Red, gold, russet, sweet, or purple? Regular, homestyle, curly, shoestring, or po’ ball? And that’s before you even get to the wall of salts and sauces.

At ​Boise Fry Company​, ordering a basket of fries is basically a small design project. They show up completely naked, no salt, no seasoning, just hot and crispy and waiting for you to decide what happens next. That’s been the whole model since a little French fry shop opened on Broadway back in 2009.

The beginning of Boise Fry Company

The idea started with Blake Lingle, an Idaho native who spent years working as an economist for the federal government and a lot of time traveling overseas. He had entrepreneurial ideas and thought he’d start small with a simple restaurant. He teamed up with Riley Huddleston, an up and coming Idaho chef, and opened Idaho Fry Company. It was a small spot on Broadway (where Tin Roof Tacos is now) with a small menu: one burger topping, five kinds of fries, and a bunch of sauces. They were only open for lunch.

Then they got sued by the Idaho Potato Commission, claiming rights to anything with “Idaho potato” or “Idaho fry” in the name. The young restaurant had to rebrand almost overnight to Boise Fry Company. It was amicable, though. In fact, the Commission ended up helping cover the cost of new branding. But the press that came with a little fry shop getting sued by a state potato commission was enormous.

“We got so much publicity from that. It was insane,” said Boise Fry Co CEO Brad Walker, who started as a fry cook at the original space. “We had to start opening for dinner. We tripled in sales overnight.”

On the heels of that came a Food Network feature on their duck fat, truffle salt Bourgeois Fries, and not long after, an appearance on ESPN GameDay.

“It just exploded from there,” said Brad.

One trace of the original name still exists today, tucked into a piece of artwork at the Capitol Blvd location. It’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.

The science of a fry

Boise Fry Company cooks everything Belgian style, which is a two-step process where the potatoes get a long, low temperature blanch first, then rest. Once you order your fries, they get hit hot and fast. That first blanch pulls the starch out and sets up the fry. The second cook is what gives it that crispy exterior.

A recent change was the switch to frying fries in beef tallow. Before that, they’d tried peanut oil (too many allergy issues) and sunflower oil, which cooked a good fry but went soggy too fast. They’ve found that tallow holds its crisp much longer and, according to Brad, just makes a better fry.

“If we’re going to be a fry restaurant, we want to serve the best fries,” he said. “Tallow definitely cooks the best fries. And it’s healthier.”

They lean on local, organic potatoes for about nine and a half months out of the year, and when a variety isn’t available organically, they’ll cut it from rotation rather than serve something they’re not proud of.

Customize your fries

Customization is the name of the game. The menu has five types of potatoes to choose from: red, gold, russet, sweet, and purple. Next comes your cut: regular, homestyle, curly, shoestring, or po’ ball.

All fries are served naked, meaning no salt or seasoning. That part is on you to create to your liking. Boise Fry Co has 14 different salt recipes and 15 different sauces, with about 9 of each available on any given day. Do the math and you’re looking at roughly 100 different combinations before you even order a burger.

Burgers on the side

Fries might be the headliner, but the burgers hold their own. Every patty, whether beef, bison, or vegan, is hand seasoned and hand rolled with Boise Fry Company’s secret spice blend. The default is a wagyu blend beef burger unless you ask otherwise. The beef comes from Double R Ranch and Snake River Farms. The bison comes from Tim and Deb at Brown’s Buffalo Ranch in Nyssa, Oregon, just 37 miles from Boise.

The menu keeps things simple but varied. The Original burger comes dressed up with spring mix, tomato, red onion gastrique, and garlic aioli. The Classic is the one you’d expect: lettuce, tomato, red onion, housemade pickles, and Idaho fry sauce. The Heat brings lettuce, a savory blueberry habanero compote, and spicy ketchup, a combination that sounds unusual until you try it. And then there’s The Feature, a rotating slot that’s shown up as BBQ, Pico, Greek, Yumami, and Elote depending on the month or season.

Add cheese, bacon, avocado, jalapeño, egg, mushrooms, a second patty, or swap in a gluten-free bun if you need it. There’s also chicken sandwiches, a BLT, and salads on the menu.

As for Brad, he’s stuck with the same order for years: the original burger, gold potatoes cut homestyle, regular salt, and fry sauce. Nearly two decades into eating this food regularly, he says he still doesn’t get tired of it.

Something for everyone

Vegan and vegetarian options have been part of the menu almost since the start. One of the company’s first ten employees was vegan and helped shape the veggie offerings early on. A bigger push toward gluten-free accommodation followed over the last several years, with dedicated fryers kept strictly separate from anything touching gluten or animal products. Their quinoa black bean burger is made from scratch daily, and for gluten-free guests, there’s a GF bun or a bunless burger bowl.

“We just really believe people should eat what they want to eat, where they want to eat, and enjoy it,” Brad said.

What’s next

The long-term goal is owning their own buildings instead of leasing, which Brad believes will give them more control over costs and a stronger foundation for the brand. He’s eyeing four or five more locations across the Treasure Valley and Idaho, places like Star, South Boise, and further out toward Twin Falls or Mountain Home. Keeping the culture consistent gets harder with every new store, and he’s not interested in growing past the point where it stops feeling like theirs.

Boise Fry Company now has seven locations across the Treasure Valley. You can find hours, menus, and nonprofit night info at ​boisefrycompany.com​.

Thanks for reading!

With love from Boise,

Marissa

This story is sponsored by Boise Fry Company

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