• Crispiness9
• Saltiness9
• Bang for your buck9 ($7)

Wurstküche opened in 2008, and you can feel it—not in a dated way, but in that “Obama hope era” way, back when the Arts District was still raw and finding parking around Traction Avenue wasn't as vicious. It's hard to imagine a more perfect fry.

Every corner is crispy, the inside feels like a cloud, and there are a variety of dipping sauces to choose from. It is the only fry we completely finished on the day we did this crawl, which tells you everything.

“We brine the fries for 24 hours, remove the starchiness and make them crispier when we do our double frying process,” the manager tells L.A. TACO.

800 E. 3rd St. Los Angeles CA 90013

• Crispiness9
• Saltiness9
• Bang for your buck5 ($14)

"They're controversial, people either love them or totally hate them," the waiter at Clark’s warns. I instantly leaned more toward the love side. There's a dedicated fryer just for these—hand-tossed in rosemary, garlic, and a little salt. The fries themselves are the grown-up, skinny, Ozempic-era version of the canned shoestring fries everyone grew up on—she looks like a woman from Malibu, and, respectfully, she is.

The room has an almost-diner energy: deep maroon leather bar seats with gold plating, distressed green leather two-top booths, and a complimentary house-made sourdough with radish and flaky salt, which is a genuinely delicate touch. Everyone who works here looks like the most gorgeous person you’ve ever met.

23465 Civic Center Way, Ste. 210, Malibu, CA 90265

• Crispiness8
• Saltiness9
• Bang for your buck8 ($3 for plain, Amboy fries $10)

Amboy is where the older brothers of the teenagers that are at Howlin’ Ray’s are eating while their sibling is still waiting in line. The standard fries come in a shoestring style, giving McDonald’s vibes, seasoned the way they were in the 90s before people started suing them for making people overweight.

The standard fries size comes in the basket, which is a huge serving that could easily be split between two people, maybe even three. When sauced up, its McDonald's-style fries are done similarly to the In-N-Out way—American nacho cheese mixed with Thousand Island, caramelized onions, chopped chilis for vinegar heat. A real L.A. baby.

727 N. Broadway #117 Los Angeles, CA 90012

There will always be teenage boys in the world, and because of that, Howlin’ Ray’s will always be busy with people being silly with each other over spiciness levels, especially in summer. Crinkle-cut, Del Taco-style, which sounds like a diss, but I swear it’s not. The seasoning runs throughout, the crunch is great without being too oily, and at $7 the portion could easily feed two people.

Realistically, no one is ever just ordering fries here—the cashier clocked me immediately, gave me a long "for sureeee…" and looked at me like I was the first person to have ever done that. You can tell they season the fries to match the energy of the chicken sandwich, so they are on the sweeter side to balance the spicy vinegar of the hot chicken.

727 N. Broadway #128 Los Angeles, CA 90012

• Crispiness8
• Saltiness9
• Bang for your buck7 ($8)

Max and Helen’s is a hot topic. The owners, Nancy Silverton and Phil Rosenthal, are known for their impressive taste, and it shows in every corner of Max and Helen’s. The French fries are battered straight-cut Thunder Crunch fries from Lamb Weston.

The salt levels are completely where they need to be, and the crunch is throughout. They are cooked in beef tallow, and this fry makes you wish you were at a bowling alley eating them. The vibe is “1950s country diner with a twist.” Dark wood lines the walls, and a checkered wallpaper covers the bar area. It feels comforting inside, as if they want you to stay a while.

127 N. Larchmont Blvd. Los Angeles CA, 90004

• Crispiness8
• Saltiness10
• Bang for your buck6 ($12, $7 during happy hour)

At Electric Bleu there was already a line out the door by 5 p.m., and the host letting people in had his face painted in the colors of the French flag, so know what you're walking into. A baby came through in a little blue French jersey at one point, and the whole room lost it—this restaurant is not playing about France.

Chef Craig Hopson is doing California-kissed French bistro food, and the fries prove it: chicken salt, complimentary pickles, served hot in an unassuming little silver bowl and smelling like a top ramen packet (not derogatory). They don't look like they'll deliver much crunch, but they do, crackling outside, soft inside, and the seasoning is beloved enough that they are working on selling little jars of it on the side.

The trick is a two-day process: steamed, fried, frozen, then deep-fried again. The chef shared that the inspiration behind the dish is Red Rooster, a chain restaurant in Australia he grew up going to.

3523 S. Centinela Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90066

• Crispiness7.5
• Saltiness8
• Bang for your buck5 ($14)

Service at Matū is 10/10—I grabbed a seat at the bar with no wait, and the bartender walked me through the whole process from start to finish. The vibe is Beverly Hills through and through: the Beatles on the speakers, a bar full of solo dads in polos eating cheesesteaks before heading home.

The bartender's recommendation is a side of Japanese Caesar dressing for dipping the fries, and it genuinely elevates the whole experience. These are grass-fed wagyu tallow fries: deeply savory, shatteringly crisp, and finished with chopped parsley, so you can pretend you're not eating a bowl of beef-fat-soaked potatoes.

If you want similar quality without paying the Beverly Hills bucks, check out HiHo Cheeseburger, Matū’s sister restaurant. They are serving the same fries, just without the grass-fed aspect at their more casual spot.

239 S. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90212

• Crispiness8
• Saltiness8
• Bang for your buck7 ($5)

When you think of Mian, you might not think to order the fries, but they may be the best-kept secret on the menu. The Chengdu fries are a flavor punch: your mouth will go completely numb from the Sichuan peppercorn and chili spices.

Somehow your brain keeps telling you to go for more. Paired with one of their hot noodle soups, it's a combo you have to try, running you only $5 more.

301 W. Valley Blvd. #114-115 San Gabriel, CA 91776

• Crispiness6
• Saltiness7
• Bang for your buck1 ($49 for the steak frites)

Dunsmoor takes extra steps. Everyone knows Dunsmoor is that girl you thought she was, and she is. Their duck fat fries are a Yukon gold treasure: thick, wedge-style, clearly made in-house, with no frozen bag in sight. They come with steak frites, a rich dipping sauce, and lightly dusted herbs for a bite of freshness.

You cannot get the fries à la carte, so commit to the full order. You can do this at the back bar with no reservation required—just show up and try your luck. It is worth it.

3501 N. Eagle Rock Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90065

• Crispiness7
• Saltiness7
• Bang for your buck8 ($7 for large for the table, $4 for a side serving)

Belle's has grown up before our very eyes, from a window just serving bagels to a full-blown delicatessen putting out a variety of salty, considered bites and fun drinks like the notorious pickle martini.

They offer a choice between thick and thin fries, which means no one has any room to complain. The fry menu at Belle's exists because co-owners JD and his business partner couldn't agree on which style was better.

Instead of fighting about it forever, they put both on the menu. If you want something loaded, get the Burbank Frites: thick fries stacked with RC Provisions pastrami, served only at dinner.

5022 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042

• Crispiness7
• Saltiness7
• Bang for your buck7 ($5.50)

The OiNKSTER has survived wave after wave of trendy burger spots opening around it, which is usually a sign that you're doing something right. The fries are what In-N-Out fries wish they could be: hand-cut in-house, double-fried, actually crispy and way faster.

They still have that fresh potato flavor, but with enough crunch to keep you coming back for another handful. They come with a Belgian-style garlic aioli that is delicious enough to ruin any plans you had for talking to another human being afterward.

2005 Colorado Blvd. Eagle Rock, CA 90041

• Crispiness2
• Saltiness7
• Bang for your buck6 ($12)

The vibes at Dino’s are impeccable, and part of that comes from the immense aura of menu items like the 323 fries: chili, cheese, red chicken with sauce, all together in a bucket. The crispiness score is low but do not let that fool you—this is a textural dream. Crunch from the chicken tenders, juice from the breast and sauce, chili and cheese molded together into something you couldn’t replicate at home. The fries are thicker cut, the perfect size to maintain its structure covered in sauce, salted well to balance the rest of the flavors happening in the dish.

The staff brought water and food out to a street cat and asked us to take a picture of them since they saw us taking pictures of the fries. Tomato plants grow outside. Families and electrical workers on lunch break fill the outside patio. If you are feeling like times are hard, hit up the recession menu, this neighborhood spot wants to make sure everyone can eat.

2817 N. Main St. Los Angeles. CA 90031

• Crispiness9
• Saltiness8
• Bang for your buck5 ($10)

Komal's famous Taco de Costilla is a seared beef taco with crispy potatoes, caramelized onions, cilantro, and fresh tomatillo salsa. If there were ever a taco made for an L.A. summer afternoon, this is it.

When you get to the gates of heaven they’ll open, and you’ll realize it was the Mercado La Paloma the entire time.

3655 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90007

• Crispiness6
• Saltiness7
• Bang for your buck4 ($8.95)

The Original Saugus Cafe is the oldest restaurant in L.A. County, first opened in 1886, in the Santa Clarita Valley of all places. How a restaurant as iconic as this was placed in such a vibeless spot is beyond me, but Saugus Cafe is worth the drive.

The fries are beautifully salted, crunchy, and have a standard skin-on cut. The restaurant is under new management, and you can tell the staff is paying great attention to each order. It’s perfect diner food, done easily and non-pretentiously.

25861 Railroad Ave. Santa Clarita, CA 91350

• Crispiness8
• Saltiness8
• Bang for your buck8 ($8)

Bar Etoile is a little piece of Paris dropped onto Western Avenue, and the vibe is sexy. The server's recommendation was the fries with the beef tartar, and once you order it that way you understand why they push it.

The fries themselves are classic shoestring. They're just done well and simple. The garlic aioli on the side is exactly as simple and exactly as good as it needs to be.

632 N. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90004

• Crispiness8
• Saltiness5
• Bang for your buck2 ($10)

Escala is Colombian-Korean fusion in the heart of K-Town with open-air windows, a full bar, and a signed Biz Markie photo you have to pay your respects to.

The yuca fries here are made from the root of the cassava plant which entails a thicker skin, more chew with a creamy interior, and a crispiness that hits differently than a standard potato fry. Salt and peppered with a slight sweetness, these fries are a beloved element of this already superb summer spot.

3451 W. 6th St. Los Angeles. CA 90020

• Crispiness7
• Saltiness4
• Bang for your buck8 ($3.50)

Jim’s is a classic dive: At $3.50, this is the best bang for your buck on the list. The cut is thicker and the salt is low, but the little yellow peppers on the side add enough tang to make up for it.

The vibe is double vintage, reminiscent of the 80s/90s doing the 50s: old signs and big baby blue booths. There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and the staff is friendly and sweet. It’s a classic for a reason. It's perfect for sopping up every bit of beer you drank too much of while catching your favorite Oi! band or touring hardcore band from Japan.

1901 1st St. Los Angeles. CA 90033