French fries are the perfect food in so many ways: deep-fried, salty, and full of carbs. They're great on their own, but just like burgers they also serve as a blank canvas for creative toppings. Here are outrageous french fry toppings we found by scouring reviews and rankings by expert food writers and countless hungry customers that go way beyond a squirt of ketchup.
New York
The guys at 375 Fries cook their spuds three times to get them fluffy on the inside and extra crispy. There are three types of loaded fries on the menu, including a Ludlow version. It's cheddar sauce, bacon, Sriracha mayo, chipotle mayo, jalepenos, and fried onions.
Los Angeles
Fat Sal's, a deli known for its giant sandwiches and over-the-top milkshakes, also offers some crazy french fry creations. Bacon cheeseburger fries are topped with chopped bacon and hamburger patties, two kinds of cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and creamy fat sauce.
Related: These 17 Gut-Busting Cheeseburgers Have More Than 1,000 Calories
Houston
The Vietnamese fries at Boheme come with hoisin, sriracha, garlic mayo, cilantro, and peanuts on top. For a few bucks more, you can upgrade them to Bangkok style, which adds smoked pork shoulder, yellow curry mayo, and crushed sesame sticks.
Long Beach, Washington
Pickled Fish serves up an appetizer called dirty dirty fries, because one "dirty" just wasn't enough. Fried pork belly lies atop these fries, along with garlic, pepperoncini peppers, goat cheese, and truffled ketchup.
Chicago
Au Cheval has become famous for its burgers (it has also opened a restaurant in New York City), but it has other classics on its menu, such as a prime rib sandwich and fried chicken. Its crispy fries with mornay sauce, garlic aioli, and a fried farm egg are a reason to stop in, too.
San Diego
Carne asada fries are a delicious West Coast specialty, but La Puerta in San Diego goes one step further and adds seafood to the mix. Surf 'n turf fries come with the standard carne asada fries toppings of steak, cheese, grilled onions and peppers, guacamole, and pico de gallo, plus the additions of shrimp and spicy chipotle crema.
New Orleans
You may have heard of debris fries, which come with the roast beef and gravy used in po' boy sandwiches. Bruno's Tavern has a version that's Creole-seasoned waffle fries topped with roast beef and broiled jack and cheddar cheese, and drizzled with a horseradish cream sauce.
Related: 40 Mouthwatering Roast Beef Sandwiches Across America
Philadelphia
Seafood fans will love the Olde Bar fries at their namesake oyster bar. A plate of fries is topped with lump crab meat, decadent lobster butter, and a cheddar fondue made with stout.
Milwaukee
A bar and restaurant that specializes in homemade sausages of all kinds loads fries with an equally ambitious list of ingredients. At Vanguard, you can get poutine with sauced chicken bits (or tofu), red hot gravy, bleu cheese dressing, and house pickled celery.
Chicago
Korean restaurant Del Seoul has a fusion menu of Korean barbecue tacos, sandwiches, and bento boxes, so french fries fit right in. Big enough for sharing, the kimchi fries come with sauteed onions, pork belly, and kimchi, along with melted cheddar and jack cheese, scallions, and sour cream.
Upland, California
There's a '50s diner-style joint in Southern California serving up french fries by the plateful. Legends Burgers takes classic chili cheese fries and goes one step further: They add handfuls of thinly sliced pastrami. (Don't be confused when you don't see it on the menu. The pastrami comes as part of Legends' "Classic Chili Cheese Fries.") Order the large and it's enough for four people to share.
New York
If you're one of the very few people in the world who has wondered what s'mores and french fries taste like together, then head to Sticky's Finger Joint in the Big Apple. They're made exactly how you'd expect: topped with chocolate sauce, marshmallow sauce, and graham cracker crumbs. They're just as sticky as you can imagine.
Chicago
Chicago Italian beef sandwiches are a Midwest classic dripping with beef au jus. At local chain Al's, there's also something called gypsy fries. Order it and you'll get all the components of an Italian beef, just on fries instead of bread, as the potatoes really soak up that beef gravy.
Related: You Have to Try These Famous Sandwiches in Every State
Anaheim, California
Get a little taste of Hawaii on french fries at The Kroft. The traditional Hawaiian plate of loco moco is transported on top of fries, including a beef and pork blend meatloaf, fried egg, brown gravy, fried onions, cheese curds, and a ketchup glaze.
Charleston, South Carolina
The Darling Oyster Bar is combining two American favorites into one big plate of creamy goodness. Stop in for brunch and you can order french fries that come swimming in a pool of clam chowder. There's also crispy bacon, because it makes everything better.
Related: Best Brunch in Every State
Portland, Oregon
French fry spot Potato Champion serves up a number of unique fry creations. The PB&J variety comes covered with peanut-based satay sauce and chipotle raspberry jam for a sweet, salty, and spicy combination. They serve until early in the morning, when this dish is probably pretty popular.
Denver
Named for owner-chef Troy Guard’s pet bulldog, Tag Burger Bar puts an emphasis on local ingredients. Along with over-the-top bison burgers, diners can enjoy Tag Spice Fries and Truffle Aioli and Parmesan Fries.
San Francisco
Pan-Asian restaurant Namu Stonepot offers a version of loaded fries it claims to be be "The O.G. dressed up fries" in the area, starting with organic shoestring potato and adding flavors from Korea: Kewpie mayo, teriyaki, gochujang chile paste, and kimchi relish. Get them with bulgogi beef.
Santa Ana, California
A Latin Asian fusion restaurant called Dos Chinos has a massive dish of fries that's custom-made for filling up anyone who's super hungry. The Lifted Fries are garlic shoestring fries covered with asada, bolsa-roasted pork, chorizo-fried rice, fried egg, cheddar cheese, avo cream, southeast Asian salsa verde, onions, and cilantro.
Dallas
On the late night menu at Ten Bells Tavern, thick-cut fries are served in a cast-iron skillet. They come complete with shredded braised beef short ribs, a rich cheesy mornay sauce, spicy beef gravy, and scallions.
Related: Bucket List Barbecue in Every State
Los Angeles
An Indian-inspired poutine has been gaining attention in L.A. At Badmaash, grab a chicken tikka poutine made with masala-spiced fries topped with cheese curds, beef gravy, tandoori chicken tikka, and cilantro. It's the Indian french fry mashup you never knew you needed.
