# I now know which is the dumbest burger-joint of them all! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 5, 2019, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049 "2019-06-05T03:02:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/41 "2019-06-06T17:56:59Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Of course they are. They are fried, French cut potatoes. The _julienne_ technique is most certainly of French origin. These fries are cut and fried right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. (Unless you’re in another country, where this particular hamburger joint is considered, oh I don’t know, AMERICAN) ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/42 "2019-06-06T18:32:29Z")
> [@bump](#): > > We should just be thankful we didn’t get [these sandwiches that they produced in the UK about 20 years ago…](https://www.flickr.com/photos/samwibatt/7280110396/) > > I actually had the chicken one, and it wasn’t awesome, to put it mildly. Whereas I seem to remember this being the only food I ever enjoyed at erm, Wimpy, or wherever. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/43 "2019-06-06T18:53:50Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > These fries are cut and fried right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. > (Unless you’re in another country, where this particular hamburger joint is considered, oh I don’t know, AMERICAN) Yes but they are French fries. That is the proper name. If fried potatoes are not cut julienne then they are called something else. Crinkle fries, waffle fries, shoestring fries, wedges, tater tots, homestyle fries, potato cakes, hash browns, etc. All are variations of fried potato not cut in the French style. Hence the importance and accuracy of the name. When you buy French cut green beans it’s the same thing, they’re not green beans from France. If I eat Italian sausage, that doesn’t mean it was made in Italy. It means it is made with seasonings popularized in Italy. When I buy it I know what to expect. Belgian waffles don’t have to literally be made in Belgium, or from Belgian ingredients, or prepared by a person with Belgian citizenship. It’s a particular style named for its place of origin. You must be fun to watch shopping in the “ethnic food” aisle of a grocery store. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/44 "2019-06-06T19:12:25Z")
Damn. So you’re telling me devil’s food cake isn’t made from ingredients out of Lucifer’s kitchen? And that Mississippi Mud isn’t literally from Mississippi? :eek: Y’all are ruining all my cherished foodie assumptions. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/45 "2019-06-06T19:32:59Z")
> [@tricoteuse](#): > > Teratoma burgers = White Castle’s sliders. I’m sorry, waiter, I asked for _two more_ burgers. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/46 "2019-06-06T20:45:50Z")
I was in Australia a couple of years ago and ordered the Cheesy Bacon Fries. I really wanted to like them because cheesy bacon but meh. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/47 "2019-06-06T21:36:11Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Yes but they are French fries. That is the proper name. If fried potatoes are not cut julienne then they are called something else. Crinkle fries, waffle fries, shoestring fries, wedges, tater tots, homestyle fries, potato cakes, hash browns, etc. All are variations of fried potato not cut in the French style. Hence the importance and accuracy of the name. > > When you buy French cut green beans it’s the same thing, they’re not green beans from France. > > If I eat Italian sausage, that doesn’t mean it was made in Italy. It means it is made with seasonings popularized in Italy. When I buy it I know what to expect. Belgian waffles don’t have to literally be made in Belgium, or from Belgian ingredients, or prepared by a person with Belgian citizenship. It’s a particular style named for its place of origin. > > You must be fun to watch shopping in the “ethnic food” aisle of a grocery store. 🙂 I’m not buying French fries in the ethic food section. They are in the freezer section, right next to fish-sticks. Plus, I do know fish don’t grow into sticks and bread themselves. And, BTW I’m always fun! ---
**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:** [June 7, 2019, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/48 "2019-06-07T01:31:24Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Here in the UK they are advertising their latest burger variants [thus.](https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/latest/great-tastes-of-america.html) The closest store where I can get them is in Strabane, Ulster, NI. I can recall a ChiDope held in a bar that had been a top collection point for the IRA–and they thought WE were rambunctious. I may not be welcome. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/49 "2019-06-07T01:59:31Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Your making a lot of assumptions here as he didn’t name the restaurant. > > Don’t admit to anything so fast, you are ruining your way to wiggle out of this one. Agreed. You need to double down and keep digging until you get out. That’s the only way. You’ll know you’re right when every other poster is calling you an obstinate jerk. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/50 "2019-06-07T06:33:59Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > If I eat Italian sausage, that doesn’t mean it was made in Italy. It means it is made with seasonings popularized in Italy. When I buy it I know what to expect. Belgian waffles don’t have to literally be made in Belgium, or from Belgian ingredients, or prepared by a person with Belgian citizenship. It’s a particular style named for its place of origin. Sure, but those dishes definitely originated in those countries. French fries, on the other hand, are more ambiguous. Sure, they were popularized in America through the French, but it’s possible that Belgians invented the dish first, according to records. But, even if they did create them, I’d argue that the fast food fry is not really the same dish as the original French fried potato. I consider it an American invention. As does a lot of the world, who call them “American fries” to distinguish them from other kinds. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/51 "2019-06-07T15:42:37Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Sure, but those dishes definitely originated in those countries. French fries, on the other hand, are more ambiguous. Sure, they were popularized in America through the French, but it’s possible that Belgians invented the dish first, according to records. > > But, even if they did create them, I’d argue that the fast food fry is not really the same dish as the original French fried potato. I consider it an American invention. As does a lot of the world, who call them “American fries” to distinguish them from other kinds. “American fries” is wrong, and an ignorant statement by those unfamiliar with American food. America has many varieties of fried potatoes. Only one kind is French cut. Whether or not the dish originated in France or Belgium is debated. But either way, the potatoes are French cut, hence the name. ETA: I’d favor calling them “julienne fries” but that’s harder for people to say, spell and remember. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/52 "2019-06-07T15:56:34Z")
My grandfather fought with the Stroopwafel during WWII. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/53 "2019-06-07T16:18:19Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > My grandfather fought with the Stroopwafel during WWII. To me it sounds like a flotilla of edible zeppelins. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/54 "2019-06-07T16:33:05Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Whether or not the dish originated in France or Belgium is debated. But either way, the potatoes are French cut, hence the name. That is most likely _not_ why they are called French fries. I’ve mentioned this before, as there seems to be a misapprehension that the etymology of the phrase comes from the type of cut. [See thread here](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/159611/etymology-of-french-fries). > [@](#): > > Frites spread to America where they were called French fried potatoes. You asked how they got their name–pretty obvious, I’d say: they came from France, and they were fried potatoes, so they were called “French fried potatoes.” The name was shortened to “french fries” in the 1930s. > > By the way, the verb “to french” in cooking has come to mean to cut in long, slender strips, and some people insist that “french fries” come from that term. However, the French fried potato was known since the middle 1800s, while the OED cites the first use of the verb “to french” around 1895, so it appears pretty convincing that “french fried potatoes” came before the verb “frenching.” The origin of the name is thus the country of origin French and not the cooking term french. Every reputable etymology source I’ve read suggests that they are not named after the cut, but rather the (supposed) country of origin. ETA: Actually, let me also cite [Etymonline](https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=french+fries): > [@](#): > > 1903, American English, earlier French fried potatoes (by 1856); see French (adj.) + fry (v.). Literally “potatoes fried in the French style.” The name is from the method of making them by immersion in fat, which was then considered a peculiarity of French cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/55 "2019-06-07T17:35:26Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Dbl. Post., sorry Not a double post, you supersized it! ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/56 "2019-06-07T19:40:50Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I see the name, and I instantly think “Schutzstaffel McFlurry.” What kind of dessert would that be? :dubious: One that is racially pure and perfectly reflects the values of our beloved Fuhrer and Fatherland. Seig heil! (sometimes I scare myself). ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/57 "2019-06-07T20:22:27Z")
> [@Isosleepy](#): > > But next. Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich. Canada. Yes, Canada. Now, I’ve been to Canada. Many excellent food-items have at least a de-minimis Canadian feel or connection. If you wanted to stereotype, you could make a Canadian Tyre sandwich. Or a Maple Glazed Donut Quarter Pounder. Fucking Mozarella? What’s your problem, mac? It’s made with the finest Canadian vine tomatoes from the Niagara Peninsula, kissed by the mist from Niagara Falls, mozzarella handmade by Amish in St. Jacobs which at some point involves beating it with a stick in a wooden maple tub, and a chicken that was certified Canadian-born from a Canadian egg, and which before its untimely demise had been looking forward to about as good a life as a flightless fowl could have. What could be more Canadian than that? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/58 "2019-06-07T21:01:45Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That is most likely _not_ why they are called French fries. I’ve mentioned this before, as there seems to be a misapprehension that the etymology of the phrase comes from the type of cut. > > [See thread here](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/159611/etymology-of-french-fries). > > Every reputable etymology source I’ve read suggests that they are not named after the cut, but rather the (supposed) country of origin. > > ETA: Actually, let me also cite [Etymonline](https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=french+fries): Hmm, the Stack Exchange thread uses the same sources I used. Granted, I was referencing “French fried potatoes” which predates the later term “French fries”. But even that thread acknowledges that the potatoes are cooked in the “French style” which doesn’t necessarily mean that the name necessitates a French origin for the dish. I may have been incorrect about the French cut, though it seems far too coincidental to me that julienne potatoes are called French fries and all other cuts have different names. In any case, arguing about something apocryphal is somewhat useless. Insisting that they shouldn’t be called French because maybe they aren’t is absurd. Calling them “American” is no less accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/59 "2019-06-08T00:05:04Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > However, I’m afraid that by mentioning the name…you may have accidentally given away the identity of the restaurant. As you say, that’s just mean. ☹ Wow, I guess my eyes skipped over the first part of that paragraph… > [@Isosleepy](#): > > Ok, the stroopwafel is quintessentially Dutch. I’ll give them that. Of course, no right-thinking, never-drink-the-water, bicycle-riding speed-skating enthusiast would ever violate a stroopwafel in this way. Civilized people, heck - humans - know to put the thing over their cup of tea or coffee, let it slightly soften, and bite chunks out of it to make funny shapes. Blending it with whatever that flurry stuff is, is anathema. But, at least, the name is (partly) Dutch, as is the (shudder) inspiration. …because I was thinking “Jeez! Don’t tell me you’re sticking two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions between those whisper-thin caramel/wafer disks! That’s gonna flop out all over your lap!” :smack: But just serving it with ice cream? I recall that Swensens Ice Cream Parlors used to put a tiny one on the side of my SideCar sundae – it was the sidecar on the sundae. 🙂 > [@tricoteuse](#): > > Teratoma burgers = White Castle’s sliders. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I’m sorry, waiter, I asked for _two more_ burgers. Well, first off, buddy, my name isn’t Tera\*… 😃 * * * I must say I concur that the rant was well-written and humorous, if slightly misplaced. –G! - It’s Ralph, but that’s a whole 'nother joke… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2019, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049/60 "2019-06-08T01:01:43Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Hmm, the Stack Exchange thread uses the same sources I used. Granted, I was referencing “French fried potatoes” which predates the later term “French fries”. But even that thread acknowledges that the potatoes are cooked in the “French style” which doesn’t necessarily mean that the name necessitates a French origin for the dish. I may have been incorrect about the French cut, though it seems far too coincidental to me that julienne potatoes are called French fries and all other cuts have different names. > > In any case, arguing about something apocryphal is somewhat useless. Insisting that they shouldn’t be called French because maybe they aren’t is absurd. Calling them “American” is no less accurate. I don’t see the issue with calling them “American fries.” The way American fast food fries are cut, they do seem different than anywhere else. Yes, there are many types of “American fries,” but, internationally, the first one I would expect people to think of is the kind you get from American fast food establishments like McDonald’s or BK or Wendy’s. So what’s wrong with calling them “American fries”? They’re different than chips, they’re different than pommes frites, and if I saw “American fries” on a menu in Germany, I would know exactly what they’re talking about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-now-know-which-is-the-dumbest-burger-joint-of-them-all/835049.md?page=4)