Thick or thin, short or long, french fries are more than just a side —they’re the main character. In New York City, where taste buds are as opinionated as the people, the great fry debate comes to a peak: shoestring vs steak fries.
This National French Fry Day, amNewYork hit some of the city’s most beloved fry spots — from beloved delis to walk-in joints — and spoke with their owners to find out what makes them so loyal to their chosen fry style.
Katz’s Delicatessen
Nothing is more classic New York than Katz’s Delicatessen, where the traditions run as deep as their fryers. This iconic Lower East Side spot has been serving thick, golden steak fries alongside its legendary pastrami sandwiches for decades.
If you have ever visited Katz’s Delicatessen, you have likely noticed the vintage photos and glowing neon signs that cover its walls. But one sign is personal. The “Jake’s Bar Mitzvah” sign belongs to fifth-generation owner Jake Dell, who has spent his entire life at the deli.
“At first, I was gonna become a doctor, but working here for a year changed my perspective on things. I fell in love with the business on both sides of the counter and I’ve been here for 15 years now since that decision,” Dell says.
In a city that is constantly evolving, one thing at Katz’s has never changed: the fries.
Like the pastrami, the fries at Katz’s don’t need an upgrade — they have stood the test of time and they are not going anywhere.
“It’s the classic deli style. This is what it was when we first started and it’s how it’s always been—we’ve never changed it,” Dell expresses. “There’s something special about a steak fry. You get the crispy outside, and then the inside is almost like mashed potatoes. You can’t get that with a McDonald’s fry or a curly fry—it’s all crisp. I love a good crisp, but I like that with ours, you get variety. Some are super crispy, some are softer. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure fry.”
He adds, “To me there is no such thing as a bad fry—except maybe shoestrings. That’s my hot take… I feel like I’m eating air. I feel like I’m grabbing a glob to try to feel the same satisfaction.”
For Dell, it is not all about the food —it’s about the feeling.
“This place is about nostalgia,” he says. “It’s the signs, it’s the sounds, it’s the smells. The atmosphere of this place is fun and it’s energetic and alive…it makes this place really something magical.”
Pommes Frites
The idea of a single-item fry shop came from a street corner in the Netherlands. Wandering through Europe as a new employee for a travel agency, Pommes Frites owner Suzanne Levinson was not looking for a business idea. But after one paper cone of hot Belgian fries, she was hooked.
“I was bitten by the Belgian frite bug,” she told amNewYork. “Every time I landed in the Netherlands or Belgium. The first thing I’d do is go to a fry shop.”
Years later, that craving turned into Pommes Frites — an East Village fry shop dedicated to thick-cut, golden, Belgian fries with an ever-growing wall of dipping sauces.
Nearly three decades since opening, Pommes Frites has remained a late-night destination, and a passport to Europe – served in a paper cone, no plane ticket required.
Step inside Pomme Frites and it is easy to forget you are in New York City. From the medieval-style decor to the paper cones and imported sauces, every detail is designed to mirror the street fry shops of Belgium and the Netherlands.
The fries themselves are made from potatoes grown in Belgium. Levinson said that they used to use American or Canadian-grown potatoes; however, they could not provide the same taste as Belgian-born fries.
Each batch of these thick-cut fries is fried to order, tossed with salt, and served piping hot in a cone. Just like the versions Levinson fell in love with abroad.
What truly sets Pommes Frites apart is not just their fries—it is what goes on top. With over 30 sauces, from classics like ketchup and traditional Dutch frites sauce to more adventurous options like sweet mango chutney mayo, Vietnamese pineapple mayo, and wild mushroom mayo, the flavor possibilities are endless.
“The philosophy is, you can try any sauce you like before you know what you want,” Levinson said.
Virginia’s
You might come to Virginia’s for the burger, roasted chicken, the steak frites, or their cocktails — but you will stay for the fries. Crisp, slender and glistening with their secret special oil, the shoestring-style fries at this East Village bistro hold their own as a must-order dish.
“Every single table gets an order of fries”, said owner Reed Adelson.
Adelson opened Virginia’s ten years ago with a vision to create a neighborhood bistro — somewhere you could easily grab a burger and a beer on a Monday night. With a background of working in restaurants across the country, Adelson brought his big-league experience to a small, inviting space.
When it came to the fries, the style was intentional. “They’re good for consistency…it absorbs that garlicky deliciousness,” Adelson said. The shoestring cut not only crisps beautifully — it also is the perfect dish for the restaurant’s secret weapon: a house-made roasted garlic aioli oil.
As soon as the fries come out of the fryer, they are tossed in the oil and finished with salt, giving them a rich aroma and great flavor.
The fries nearly appear on every plate. They have even become a go-to party must have – Adelson recalled a recent catering request for six giant trays of fries alone.
Whether you are coming in for steak frites at dinner or a Virginia’s burger at lunch, you will definitely want to save room for the fries.
As Adelson puts it, “Fries are at brunch. Fries are at dinner. Fries are all the time. There’s never a bad time. Come see us!”
Pig & Butter
Owner Sherry Grimes traded neuroscience and psychotherapy for brunch, bacon, and craft cocktails. With two master’s degrees and a former career in sex research, she pivoted from the lab to the kitchen nearly 20 years ago — and never looked back.
“While I was doing all of those things, I started cooking…I was just inspired to do something creative. And then my partner said to me, why don’t you open up your own spot instead of working for other people? And now, I won’t work for anybody,” said Grimes.
That spot became Pig & Butter – an all-day brunch joint where Southern, Asian, and Mexican influences collide.
“It’s just basically all these crazy things I come up with,” Grimes says about the menu.
Grimes’s creativity shows up in the fries – hand-cut, shoestring-thin, and washed four times to get rid of excess starch before hitting the fryer. “If you don’t get all the starch out, then the fry tends to burn and cook unevenly, ” Grimes explained.
Seasoned with her own salt and pepper blend, these thin fries can be paired with many of Pig & Butter’s loaded options, like the Korean short ribs fries or the chorizo fries topped with a runny egg.
“I don’t really like big steak fries,” she said. “I like thin fries because it’s easier to mix up with everything.”
And customers agree. “I would say that with the parmesan truffle fries, the Korean short rib fries, people love them, and on their own, they love them as well,” she said.
At Pig & Butter, fries are meant to be mixed, layered, and devoured. For Grimes, they are a blank canvas for flavor and fun.
“We’re not afraid to think outside the box, and we’re not afraid of what others think of us, because we’re going to come up with great concepts, and we work really hard to hone in on our craft.”
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So, steak fry or shoestring? The answer depends on who you ask, what you are eating, and what kind of crisp you desire. Do you want a fry buried under layers of sauce, cheese or aioli? Or do you prefer it plain and piping hot? Are you chasing that soft, mashed-potato center or the crunch of something skinny?
What is clear is that in New York City, fries are personal, not an afterthought. At places like Katz’s Delicatessen, Pomme Frites, Virginia’s, and Pig & Butter, they are treated with just as much care that entrees receive.
On National French Fry Day, the city’s fry lovers may not agree on thickness — but they can all agree on one thing: fries deserve the spotlight.
