A Frying Shame: Disappointment at #GetFried
French fries-only restaurant plays ketchup with the competitionPerla Luna The Santa Clara April 26, 2018
Fries are difficult to mess up. But #GetFried—a cafe based exclusively on serving tons and tons of fries in every style (and with every sauce) you can imagine—certainly manages to fumble it. Having opened its doors in January, the #GetFried Fry Cafe bills itself as America’s answer to Canada’s famous poutine shops and Amsterdam’s fry cafes.When I first heard about this place, I had my share of concerns. I love fries as much as the next gal, but eating just a plate of fries for dinner didn’t scream “appetizing” to me. “Heart attack” felt more accurate.Still, my interest was piqued and, walking in to its hole-in-the-wall location, I was ready to convert.Wood paneling adorns the inside of the cafe and extends to their patio, a nice little nook with yellow stools and a flat screen TV for watching the game. The staff was friendly and, with only a few customers inside, the wait time was quick.For my tasting, I tried four of their most popular topped fry baskets: Oh’ Canada, Rocky Balboa, Avocado Explosion and Sweet Tooth. The type of fry each basket comes with is up to you, giving the customer more choice and more risk.Oh’ Canada is the cafe’s poutine dish, clearly inspired by its north-of-the-border cousins.Their waffle fries were perfectly seasoned and were, by far, the most well-executed style of fries out of the ones I tried. The rubbery milkiness of the mozzarella cheese curds, meanwhile, didn’t compliment the saltiness of the gravy particularly well. My taste buds couldn’t get a hold on the flavor, and I opted instead to dig out the waffle fries to eat on their own.The Rocky Balboa, their take on philly cheese steaks, was the weakest of the bunch. I was expecting creamy goodness to inspire the eye of the tiger in me, but alas the fun name is the biggest draw here. In a bed of straight-cut fries, the meal is topped with sirloin (not tender enough), sweet peppers (barely any) and melted nacho cheese (plasticy).The standouts were by far the savory Avocado Explosion and the Sweet Tooth.The former is any avocado lover’s dream, paired with plenty of (some would say too much) chicken, cilantro, bacon and tangy cheese sauce/avocado aioli combo. It’s like if a street taco had a baby with the In-N-Out animal fries.Served with powdered sugar, a scoop of ice cream and chocolate sauce, the Sweet Tooth was a trip down memory lane with each bite. Its crisp “funnel fries” were deep-fried decadence and overall make a perfect, summertime snack. Appropriate, considering its location right down the street from Great America.With a choice of medium or large sizes, each individual basket will run you about $7, a reasonable price considering all the toppings included.Their finger foods section—pizza logs, buffalo crunch rolls, crispy chicken fingers—is a bit pricier but you can always go dutch for $5. You’ll snag a fry style of your choice and a sauce, including chipotle mayo, basil pesto mayo, garlic lemon aioli or roasted pepper.By the end of my fry feast, none of my hesitations were really eased. Their house fries weren’t all that special and the baskets felt more food truck than gourmet. The sports bar vibe they’re going for might work for some once the shop gets more settled in, but that someone isn’t me. I guess I’m just not ready to #GetFried.Contact Perla Luna at pluna@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.