Five Guys Tops in Fries

Natasha Cross, a traveling nurse, has moved around a bit in her 15-year career. Whenever she comes to a new town, one of the first things she looks for is a .

"Thank goodness there's one in Lexington," she said. "It's my comfort food."

She loves the chain's bacon cheeseburger. But what really turns her on are the fries.

"Oh my God, the fries are absolutely killer."

Cross isn't alone in her assessment. Five Guys also is the favorite fry of Patch readers who voted in . The eatery tallied 53 percent of the vote, outdistancing and , which polled 23 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

"That's awesome. I'm happy to hear it," said Five Guys manager Josh Stowe upon hearing the results. But he's not surprised. The restaurant puts a lot of love, time, and attention into their fries, he said.

Five Guys' fries, which come simply salted or kicked up a notch Cajun style, "takes us hours to prepare," Stowe said. 

The potatoes come farm fresh direct from Idaho. Staff then go through a rigorous process that includes a thorough, meticulous cleaning, then a soaking in water kept at just the right temperature, Stowe said. 

That not only ensures the fries are pristine, it also reduces the starch content in order to bring out the taters' full flavor. The fries are then hand cut and fried in peanut oil, Stowe said.

"I guess all that sounds kind of silly," he said, "but over the last 20 years we've kind of perfected it."

Stay tuned to Lexington Patch for next week's "Best Of," when we ask readers for Lexington's best grocery store. Voting for that begins Monday morning.