re: Who has the best cheese fries in New Orleans?

Friends,

Cheese fries are one of the great working class foods. They are not healthy, but they hit the spot after walking twenty miles through the city. And what is not to love about them? Cheese fries contain in the most precise way possible the three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. They fill you up; they taste great; they’re usually not too expensive. They potentially will give you atherosclerosis and you could die of a massive heart attack if you eat them too often without walking every day, so be cautious.

Uncle tells me that the first cheese fries in New Orleans were served at The Audubon Tavern on Magazine, which was sometimes referred to as The Neighborhood Tavern. It was located where Monkey Hill Bar is today. Someone once brought Uncle a serving of Audubon Tavern’s cheese fries back in 1980 and he said he loved them. However, when he found out where they were from, he regretted ever eating them. I do not know the full story, but Uncle did not like that tavern and he, along with others in his neighborhood, tried to have it shut down.

It seems cheese fries were largely a product of bars in the 70s and early 80s in New Orleans, and we all know that bars are no good. Uncle told me a story about a shooting at Shanahan’s Lounge, on Claiborne across from Tulane University, back in the mid 1980s. Apparently, a patron received his cheese fries. They were overcooked and he got into an argument with staff. The fracas ended with the lounge’s teenage doorman being critically shot by the unhappy cheese fries diner. The teen made a recovery and if you are friends with him, you know that he is a part of high society in New Orleans.

Years ago, the Houston’s on St Charles would cater to my wish and make the best cheese fries known on Earth. Since Katrina, they have not taken any special orders like this one. They have also stopped making their wonderful cheese toast. Add Ground Pati Jr to the list of Top 10 New Orleans cheese fries no longer in existence. I have no idea how the JR location made their cheese fries so much better than the Ground Pati near SYC, but the restaurant’s version did not come close to the drive thru version, which was worth the drive.

TulaneLSU’s Top 10 cheese fries in the New Orleans Metro



10. New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood (terrible when they used the cheap fake cheese sauce, they are now using real cheddar and it makes all the difference)
9. Ben’s Burgers (the quiet guy who dances in the videos with his wrist bumps makes them perfectly)
8. R&O’s (make sure not to get gravy on them)
7. Tastee Donut on Loyola Ave in Kenner
6. Outback Steakhouse
5. Mahony’s Magazine
4. Impastato’s (special order)
3. Parkway Bakery
2. Bud’s Broiler
1. District Donuts

Places not to order cheese fries: Camellia Grill and Dat Dog.

Yours,
TulaneLSU