Let's Celebrate National Fry Day in Orlando & Beyond
Photo Credit: Walter Phuego, Studio 17 Creative
If you know me, you know that I have a salty spot for fries, and I’m always down to talk about them.
Crispy, crunchy, and salty attributes are requirements. My mom taught me to always send back cold fries. Always. The trick is to ask for them without salt, so that they’ll have to drop them fresh for you!
National Fry Day is on July 13, so let’s explore my hot spots in and around Orlando to get great fries because mediocre ones just don’t cut it.
Photo Credit: Walter Phuego, Studio 17 Creative
Major’s “I’ll Work Out Tomorrow” National Fry Day List
Olea Grill (Sanford, Maitland, Orlando)
Fry Profile: Crispy, crunchy, and slightly acidic
I get them without feta and add a little more salt, pepper, and fresh lemon.
I literally have to force myself to not order these fries every time my homegirl and I visit after church on Sundays.
Taverna Opa Orlando (International Drive)
Fry Profile: Dense and crunchy
Similar to Olea, these fries are super crispy and I love it. If you’re not lactose intolerant or vegan, I recommend ordering them with the feta cheese. Opa’s team flies the cheese in from Greece, so it’s kind of a big deal.
Joe’s Oats Patties (Food Truck; products can be found in Chamberlin’s Natural Foods)
Fry Profile: Crunchy, slightly soft interior, a tad sweet and salty
During a Juneteenth celebration in Eatonville, I purchased a Beyond Meat sausage with burro fries from my food buddies at the Burgers and Booch food truck, which is owned by the founders of Joe’s Oats Patties. I didn’t know what they heck burro fries were, so I asked and they told me that they are actually “burro burro” (double world for emphasis) fries — like the banana. If this sounds weird to you, just remember that you’ve likely had fried plaintains! These burro fries are cut crinkle style and seasoned with a spice blend that perfectly balances out the slightly sweet taste from the burro.
Tako Cheena (Mills 50)
Fry Profile: Crispy and flaky
Man, I love this place. I don’t go as often as I’d like, but it’s one of the few places that reminds me of the time when I started to truly love my husband. Again, this one calls for a slight modification on my end — no cheese, please.
Black Bean Deli (Colonialtown North + Winter Park)
Fry Profile: OMG — look at those things!
OK, so you could technically debate me on if fried yuca belongs in a fry piece, and I welcome the conversation. Remember the first sentence in this post? 😉
One day, I went to Black Bean Deli with my brother and I got him a side of yuca to hold him over while we waited for our food to be done at another restaurant. This was one of best food decisions I’ve ever made in my life.
First, the side order is huge - we ate and ate until we were full.
Also, the yuca is fried to perfection, the salt is just the right texture, and it’s served with fresh lime, which is what my food dreams are made.
And that’s a wrap. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m super picky about my fries. LOL This list could be a lot longer, but that wouldn’t be authentic to my taste buds, so if you have a place that you think I have to try, please comment below.
As always, thanks so much for reading and engaging with me. It means so much.
Be bold,
Major