The French fries at Five Guys are somewhat different than most of what you’d get in other fast-food joints. Perhaps the most obvious is that they’re called boardwalk fries. That’s to differentiate them from the usual crispy fries that McDonald’s and other places offer. With the boardwalk fries, they’re firm on the outside, but as soft as mashed potatoes on the inside.
Then you’d also notice that the fries cost between $4 and $7, which seems expensive. Of course, it’s par for the course. Most of the stuff at Five Guys cost more than what the same things cost at other places. You can get French fries at McDonald’s for only $1.90, and the Basket of Fries cost $3.83.
It does help you feel better that you get extra fries with your order. That is, you get a container of fries, then the folks at Five Guys top that off with an extra scoop of fries. That’s why you have a paper bag with your order of fries, since the extra scoop just falls off. They do this with all sizes, even for the smallest size available.
But there’s another reason why the fries are more expensive. That’s because, like in most cases, you have to pay for quality. And when it comes to the French fries at Five Guys, they’re really that good. The original Five Guys-style fries is practically an icon, while the Cajun Style has been “showered with a heavy dose Cajun spice”. They’re both fantastic.
Why are they so great? Here are some of the reasons why:
The “Right” Type of Potato
There are actually several types of potatoes, and we’re not talking about several dozen varieties. Actually, there are more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes to pick from. And among all those options, the folks at Five Guys insist that most of their potatoes come from Idaho. These are northern potatoes—that is, they’re grown north of the 42nd parallel.
They pick these northern potatoes not because it’s a convenient choice. Actually, one of the founders even said that it’s a “pain in the neck”. It would have been a lot cheaper and easier if they got their potatoes from Florida or California.
But they insist on the northern potatoes because they want solid potatoes. There are a few months of the year when the Idaho potatoes are still too soft, and during this time they get their potatoes from the state of Washington. Potatoes that grow more slowly are generally more solid.
And these northern potatoes fit the bill. When it’s daytime, it’s warm and the potatoes grow. But they stop growing when the temperature goes down at night.
Freshly Cut
These are “hand cut” potatoes, but that doesn’t mean they have people in the kitchen cutting potatoes with knives. They use their “monster cutter”, which is basically a machine. But they still have to crank a level by hand to cut the potatoes, so they’re freshly cut before they become French fries.
At least this monster cutter makes the cutting a lot more efficient. In fact, they sometimes hold races among employees to see how fast they can cut a 50-pound bag of fries. The current record is at 48 seconds, and so you don’t have to worry about not getting the food fast enough.
It does make a difference when the potatoes are freshly cut. Most of the other places use pre-cut potatoes stored in their freezers.
As for Five Guys, they don’t have freezers (except for their milkshakes). And that’s why they only use fresh potatoes. You must have seen the sacks of potatoes in just about any location you walk in. Those aren’t just for show. They’re all filled with whole potatoes waiting to be cut.
The Exacting Cooking Method
First of all, once the potatoes have been cut, the pieces are then first cooked in really hot water for 3 minutes. This is to reduce the starchiness on the outside of the potatoes, plus it helps the potatoes cook more evenly.
Then they precook (pre-fry) the fries, before they fry them up a second time. And they use peanut oil for frying.
Soaking the fries in water is the main difference. During the first frying, the water boils and forces steam out, forming a seal around the fries. That reduces the amount of oil absorbed during the second frying.
Final Words
The brains behind Five Guys are just as committed to the quality of their fries as they are with their burgers. That’s the long and short of it. Right from the start, the focus wasn’t just on the burgers. The spotlight has always been on both the burgers and the fries. Five Guys got the best ingredients and the best methods to make their fries, and it shows.
