Lazy Dog Cajun Fries Review: Sour and Spicy

With over 50 restaurants all over America, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar is a fast-growing casual dining chain with a rustic and warm atmosphere, making it a great place for families and large groups to eat. Many also say that the menu is quite diverse, from comfort food to burgers, and more fast-food like meals, and that the prices are not too expensive and appropriate. Yes, here at The Fries Blog we typically do not review fries from single location sit-down restaurants but given The Cheesecake Factory coming in at #3 in rankings, we could not just ignore Lazy Dog.

Casual dining restaurants like Lazy Dog typically do not have a dedicated fries dish, but rather have it as a "side" to main dishes. And another criteria for us to review, the fries must be ordered by itself. For Lazy Dog, the only fries that was independently available to order was their Cajun Fries. We tried it out, and to our surprise, it turned out to be one of the most unique fries we have ever reviewed.

Lazy Dog has a mountain ski-lodge-like interior.

Lazy Dog trophy cabinet in San Mateo, CA location.

Texture (8/10)

The fries were really crispy and crunchy, and there was definitely a batter that coated the fries, adding to the texture. It seemed like these were natural cut, but due to the heavy batter layer and the dusty crunch, we had to debate whether they truly were natural. The abundant seasoning on the outside adds to the dusty sensation. The stuffing inside the structure was well cooked as well, soft and filling. Overall, we have to say that the texture was execellent.

The dusty exterior with heavy seasoning can be visually seen. The structure of these fries are solid.

Flavor (7/10)

When you first look at the fries, you think, “Oh, there's a quite a bit of seasoning on them” with the orange dust and green parsley bits. You wonder whether the seasoning would be delightful. But when you actually bite into the fry, your pupils widen as you are smashed with a super sour and slightly spicy fry, almost doused in chili lime. It was so much to a degree that we all cringed at the thought of going for the seond stick. But though we originally thought the fries weren’t tasty, we realized that when paired with the somewhat sweet dip that comes with the fries, they form this weird balance and the two start to work together. Also, the flavor really grows on you, and it gets easier to eat and enjoy the fries the more you eat. It was strange. We were getting more addicted each and every bite.

Shape (5/10)

The fries are short, but we were also disappointed in their lack of consistency. One stick might be average length, but then the very next is shorter than your thumb. Though the length is definitely shorter than average, the thickness of the fries and also how much stuffing is in them is redeeming. The fries aren’t floppy or thin and again, their structure holds up really well, bite after bite. If the length had been just a bit longer and more consistent, we would have given a much higher raing for their shape.

The fries are really short but with solid structure.

Presentation (8/10)

The fries are served in a metal tray lined with parchment paper, which definitely adds to the rustic and warm vibe they have going on. The tray is pretty big and circular, about the size you would serve a medium-sized pizza on. The fries are tossed on the tray carefully to form a mound, and there are some parsley leaves that are sprinkled on top that adds to the mouth-watering visuals. The green leaves contrast the heavily orange seasoning quite well as a color accent. The semi sweet sauce also is placed within the tray. If this was a fast-food restaurant, we would have given them a near perfect score on presentation but we took into account the price point as well as the different type of dining environment. Even so, this was a solid presentation.

The fries were carefully placed in a round tray with a glowing orange dust and green parsley leaves.

Experience (7/10)

Lazy Dog's mountain lodge interior and its rustic and warm vibes all play into the sit-down experience. The fries are served for $10.95, which we think is a pretty good deal, considering how good the fries are and the large quantity. The fries go okay with the rest of the food but clearly these cajun fries were meant to stand on their own. The sour spice will absolutey punch you in the face and wake you up, and we think this is unique and refreshing. The fries came out quite fast after ordering, and the service was great. Yes, it is difficult to compare an intentional sit-down restaurant vibes to a more traditional fast-food chain but we quite enjoyed the ambience Lazy Dog provides.

Texture	8
Flavor	7
Shape	5
Presentation	8
Experience	7
Overall	7.0 / 10

Conclusion

Lazy Dog Cajun Fries is one of the most unique fries we have reviewed. Overall, these fries were pretty good in many ways, except for the shape which they could improve by making the fries longer and consistent. We have never tasted such sour fries ever before, and could not have imagined ourselves sucking the last bit of seasoning off our fingers as they plate became empty. If you are a fries enthusiast, you must try these fries whenever you pass by a Lazy Dog.

Lazy Dog really leans into the canine motif.