Who makes Rochester's best fries? Poll of almost 900 people says...

Who makes Rochester's best fries? After almost 900 people voted in our French fry poll, we have a winner.

The most votes overall ― by a landslide ― was Petit Poutinerie. It debuted as the Le Petit Poutine food truck in 2011, when Rochesterians were unfamiliar with Quebec's classic trilogy of French fries, cheese curds and gravy, which the truck sprinkled with fresh thyme.

When Rochesterians would order fresh-cut fries on their own, co-owner Lizzie Clapp would insist they try poutine instead. "If you don't like it, give it back and you can have fries," she'd tell them.

She didn't have many returns, and now, ordering poutine from the food truck at a festival is synonymous with summertime in Rochester.

In 2022, Clapp and co-owner Ronnie McClive opened the brick-and-mortar restaurant Petit Poutinerie — a variation on the name — at 44 Elton St. in the Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA). The restaurant serves eight versions of poutine, as well as a flight of three. Sandwiches, salads and desserts are offered as well.

These days, you can also get poutine in restaurants and bars throughout the Rochester area. Here are the other top vote getters in the poutine category:

2. Jeremiah's Tavern, with locations in Penfield, Henrietta and Rochester.

3. The Sheffield, 1776 Monroe Ave., Brighton.

4. K2 Brothers Brewing, 1221 Empire Blvd. in Penfield and 4320 Canandaigua Road in Walworth.

5. Bru, 3208 Latta Road in Greece.

Winners from around the countryWe asked, you answered: Here are America's favorite french fries

Best classic/fast food fries in Rochester: Tom Wahl's

Tom Wahl's has been a Rochester fixture since 1955. While its thin burgers, handcrafted root beer and root beer floats may be the stars, its crispy crinkle-cut fries are comfort food classics, winning the category of best classic/fast food fries. Tom Wahl's has seven locations: Greece, Avon, Brighton, Bushnell's Basin, Canandaigua, Fairport and Newark.

Rounding out the top 5 classic/fast food fries:

2. Shaller's, 965 Edgemere Dr., Greece and 559 East Ridge Road, Irondequoit.

3. Bill Gray's, 13 locations in the Rochester area.

4. Charlie's Restaurants, with locations in Webster, Ontario and Canandaigua.

5. Bar-Bill Tavern, 1129 Empire Blvd., Penfield.

Best fresh cut fries in Rochester: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has been a destination for great food since it opened in the former Lehigh Valley Railroad Station downtown in 1998. Since then, the Syracuse-based barbecue chain has expanded to six locations; the others are in Brooklyn, Buffalo, Harlem and Troy. Its fresh-cut fries are among the many dishes that have made the location at 99 Court St. one of the Top 100 Barbecue Spots for 2024, according to Yelp.

The other top finishers in fresh-cut fries:

2. Dicky's Corner Pub, 791 Meigs St., Rochester.

3. Fiorella, 5 Rochester Public Market, Rochester.

4. The Peppered Pig, 1759 Empire Blvd., Penfield.

5. Cotoletta, 440 Elmridge Center Dr., Greece.

Best loaded fries in Rochester: The Playhouse/Swillburger

You won't find "loaded fries" on the menu at The Playhouse/ Swillburger, the combination burger joint, bar and vintage arcade at 820 S. Clinton Ave., but you might find a special with a name like "Fizzle Fazzle Fries." Every week or two, co-owner Brian Van Etten or chef Liam Jacobs come up with a fry- or tot-based special, drawing inspiration from places like Applebee's, Cheesecake Factory or even the freezer aisle at 7-11. "People like it when there's kind of bizarre combinations," Van Etten said. A recent special: beef braised in Dr. Pepper and chiles, then piled on top of fries and sprinkled with cotija cheese.

Rounding out the top 5 loaded fries:

2. Dogtown, 691 Monroe Ave., Rochester.

3. TacoDero, 1174 Brooks Ave., Gates.

4. Tully's Good Times, 1225 Jefferson Road, Henrietta.

5. Chick'n Out, 37 Charlotte St., Rochester.

Honorable mention: The top write-in vote getter was RamShak for its loaded fries. Chef Ron Jr. has been dishing up queso tacos and loaded fries at pop-ups around Rochester since 2022. He currently serves from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays at Condado Bar & Grill, 2260 Clifford Ave.

More:From viral pop-up to bar and restaurant: Fried chicken joint opens in Rochester

Best gourmet/fancy fries in Rochester: Strangebird

Strangebird, at 62 Marshall St. in Rochester, recently won bronze at the prestigious 2024 World Beer Cup for its Unfettered Soul, a Hazy Double IPA. But its kitchen also puts out some pretty darned good scratch-made food, with chef Nate Stahl at the helm since the brewery opened in 2021. Its top seller since day one: its fries appetizer, topped with fried rosemary, sage and parsley, and served with a preserved lemon aioli.

Rounding out the top 5 gourmet/fancy fries:

2. Good Luck, 50 Anderson Ave., Rochester.

3. The Gate House, in the Village Gate at 274 N. Goodman St., Rochester.

4. The Angry Goat Pub, 938 S. Clinton Ave., Rochester.

5. The Owl House, 75 Marshall St., Rochester.

Best non-potato French fries in Rochester: Jines

Jines Restaurant, at 658 Park Ave., is an iconic place to dine outdoors on nice days, having opened in 1971. While it's probably best known as a place for breakfast and Sunday brunch, it also serves straightforward lunch and dinner fare. You'll have three choices of fries: regular fries, beer-battered French fries and sweet potato fries, the later being the top vote getter in the non-potato category.

The others in the top 5:

∎ The Old Stone Tavern, 758 South Ave., Rochester.

∎ Lovin' Cup, 300 Park Point Dr., Henrietta.

∎ Donnelly's Public House, 1 Water St., Fairport.

∎ The Empanada Shop, 115 W. Commercial St., East Rochester.

More:New empanada eatery in East Rochester is a flavorful blast from the past

The poll's methodology: We combed Yelp, Google reviews and social media for positive reviews that specifically mentioned "fries." We added a few solid possibilities from our own experience. We narrowed it to 10 choices in each category, but allowed write-ins in each category. Voting took place for 5 days.

Tracy Schuhmacher is food and drink reporter. Email her at TracyS@Gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram as @RahChaChow. Bill Wolcott is a digital producer for the Democrat and Chronicle.