O'Tacos Fries Review: "French Tacos" Needs French Fries

O'Tacos is a French fast-food sensation. Founded only in 2010, with the invention of "French tacos", the chain has exploded and currently run over 400 stores across many countries in Europe. The chain has punched over its weight in cultural impact, rivaling that of McDonald's and Quick in France.

O'Tacos are everywhere in Paris. They somewhat give a Popeyes feel?

So you might ask, what exactly is a French taco? Aren't tacos Mexican? We were curious as well so we tried it out. Essentially, French tacos is a tortilla wrap packed with chicken nuggets (or meat), fries, cheese, and sauce, then grilled like a panini making it a mattress-shaped burrito. It is simple in concept, and one might raise eyebrows on whether this is edible. Trust us. This is one of the best things humanity has invented.

French Tacos is not a Mexican taco. It is a tortilla panini!

As a blog for fries, we immediately noticed the critical role the fries play inside a French taco. Not only does it provide carbs that balance the protein, but also it provides a slightly crunch texture that is absolutely necessary to enhance the experience. It really is a wonderful and we completely understand why this has become a cultural sensation.

Now, these fries, that are primarily packed inside the tacos, are also sold as a stand-alone. So here is our review of O'Tacos fries.

Texture (4/10)

Because the fries are meant to harmonize with the rest of the taco, they are not very crispy or crunchy, and are a bit like floppy noodles. Therefore, they are mostly hollow, and do not hold its own weight well. We understand this is intentional, but this also means that the fries by itself is underwhelming. So, they do not have the highest score as a stand-alone side, but these fries do indeed add a nice texture to the tacos, definitely something that beans and rice cannot provide.

The texture is weak. Soft exterior, deflated interior.

Flavor (3/10)

There is basically no taste. It’s like chewing air. There is the slightest hint of a potato and butter aroma at the end, but that’s about it. No salt, no seasoning. If these fries were to be purely consumed by itself, these are really poorly made fries. But from an addition into a taco, where there's plenty of cheese and this "Algerian sauce", it is ideal to maintain a bland base with the potatoes so that it helps neutralize the symphony of other strong flavored ingredients. We would have scored this lower had the French tacos had not been mindblowing.

Shape (4/10)

The fries are very short and small, and does not hold a strong shape, perfect for shoving in tacos but not super satisfying by itself. They are thin, flimsy, and again, we never designed to be a side. The shape is like the length of your pinky, and half the width of it. At this point, we are truly convinced that the fries on the side at O'Tacos are there to be eaten together with their tacos in case the tacos come in too strong flavorwise or does not fill you enough.

O'Tacos fries are designed to be packed inside the French taco. They are short and have a softer exterior.

Presentation (3/10)

The "extra" fries on the side are presented in a small wax paper bag, like the recent McDonald's ones. There does not seem to be any effort in trying to make these fries look good or tasty. It literally feels like extra fries from the fryer got thrown into a brown bag. But look at their tacos well wrapped next to it. It is clear that O'Tacos is placing all their focus on their flagship product. The fries within the taco manifest themselves in well mixed and molded into a solid innards of the beautiful creation.

Not much of a presentation. But we're wondering if it even matters!

Experience (9/10)

The value here is amazing. For the price of a single large McDonald's fries, you get one great taco, a drink, and a side of fries. Compared to other fast-food chains in France, we have never seen a deal this good. What elevates the experience even more is that the fries really completes the French taco, making the tacos a lot more interesting than if you used rice or beans as the carb filler. As a matter of fact, we do not believe it is possible to make French tacos with French fries. Our O'Tacos experience was fantastic; incredible value, mindblowing food, in a clean, fun and funky store. We vowed to eat O'Tacos again before leaving Paris.

For just 4.90 Euros, you get a full meal! It is the same price as McDonald's large fries.

Texture	4
Flavor	3
Shape	4
Presentation	3
Experience	9
Overall	4.6 / 10

Conclusion

Trying out fries at the O'Tacos marks a new chapter and philosophy for us here at The Fries Blog. Yes, fries complement the main dish, and we have always wanted them to stand out by itself. But in the case of O'Tacos, fries itself has become an integral component of the main dish, although it isn't considered fries anymore. O'Tacos really is using fries as a flagship ingredient to the cultural revolution of French tacos. And we cannot ignore this.

In this review, we have tried to score the fries by itself, knowing that it was never intended for sole consumption, largely becuase we are staying truthful to our benchmark and methodology. However, this is the first time we believe we have discovered fries transformed into an entire new category which is truly wonderful. We salute O'Tacos for opening our eyes and hope to see the chain in the US!

Fun and funky interior. First fast-food chain that does not use soda fountains and gives you cans!