Frites - CLOSED
925 E. Pike Street
Seattle, WA 98122
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 3:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Thu 3:00 p.m.-2:30 a.m.
Fri-Sat 3:00 p.m.-2:30 a.m.
Sun 3:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Late Night
- Alcohol: None
64 Reviews for Frites
i'm glad i was able to enjoy some awesome frites before it closed for business. the collection of sauces was amazing and some i've never even heard of. i introduced my friends to this place and they enjoyed it as well. hopefully something like this will open up soon. seattle should have a euro block that has a frites shop, gelato shop, and a museum of ham all in one block!
Frites has been closed for quite some time, but it still lives in my heart and thus needs a review.
I can't stop thinking about your crispy goodness wrapped so lovingly and thoughtfully in brown paper. I never thought you would ever leave me, but it was was your destiny. I am happy that I met you, because I instantly fell in love and although you are gone forever, you will always live in my memories and deep in my heart. I remember that one day that you smeared KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce on my Wu-Tang hoodie. It was a classic hoodie, but you didn't mean to do it. I forgave you and returned for more of your love a few minutes later.
You cut me off so suddenly and I still haven't gotten over the heartbreak, but now every time I taste KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce I think of you and I wonder where you are in the world. I love you Frites. If you ever come back to me in Seattle. I will welcome you with open jaws.
Love,
Ameenah
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I really, really miss you.
*cries*
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I know you're CLOSED and I'm in denial. I'm just glad I had the chance to experience the magic frites last year before you closed your doors fo'eva! Now, where the heck am I gonna get some frites?
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Frites! Frites!
Sorry, sometimes when I am searching for deep fried delicious food downtown I go into zombie mode. Then I remember that Frites is closed and throw curses at the heavens.
I can't be 100% positive but I think the closing of Frites is a predestined signal of the Apocalypse*.
*Wow, I just totally guessed the spelling of that and got it right! Woo-Hoo brain!
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Dear Friends of Frites,
I am saddened to say that Frites has closed it's doors in Seattle forever. After almost a year of living in europe studying the art of the frite and 3 years of handcrafting vlaamse friet for the Capitol Hill community I must call it quits.
It was an absolute pleasure providing the people of Seattle with delicious and authentic Belgian Fries. Frites was the first of it's kind in Seattle and since opening the doors, I've received only positive feedback from its customers and the local and national press. I'd like to thank you all for contributing to the success of Frites and helping Frites win so many awards throughout the years, it means so much to me.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Anthony Falco
Frites: Belgian Fries
Owner/Creator
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A little piece of me just died as I read the bold "CLOSED" next to Frites. I was just reminiscing about gorging on the perfectly crispy Belgian fries dipped in your choice of flavored aioli or curry ketchup after rocking out next door at Neumo's.
I feel like I just found out that a loved one just passed and I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.... :(
Goodbye, sweet rosemary aioli. May you rest in peace.
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WTF? They closed? I just read that review (and have to admit that I laughed at the seemingly unintentional pun "chips stacked against me) indicating they are closed. What a loss! How am I going to survive a show at Neumos?
The fries here are fantastic. If you're at a show at Neumos and you start getting light-headed from dehydration and the smell of dancing hippies, go to Frites and get a cone of fries with one of their assorted sauces. They stay open late (until 2:30 on weekends - midnight otherwise) and the place is very small and simple. There is very limited seating so the frites are best eaten on the go. I'd suggest carrying a miniature souvenir baseball bat for protection and to ward off any hungry hipsters or homeless people that try to steal one of your perfect, double-fried frites.
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Did you know that the national dish of Belgium is steak fries? It's true. And thanks to Frites, now I know why!
Not only did french fries and waffles originate in Belgium, but this glorious country is known for two other things near and dear to my heart: beer and chocolate.
It's settled. I'm moving to Belgium.
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When walking around Capitol Hill/First Hill you can't ask for a better treat than this place. The fries come in a paper cone which makes them easy to carry around. The easy to go piece is necessary since they have extremely limited seating and is almost always full on a weekend night. Make sure to try some of the different dipping sauces - they are 100x better than plain ole ketchup on your fires! Make sure to make a late night stop here sometime - you just can't miss out! Oh and remember they don't take cards so be sure to have some cash on you!
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Absolutely wonderful for when you're drunk!!! Fried food and lots of condiments. D-lish! Sadly, they are now closed which means the next best bet is the hot dog stand near Neighbours (which is also wonderful).
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=/ What will the world be without Frites. 1 Star Power for being closed. 5 star memories of back in the day. I'm just Sad that this fine establishment is gone. Oh please where art thou replacer !! The End.
***If your sad get glad because theres still a place To get your Fry cravings head to http://www.yelp.com/bi...
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Apparently this place does not need any more sticky-fingered reviewers messing up their keyboards over how good the frites are.
But I had to chime in.
I'm a sauce girl (interpret THAT however you must) and I am just flabbergasted by the wondrous choices available to me at this late night drunk stop. I don't even drink, but I still crave drunk food, and who doesn't want to stumble in and be handed a paper cone of crunchy, burn-your-naughty-mouth-hot chips with an embarassment of sauces to dip them in.
Last time I was there I discovered that the gentleman behind the counter was indeed stoned when he kept repeating how much I looked just like this girl he went to high school with and saying "whoa" a lot. His intoxicatedness does not take away a star; it would add a star if it could be six stars because, well, it makes things even more surreal for the frites-eater. Go with the flow. Oh, and if you just happened to be stoned, I can only imagine how perfect a destination this would be.
Moral of the story: shove your face with these little guys. Mmmm.
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They only serve fries, so it stands to reason that the fries should be super good. Wrong. These are average at best. Even crappy corporate chain restaurants can do better.
The salt used is large and wide (probably sea salt), which is nice, but they use regular salt shakers, so none of the salt can fall through! Then when you open the salt shaker to get some out, it's all greasy because 30 other people before you did the same thing.
Then let's talk about the "awesome" sauces. Find me a sauce that isn't ketchup or mayo. They're all the same two varieties, except for a different spice or two. None of this is interesting or novel.
I recall this place only being okay when drunk, but I'd had some to drink last weekend, stopped by this place, and it was still terrible.
I WILL give credit to the person (owner?) who kept my girlfriend's wallet (money intact) when we left it there the previous night. But even that was a tiny hassle- THIS PLACE HAS NO PHONE LINE so you cannot call them.
I give the extra star because of the honesty of the person who kept the lost wallet safe, but the fries here are crap.
You don't believe me? Grab any variety of oven fries ($2.50) from Whole Foods and bake for 20 minutes. Wrap in aluminum foil, and bring with you to Frites. Order their fries. Eat side-by-side. Surprised? You shouldn't be.
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These are the french fries that they serve in Heaven. I heard that Frites has an exclusive contract with the main Man himself and that his favorite dipping sauce is tartar too. You could get something else, you can always repent later.
We truly do live in God's country here in the Pacific Northwest.
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Factoid: 88 year old Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a regular at Frites, and is the only person to have finished two large cones in under an hour.
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I had a serious hankering for frites the other day and had to satisfy that craving. I called my buddy to see if she wanted to go because she too is a big fan of food that isn't good for you. It was about 3:40 p.m. or so and the place was closed! No sign saying if they were closed for the day or they were running late. Not a good way to run a business. Suffice to say, I wasn't very pleased and had to think of some other place to go. We decided to hit Charlie's for happy hour and cruise by Frites afterwards. I was pretty happy to see that they were open when we got there! The craving was satisfied!
On this trip we each ordered the small ($2.50) which was more than enough for me. I can't even imagine tackling the medium or large. They were out of honey mustard so I tried the Pablano Ranch and Sun Dried Tomato Mayo. Both were pretty good, but I definitely like my friend's choice of Garlic Aioli and Rosemary.
UPDATE: 03/21/07
Tried four more sauces: honey mustard, curry ketchup, sweet chili sauce and adobo. Honey mustard was the best of this bunch. I was thinking that the curry ketchup would be more of an Indian curry, but it was more like Thai. The sweet chili sauce was the same type of sauce you would find in your typical Asian restaurant. Adobo didn't have a very distinctive taste because it was so light.
UPDATE: 04/17/07
Two more sauces down: pesto mayo and tartar. Tartar was pretty much run of the mill, but the pesto mayo was freaking awesome! It's definitely my favorite alongside garlic aioli.
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No question - best fries in Seattle, bottom line.
More than likely the best fries in the U.S., if not the world and the universe.
Okay, maybe not but it doesn't matter. They're crisp and salty and that's what matters, drunk or sober.
And the sauces, oooooohhhhh the sauces. I wish I had thought them up. Whoever did is brilliant and my mouth would like to express its gratitude. I have always (yes, my whole life) preferred to dip my fries in something more exciting than plain ol' ketchup and this place has made my dreams come true in regards to variety and flavor options (I suppose it is all ketchup and mayo or something similar, but it's DELICIOUS).
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How did I exist before I knew about Frites? Now all of the sudden the world is fresher, colors are brighter, and Andalouse sauce tastes like rapture. In a good way.
I want to write volumes about how much I love Frites, but it can really be summed up neatly- they make the best fries I've ever had. Thick, hot, always fresh, crisp on the outside, soft and lovely on the inside. I can't wait to go back to try more of their delicious sauces.
A word of caution - they make them to order and they're hot as hell so pick up extra napkins to hold on to them with, you'll burn your fingers if you aren't careful.
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So yummy with their homemade garlic aioli dipping sauce... mmmm.. the thickness and crunchiness of the fries are so good together. Its perfect when you need some good-for-your-body food. :)
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Wow, weird, yah so many positive reviews but I think I must be spoiled (!) I've had the authentic ones in Europe (Amsterdam) and also in Canada and these are really a totally different food. Same concept: fries & sauce, but completely different execution.
Yikes and the strange bratwurst sauteed with sauce and peppers and served over fries was really... $7.50. Not much wurst, too much other stuff. I would recommend the dog cart outside Chop Suey or wherever over this.
The sauces are basically dressed up ketchup and mayo. Really disappointing. Go to Vancouver and try "Fritz". And try a "poutine" which is awesome cheese curds and brown gravy over fries. Sounds weird but it is really good. Even Burger King has them in Vancouver (!) I'm torn between 1 and 2 stars because they have good hours. But the place is getting a little run down and greasy.
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Frites is the only place I go post a long night of drinking and debauchery. Saddle on up to the counter and go for the Groot (I have a tendency of going with someone who shares my love of gluttonous eating). I always get the Rosemary Aioli, Curry Ketchup, and the third is always something different. I have also ordered a Brat before but this should come with a disclaimer: its good, but prepared to wait (at least 15-20 minutes). I would recommend going down Pike to the hot dog guys outside Neighbours and get the cream cheese spicy Mexican explosion.
So here my recommendation: 1. Groot at Frites and 2. loaded spicy hot dog down the street....wowza...it's a gut bomb
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These fries are so good that you'll burn your month eating them. I got a $2.50 bag of them to get a taste. I got some garlec dipping sause and did my best to make it last till the very last fries.
atmosphere is kind of dirty and rustic but I like it. It reminds me of visiting an old Swiss or German pub.
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Being next to Neumos automatically gets cool points. Serving great Bavarian fries is also helps. Kevin S. took introduced us to the glory that is double-fried fries w/ delicious dipping sauces. For that, I am forever grateful.
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It is all about the poblano ranch, spicier the better. And no one needs a large fry to themselves. To anyone who likes Dick's fries, I sorry to the fans, but I cannot eat them, not even one soggy limp little fry when I am drunk, Have You Been to Frites? I think not. Downside is if it's raining and there is only room for maybe 7 people sitting and 5 standing.
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Oh no you're closed down!?!?!?! Please say it ain't so..... Y'all had the best frites. This is a sad situation......
It's 12:30 and you're too drunk to stay in the bar but too hungry to go straight home. As you pass the new Bad Juju Lounge and Neumos, the delicious smell of fried food hits your nose. Your nose leads to Frites and they do not disappoint. Scorching hot, deliciously greasy, thick-cut slabs of potato-goodness slathered in one of about 20 different dipping sauces make for the perfect end to a night out. And they help soak up some of that alcohol too. One warning though, since they are below Neumo's, sometimes the bass in the Frites shop is enough to make that alcohol come back up the way it came down.
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I wish there wasa Frites in Beltown... well, pretty much anywhere there's a lot of bars. Nothing says nutrition like a large order of their fries and 2 or 3 dipping sauces. I think a large order is composed of 2 or 3 potatoes. They cut their potatoes fresh everyday and you can taste it!
Get me some garlic ailoi and a large fries and I'm a happy camper.
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What the hell, another 5 -star review..........
Just go to Frites after a night of partying on the Hill and you'll see what everyone is talking about.
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Oh how sad that Frites has closed! We loved that place!
Ah, geez, I fell in love.
Fries, freshly made + Dipping Sauces = Meaning of Life
If the meaning of life means salty good food. Oh yes! I don't even know what sauce is my favorite - maybe the garlic aioli? the curry ketchup?
Take your newly-found fried friends over for a drink at the bar next door and I guarantee you a good time.
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If I lived in Seattle, I'd eat here all the time. The dipping sauces are amazing and the fries are to die for. There should be late-night chip shops like this in every city.
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Late night fries at it's finest. I tried the Curry Ketchup and it was awesome. I dont eat fries that often, but it was definitely a nice treat, and it was the best I have had in Seattle. I will definitely go there again when I fancy some good belgian style fries. The crowd at 200am on a saturday is what you would expect: drunk, rowdy, but this didnt throw off the staff and I was very happy with the service.
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Best fries in Seattle.
The fries come in THREE sizes... that said unless you're with three or more people I really wouldn't recommend getting the largest size cause its tough to finish all that fried potatoe.
Oh and be careful with the honey mustard sauce - it says its german mustard... to me that means more mustard less honey.
Anyway, definitely a great place to check out after you've drunk yourself silly somewhere in capitol hill.
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It's a strange place to find fries, but there they are... Whether fighting off a Neumo's induced nausea or just a hapless curiosity, you'll never ingest this much potato with as much glee. Or chipotle mayo. Somehow those seem related.
Maybe it's not the best value for your fry, but they always manage to catch you at a vulnerable moment. (Drunk or hungry at 9th and Pike at 12AM)
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Do one thing, and do it phenomenally, and you can't go wrong.
Best fries in the city, with a huge array of sauces both nouveau and traditional Belgian (try the mayo, c'mon!!!!). Good when you're sober, good when you're drunk. I especially like the little authentic touches - the tiny plastic fork, the Flemish-language size choices, and the cute blonde boys who almost look like they could be scooping your greasy paper cone of frites in an alley in Brussels. However, I'm still waiting for an authentic Dutch-Indonesian peanut sauce to really scratch that Euro itch.
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FRITES 0WNS. True, this place is literally a hole in the wall, and parking is impossible but you have to risk it all and just give this dive a try. Put simply, Frites are thick bite sized wedges of potatoes that have been double deep-fried to give them their crunch.
They've got 3(?) different sizes of paper cones to get your fill of these morsels of starchy gold. The paper cone 'delivery system' is great for communal snackage. And the dipping sauces! They've got a gang of flavors that won't disappoint and come in those small plastic containers with lids; extra flavors can be had for some change. Open really late too.
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Oh so perfect. Conveniently located in the Pike/Pine corridor next to Neumo's, and thus easily accessible during barhopping and show-going on the Hill. Great selection of dipping materials (do they even have regular ketchup here? I don't know, and haven't bothered to find out). If you need to load up some carbs to take the edge off the first 5 drinks of the night, do it here.
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The people and place are gezellig (convivial) and the frites are lekker (yummy). They even have all the requisite equipment, including the little gizmo for shaking the frites with the salt.
The one saus they don't have -- unless I missed it, which was totally plausible as their signage leaves a bit to be desired -- was the old fave, peanut... a necessary part of the traditional A'dam frites-mayo-peanut hangover cure.
And yes, it is a total pain in the butt to find. If I hadn't known it was next to Neumo's, I might never have found it, even knowing which intersection it was.
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