# Can you get 'chipper' chips in the US anywhere? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 15, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790 "2008-11-15T00:03:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [November 15, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/1 "2008-11-15T00:03:50Z")
You know the fat cut, greasy numbers you get with fish in most towns and cities in the UK and Ireland? If you can’t get them, how come why not? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/2 "2008-11-15T00:07:42Z")
You can buy frozen ones and some restaurants serve them. They are often referred to as “steak fries.” The skinny ones are much more popular or at least much more common, though. ---
**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:** [November 15, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/3 "2008-11-15T00:14:40Z")
Steak fries are prepared differently to the best of my knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/4 "2008-11-15T00:24:54Z")
Whenever I’ve had them, they’ve just been big, thick french fries. Are chips something else? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/5 "2008-11-15T00:29:53Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Steak fries are prepared differently to the best of my knowledge. Definitions vary, but most of the time “steak-cut” fries look [like this](http://www.lutosa.com/files/produits/catalogue/assiettes/large/frites-coupe-10-18-pom-steak.jpg). You may be thinking of seasoned [wedge-cut fries](http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/icaiwei/100_3925.jpg), which I first had as “[jojos](http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/images/veggies/jojopotatoes.jpg),” and are also sometimes referred to as [steak fries](http://www.city-data.com/forum/el-paso/353695-french-fries.html). People just can’t be taxonomically consistent, especially in a large, culturally-diverse country like ours. Hell, [this picture](http://pro.corbis.com/images/BXP28036.jpg?size=572&uid=%7B141DB58C-2FD1-48F7-944D-014A5EA98EB0%7D) was labeled “wedge-cut” when no wedge shape is involved. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/6 "2008-11-15T00:50:05Z")
I haven’t eaten at [Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Treacher%27s) in a long time, but I would suppose their fries are as close to British chips as they can make them, since that’s their theme. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/7 "2008-11-15T00:50:17Z")
Is “chipper” the standard Irish (the country not the language) equivalent of “chippy”? ---
**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:** [November 15, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/8 "2008-11-15T00:55:36Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Definitions vary, but most of the time “steak-cut” fries look [like this](http://www.lutosa.com/files/produits/catalogue/assiettes/large/frites-coupe-10-18-pom-steak.jpg). > You may be thinking of seasoned [wedge-cut fries](http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/icaiwei/100_3925.jpg), which I first had as “[jojos](http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/images/veggies/jojopotatoes.jpg),” and are also sometimes referred to as [steak fries](http://www.city-data.com/forum/el-paso/353695-french-fries.html). People just can’t be taxonomically consistent, especially in a large, culturally-diverse country like ours. Hell, [this picture](http://pro.corbis.com/images/BXP28036.jpg?size=572&uid=%7B141DB58C-2FD1-48F7-944D-014A5EA98EB0%7D) was labeled “wedge-cut” when no wedge shape is involved. Jojos are wedges here. Steak-cut fries are served here but they’re just called chips. Chipper chips are greasier than those other ones and look like[this](http://www.terrysmobilefishandchips.com/fish/files/fish_and_chips.jpg). They’re cooked in a deep fat fryer along with the fish and other battered goodies, sometimes with peanut oil, other times with animal fat and other times with vegetable oil. ---
**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:** [November 15, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/9 "2008-11-15T01:00:17Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > Is “chipper” the standard Irish (the country not the language) equivalent of “chippy”? Yep. A chippy to me would be a carpenter although I don’t doubt there are some people who call a chipper a chippy hereabouts. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/10 "2008-11-15T01:03:51Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Yep. A chippy to me would be a carpenter although I don’t doubt there are some people who call a chipper a chippy hereabouts. Chippy is a carpenter/joiner to me too. Are there any specialist offerings in an Irish chipper? Or is it pretty much the same as in England? Sorry for the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/11 "2008-11-15T01:14:00Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Definitions vary, but most of the time “steak-cut” fries look [like this](http://www.lutosa.com/files/produits/catalogue/assiettes/large/frites-coupe-10-18-pom-steak.jpg). > You may be thinking of seasoned [wedge-cut fries](http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y135/icaiwei/100_3925.jpg), which I first had as “[jojos](http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/images/veggies/jojopotatoes.jpg),” and are also sometimes referred to as [steak fries](http://www.city-data.com/forum/el-paso/353695-french-fries.html). People just can’t be taxonomically consistent, especially in a large, culturally-diverse country like ours. Hell, [this picture](http://pro.corbis.com/images/BXP28036.jpg?size=572&uid=%7B141DB58C-2FD1-48F7-944D-014A5EA98EB0%7D) was labeled “wedge-cut” when no wedge shape is involved. I’m guessing it’s the big-ass “Mojo” potatoes we used to get in the CA Central Valley, similar to your Jojos, but bigger. I’m also guessing that chips with fish & chips aren’t seasoned like the mojos are? Just plain potato? Joe ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/12 "2008-11-15T01:23:14Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Jojos are wedges here. > Steak-cut fries are served here but they’re just called chips. > Chipper chips are greasier than those other ones and look like[this](http://www.terrysmobilefishandchips.com/fish/files/fish_and_chips.jpg). They’re cooked in a deep fat fryer along with the fish and other battered goodies, sometimes with peanut oil, other times with animal fat and other times with vegetable oil. Yeah, those are pretty much the default here in the US, they’re not hard to come by at all. [(Wendy’s chain fries)](http://www.wendys.com/food/Family.jsp?family=7) The Red Robin chain specializes in the “steak fries”, among others, so they aren’t hard to find either. [Red Robin Menu](http://www.redrobin.com/home/menu.aspx) (flash menu - if you go to the “fish and chips” you can actually see the chips/fries) Were you under the impression we had potato chips or something instead? Just wondering. ---
**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:** [November 15, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/13 "2008-11-15T01:24:32Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > Chippy is a carpenter/joiner to me too. > > Are there any specialist offerings in an Irish chipper? Or is it pretty much the same as in England? > > Sorry for the hijack. There are slight variations on the menu even throughout Ireland. You can get curry and cheese chips in some chippers for example but it’s not so common within Dublin. Battered cod and other fish, smoked cod, burgers, quarter pounders, chips, spice burgers, batter burgers, battered sausage, curry sauce, I’d say most of the menu would be the same. ---
**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:** [November 15, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/14 "2008-11-15T01:29:12Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > Yeah, those are pretty much the default here in the US, they’re not hard to come by at all. [(Wendy’s chain fries)](http://www.wendys.com/food/Family.jsp?family=7) The Red Robin chain specializes in the “steak fries”, among others, so they aren’t hard to find either. [Red Robin Menu](http://www.redrobin.com/home/menu.aspx) (flash menu - if you go to the “fish and chips” you can actually see the chips/fries) > > Were you under the impression we had potato chips or something instead? Just wondering. I’ve not been to every restaurant in the US but anytime I’ve had fries/chips I’ve never had chips like here, even in Fish and Chips dishes. US thick cut chips aren’t as greasy and don’t taste as potato-y. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/15 "2008-11-15T01:30:10Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > There are slight variations on the menu even throughout Ireland. You can get curry and cheese chips in some chippers for example but it’s not so common within Dublin. I’ve only been to Dublin, had a really nice fish and chip lunch in a gastropub in Dalkey though. > [@An Gadaí](#): > > Battered cod and other fish, smoked cod, burgers, quarter pounders, chips, spice burgers, batter burgers, battered sausage, curry sauce, I’d say most of the menu would be the same. Sounds pretty much the same. Not seen curry sauce in London though. ---
**Author:** ![lexan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/73ab20/32.png) [@lexan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/16 "2008-11-15T01:31:06Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Chipper chips are greasier than those other ones and look like[this](http://www.terrysmobilefishandchips.com/fish/files/fish_and_chips.jpg). They’re cooked in a deep fat fryer along with the fish and other battered goodies, sometimes with peanut oil, other times with animal fat and other times with vegetable oil. Those look to me like the kind of fries you’d likely get at a local bar. The kind of place that does most of their business in beer, but has a small menu with fried foods and a few sandwiches. I haven’t seen fries quite like that at any national chain, but I could be wrong. They look thicker than Wendy’s fries (which are a bit thicker than other fast food fries), but not the same shape as steak-cut fries. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/17 "2008-11-15T02:04:01Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve not been to every restaurant in the US but anytime I’ve had fries/chips I’ve never had chips like here, even in Fish and Chips dishes. US thick cut chips aren’t as greasy and don’t taste as potato-y. Ah, I see. (I wasn’t aware you’d eaten here at all!) As far as the thick cut goes a lot of it just depends on the establishment. I’ve had both delicious greasy, soggy perfect thick cut fries with my fish as well as stiff as a board dry ones that tasted like sawdust. What’s more sometimes if you order fish & chips somewhere that specializes in burgers or something you’re likely to get spindly thin cut crispy fries, just because those go better with hotdogs/hamburgers, etc. Such is life. There could be something to whether or not the fries are handmade or from a service or not too. I wonder if anyplace actually makes their own instead of buying frozen anymore, and I wonder if we’d prefer those or not? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/18 "2008-11-15T04:49:07Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Jojos are wedges here. > Steak-cut fries are served here but they’re just called chips. > Chipper chips are greasier than those other ones and look like[this](http://www.terrysmobilefishandchips.com/fish/files/fish_and_chips.jpg). They’re cooked in a deep fat fryer along with the fish and other battered goodies, sometimes with peanut oil, other times with animal fat and other times with vegetable oil. I can feel my arteries hardening just from **reading** that . . . ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/19 "2008-11-15T08:56:31Z")
Drop by me (figure Chicago) and I can set you up with some perfectly [del]disgusting[/del] deliscious fries/chips. And with them a pretty good Chicago Hot Dog. Sorry, but getting both in excellent form at the same joint is unlikely. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790/20 "2008-11-15T11:36:29Z")
I’ve never had what I call chips in the U.S. The closest thing was done at home. Had a chat with a friend in Belfast about cock-a-leekie and discovered that I’d not heard of any of the potato types recommended. I suspect there’s the biggest reason for the difference. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-chipper-chips-in-the-us-anywhere/472790.md?page=2)