Blake's on Telegraph in Berkeley, CA Part 2

This is Part 2 of the Blakes on Telegraph Fry Review. This is for the Spicy Fries, which, by the way, I ordered with an absolutely delicious spicy black bean burger.

Back to the fries: They were very crispy on the outside, and unfortunately, since they were sliced so darn thin, very crispy on the inside as well. I was very quick to note the lack of texture difference between the outside and the inside of the fry, and was not amused. However, a good bar snack with a drink, and I felt they were well salted.

Price:$2.60

Portion Size: Medium

Texture: Really crispy and crunchy on outside,

really crispy and crunchy on the inside!

Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (slightly greasy)

Seasoning: Pretty well seasoned with salt

Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil

Condiments: (not sure if these too come with a side of Ranch Dressing if ordered alone (see previous post) Choose your own: ketchup, mustard, pepper, salt

Overall Quality of French Fries: 6 out of 10

Blake's on Telegraph in Berkeley, CA Part 1

I made a very unexpected fry stop with friends last Friday, and Blakes on Telegraph was the stop (sadly, their logo reminds me of the Eva Joia Club from the 80s).

Fries of the Sweet Potato variety were the first to be investigated (these were stolen off of various friends' plates). They were pretty good for bar grub, but very underseasoned, and the innards were a bit mushier than I prefer. When ordered alone, they come with ranch dressing. The ranch dressing is nothing to write home about, but it's a nice added touch. The Sweet Potato Fries from Blakes get an okay grade from me!

Price:$2.60

Portion Size: Medium

Texture: Crispy on outside, maybe a wee tad too mushy, but overall,

cooked well

Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (slightly greasy)

Seasoning: Very underseasoned

Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil

Condiments: When ordered alone, comes with a side of (possibly store-bought) quite bland ranch dressing; you can also...

Choose your own condiments, ketchup, mustard, pepper, salt

Overall Quality of French Fries: 7 out of 10

Trueburger in Oakland, CA

For all the hype about their hamburgers, the same cannot be said for Trueburger's 'Shroom Burger (as described by the menu, "Crispy portobello mushroom stuffed with smoked mozzarella cheese"). But this is not a burger review site so I will move on (but wait! I want to say that the mushroom burger was fried in overwhelming breadcrumbs or something and tasted like a bland mix of fried breadcrumbs and more fried breadcrumbs!).

Thankfully, however, the fries were pretty good. Well seasoned and a nice crispness to them. Not the best fries I've had, but pretty darn good. Trueburger also has a nice condiments bar where you can add onions, etc. Admittedly, I did not investigate the extra condiments enough, but you could add them to your fries if you really wanted to.

Price:$2.50

Portion Size: Medium

Texture: Crispy on outside, soft inside

Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (slightly greasy)

Seasoning: Well seasoned

Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil

Condiments: Choose your own condiments, ketchup, mustard, pepper, salt

Overall Quality of French Fries: 7 out of 10

Sparky's Giant Burgers in Oakland, CA

The Team took a fun trip to Sparky's Giant Burgers, up in the Oakland Hills. You literally feel like you're in a small mountain town. I had my fries with a fish sandwich, which seem pretty hard to find around these parts. The sandwich didn't do much for me, but the fries were pretty darn tasty!

I should point out that these were the first fries I'd tasted since becoming a victim of salmonella poisoning, so I'm not sure if that perhaps skewed my opinion of Sparky's fries. That being said, I did very much enjoy these fries. They had an unusual chewiness to them that I found very satisfying. I know that sounds gross, but I think it's the way they cook them (and hopefully not that they were old!). As the menu states, the fries are "sliced daily," and for 2 bucks and some change they are worth the trip up the hill.

Price:$2.35

Portion Size: Medium

Texture: Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. Overall wonderful chewiness to them.

Greasiness Level: 3 out of 5 (slightly greasy)

Seasoning: A bit underseasoned

Fried in: Some sort of vegetable oil

Condiments: Choose your own condiments, ketchup, mustard, pepper, salt, hot sauce

Overall Quality of French Fries: 8 out of 10