French fries on Long Island: Best bets

July 13, 2017

Magic happens when a freshly cut piece of potato meets a kettle full of bubbling fat. We steer you past the pre-frozen, batter-dipped, corkscrew-shaped varieties, straight to the aristocrats. A sprinkle of salt, a dip in ketchup (or, Euro-style mayonnaise sauce), and you're tasting paradise. Here are some of the best French fries on Long Island as chosen by our food staff.

Waterzooi

Credit: Gaby Chiha

Waterzooi, Garden City: Come to this Garden City eatery for the mussels, stay for the fries served with a blue cheese sauce.

Gingerbites

Credit: Yvonne Albinowski

Gingerbites, Huntington Station: Festival fries, a medley of sweet potatoes, yuca and breadfruit, tempt the starch addict at this eatery.

Vauxhall

Credit: Daniel Brennan

Vauxhall, Huntington: At Vauxhall in Huntington, signature burgers come with the choice of house-made chips or fries: Go with the latter. Cut in house, the skin-on fries offer the perfect contrast, with a crisp, golden exterior and creamy interior. Served in a basket on the side, these fries are so good it's a challenge to share them with your dining companions.

Bobby's Burger Palace

Credit: Bruce Gilbert

Bobby's Burger Palace: Head to Bobby's Burger Palace for classic, skin-on fries accompanied by BBP's delectable, piquant, coral-hued fry sauce. Other location in Lake Grove.

European Republic

Credit: Bruce Gilbert

European Republic, Huntington: At European Republic in Huntington, Idaho potatoes are hand-cut, twice-fried in canola oil and served, Euro-style, in paper cones. Each golden stick tastes of nothing more complicated (or delectable) than potato and salt. Have yours stark naked, with ketchup or any number of flavored mayonnaise dips, from mango chutney to Jamaican curry.

Off The Block Kitchen & Meats

Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus

Off The Block Kitchen & Meats, Sayville: Fantastic hand-cut French fries are a specialty at this Sayville spot.

Brownstone Brewing Company

Credit: Doug Young

Brownstone Brewing Co., Ronkonkoma: At this eatery, the nutty-sweet fries are hand-cut off premises by the restaurant's meat supplier.

Relish

Credit: John Dunn

Relish, Kings Park: Burgers and sandwiches are accompanied by fine hand-cut fries at this Kings Park spot.

Credit: Newsday / Joan Reminick

Pastrami Plus, East Meadow: In this little kosher-style East Meadow eatery, deli man Sal Gawish serves superior hand-cut fries. They're square-ish in shape, crusted golden brown on the outside. Careful not to burn your mouth on the piping-hot, nutty-sweet interior.

Credit: Jennifer S. Altman

Press 195, Rockville Centre: At Press 195, the Belgian fries, hand-cut and double-cooked, are addictive.

Credit: Timothy Fadek

Hildebrandt's, Williston Park: At this spot, the burnished-gold, coin-shaped fries got their start as a timesaver. Many decades ago, then-owner Al Strano (who died in 1998) found that it took far less time to slice the red-skinned new potatoes crosswise than cut them into sticks, according to his daughter Susan Strano-Acosta, who now owns the restaurant with her husband, Bryan Acosta. The little red potatoes have more flavor than Idahos, Strano-Acosta says.

Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus

Toku, Manhasset: Asian-fusion restaurants aren't generally French fry hot spots, but at Toku the signature fries, thick-cut and served with spicy mayo, are among Long Island's best.