Happy Fry-Day

Happy National French Fry Day! Whether you like them thick and potato-ey or thin and ultra-crispy, today we pay homage to the tried-and-true, fast-food fixture.

Instead of doing a roundup of traditional french fries, we decided to up the ante and focus on loaded fries. So, bring on the bacon, truffle, feta cheese and more — feast your eyes on these craveable creations.

Aloha Beer Co.

Aloha Beer Co. (various locations) is known for its craft beers and cocktails, but the restaurant also features a delicious food menu, ranging from pulled pork nachos and Bavarian-style soft pretzels to pizzas, crispy fish sandwiches and more.

The business’s Kakaako location (700 Queen St.) offers delicious waffle-cut fries — served with a creamy chipotle mayo dip — but go for one of the loaded options. Bacon fondue fries feature steak fries topped with Swiss fondue, scallions and crispy bacon, while Japanese curry fries come with housemade kimchi and scallions. Salted steak fries with ketchup are also available for fry purists.

Call 808-544-1605 or visit alohabeer.com.

Smith & Kings

Recognized for its elevated pub fare, Smith & Kings (69 N. King St.) is open for both brunch and dinner.

The dinner menu features the eatery’s indulgent lobster poutine, which features hand-cut fries topped with butter-poached lobster, mozzarella bechamel, shaved Parmesan and green onions. Meanwhile, if you go for weekend brunch (9 a.m.-3 p.m.), feast on the breakfast poutine, which comprises hand-cut fries loaded with cheddar cheese, bacon, brown gravy and a sunny side-up egg.

Call 808-744-5772 or visit thesmithandkings.com.

Minasa Hawaii

Minasa Hawaii — known for its Filipino food combined with Hawaii’s local flavors — can be found at various pop-ups around town. We recently saw the biz at the Ono Grindz & Makeke Sunday market at Kapolei Commons.

Lechon fries feature crinkle cut fries loaded with green and red onions, cilantro, lechon and a sweet and savory sauce. All fries are made to order, so you can guarantee that the lechon is nice and crispy.

Call 808-202-8555 or visit minasahawaii.com. Follow the biz on Instagram (@minasahawaii) for updates.

Chubbies Burgers

Classic smash burgers and cheeseburgers are all the rage at Chubbies Burgers (1145C 12th Ave.), which recently moved to the Kaimuki neighborhood. But don’t pass up the eatery’s fries — those signature crinkle cut, crispy fries never disappoint.

If you want something super loaded, get the bacon fries, which feature crinkle cut fries topped with bacon, pepper jack, jalapeño aioli, green onions and pickled red onions. Or, go for the Chub fries, the business’s specialty item that comes with grilled onions, cheddar and specialty fry sauce.

Call 808-291-7867 or visit chubbiesburgers.com.

Greek Grotto

Greek Grotto — located within Kuhio Avenue Food Hall (2330 Kalakaua Ave.) at International Market Place — is known for its meaty beef and lamb gyros. The biz also offers delectable sides like pita bread, hummus and Greek fries.

Greek fries feature french fries topped generously with tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, fresh dill and Mediterranean seasoning.

Visit kuhioavenuefoodhall.com.

Zippy’s

Chili is a signature item at Zippy’s — but you can make it next-level by ordering the eatery’s chili and cheese fries. This mouthwatering snack features golden brown fries topped with the business’s famous chili and melted cheddar cheese.

Visit zippys.com to learn more.

Osoyami Bar & Grill

When it comes to ono, late-night eats, look no further than Osoyami Bar & Grill (1820 Algaroba St.). The biz boasts an extensive menu of burgers, steaks, pork chops and more — and it even offers vegan burgers.

Don’t miss the Parmesan pepperoni fries (garlic, Parmesan and crispy pepperoni) or the loaded fries, which come with cheddar cheese, bacon, ranch and green onions.

Call 808-200-0514 or visit osoyami-bar-and-grill.square.site.

Moku Kitchen

The garlic truffle oil fries at Moku Kitchen (660 Ala Moana Blvd.) is one of the eatery’s most popular appetizers. The fries are generously coated with Parmesan cheese and served with whole-grain mustard aioli and housemade ketchup for dipping.

Pro tip: If you dine at this Kakaako restaurant during happy hour (2-5:30 p.m. daily) you can get 50% off small plates — which includes these addictive fries.

Call 808-591-6658 or visit mokukitchen.com.

Mariposa

Mariposa — located within Neiman Marcus Honolulu (1450 Ala Moana Blvd.) — offers two types of luxe fries.

Indulge in the addictive hurricane seasoned fries, which are featured on the eatery’s lunch menu, and are a fun, local take on classic french fries. They’re seasoned with furikake and arare, and served with Asian remoulade for dipping. The Hurricane spice is made with bubu arare and ground furikake. Meanwhile, the Asian remoulade is a blend of tsukemono (pickled cucumbers), garlic chile paste, togarashi, wasabi oil, lemon juice and mayonnaise.

Mariposa’s Sunset Lounge menu offers truffle fries, which are seasoned with Parmesan and parsley and served with roasted garlic aioli.

Call 808-951-3420 or visit neimanmarcus.com.

Mondo Tacos

You can find the Mondo Tacos food truck parked at the Home Depot in Kapolei (4600 Kapolei Pkwy). The biz features a variety of street tacos and burritos, but don’t miss its carne asada fries.

These loaded fries are designed to share. The crispy fries are topped with marinated tri-tip steak, shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, pico de gallo, creamy chipotle sauce and sour cream. Customers often add guacamole for an extra fee.

Call 808-636-8091 or email mondotacos808@gmail.com.

Jolene’s Market

Lobster rolls and cheese melts are all the rage at Jolene’s Market (various locations), but the biz also features a variety of tantalizing side dishes on its menu.

Choose from the business’s variety of loaded waffle fries. The lobster fries are my personal favorite since they come with garlic butter, cilantro, a lobster-mayo mix and fry sauce. Other options include barbecue brisket (mozzarella cheese, brisket, barbecue sauce and cilantro), chowder fries (mozzarella cheese, bacon, corn chowder and cilantro) and Louisiana fries (crawfish mixed with mayo, fry sauce, garlic butter and cilantro).

Visit joleneshawaii.com to learn more.

Flyin’ Ahi

You can find the Flyin’ Ahi food truck (200 Akamainui St.) at the Mililani Tech Park at 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. The business’s kalbi fries is one of its bestsellers, along with its famous ahi katsu plate and fresh ahi poke.

Kalbi fries features crinkle cut fries topped with wasabi ranch, Cajun spices, furikake, grilled Korean short rib and housemade kalbi sauce. It’s huge enough to be an entrée or a shareable appetizer among a group.

Flyin’ Ahi also offers tsunami fries, which are like kalbi fries but without the meat and sauce.

Call 808-291-4633 or email flyinahi@gmail.com.