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The looks of these fries (from Consume Gastropub) don’t match the taste. The salty, deep flavor of these is one to be remembered, which makes them the best fries in Lake Zurich.

A warm, crispy fry appears in your dreams, and snap, that delicious snack disappears. All of the sudden it’s time to spend seven hours sitting at a desk, and I, like many other students, crave that fry that was so cruelly taken away from me. Obviously that craving takes precedence over all other priorities, so I hop on over to the restaurants closest to me.

With tons of restaurants just a few minutes away from the high school, there are a lot of options to choose from for a quick bite.  Bear Facts gave three restaurants based on local recommendation a shot at the title of best fries in Lake Zurich. After ordering basic french fries at all of the restaurants, I decided that the best overall was Consume Gastropub, with Bellalukes coming in second, and Culver’s in third.

Consume Gastropub

I immediately walked into a welcoming but more upscale restaurant, with an enormous bar being the primary feature of the room. After sitting down, a nice pile of crispy, golden fries sat in front of me, along with ketchup served in an eclectic top hat cup.

After I took the first bite I could taste a deep, smoky flavor that was wonderfully unique. There was also a good amount of seasoning on them, which made for a better flavor. Unlike other restaurants, the fries still had some potato skins on them, which made the dish feel more rustic and authentic.

According to the website, http://www.consumelz.com/, Consume says they care a great deal about the ingredients they use.

“Our food is sourced for the purest and freshest taste possible. When it comes down to it, our mission is to provide great food and drinks in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere,” the website said.

I found that statement to be true overall, but there was a downside to these fries: the price, an expensive $6. Even though there were a good amount of fries there, I would not say the price is justified. With that said, I suggest coming here for a nice long conversation, the atmosphere is quite enjoyable, and the fries are definitely deserving of the title: “Best Fries in Lake Zurich”. Consume is located at 569 W State Rte 22 and is usually open from 11am until midnight.

I give consume 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Bellalukes

The fries came in a huge paper bag and filled it right up, and the product in general needed more color, and were very thin and long. They were reminiscent of the shoestring fries you get from Steak and Shake. Like at Culver’s, the fries were quite uniform in color and size.

One thing I noticed as I bit into the first fry was that they were not overly greasy. There was more salt than at Culver’s, but the fries were still lacking in flavor. They were stringy and tender, and did not make much of a crunch when I bit into them. I personally like a more crispy, golden brown fry, and these did not satisfy that desire. This could have been linked to the lack of warmth when they were served, I could tell the fries were sitting a while.

One student, Tiffany Pham, sophomore, agreed that Bellalukes fries could have a better texture.

“Bellalukes fries are less crispy than Culver’s and could have more of a crunch, but the seasoning is really well distributed so the taste is even throughout,” Pham said. “Another good thing is that they offer more fries for a small size than Culver’s does.”

As aforementioned, the fries came in a huge portion size, which was well worth the price of $1.99. The portion would be too large to eat with a burger or sandwich, but if you’re just looking for a cheap snack, this is the place to go. Bellalukes is located at 193 S Rand Rd, and is open from 10:30am-9pm on most days.

           I give Bellalukes 4 out of 5 stars.

Culver’s

One noticeable aspect of Culver’s is the fast service, they had just made a fresh batch of fries, and gave them to me immediately after paying. The fries came in an iconic paper package and on a basic blue tray. Before I took a bite, I noticed that most of the fries were uniform in their color and lack of potato skin. Along with this, they came hot with a golden brown color in a crinkle cut shape.

As I took my first bite, I noticed that there was a warm, tender inside. The flavor of the potato really came through, but the fries could have been seasoned better. None of the fries were excessively greasy, but they all had a comforting buttery taste. However, according to https://www.culvers.com, the fries contain “Dextrin, Salt, Leavening (Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Dextrose, Xanthan Gum.” Unfortunately, you will get these unnatural ingredients at chain restaurants.

A student who has been to the restaurant, Ashley Tran, sophomore, says that her experiences with Culver’s fries have not been pleasant, and expanded on their lack of seasoning.

“They’re all fat and smooshy, they aren’t salted enough, maybe I just have a thing for high sodium, but they’re kind of gross. They don’t taste like anything, I mean I’ll eat them, because they’re fries, but salt gives it taste or else they just taste like mush,” Tran said. “It’s like if you were to eat mashed potatoes and they were just mashed potatoes. Potatoes don’t taste like anything on their own, you have to do something with them.”

Along with their bland flavor, the pricing was disappointing as well. A small fry was $2.35 with tax, which was a little expensive for the serving size. Culvers is located at 645 North Rand Road, and is open from 10am-10pm.

I give Culvers 3.4 out of 5 stars