Top Spots For French Fries In Philadelphia
Continental Midtown
1801 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 567-1800
www.continentalmidtown.com
Lunch Hours: Mon to Fri - 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Dinner Hours: Sun to Wed - 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Thurs to Sat 0 5 p.m. to Noon
Brunch Hours: Sat to Sun - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Continental Midtown's mile-high pile of shoestring fries is a favorite all across the city, especially when drizzled with spicy mustard sauce ($8.) This uber-cool Rittenhouse Square restaurant boasts a rooftop bar and fun, modern decor. A perfect match for the outstanding fries is one of the dozens of creative cocktails like the Astronaut, which is made with peach vodka and Tang; or a Mid-Town Mocha, a sumptuous mixture of double espresso vodka and chocolate milk.
Monks Café
264 S 16th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 545-7005
www.monkscafe.com
Hours: Daily 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Fans of this Belgian Gastropub rave about its food and huge beer selection. But don't call them fries; Monk's Pommes Frites are cut fresh from locally grown potatoes (when possible) and double fried ($4.50). Forget the ketchup, too--the Bourbon Mayonnaise is spot on. And if you need something extra to go with those frites, Monks has six different styles of mussels priced at a reasonable $10 for a small bowl and $20 for a large. One favorite style is Ghent, made with Saison Dupont (one of its over 250 different bottled beers), fumé, parsley, caramelized leeks, bacon, bleu cheese and garlic.
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Ishkabibble's Eatery
337 South St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 923-4337
www.philacheesesteak.com
Hours: Mon to Thurs - 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri to Sat - 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Ishkabibble's has been a South Street staple since 1979. People flock to the window for the cheesesteaks and burgers, but it's the fries that keep them coming back for more. There are regular fries, pizza fries, three different kinds of cheese fries (American, provolone and mozzarella), Spanish fries (fries, hot peppers and onions), and sweet potato fries ($3.25 - $6). And while you're there, you absolutely must get the Gremlin, a weirdly delicious signature beverage made with lemonade and grape juice.
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Sketch
413 E. Girard Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 634-3466
www.sketch-burger.com
Hours: Mon to Sun -11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Fans of this Fishtown eatery can't get enough of the burgers and fries. Luckily, there are many different burger choices (Truffle Butter Burger, Vegan Bean Burger, Cyclops.) The hand cut Belgian-style fries are always hot and fresh, with a variety of dipping sauces: Harissa Aioli, Chipotle, Wasabi, Green Goddess (vegan) Hot Mustard, BBQ (vegan) and Tahini (vegan). Surprisingly, these tasty spuds are super affordable at $2 for a small and $3.50 for a large. Make sure you bring your creativity; at Sketch, guests are encouraged to create drawings which they then pin up all over the place.
Varga Bar
941 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 627-5200
www.vargabar.com
Hours: Mon - 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Tues to Sun -11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Amongst all the pictures of gorgeous pin-up girls at Varga Bar in Washington Square, you're bound to see a bunch of people seriously tucking in to their Jumbo Lump Cheese Fries; a pile of French Fries mounded with jumbo lump crab meat, white cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and flavorful truffle oil ($8). If you need to wash down those delicious fries with something, Varga Bar also has great cocktail specials. A couple of standouts are the Miss October - Doc Pepper, made with cherry vodka, amaretto and Victory root beer, and the Miss June, with whiskey, club soda and fresh lime juice.
