A great batch of fries starts with potatoes, but the cooking fat can make a big difference. Beef tallow gives fries a rich flavor and a crisp outside that many people connect with old-fashioned cooking.
The restaurants below have offered fries cooked in beef fat, including oil blends and British beef dripping. Recipes can change, so confirm the cooking fat with your location before ordering, especially if you avoid animal products.
1. Steak ‘n Shake: A Return to Old-School Shoestrings
Skinny fries got a big change when this burger chain switched to beef tallow in 2025. Its shoestring potatoes offer plenty of crisp edges, making them a natural match for the richer cooking fat.
Order a small serving first if you want to taste the difference without sauces covering it up. Pair them with a steakburger for the classic diner experience, and remember that potatoes cooked in animal fat are not suitable for vegetarian diners.
2. Smashburger: A Blend Behind the Crunch
Rosemary and garlic may grab your attention first, but the fryer deserves some credit too. Smashburger has used a blend of beef tallow and canola oil, rather than pure tallow, for its fried sides.
Try plain fries before choosing the seasoned Smashfries if you want a clearer sense of the potato flavor. Anyone avoiding seed oils should ask about the blend instead of assuming that a mention of tallow means vegetable oils are completely absent.
3. Outback Steakhouse: Aussie Fries With Steakhouse Roots
A steak dinner needs a side that can hold its own. Outback has long been associated with beef tallow frying, including its Aussie Fries, giving this familiar order a connection to traditional steakhouse cooking.
Keep toppings simple if the cooking fat is what interests you most. Cheese, bacon, and dipping sauces can easily take center stage, while a plain portion lets you judge the texture and seasoning before adding anything else to your next bite.
4. Portillo’s: Crinkle Cuts With Chicago Character
Those familiar ridges do more than look cheerful beside a hot dog. Portillo’s crinkle fries have been cooked in a blend containing vegetable oil and beef tallow, giving their crunchy edges an extra savory touch.
Grab them while they are hot, especially if you prefer a firm outside and soft middle. A cheese sauce makes a popular dip, but tasting several fries plain first helps you decide whether their flavor needs any help at all.
5. Buffalo Wild Wings: More Than a Wing Sidekick
Wings usually get the spotlight here, yet the fries deserve a second look. Buffalo Wild Wings lists beef shortening in its cooking information, placing its fried potatoes in the broader beef fat tradition.
Choose a plain order when comparing them with fries from other chains. Seasonings and wing sauces can change the experience quickly, and shared fryers matter for food allergies, so ask staff about preparation rather than judging safety from the potato ingredients alone.
6. Twin Peaks: A Hearty Sports-Bar Option
A basket of fries fits right into the hearty sports bar menu at Twin Peaks. The chain has been reported to use beef tallow, making it another place to ask about traditional frying methods.
Because kitchen practices can vary, confirm that your specific location uses it for fries before ordering. Then consider splitting a basket alongside a burger or sandwich, especially if you want a taste without turning the side dish into your entire meal.
7. Hopdoddy: A Newer Tallow Switch
Burger fans gained another tallow option when Hopdoddy announced a move toward beef tallow frying in 2025. Its fries make a useful stop for anyone curious about how newer restaurant changes compare with older traditions.
Check the current menu and ask whether your location has completed the switch. Plain fries offer the simplest comparison, while loaded versions bring extra sauces and toppings that may hide the subtle differences you came specifically to taste for yourself.
8. Au Cheval: Chicago’s Rich Fry Treatment
Chicago’s famous burger destination gives its fries plenty of attention, too. Au Cheval is known for beef fat fries, often paired with rich extras that turn a simple potato side into something worth sharing.
If you order a version with an egg or sauce, taste an uncovered fry before mixing everything together. That small step helps separate the flavor of the frying fat from the toppings, especially during a meal with several bold dishes competing.
9. Small Cheval: A Casual Chicago Stop
No fancy dinner plan is needed to enjoy this Chicago burger favorite. Small Cheval has served fries cooked in beef fat, bringing a richer style of potato to its short, focused menu.
Order them alongside a burger and keep a little dipping sauce on the side rather than pouring it over everything. For takeout, open the bag soon after pickup so trapped steam does not soften the crisp edges during the trip back home afterward.
10. Bavette’s: Fries for a Special Steak Dinner
Low lights and a serious steak menu set the scene at Bavette’s. Its beef fat fries fit that setting beautifully, offering a familiar side with enough richness to stand beside a carefully cooked steak.
Share a portion if your table is also ordering vegetables or another potato dish. You can enjoy their texture without overloading the meal, and asking for sauces separately keeps each person free to choose how much extra flavor reaches the plate.
11. Gilt Bar: Comfort Food in a Cozy Setting
Comfort food feels right at home in this cozy Chicago dining room. Gilt Bar’s beef fat fries offer a straightforward way to explore its rich cooking style without committing to a large main dish.
Consider sharing them as an extra side rather than treating them as an afterthought. A bite between other dishes can show how salt, crisp potato, and beef fat work together, especially when you leave heavier dips untouched for the first taste.
12. Armitage Alehouse: A Pub-Style Potato Pick
British pub charm meets Chicago dining at Armitage Alehouse, where beef fat fries suit the hearty menu. They bring a simple, familiar choice to a restaurant known for its detailed setting and warming food.
Ask your server which dishes already include fries before adding another portion to the table. If you order them separately, share while they are freshly served, since even carefully cooked potatoes lose some snap as they cool through a leisurely dinner.
13. 4 Charles Prime Rib: A New York Indulgence
A tiny dining room can still deliver a big steakhouse experience. At 4 Charles Prime Rib in New York, beef fat fries belong to a menu built around rich, satisfying American classics.
Reservations can be difficult, so check availability before planning a trip around any single dish. Once seated, consider a shared order for the table; the fries make an easy companion to beef without requiring everyone to choose the same main course that evening.
14. Monkey Bar: Manhattan Style With a Crisp Side
Manhattan glamour does not have to rule out a plate of fries. Monkey Bar has offered beef fat fries, giving diners a familiar comfort alongside its polished setting and classic American dishes.
Look for the current preparation on the menu, since toppings and side choices may change. A plain serving is especially useful if you are comparing restaurants, allowing the potato itself to remain the focus instead of cheese, herbs, or a strong dipping sauce.
15. The Loyalist: Chicago Frites With Bistro Spirit
Frites sound fancy, but the pleasure is wonderfully simple: hot potatoes with a crisp bite. The Loyalist in Chicago has featured beef fat frites, making it a useful stop for fans of richer frying.
Check whether they come with your chosen burger or need a separate order. Enjoy the first few without dipping, then try the house accompaniment to see how it changes the balance between salty crust, soft center, and savory flavor underneath it.
16. Red Hook Tavern: Brooklyn’s Burger Companion
A destination burger deserves more than a forgettable side. Red Hook Tavern in Brooklyn has paired its celebrated beef offering with beef fat fries, keeping the potato preparation firmly in the hearty tavern tradition.
Plan your visit around current opening hours and reservation options rather than assuming a quick walk in. Once your food arrives, give the fries attention early; their fresh crunch is easiest to appreciate before conversation and the burger take over dinner.
17. Hawksmoor: British Beef Dripping Chips
Across the Atlantic, beef dripping is the term to watch for on menus. Hawksmoor’s British restaurants have served beef dripping chips, linking their potato sides to a long tradition of cooking with rendered animal fat.
Check the exact restaurant before booking, especially when comparing British and American locations. Menus differ, and not every potato side uses the same fat, so ask specifically about chips rather than assuming every fried dish follows an identical kitchen recipe.
18. Honest Burgers: Rosemary Chips With British Roots
Rosemary gives these British chips a scent you may notice before your first bite. Honest Burgers has used beef dripping for its signature rosemary chips, which often arrive as part of the burger order.
That included side can make comparing meal prices easier, but check your chosen menu before ordering. Diners seeking a vegetarian meal should ask about the chips separately, since a meatless burger does not automatically mean its potato companion avoids animal fat.
19. Flat Iron: A Focused Steak-and-Chips Meal
A short steak menu leaves little room for a weak potato side. Flat Iron in Britain has offered beef dripping chips, giving diners a classic match for its namesake cut without much fuss.
Check whether sides are priced separately when planning your meal, since a tempting steak price may not include chips. Splitting a portion with another diner can leave space for vegetables while still letting you enjoy that familiar contrast of crisp and fluffy.
20. Blacklock: Chop-House Chips Worth Sharing
Chops and chips make an easy friendship at this British restaurant group. Blacklock has served beef dripping chips, a fitting partner for grilled meat and a reminder that traditional potato cooking remains alive.
Ask how many portions suit your table before ordering several sides, especially during a shared feast. If dietary needs matter, confirm the fryer setup as well as the fat itself, because the cooking process tells you more than a brief menu description.