If you saw the picture of Hot Dog Man, and wished you had your own statue, here it is. FFC reader Teddy found the source for the giant weenie, in addition to his lesser known but equally bad-ass french-fried sidekick. These statues stand a full 6-feet tall, weighing 88 to 100 pounds. At $1159 each, they’re too expensive for most people to afford or justify purchasing. They’re really intended to be sitting outside the door of fast food restaurants, or other types of public eating spots. The good news is a smaller version of each statue sells for only $269. Those stand a little bit under 3-feet tall.

Visit ButlersAndSigns.com to order, or to get product details and shipping info.

If anybody buys one of these, please send us some photographs so we can share the event with the world. Thanks again to FFC reader Teddy in Pennsylvania.

Popeye’s is often overshadowed by fast food chicken giant KFC. With 11,000+ stores compared to only 1,800 for Popeye’s, it’s no wonder. But while they finish a distant second in the numbers game, their neck and neck on quality. The menus and flavors are distinctively different, but the smaller chain based in New Orleans can hold it’s own against the Colonel, and in some cases win. One example is fries.

KFC has potato wedges which are decent enough, but they are too thick and soft to be eaten like regular fries. Popeye’s wins this category hands down, but not just because their fries are more typical in size and shape. They win because their Cajun Battered variety of the classic potato side order is delicious and awesomely satisfying.

Perhaps the most flavorful non-curly fries on the fast food market. The potatoes are cut medium-thin, and the skins are left on. The batter is put on thick, and loaded with mild spices. A freshly cooked order has the perfect balance of crispy tasty coating outside with tender warm potato inside. They definitely come closer to french fry nirvana than anything I expected from a chicken place. Indeed — damn good fries!

Seasoned fries don’t always work too well with ketchup or sauces, but these do. The flavor is terrific on it’s own, and it doesn’t need anything else, but it’s not so strong that it prevents other flavors from joining in the fun. It’s spicy, but mild and subtle.

I attempted to find out what exact seasoning is used, but they won’t tell me. I’m sure there’s garlic, pepper and paprika, but that’s where my search hit the magic ingredient simply known as “spices”. They aren’t about to give away the secret recipe, and of course that’s to be expected. I must remind myself of the line which exists between good journalism and being a nosy pain in the rear. I’m just here to review food.

The Cajun Battered Fries from Popeye’s are excellent. They’re delicious alone, and they also get along nicely with ketchup and BBQ sauce. But once you eat the first one, it’s rare the others last long enough to worry about choosing a dipping partner.

Price: $1.69 / Website: Popeyes.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Popeye’s Cajun Battered Fries.

Calories - 310
Calories from Fat - N/A
Total Fat - 17 grams
Carbs - 35 grams
Saturated Fat - 7 grams
Trans Fat - 1.0 grams
Cholesterol - 7 milligrams
Sodium - 660 milligrams
Protein - 4 grams

No home would be complete without a French Fry TV with Ketchup Packet remote. Apparently it’s a popular product, as they are currently sold out. I have a feeling there might be one of these 10-inch LCD’s sitting on my kitchen counter in the future.

There was a time when Arby’s offered a homestyle french fry with the potato peel on. They were quite good, but sadly they’re gone now. Luckily they still have the curly fries.

These curly strips of potato are coated with a seasoned batter containing cayenne pepper, garlic and other wonderful spices. If you get them hot and freshly cooked, they are definitely one of the best fry experiences in the fast food world. Crunchy outside, golden brown in color with a hint of a reddish tone signaling the mild spiciness. Soft and tender inside with good potato taste and just the right amount of chewiness. Forget ketchup or dipping sauce, they don’t need it. They are delicious on their own.

The larger an order size, the longer the curls tend to be, because the bigger fries don’t fit in the smallest container. Not all the fries are curly. I would say on average about 1/3 are semi straight, but the majority offer plenty of twists and turns, and the super curliest (sometimes called pig-tails) are awesome. I’ve had some that stretched 9 to 10 inches long when pulled out from end to end, before snapping in two pieces.

Two quick warnings. First, they are not the type of fries that most people will eat regularly, because the same great seasoning which makes them so special, can also become a bit overpowering if consumed too often. Much like your favorite rich-chocolate cake or candy can loose it’s appeal when eaten frequently. Second, it’s important that you get them fresh from the deep fryer. I don’t know why, but they seem to lose their taste and crispness faster than regular french fries. Arby’s is usually pretty good about not pre-cooking too many at a time, so it’s seldom that you will get an order that’s been sitting around. During rush hour the odds of getting a flat batch does increase, but if you don’t mind being ‘that’ guy, they are always willing to cook you a fresh order while you wait. As I’ve said, it’s not necessary to use ketchup or dipping sauce, and it can actually be detrimental to the flavor. However I’ve had several friends tell me these are great with Arby’s horseradish sauce, so you might give that a try. I’m not a horsey fan (in general) myself so I cannot give an opinion on that.

The Curly Fries from Arby’s are fantastic, and a great break from average french fries. The large order can almost make a meal on it’s own. With a wonderfully seasoned flavor that will please your taste buds, and twisty shapes that are fun to play with, they’re one of the most satisfying potato side orders in the fast food business.

Price: $2.15 (large) / Website: Arbys.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Arby’s, Curly Fries (Large).

Calories - 631
Calories from Fat - 337
Total Fat - 37 grams
Carbs - 73 grams
Saturated Fat - 7 grams
Trans Fat - 1 gram
Cholesterol - 0 milligrams
Sodium - 1476 milligrams

McDonald’s has finished the switch to using a zero trans-fat cooking oil for it’s famous french fries. This marks an important event in the world of fast food, and while some criticize the company for not moving fast enough, McDonald’s says they are confident the rest of their menu will be free of trans-fat by the end of 2008. Currently McDonald’s uses over 75 million pounds of cooking oil per year.

My friend Jeff at Knowzy.com had alerted me to this article recently published by Chicago Business News, and today I woke up to discover a story by MSNBC dated yesterday, which says McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner made it official during Thursday’s shareholders meeting at the company’s corporate headquarters.

On today’s fast food menu - Waffle Potato Fries from Chick-Fil-A.

What’s a waffle fry? Thick slices of whole potato, with the peel left on, cut into a criss-cross pattern, with little holes in between the rows. The end result are fries that look similar to waffles, hence the name. The unique shapes and varied sizes makes eating a real adventure. You get thin ones, thick ones, big ones, small ones and even a few oddly shaped bits and pieces left-over at the bottom of the package. It’s more exciting than plain, flat, skinny fries that all look the same.

They smell and taste fantastic. In fact, they might have the strongest aroma of natural potatoes, and most ‘pure’ potato taste of any leading fries. If you like real potatoes, you are going to like these waffle fries. The thinner ones are more crispy, while the thick slices have a softer potato center. They’re covered with brown and bumpy ridges, and the holes help provide even-cooking thru-out. The really big ones can sometimes get a little limp and chewy, but it’s not a serious enough problem to be a turn-off.

They come lightly salted, and some people might find it ‘too’ light, but hey — it’s much easier to add more salt, than to take it away. I figure too light is better than too heavy. Personally I like them seasoned just the way they are. Sometimes I even give-in to the immediate temptation, and eat them before I get a chance to open the ketchup.

It’s worth noting these waffle fries are cooked in 100% refined peanut oil. They contain zero grams of trans fat, and no cholestoral. My medium order was 350 calories, with less than half (150) coming from fat. They are also low in sodium.

The Waffle Potato Fries from Chick-Fila-A are excellent. They have a natural and pure potato flavor. They also have enough different shapes, sizes and textures to keep your mouth entertained, and they are just downright delicious. Get some!

Price: $1.45 (medium) / Website: Chick-fil-A.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

Click here for rating system details.

Nutrition Facts - Waffle Potato Fries from Chick-Fil-A, Medium Size.

Calories - 350
Calories from Fat - 150
Total Fat - 17 grams
Carbs - 46 grams
Saturated Fat - 4 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 0 milligrams
Sodium - 150 milligrams