Best restaurant for French fries in Sarasota and Bradenton? Here’s my favorite

Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Updated ·2 min read
2

Following National Hamburger Day, and my pick for the best burger restaurant in Sarasota and Manatee counties, let's turn our focus to everybody's favorite burger side dish: French fries.

Regardless of whether you prefer them straight or curly, dipped in ketchup or doused with vinegar, everybody loves a good one, and we have plenty of reasons to celebrate these delectable deep-fried potatoes. National French Fry Day is July 12, and the 2024 Summer Olympics take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11 — with France, of course, being the original home of the French fry, unless you ask the Belgians. But for this story, we are not.

I'll begin by sharing my pick for the best French fries restaurant in Sarasota and Bradenton. Please continue reading to submit your pick for the best local French fry destination. The winner will be featured in a national results story by our sister publication, USA TODAY.

Best burger restaurant in Sarasota? My favorite for food, drinks, and a fun setting

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Central Cafe serves the best French fries in Sarasota and Bradenton

Hand Cut Fries at Central Cafe in Bradenton photographed March 13, 2024.
Hand Cut Fries at Central Cafe in Bradenton photographed March 13, 2024.

906 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. For more information, call 941-757-0050 or visit centralcafe941.com.

One of the most charming restaurants and full-liquor bars in Bradenton, Central Cafe occupies a first-floor space in the handsome brick building that formerly housed the Manatee Hotel near Riverwalk East. While I'm a big fan of the restaurant's burgers, pizza, and blue cheese-laced tomato soup, perhaps nothing is more essential at Central Cafe than the French fries.

The thin, hand-cut fries are adorned with chunks of coarse salt and served in a heaping pile of decadent deliciousness. Lightly fried, smartly salted, and served warm with a soft center and just the right amount of crispiness, each fry is somehow more fabulously addictive than the last.

Creamy Tomato Blue Soup at Central Cafe in Bradenton photographed March 13, 2024.
Creamy Tomato Blue Soup at Central Cafe in Bradenton photographed March 13, 2024.

Central Cafe's fries are perfect on their own, but I do enjoy them covered in the Heinz malt vinegar the restaurant provides, while dipping the occasional fry into ketchup. Another great option is to dunk the fries into a bowl of the cafe's brilliant tomato soup.

Vote now for the best French fries restaurant in Sarasota and Manatee counties

The deadline to vote is 11:59 p.m. June 20. A story containing the results will then be published July 8.

Are you reading this story in print or having trouble with the survey? Feel free to email your pick for best French fries restaurant in Sarasota and Manatee counties to [email protected].

Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best restaurant for French fries in Sarasota, Bradenton

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