# Are tater tots popular outside the Midwest? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445 "2014-12-16T22:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/21 "2014-12-17T00:28:59Z")
Here in the Northeast, they’re widely served in school cafeterias, but I don’t think many adult-type restaurants would serve them simply because of the childish connotations. I actually like them quite a lot - they’re no more unhealthy than fries or chips - but it would be unusual to see them in a sit-down place. In grocery stores and such, sure. ---
**Author:** ![slowlearner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@slowlearner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slowlearner)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/22 "2014-12-17T00:30:06Z")
Texans have always grown up eating Tots, that’s why we make such good Presidents. Chili cheese burger with Tot’s and cheese, the cheese melted over the Tots and the whole mess turned upside down, Keller’s Drive In in Dallas, TX, lower middle class milfy carhops serving ice cold Bud Longnecks on a hot summer night, it all still exists, must go soon… ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/23 "2014-12-17T00:44:50Z")
I grew up bouncing around between Virginia, upstate New York, south Florida, and Arkansas. This is the first time I’ve ever encountered the idea that “tater tot” might be more of a regionalism than, say, “corn dog”. (Which is to say, I could believe it, but it’d take some convincing.) Pretty sure everyone has tater tots. ETA: Always nice when the thread responses confirm personal experience…but you always have to check. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/24 "2014-12-17T00:45:58Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > Texans have always grown up eating Tots, that’s why we make such good Presidents. Okay, you guys should really rethink this strategy. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/25 "2014-12-17T00:52:37Z")
On the one hand, my company’s cafeteria here in Central Florida has tater tots and they seem to be pretty popular. On the other hand, this fact does seem unusual to me and I don’t see tater tots on very many non-breakfast menus. Maybe this means that everyone just _thinks_ they’re unpopular here and there’s a large untapped market. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/26 "2014-12-17T01:14:44Z")
I was going to say you occasionally find them on menus here but it turns out that Tater Tots aren’t the same as croquettes! ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/27 "2014-12-17T03:01:42Z")
We had tater tots when I was in grade school, some 30 years ago, in South Florida. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/28 "2014-12-17T03:11:38Z")
Loves us some tater tots in the **~99** household. My daughter does a very nice casserole with them, some diced ham, grated cheese and bechamel. And they are the breakfast potato of on the menu at Carl’s Jr. Seriously? Tater tots? That’s almost like leaving your home state for the first time and being amazed that other states have Oreos, or something. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/29 "2014-12-17T03:18:58Z")
We had them in San Diego back in the mid-60s. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/30 "2014-12-17T03:42:13Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > Texans have always grown up eating Tots, that’s why we make such good Presidents. Chili cheese burger with Tot’s and cheese, the cheese melted over the Tots and the whole mess turned upside down, Keller’s Drive In in Dallas, TX, lower middle class milfy carhops serving ice cold Bud Longnecks on a hot summer night, it all still exists, must go soon… Last time I was there, the carhops were either hot jail-baitish high school girls, or rode hard and put up wet middle aged women. No MILFy types for sure. But yeah… Keller’s is definitely interesting. I always end up there on Saturday or Sunday afternoons when the bikers are hanging out, which is always interesting people watching while waiting for my burgers, onion rings and tots. Tots seem to be a Dallas burger joint thing; I don’t recall Cliff’s, Prince’s, Hubcap Grill or any other Houston burger joint that I’ve eaten at having tots. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/31 "2014-12-17T03:45:32Z")
I buy them at Sonic. I can’t recall any seeing them offered anywhere else. We fix them at home too. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/32 "2014-12-17T04:00:00Z")
Everybody loves Tater Tots. I’ve seen them in couple of restaurants, one was a barbecue joint, the other was a diner. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/33 "2014-12-17T04:02:34Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I buy them at Sonic. I can’t recall any seeing them offered anywhere else. > > We fix them at home too. Sonic! Of course! Why did my mind go all the way back to Toddle House? Only answer that makes sense is that I that I rarely order tots out. Don’t mess with the frozen all that much either. But I do know they aren’t just a Midwest thing. ---
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/34 "2014-12-17T13:08:10Z")
When I was in Boston, my landlord, an older (and totally awesome) Tamil guy loved tater tots and he’d always make me a couple of extras when we were there at the same time. I was surprised. Coming from California (not sure if it matters), I hadn’t eaten tater tots since I was in grade school. But then I started seeing it on the menus in some of the more trendy/hipster restaurants around Harvard and some of the squares. Then I started telling my landlord that he should go to these restaurants and tell them that he liked tater tots way before places like these started selling them. Ah, tater tots. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/35 "2014-12-17T13:13:54Z")
Tater tots are great. My dorm wouldn’t serve them on Fridays though- that was the most likely night for a food fight to erupt and tater tots are the best ammo. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/36 "2014-12-17T14:39:07Z")
We used to get them at school growing up in New England, and we get the frozen ones from the grocery store occasionally; but I don’t often see them in restaurants around here (upper South). ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/37 "2014-12-17T14:40:31Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I buy them at Sonic. I can’t recall any seeing them offered anywhere else. > > We fix them at home too. Burger King has them on their breakfast menu in San Diego. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/38 "2014-12-17T16:15:02Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > They’re pretty common in Atlanta. Available as sides at several restaurants, my kids eat them in the school cafeteria (as did I, 35 years ago), etc. I really want tots from the [Universal Joint](http://www.ujointbar.com/) now. I grew up with tots, and see them regularly as a side both here in Atlanta and elsewhere. Also, someplace I’ve been recently serves sweet potato tots, and they were awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/39 "2014-12-17T16:27:58Z")
There is a local chain brew house here (Scotty’s) that has Totchos on their menu. Basically Nachos but using Tater Tots instead of chips. They are amazingly good. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445/40 "2014-12-17T17:07:45Z")
We buy them once in a while and there’s a burger joint near here that sells them. So, yes- but not _as_ popular. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tater-tots-popular-outside-the-midwest/707445.md?page=3)