I moved from LA to Saint Louis a little over a year ago and was ready to explore mid-western cuisine, starting with restaurants unique to Saint Louis. I noticed the french fry options right off the bat- they made for the ultimate side option to top off any classic Saint Louis meal. Slowly I become an expert at differentiating between a soggy and crispy, spicy or plain, and fat or skinny french fry. Thus, I came up with the idea of rating Saint Louis french fries out of 10. Here are my results!
5. Lion’s Choice: $1.79
Crispiness: 8/10. Shape: 10/10. Width: 6/10. Sauce: 0/10.
Lion’s Choice is a fast food joint unique to Saint Louis serving up the best, most mouth watering beef sandwiches around. So naturally I assumed a side of fries would be up to par with this Saint Louis icon; unfortunately, beyond the shape, everything went entirely downhill. I’m a skinny fry kind of girl, but the french fries were oddly too crispy for my liking and the famous “au jus” dipping sauce turned my fries into potato soup. Let’s just say I ended up drinking the sauce and feeding the fries to my dog. If you want my opinion, there’s no need to waste $1.79 on these fries.
4. Blueberry Hill: $3.50
Crispiness: 8/10. Shape: 7/10. Width: 10/10. Sauce: 0/10.
A historic landmark of Saint Louis, Blueberry Hill is known for its hall of fame, music history, and unique aesthetic. What it might not be known for, however, are the fries. I have no complaints, but there’s nothing to rave about. The sauce was your typical ketchup, and the fries came unseasoned with two packs of salt and pepper. Nothing special but still a tasty side with one of their classic burgers or milkshakes!
3. Chicken Out: $3.00
Crispiness level: 10/10. Shape: 2/10. Width: 4/10. Sauce: 10/10.
I was thoroughly impressed with Chicken Out’s french fries to say the least. The french fries were a little soggy but altogether fabulously seasoned in chicken salt making for a unique taste that made me, well, enjoy the entire bag. The cherry on top was a side of warm cheese dip. My one point in question: the shape. Crinkle fries rub me the wrong way. All things considered, Chicken Out presented what I would deem award winning french fries. Saint Louis, you’re impressing me.
2. Mission Taco: $10.50
Crispiness: 3/10. Shape: 5/10. Width: 10/10. Sauce: 10/10.
Mission Taco’s carne asada fries unquestionably qualify as a messy pile of heaven. I ate half of the fries on my way home from picking them up. Enough said? Loaded with grilled steak, chihuahua cheese, guac, sour cream, and pico de gallo, these chile-crusted potato fries are a must try. I’d say $10.50 is a bang for your buck!
#spoontip: if you don’t like soggy fries, flip the plate over so that the fries are on top, rather than soaked in the assortment of toppings.
1. High-Point Drive-In: $2.50
Crispiness level: 2/10. Shape: 8/10. Width: 6/10. Sauce: 9/10.
When I think of the Belgian Frites from High-Point Drive-In I think of the perfect combination between crispy and creamy. I’m definitely throwing these in the “best french fries in Saint Louis” category because these fries have made all my cheesy mashed potato fry dreams come true. I wasn’t so sure about these at first because as I picked up a fry, it turned into the Leaning Tower of Pisa. With that being said, this is the only time I will allow soggy fries to be considered anything but gross. Thick, perfectly seasoned, and served with a hearty amount of warm cheese sauce, the frites melted in my mouth; each dip was better than the one before it. I think the Hi-Point has had a run in with God because these were the most delectable french fries that I’ve ever tasted.
That’s it for now! I hope you are more prepared to either add fries to your order or ditching the idea all together. Sometimes it’s worth the extra dollars, but sometimes you might want to save that cash for something well, less basic.