The Hunt for Gluten-Free Fries

THE GREAT HUNT

For Truly Gluten-Free French Fries

Salty, crispy, fluffy—and with all that soul-satisfying starch—a perfectly fried potato is perhaps one of life’s universal pleasures. It’s probably why they appear on menus everywhere, from diners and fast-food chains to the white linen tabletops of Antoine’s.

But anyone who has a gluten sensitivity knows that few restaurants offer perfectly gluten-free fried potatoes, thanks to cross-contamination. In fact, in the New Orleans metro area, there is exactly five venues serving up truly gluten-free French fries.

5. SUPERIOR SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR

Located on the corner of St. Charles and Napoleon, Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar is the closest location for anyone in or around the Uptown area to scarf down some gluten-free French fries. Hand-cut and served bistro-style with a saucière full of ketchup, a side order of French fries here will set you back $7.

4. DEANIE’S SEAFOOD

A local legacy, Deanie’s Seafood has held down its corner of Bucktown, in Metairie, for over 40 years. Now, they have locations in the French Quarter and the Garden District. Deanie’s fries are standard fare—the frozen fries we have come to love and expect from every diner across the U.S. All of Deanie’s seafood plates and platters come served on a mound of their gluten-free French fries, and a side of fries costs a mere $4.

3. THE CATCH

A hidden gem in the metro area, The Catch is located in Cleary Village—and only open for lunch, Tuesday-Saturday. However, making special plans to make a special trip to catch them while they're open is highly recommended. At $3.25 an order, their crinkle cut fries are the most affordable and possibly the best you’ll ever have—extra crispy and beautifully golden. And they pair outstandingly with the lemon butter sauce that comes with their blackened fish dishes.

2. CAPULET

Nestled quietly away on Dauphine Street in the Bywater, Capulet offers something special in the way of glutenfree French fries. For $4, patrons can choose between four different flavors of shoestring fries: traditional salt & pepper, cheesy nutritional yeast, lip-smacking salt & vinegar, and umami-popping furikake. And since French fries are not only perfect on their own and also serve as the perfect platform for all sorts of condiments, Capulet’s serves three housemade aiolis for their fries, including a traditional garlic, spicy ranch, and funky gochujang. How could Capulet’s offering of French fries get even better?

Try them out for Happy Hour, Monday-Thursday between 4 and 6 p.m., when heaping plates full are only $1 each.

1. FIVE GUYS

Five Guys takes their French fry game so seriously, they prominently display the origin of “Today’s Potatoes” next to the register each day. Five Guys’ French fries are prepared the old-fashioned way: freshly hand-cut, soaked to remove the excess starch, and dipped in dedicated fryers full of peanut oil. Theirs is the quintessential French fry. Orders of “Five Guys Style” fries come lightly salted, while their “Cajun Style” fries come coated in a tasty seasoned salt—not too picante, but certainly spicy with paprika, garlic, and celery seed.

Five Guys is also the most economical place to get gluten-free French fries around town. A large order (practically a mountain of French fries) only costs $6. And with locations in Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Tammany Parishes, Five Guys may be the most convenient place to scoop up gluten-free fries as well.