Emma and Carol from RTL Today did what had to be done and tried out fries throughout Luxembourg – even including a coveted and nearby Belgian friterie.
An article recently came out saying that one of the best fries in Belgium was located just a few minutes away from Luxembourg's border at Chez Bryan. Of course that made the RTL Today team curious about what the fry competition was like in Luxembourg.
We tried out plain fries at each location for a fair trial, then we enjoyed the fries with whatever sauce we felt compelled to try. Based on categories of crunchiness, fluffiness, saltiness and sauciness – we picked our favourites of the bunch.
Let's get our fry on!
La Baraque
For our first fry, we started right in the city centre, near Hamilius, at La Baraque. This place brings Belgian potatoes and Belgian culture over to Luxembourg by providing fries as well as other yummy things like meatballs, Vol au Vent (creamy chicken stew), croquettes and more.
We were welcomed by friendly staff and a cosy little sitting area with nice decor. We took our seats and right behind us was a beautiful mural of the thing that made all of this possible – the mighty potato.
With some plain fries and artisanal sauces in hand, we had our first bite. The fries were thickly-cut and Belgian-styled, but felt a little too fluffy with only a mild crunch. Salt level was nice, and the fries paired well with the sauces which were not your typical ones.
The sauces were interesting at La Baraque – but hey, even when you're going for a comforting bite of junk food, you still might be looking to give your palate a sense of exploration.
While the fries weren't our favourite, it is worth exploring the different friterie food options available especially with their close-by location.
15, rue Aldringen
Luxembourg 1118
Luxembourg
Opening hours:
Monday – Saturday: 11am – 7pm
Beim Francis
Located sneakily in a car park, Beim Francis feels like you've stumbled upon a roadside treasure that only you could possibly know about.
But luckily, plenty of RTL Today readers and listeners shared the secret and brought us over to Lorentzweiler for a taste. It might have been a chilly day, but next to the friterie truck was a warm chalet-like dining area to sit, eat, and drink in.
Continuing our controlled food review protocol, we got some plain fries first with some sauces on the side.
First bite, and it's delicious. They serve thick-cut, double fried, Belgian frites with a great fluffy to crunchy ratio. The sauces were served with the classic La William sauces, adding to the level of deliciousness and even familiarity (if you, like I, ate your weight in fries throughout Belgium).
Beim Francis is a cool little family-owned joint in Lorentzweiler that really know what they're doing when it comes to fries.
35, route de Luxembourg
Lorentzweiler 7350
Luxembourg
Opening hours:
Sunday – Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday – Saturday: 11.30am – 7.30pm
Café des Tramways
Our next stop was in Limpersterberg at the notable bar, Café des Tramways. Usually known as a great location for chatter and drinks, Tramways also has lots of delicious food.
The menu boasts over ten different fry flavours – and you best believe it was very hard not to get the garlic and parmesan fries. But, Emma and Carol – two brave, determined ladies – continued the fight and stuck to plain fries.
These fries are interestingly shaped and have potato skins on some pieces. There was also a sprinkle of sea salt on top. Each plain fry bite was delicious. Again, these had the perfect ratio of fluffy to crunchy, and the shape adds to the yummy texture.
Mixed with the fun atmosphere, Cafe des Tramways is worth a stop. And while we aren't purely judging on sauces/toppings, we are very curious to try all the other flavours too.
79 Av. Pasteur
Luxembourg 2311
Luxembourg
Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday: 4pm–1am
Chez Bryan
And the last stop of our journey brought us five minutes away from the Luxembourg border (closer to ten actually, unless you drive ridiculously fast) around Messancy to Chez Bryan! We were here to try some of Belgium's best fries!
Here's another classic Belgian friterie with kind staff and plenty of options besides fries to try out.
Our verdict? Drumroll please!
Yes they were delicious. But were they outrageously better than the Luxembourg options? No.
You'll notice in the video, we thought these were lacking salt, which is easily solved by salting to your preferred level. There was a large range of traditional fry sauces too – more than ten!
So, if you find yourself in Messancy, perhaps doing a little dog washing... why not go try some fries?
66 Rue de Messancy
Aubange 6790
Belgium
Opening hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday – Saturday: 11.45am – 1.45pm & 6pm – 9.45pm
Sunday: 6pm – 9.45pm
The final ranking?
There is no denying that each location had its pros and cons. It was a close call, but after lots of discussion, we settled on:
1. Café des Tramways
2. Beim Francis
3. Chez Bryan
4. La Baraque
It was very hard to pick between Tramways and Beim Francis, and ultimately it was the slight difference in texture that led to Tramways winning the first rank.
Now, if you are craving Belgian-styled fries or any of the other friterie foods like fricadelles or brochettes, Beim Francis is the place to go.
Gudden Appetit and let us know which ones are your favourites!
