Some things are just meant to be together – peanut butter and jelly, corned beef and cabbage, Ross and Rachel.
And, of course, burgers and fries.
While the meat and bread of the burger provide the bulk of the filling portion of the meal, the fries are the conduit that makes everything work. You can be sure that if somebody is selling a burger, you can get fries with that, too.
Here’s a little sampling of some of the more intriguing options for potato (or sometimes onion) sides at burger eateries across Concord.
Vibes Gourmet Burgers
Since Vibes takes burgers to another level, it should be no surprise that they do the same with fries.
If you want something standard, you can get all-natural fries (regular ones), sweet potato fries or fresh chips. If you want to step out of the box a little, you can opt for the poutine (fries with mozzarella cheese curds and demi-glace), bacon cheddar fries, Stadium Fries (cheddar cheese sauce, roasted peppers, corn and black bean salsa, pickled jalapenos) or pulled pork fries, served with melted smoked gouda cheese and barbecue sauce.
b.good
b.good also takes a fancier approach to its burgers and fries than most. The new restaurant on Fort Eddy Road offers traditional and sweet potato fries, but the way they’re made is what makes them special.
“We house-cut our fries, then we fry them for a minute and a half and then we oven finish them,” said assistant general manager Bryce Milligan. This process reduces calorie intake, reduces grease and gives the fries a different flavor profile, he said.
Common Man
At the Common Man, it’s all about having “uncommon” offerings.
For “regular” fries, the C-Man does thick-cut steak fries. There are also sweet potato fries – both very popular, according to one manager – which are served with a side of maple syrup for dipping.
The real treat, though, is the truffled Parmesan tater tots. These aren’t your fourth-grade school lunch tots. These are drizzled with truffle oil (very fancy) and topped with grated Parmesan, making for a very savory little snack.
Makris Lobster & Steak House
Makris is more of a seafood place than a burger joint, but as luck would have it, both of those things are perfect matches for fries.
You can get regular French fries or sweet potato fries with your burger and lobster (yes, you should get both at one sitting), but you really ought to try the hand-cut and battered onion rings.
The rings have been around in the same form for quite some time – it’s an old family recipe. “If your last name isn’t Makris, you don’t get the recipe,” said chef David Fraser.
Fast food joints
Last but not least, we must not forget our franchised friends known as McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King. These places make millions off their fries every year, and they’re all pretty different.
We all know McDonald’s is the unofficial king of fries, but don’t sleep on Wendy’s – those natural-cut, sea-salted bad boys are no joke. When it comes to BK, they just don’t stand up to the other two, but on the upside, you are pretty likely to find a stray onion ring or chicken fry in there.
