The Best Fast-Food You’ve Never Had

A little over a month ago I traveled home to Vermont and took some pictures while I visited my favorite fast-food place, Al’s French Frys. Those pictures have been trapped in captivity until I finally got a new converter drive for my camera memory card yesterday.

So here’s the backstory. Al’s was a favorite of most kids my age growing up. If you played little league for more than a couple years, odds are you played on a team sponsored by Al’s at some point. The eatery started in the late 40’s as a small snack bar with no seating and has become a Burlington institution.

They have, to this day, the best french fries I’ve ever had in my life. I’m a vinegar on fries kind of guy, and no fries pair better with vinegar then Al’s do. So on Monday, August 13th, after playing a 2-hour long basketball game at my old gym in Burlington, I ventured to Al’s for some post workout food.

That sign has been exactly the same for as long as I can remember, and the interior and exterior have always been styled after a 50’s fast-food joint. The menu has burgers, dogs, fries (obviously) and a few other things like fried clams and cheesesteaks. During the summer they operate an ice cream stand off the side of the building. Their burgers are small, but cheap and full of flavor. Two normal size burgers plus a cup or pint of fries will satisfy the appetite of most people.

I placed my usual order: A pint of fries, a pizza burger, a cheeseburger and a corn dog. Total cost: $6.38. As you watch your burger cooked fresh on the grill right in front of you, you continue down the line. Raw onions, relish, pickles, mustard, mayo and ketchup are available on your burger free of charge. Your food is served to you in a simple box.

The pizza burger is NOT a burger with mozzarella and marina sauce on it as you might expect. The square burger patty actually has the pizza flavor in the patty itself, and is surprisingly tasty. I got mine with ketchup and onions. For my cheeseburger, mustard, onions and relish were on my wish list.

My burgers and corn dog were delicious. But the staple of “Al’s French Frys” is, of course, french fries. Good with ketchup, but if you like vinegar on your fries they are PERFECT. Throw some salt on them, soak up that vinegar, and prepare for a taste explosion in your mouth.

I’ve had many burgers and many fries over the course of my life, and I can honestly say that after 27 years, these are still the best french fries I’ve ever had in my life. So if you’re ever in the Burlington, Vermont area, ask how to find Al’s French Fry’s, and take the time to go check it out. I’m sure if you do, your box will end up looking just like mine did: