TGI Fry-Day: Beef Fat Fries at Longman & Eagle

[Photograph: Joe Roy]

There's such a wealth of fried dishes in Chicago that I could probably proceed indefinitely without ever touching on spuds. But honestly, the fries at Longman & Eagle are so good, it seems like a disservice to go any further without mentioning them.

I was introduced to these fries over brunch, when I traded a breakfast house potato for a friend's fry. Ah, young love. I definitely got the better end of the deal. It was crunchy, creamy, rich, salty: everything a fry should be. Oh, and did I mention that the fries are fried in beef fat? Needless to say, the rest of breakfast was more covetous than I'd like to admit. When I saw another diner relinquish half of his at the end of the meal, I considered either a public berating or just grabbing a handful of dejected fries as the server passed by.

Though not technically offered on their own as a side, I found that a plateful could be mine by asking the server extra nicely. I have to admit that sometimes these can be tragically under salted. (That explains the little white specks all over the table in the picture.) But in the end, it was nothing that a side of mayo stirred together with Cholula couldn't remedy. And honestly, I still can't think of a better afternoon snack than a pint of Old Style paired with these fries.

Longman & Eagle

2657 N Kedzie Avenue Chicago, IL 60647 (map)
773-276-7110
longmanandeagle.com

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.