Best French Fries Restaurants in Loop (60606)
7 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: January 2026
Our Top Pick
Small Cheval - Riverside
A stripped-down, riverfront offshoot of Au Cheval focused almost entirely on burgers, fries, and shakes.
Notable Picks
8.5
Small Cheval’s Riverside outpost is a fast-casual spin on Au Cheval’s famed burger, dropping thick, griddled patties, melty cheese, and dijonnaise into a stripped-down menu. Office workers and river walkers line up for cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes with rare waterfront seating in the middle of the Loop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, Fries with garlic aioli
What makes it special: A stripped-down, riverfront offshoot of Au Cheval focused almost entirely on burgers, fries, and shakes.
8.3
A rooftop Mediterranean room where fries aren’t an afterthought—they’re a happy-hour anchor built for dipping into roasted garlic aioli and pairing with cocktails. The best order is fries plus one or two small plates, then let the table graduate into pinsa or seafood once the room fills in.
Must-Try Dishes:
French fries with roasted garlic aioli, Papas brava, Pinsa
What makes it special: Rooftop fries designed for aioli-dipping and happy-hour pacing.
#3
Taste 222
8.3
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Comfort Food Classics
Girls Night Out Approved
Hidden Gems Heaven
Taste 222 is an intimate, black-owned New American spot on Canal where eclectic shareables, solid cocktails, and a comfortable dining room make it feel more like a living room than a corporate canteen. Loop and Fulton River regulars use it for relaxed business dinners, small celebrations, and catered events that stay downtown.
Must-Try Dishes:
Taste 222 Wings, Firecracker Shrimp, Grilled Jalapeño Dip
What makes it special: A cozy, black-owned Canal Street dining room where shareable New American plates and cocktails feel personal rather than corporate.
#4
Pazzo's
8.3
Vibes:
Group Dining Gatherings
Birthday & Celebration Central
Business Lunch Power Players
Comfort Food Classics
Pazzo’s @ 311 is a glass-roofed Italian restaurant and event space where handmade pastas, chicken Vesuvio and risotto come out under a soaring atrium. Office workers and wedding parties alike use it when they want classic Italian plates in a dramatic downtown room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Vesuvio, Chicken Alonso, Rigatoni Bolognese
What makes it special: Atrium Italian dining that also functions as a full-scale event venue.
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Quick Bites Champions
Group Dining Gatherings
Hidden Gems Heaven
An Italian-leaning eatery/market in the BMO Tower corridor where fries show up as the reliable side move for sandwiches and burgers—simple, salty, and built for dipping into house aioli. It works best as a flexible lunch basecamp: grab a sandwich, keep fries hot, and add a slice or small plate if you’re lingering.
Must-Try Dishes:
Fries, Canal Burger, Rigatoni
What makes it special: Office-corridor eatery where fries and sandwiches stay dependable.
8.0
South Branch Tavern & Grille is a big, riverfront New American tavern built for Loop office crowds, with a sprawling patio, long beer list, and a menu that runs from burgers and tacos to big salads. It anchors after-work drinks, corporate lunches, and game-day gatherings when you want something livelier than a white-tablecloth steakhouse.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bang Bang Shrimp, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Cowboy Salad
What makes it special: A large-format riverfront tavern where New American comfort food, TVs, and a big patio all collide in one space.
Worthy Picks
#7
Franklin Tap
7.7
Vibes:
Happy Hour Hotspots
Comfort Food Classics
Business Lunch Power Players
Group Dining Gatherings
A casual Loop bar-and-grill built for pre-theater and after-work pints, where fries come as the classic side with sandwiches and fish & chips. The win is comfort and speed—keep the order tight, get fries on the table early, and treat it like a reliable neighborhood stop rather than a destination meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
Fish & chips (fries), Steak sandwich with fries, Buffalo cauliflower
What makes it special: No-fuss bar food where fries stay a steady side option.