How do you make perfect, crisp and fluffy fries even better? Load them up with lots of other delicious ingredients, that’s how. It seems the only limit is the chef’s imagination when it comes to loaded fries, with creations across the US ranging from good old chili and cheese and the classic Canadian indulgence, poutine, to chipped potatoes piled high with pulled pork, lobster, kimchi, or even chocolate. Read on for the best and most mouth-watering loaded fries in every state.

Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.

All the fries served at Carrigan’s two Birmingham locations are deliciously crisp and fluffy. But the loaded fries, buried under house-made chili, queso, ranch sauce, and fresh jalapeños, are something else. Customers recommend getting a portion with one of the well-made cocktails, or just as a late-night snack. You can even order them with a corndog on top for the ultimate experience (pictured).

The short rib braised poutine at Tent City Taphouse in downtown Anchorage is the perfect starter to share, or it can be eaten as a meal in itself. This gastropub makes its fries with duck fat and tops them with tender short rib beef, cheese curds, and thick, rich gravy. You’ll find it hard to part with a single fry, curd, or splosh of gravy once you start tucking into this heap of deliciousness.

The house loaded fries at this hamburger restaurant are described like 'a Big Mac on steroids' – waffle fries with crumbled beefburger, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, red onion, and melted American-style cheese. Tempe’s 5th Street Burger & Fries serves several varieties of topped fries, including maple chicken – with breaded chicken tenders and maple aioli – and others smothered in cheese sauce and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

This isn’t the craziest, or even the dirtiest, option on Parkside Public’s dirty fries menu, but sometimes you just can’t beat a classic. The debris fries – a take on poutine – are a winning combination of crisp fries with roast beef gravy and Monterey Jack cheese. Other options on the menu include chili cheese fries and the loaded Parkside fries, which are topped with bacon, Cheddar, jalapeños, and sour cream.

Whatever you order at La Puerta, make sure to allow some room for a portion of the incredible carne asada fries. People seek out this relaxed Mexican restaurant just to order this dish of crisp fries piled high with tender arrachera or skirt steak, Cotija (an aged Mexican cheese), grilled onions, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo (Mexican salsa), and cilantro. You can go even further with a surf ’n’ turf version adding sautéed shrimp.

The queso fries at 5280 Burger Bar come in a boat and they’re smothered in so much delicious sauce, they could conceivably float. The skin-on fries are cut and freshly made in-house and are topped with green chili queso sauce, pico de gallo, and extra cheese. Other mouth-watering loaded options include pork green chili, bacon pieces, truffle, and Parmesan, as well as the Frito pie fries with red chili, shredded Cheddar, and Fritos (what else?). The small chain has locations in downtown Denver, Lakewood, and Westminster, as well as an outpost in Austin, Texas.

Jefferson Fry Co. doesn’t just have one loaded fries option on its menu – it has 16 of them. You can order your fries ‘naked’ at this Connecticut mini chain – with locations in Canton, Cromwell, Hartford, Vernon, and Storrs – but it’s the dirty fries customers really love. There are flavor combinations from Greek to taco, but the fusion fries are a fan favorite. They’re topped with grilled chicken, sriracha, hoisin sauce, garlic aioli, crushed peanuts, and cilantro, and are truly mind-blowing.

If you’re going to order loaded fries by the coast then it’s only right they come topped with juicy crab meat. The crabby fries at Matt’s Fish Camp are loaded with freshly caught crab in a cheese fondue sauce laced with Old Bay seasoning. Customers rave about all of the delicious seafood served here, but these fries have a special place in their hearts (and bellies).

From chopped frankfurters to chili, you can take your choice of toppings when you order loaded fries from Rock That Burger – and you really can’t go wrong. However, it’s the simple cheese fries, with an oozy Cheddar sauce ladled over the top, that win the most praise. You can get them with added jalapeños too (pictured). If you can handle it, they’re the perfect accompaniment to one of the restaurant’s loaded burgers.

The wu-fries (waffle fries) at Torched Hop Brewing Company – a microbrewery and tap house in Atlanta’s Midtown – are as delicious as they come. They’re even better served smothered in buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, Cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and scallions, which is why they’re one of the most popular things on the menu. In fact, many customers consider them a must as they’re perfect for soaking up the craft brews on tap.

The name of this Chubbies Burgers creation is a little misleading, because there’s a lot more to these fries than bacon. The crinkle-cut fries are also topped with pepper jack cheese, scallions, pickled red onions, and a mild aioli spiked with jalapeños. It’s one of two delicious options for loaded fries at the popular restaurant, which also serves ‘chub fries’ with Cheddar, grilled onions, and its specialty fry sauce.

Where else would you go for fries but the state with the best potatoes in the world? Well, that’s what Idaho claims anyway, and the tubers grown here are said to make particularly perfect French fries. While there are plenty of places that serve them completely buried under heaps of chili, cheese, bacon, and anything else, fans of Brick 29 Bistro reckon the relatively simple B29 fries are the best. They’re cooked to a perfect golden hue with the skin on and then topped with Swiss cheese fondue, garlic, and scallions.

Upmarket Chicago diner Au Cheval – which really looks more like a swanky bar – is known for its burgers, but people also flock here for the crispy fries. In a classic mornay sauce (a béchamel enriched with cheese) and drizzled with garlic aioli before being topped with a fried egg, these fries just work. Au Cheval has also opened a restaurant in New York and, yes, crispy fries are on that menu too.

Indianapolis restaurant Union 50 takes its fries seriously. For starters, there are four 'styles' of hand-cut French fries on the menu – truffle oil, sea salt and parsley, Manchego and bacon, and duck fat and rosemary – all of which come with two tasty sauces as standard. But the real star of the show here is the chilaquiles poutine, a fully loaded taste sensation that comes smothered in cheese curds, pulled pork, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and lime. Customers say it's a must-try, and there's a pastrami version on offer here, too.

Opened in 2021, Frydae has already won itself a lot of fans – perhaps not surprising since this cute little spot specializes in fries and ice cream. People love that they don’t skimp on the toppings when it comes to the loaded fries, and the Nashville hot chicken fries – with pieces of tender chicken, sauce, and pickles – are a favorite. There are often seasonal specials too, like fries topped with turkey, cranberry, stuffing, scallions, and cheese curds for Thanksgiving.

This cozy, upscale French bistro serves up some impeccable classic cuisine – but one of the enduring favorites on the menu is a big, dirty, piled-high portion of poutine. It puts a posh twist on the Canadian classic, starting with truffle fries and loading them with beef tenderloin, Cheddar cheese curds, and thick, rich beef gravy, with provolone cheese scattered on top. It’s great shared as an appetizer or ordered as a side.

The popular Hawaiian style fries at Big Kahuna come topped with spiced mayonnaise, sweet soy sauce, house-made chili sauce, scallions, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. They may not be as outrageous or piled as high as some of the other loaded fries on this list but they are incredibly good – something of a revelation, in fact.

In New Orleans, debris fries are to potatoes what po’ boys are to sandwiches – they take something delicious and make it even more so. At Parkway Bakery and Tavern, perfectly cooked and crisp fries are topped with the same tender roast beef and gravy used in its popular po’ boys. You don’t really need both, because everything served at the restaurant is generous and filling, but these are so outstanding we reckon you’ll find a little extra room.

The fries served here are – as you may have guessed – cooked in duck fat, which makes them extra flavorsome and crisp. For the ultimate treat, follow the advice of Duckfat’s many fans and order the poutine. The cheese curds are sourced locally and the gravy is also duck, with a sprinkling of fresh chives lifting the whole dish. You can go all out and add a duck egg or a heap of slow cooked duck confit. The smaller spin-off spot, Duckfat Frites Shack, is also in Portland.

Hook & Reel is all about combining the Southern tradition of the seafood boil with Cajun spices, and this is most deliciously summed up in a portion of crabmeat fries. With a base of fries loaded with crabmeat and a sriracha remoulade sauce, they’re a meal in themselves, although customers reckon they’re a must try no matter what else you order. There are nine locations in Maryland and restaurants in several other states too.

The Shadowless fries are a must order at Shōjō – a gastropub that serves inventive twists on Asian cuisine. This peerless treat starts with hand-cut fries double-fried in duck fat and then buried under spicy tofu, a nacho cheese sauce with kimchi; and a generous drizzle of sriracha mayonnaise. You can even add a fried egg. Some customers reckon they’re among the best things to eat in Boston.

Cuban-inspired restaurant Frita Batidos, known for fast, flavorful food, does serve loaded shoestring fries, but it's the loaded plantains that really get people talking (and coming back for more). They're twice-baked and loaded with cheese, beans, avocado, and crema. Customers say they're just heavenly. Another house specialty is the Fritas, a burger loaded with shoestring fries in the traditional Cuban style.

What could possibly be better than a bowl of poutine rich with gravy and laced with melty, squeaky cheese curds? How about all that, plus lobster? That’s the specialty at Smack Shack, which has locations in Bloomington, Minneapolis, and Roseville. The skillet dish has crisp Cajun fries topped with Taleggio cheese sauce with curds and lobster claw. It’s delicious, and there’s no skimping on the lobster, either.

The cheesesteak fries at Blue Canoe are enough for a full meal – not that fans of this Tupelo restaurant are complaining. They come piled high with the delicious stuff you’d expect to find in a classic Philly cheesesteak sandwich, and a little more besides – tender sirloin, house-made cheese sauce, curds, onions, and red peppers.

One of the specialties here is fried chicken served in a waffle cone, which gives you some idea of the playful inventiveness on offer. Chick-in Waffle is equally generous and creative with its fries, which come loaded with any combination of eight house-made sauces plus lots of other lovely stuff. They’re all incredible, though we reckon it’s hard to beat this combination of crisp fries with tender Nashville hot chicken, cheese, and pickles.

The Greek Pastry Shop is best known for its gyros, stuffed with tender meat and mouth-watering sauces. But customers also rave about the Greek fries, which are so tasty it’s hard to stop eating them – even when you’re already fit to bursting. The no-frills venue, which has two locations in Missoula, drizzles the fries with tzatziki sauce, crumbles on some feta, and throws on some special seasoning, with incredible results.

Customers can’t get enough of the Yakuza fries at Backlot Taphouse. Topped with Korean-style barbecue sauce, beer cheese, scallions, and pork crackling, they’re a little different to the loaded fries you might find elsewhere – and they’re seriously good. The restaurant also offers fries with blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce, as well as an ‘OG’ version with boom boom sauce (mayo with sriracha, chili sauce, mustard, and ketchup), scallions, and pork crackling.

Beefy’s is famous for piling everything on its burgers, from onion rings to shrimp, and it takes the same approach with its fries. There’s poutine, chili and cheese, and (when it's on special) kimchi fries with an egg on top. But it’s the pizza fries that get people talking (between shoveling in mouthfuls, that is). The shoestring fries are loaded with tomato sauce, pepperoni, cheese, and herbs – ingenious.

Black Mtn. Burger Co. is a favorite casual neighborhood spot known for its flavorful comfort food, and its menu includes a few options for loaded fries. The chili cheese fries, made with beef chili, Cheddar, and sour cream, are a favorite, and the poutine even more so. The restaurant loads its take on the Canadian classic with stringy mozzarella cheese and beef gravy.

Canada gave us poutine, and New Jersey has its own twist on the fries, cheese, and gravy combo: disco fries. These are cheese fries, usually with mozzarella melted through and topped with brown gravy. They’re particularly popular as a late-night snack or hangover cure. According to customers, the loaded fries on the menu at Left Bank Burger Bar are some of the best you’ll find anywhere.

Green chile, made with fresh green peppers, is a New Mexico specialty and, at Urban Hotdog Company, you can get it dolloped on your hot dog or spooned over your fries. This loaded treat also has onions and melted Cheddar, and comes with a delectable dipping sauce. There’s no scrimping on the green chile and, if you think these fries aren’t loaded enough, you can have some crispy bacon crumbled over the top too.

Named for the street where this popular fried chicken joint is located, the Ludlow fries at 375° Chicken ‘n Fries are a real customer favorite. Nothing is held back here. The fries are well and truly loaded up with Cheddar sauce, sriracha and chipotle mayonnaise, salsa, jalapeños, fried onions, and bacon. The fries themselves are cooked three times, so they’re fluffy inside and wonderfully crisp on the outside.

Waffle fries topped with marinated fillet of beef, kimchi, cheese, cilantro, and several house-made sauces? We’re not sure we need any more persuading, to be honest. The loaded fries at Bé Em Asian Kitchen are typically packed with flavor and an appealing mix of textures. The menu has some great options, such as poke bowls and pho, but for some customers, these kimchi fries top the lot.

Würst Bier Hall serves its own take on poutine, topping fries with deep-fried mozzarella cheese curds and drenching the lot in mushroom gravy. Fans reckon you can’t go wrong. The venue also serves delicious sweet potato fries topped with marshmallow fluff or sweet chili sauce (probably both, if you ask nicely).

Ohio-based chain Melt Bar and Grilled, which has locations in Columbus, Cleveland, and elsewhere, takes loaded fries to their logical conclusion: the hangover cure. There’s obviously no guarantee attached, but we reckon it’s worth a try. Described as the restaurant’s take on poutine, the fries are drenched in a rich gravy and topped with pulled pork, melted mozzarella cheese, scallions, and a fried egg. Just fabulous.

Cajun Corner has two incredible options for loaded fries: crawfish or shrimp. You can’t really go wrong with either. The latter has popcorn shrimp, Cajun-spiced sauerkraut, cheese sauce, jalapeños, scallions, and mayonnaise. But it’s the loaded fries with fried crawfish (along with all the same trimmings) that’s really considered a must-order here. You can get them at the restaurant’s three Oklahoma City locations.

Jojo specializes in its namesake – potato wedges, double fried, tossed in a house spice blend and loaded with all kinds of tempting toppings. There are three types on the regular menu: classic, with American cheese, caramelized onion, and sauces, an option with Tillamook Cheddar and chives, plus optional bacon (pictured), and a spicy variety with Nashville hot dust, Crystal honey, spicy mayo, and fried shallots. You can ask for pretty much anything to be piled on top (so long as they have it), and there are regular specials and ‘secret’ menu items.

The Olde Bar is the kind of place you could happily go for either a slap-up seafood meal or a selection of appetizers and drinks. Its namesake fries are especially good for sharing, but once you have a taste, you may not want to share. The wonderfully crisp fries are topped with lump crab meat, lobster butter, and a Cheddar fondue made with an oyster stout.

This fry shack isn’t afraid to pile on the toppings. Options range from the tiger king, with General Tso’s chicken, to dessert fries with s’mores fixings or cinnamon sugar and whipped cream. Each has proved a hit with customers, though it’s Frisky Fries’ take on poutine that wins the most accolades. Named Disco Dottie, they’re loaded with handmade Vermont Cheddar curds and smothered with brown gravy, and can be ordered with skinny, sweet potato, or waffle fries.

You may have tried chowder, and we’re guessing you’ve tried fries – but have you tried chowder fries? This genius combo is a specialty at The Darling Oyster Bar, a beautiful, vintage-inspired restaurant and raw bar in Charleston. The creamy clam chowder can be ordered as it comes, in a bowl, though dolloping it over fries makes it all the more indulgent. You can also add some crispy bacon.

JL Beers, with two Sioux Falls locations plus others in North Dakota and Minnesota, keeps its loaded fries relatively simple. They’re topped with velvety beer cheese, bacon bits, jalapeños, and a jalapeño-Cheddar seasoning. There’s also an option with buffalo sauce and blue cheese crumbles, and you can order either loaded onto potato chips if you prefer. Customers have described them as 'awesome'.

Edley's Bar-B-Que is known for its tender smoked meats and Southern-style sides, and you can get a taste in one piled-high package when you order the BBQ fries. They come generously heaped with your choice of smoked pork, brisket or chicken, plus nacho cheese, barbecue sauce, sour cream, pico de gallo, and scallions. Find them at any of Edley’s five Nashville locations, or in Chattanooga and Franklin. The small chain also has two restaurants in Illinois.

You could order the cheese fries without the surprise, though customers recommend going for this extra treat. At Rodeo Goat, a Texas-wide chain, they’ll come with an extra of the chef’s choosing, such as house-made chili, buried beneath a mound of crisp fries covered in cheese. The portion size is so generous that one order is often enough to share between three or four people – though these loaded fries are so delicious, you might just want to keep them all to yourself.

SpudToddos is a potato lover’s dream, because everything served here really is all about the humble spud, from perfect mash to freshly cut Russet fries. The toppings are less humble, with six varieties of brilliantly named garbage fries on offer. They’re all heavenly, so it’s hard to pick the best one – customers rave equally about the buffalo garbage fries with grilled chicken, sauces, bacon, and scallions (pictured) and those that come smothered in chocolate sauce with whipped cream and a bacon garnish.

Prohibition Pig is renowned for its excellent duck-fat fries, generously cut, extra crispy, and crammed with flavor. There is one way to improve them, though: order them as part of the poutine, served as a shareable starter in the restaurant. It kicks off with a heap of those fries, a generous drenching of house gravy, and local cheese curds, and can (if you like) end with chopped pork, jalapeños, house-smoked bacon, or brisket (pictured) layered on top.

Ben’s Chili Bowl is a landmark in Washington DC and fans can try Ben’s famous half-smoke hog dogs and fries outside the state at Reagan National Airport in Arlington. The fries are especially delightful draped in velvety cheese sauce and even better with a dollop of the restaurant’s house-made chili, whether the regular beef recipe or a vegan version.

You could substitute the word ‘dirty' for ‘delicious’ here, because the loaded fries dished up at seafood spot Pickled Fish are just that. The restaurant’s wonderfully named dirty dirty fries come with fat, crisp lardons, pickled peppers, goats’ cheese, and truffle ketchup. They are truly loaded – and highly recommended.

You can pile up the toppings as much as you like at Bahnhof, a German-themed restaurant and bar in Huntington. The fries come hand-cut and Belgian style, with options including adding a salty, sweet, and sticky bacon marmalade and beer cheese (pictured), plus a choice of sauces, including apricot curry ketchup, cherry mustard aioli, mustard, or chermoula aioli, based on a north African vibrant green relish.

The Vanguard loves its loaded fries and has a good selection of options on the menu, including classic poutine with caramelized onion gravy and Cheddar curds, chili cheese fries, and vegan loaded fries with optional vegan chili. The ‘beer and brat’ bar’s signature, though, is the south buffalo poutine, with sauced chicken or tofu pieces, spiced gravy, blue cheese dressing and pickled celery (pictured).

Crowbar & Grill serves up a different loaded fries special each month, with rotating regulars including Korean bulgogi (pictured). The pad Thai fries, though, are so popular they’re on the main menu. Topped with a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce, scallions and a scattering of crushed peanuts and served with lime, they’re one of the best things to order here.

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