples

The classic Timpview burger joint and a staple of freshmen lunch diets, Ripples has been in business for more than six decades. Immediately upon tasting Ripples fries we noted similarities to Five Guys’ fries. They used the same technique in frying, as they both had a crispy, flaky exterior, and a baked potato-like interior. They were exceptional, however they lacked a notable seasoning that Five Guys possessed. Rating: 6.0/7

Burger Supreme

Burger Supreme Fries were unexceptional. Like the delightful CHOM fries they had a firm texture, but had the bland, uninteresting taste of JCW’s. Although, they were not quite as quick to go limp and fall apart as JCW’s, they didn’t bring anything new to the table. Rating: 4.8/7

Mooyah

The burger joint on University brought a hefty amount of fries for about $2.70. They were nearly identical to Five Guys, but differed in that the actual potato had a different flavor. Although the new taste was a welcome surprise, it added more rigidity compared with their Five Guys counterparts, causing them to fall short. Rating: 5.9/7

Rocky Mountain Drive In

The biggest surprise of all, was little Rocky Mountain Drive In, just next door to the Asian Market in downtown Provo. It epitomized the classic fry, a single yellow-tan color, sprinkled with sea salt, and fried to perfection; each bite was identical to the rest. If it had one flaw, it was the shockingly small serving size delivered for what was considered a “regular.” The amount was barely enough to sate one’s hunger. Rating: 6.6/7

While many more fry destinations exist in the city, this is the final rankings for the best fries in our opinion. As far as best value for amount of fries goes, Mooyah won in that regard, by far the most fries for their price, but in terms of taste, I’d argue a tie between Seven Brothers and CHOM Burger. This list could be prone to change, of course, every fry is different, as each is made different, and thus some could have been rather lucky in how they were presented to us, while others may have come short of greatness in our eyes. They may always be the Robin to their Batman, but there is greatness in being a sidekick, and fries know how to show it.