Fry Guys Finish First

Fryguys+is+a+%E2%80%9890s+themed+french+fry+shop+located+on+the+border+of+the+East+Village+and+Lower+East+Side.+%0A

Liv Chai

Fryguys is a ‘90s themed french fry shop located on the border of the East Village and Lower East Side.

Liv Chai, Staff Writer

On a chilly Thursday evening at 5 p.m., Fry Guys is already packed. From a couple lovingly sharing fries to a lone reader wiping away the grease from their lips while flipping through pages of a romance novel, the popularity of Fry Guys is definitely not to be missed.

This is not your regular french fry joint: as soon as you enter the shop, Doge and adorable pastel cats with colorful angel wings and halos greet you on the walls to the left. The stream of disco balls reflecting against the light and the funky records lining the floor immerse you in an entirely new potato experience.

Determined to “take your french fry experience to the next level,” Fry Guys offers a whimsical selection of its speciality “Loaded Fry.” For $8, you can get a wide array of unique combos including, but not limited to, “The Day Man,” a breakfast-lover’s dream made with bacon, queso and egg; and “The Southern Guy” fries with double fried chicken and maple gravy. Its most popular combo is the “The Drunk Guy.” With guacamole, bacon bits and Fry Guys’ signature homemade queso decorating a heaping pile of crispy fries, not much can go wrong. Rather than an overwhelming concoction of haphazardly gathered ingredients, the crunch of the fries paired effortlessly with the light queso creates a dreamy mix with the cold guacamole scooped on top.

For something more personalized, the “Classic Fry” and “Fire Fry” can be the base for 16 different sauces. With sauces like “Chocolate Sea Salt” and “Curry Mayo” priced at an additional dollar, you can easily go a bit wild with your combinations. Also served is “The Frycano,” a $50 12-pound-fries tower with three types of meats and five different sauces. To quench your thirst, shakes and floats are offered as well.

Fry Guys makes consuming something as casual as fries an experience. With fun, colorful decor adorning the potato specialized joint, Fry Guys is most definitely something to try. Perhaps it’s the colder months and a craving for something hot and filling or maybe it’s just that fries are absolutely always the move to make regardless of season or level of hunger, but when a brightly lit store with disco balls hanging from the ceiling says “Fry Guys,” you are instantly drawn in and won’t be disappointed.

Located on Second Street and Avenue A, open from 12 p.m. to 4 a.m. on the weekends, Fry Guys is the place to be if you’re on the hunt for something a bit more gourmet than your regular glorious plate of fries.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Dec. 3 print edition. Email Liv Chai at [email protected].