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Sweet Potato Fries
updated: May 29, 2010, 10:10 AM

By Ms Lemonjelly

"Here be sweet potato fries. Ms. Lemonjelly's on the scout!"

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Sweet potato fries seem to be gaining popularity. For now, it's mostly small businesses I see them at. I love them. Maybe my love for them will wane when the big chains start marketing them, and there is no doubt that will soon happen, but for now, I'll pick them over French fried potatoes any day.

But to clarify: the sweet potato fry in this little write up applies equally, whether it's made from sweet potatoes or yams.

My favorite sweet potato fries came from JR's BBQ. Then they closed. So my favorite then became Chilango's, but they closed recently! I had photos of all of them, too. Anyway, here are my current contenders.

The Burger Bus - they served Yam Fries, for about $2.50. They are freshly made, and I assume, organic, considering their business model is based on local and organic ingredients. There was a time that the yams were cut into discs, and I did not like them at all. Now they're thickly cut like regular fries. They are not super crispy, but the yam taste is strong and pure. When the Burger Bus comes by my area at lunch, I will order these more often than a burger because my stomach is only so big.

They come out soft and moist, and seem the least processed of all the sweet potato fries on offer I've found in this town. The dipping sauce options are ketchup or ranch dressing. They are also not particularly photogenic. Sorry, no photo of these guys.

The Montecito Country Club - they have sweet potato fries! And they are pretty tasty. Order a portion of these, watch some rich guys play golf, enjoy the view of the bird refuge and the beach, and life's good. However, good luck getting into the Club. I'm not a member, but I've been able to dine there as a guest (no jeans allowed!). For the lack of access for average Joes, they'll never be my top spot for sweet potato fries.

Kahuna Grill - the sweet potato fries are a recent addition. So recent, they weren't an item listed on the cash register the first time I bought them. I think they are now, and they cost $3.25 for a generous portion. Day-glow orange, and moderately crispy, this is a whole meal for me. Kahuna also offers bbq sauce and teriyaki sauce to dip - that's a plus.

Union Ale Brewing Company. It took me forever to visit here; I had issues with a place titled as a brewing company that didn't actually brew anything. But I heard they had good sweet potato fries. The menu only offered them as a side dish to their ribs, so there's no price listed, but you're in luck, I've done the research, and they're $6 for a large portion served in a bucket. This is not a single portion; it's a party portion. I tackled the bucket with one other person, we couldn't finish them, and we had to take all the other food we'd ordered home in a doggy bag - appetite ruined. These fries come sprinkled lightly with Parmesan, and there are large numbers of sauce options available - perhaps 10 options? You can select 3 of those sauces for your order. Try the truffle mayo if you like truffle flavor.

Kobachi Izakaya Dining. Really? Yes, really! These are the most unique I've seen in town, because Kobachi is Japanese izakaya, it's not the traditional burger and fries joint you'd normally expect to serve sweet potato fries. They're good, served with a spicy, creamy sauce. I've ordered them a number of times, but again, my stomach space is limited and there are so many amazing dishes on offer at Kobachi that I must sadly turn them down so I can eat their other wonderful things.

So my top pick is Union Ale! The atmosphere is loud, with lots of sports on TV, and music, and frat boy types. But it's possible to avoid the noisiest parts by sticking to the front area, which is where you have to order food from the bar anyway. I can't say that I'm crazy about the atmosphere, and the lack of a sensible portion, but the taste is good, the texture is good, the cost ratio is good, and they have the widest variety of dipping sauces available, which I believe are all house made.

If you know of other places in town with sweet potato fries, please share. Thanks!

Montecito Country Club