Phantom Gourmet: Great 8 French Fries

BOSTON - Crispy, hot, and perfectly seasoned, nothing beats a great French fry. These are Phantom's picks for the eight greatest places for anybody who loves snacking on spuds.

Saus, Boston

Kicking off the Great 8 is Saus in Boston. Located just steps from Faneuil Hall, this small eatery makes some of the best fries Phantom has ever found: all hand-cut and fried up before they're presented in
a traditional Belgian cone. While the fries are fantastic on their own, they're even better dipped into some of their signatures sauces - like the ultra-garlicky Vampire Slayer or the cheesy bacon parmesan.

The Halfway Café, 6 Locations

With six locations across Massachusetts, The Halfway Cafe has a comfortable feel with wooden tables and booths, a fully stocked bar, and free popcorn. They're famous for juicy burgers, crispy pizzas and meaty wings. However, it's the hand cut, hall of fame French fries that keep Phans coming back. The perfectly cooked, skin-on sticks come with most meals - like tender steak tips and the half pound Safari Dog smothered in chili and cheese,

JW's Burger Bar, Scituate

Another Great 8 winner is JW's Burger Bar in Scituate. This casual, quirky eatery boasts a yard sale chic vibe that's part Key West cantina, part ski lodge and all incredibly colorful from floor to ceiling. The food is made from scratch, including golden brown fries that are always cut in house and served with truffle ketchup. Bodacious burgers are a half-pound of fresh-ground, perfectly seasoned, griddled beef that can be topped with everything from Stilton and caramelized onions to blue cheese, Buffalo sauce and bacon.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Dozens of Locations

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a national chain that's growing fast across New England. The dining space isn't much to look at and neither is the menu, serving hamburgers and cheeseburgers with or without bacon. No burger is complete without a side of fries. These salty sticks of deliciousness are made from real Idaho potatoes sliced all day long and fried to order so they come out hot, crispy and irresistible. The Large is enough to share and typically overflows from the container, practically filling an entire brown paper bag.

WATCH: Great 8 French Fries, Part 2

Pier Fries, Old Orchard Beach

Pier Fries in Old Orchard Beach is a seaside takeout shack famous for a crinkle-cut creation that's been made the same way for over 70 years. Each golden fry starts with a bag of potatoes that gets dumped into an industrial peeler. When all the skin is off, they're hand cut into the distinct crinkle configuration. From there, the spuds are cooked once to get the insides soft, and then cooked a second time to get the outsides nice and crunchy. They're so good; you'll want to eat the whole box.

Highland Kitchen, Somerville

Another Great 8 winner is Highland Kitchen in Somerville. This hipster hangout is totally down to earth with a hopping bar, rocking jukebox and a menu stacked with affordable comfort food. Phantom's favorites here include Rhode Island Style Calamari, the Cuban Rueben layered with roasted pork, and the terrific Highland Cheeseburger served with perfectly cooked French fries. These satisfying spuds can also be ordered on their own for $3, or doused with chili and cheese for just $5.

Raising Cane's, Boston

Located next to BU's Agganis Arena, Raising Cane's is a popular fast food spot focused on serving the perfect chicken finger. The menu is short and simple, with only five items. There are chicken fingers, Texas toast, coleslaw, Cane's sauce and fries. Their long, thin crinkle cuts are soft on the inside and always extra crispy.

UBurger, 5 Locations

Rounding off the Great 8 is UBurger. This mini fast food chain with five Boston locations stands out for their made-from-scratch, made to order menu. There are crispy onion rings, creamy shakes, West Coast style griddled burgers and absolutely no heat lamps allowed.
UBurger's shoestring fries are done the right way: hand cut, blanched, double fried gorgeously golden and portioned generously.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.

MORE FROM PHANTOM GOURMET