Who makes Greater Boston's best french fries? Wicked Local readers make their choice

SOMERVILLE — While working for a software startup, Tanya Walker said she and Renee Eliah and Chin Kuo used to joke about opening a restaurant together.

“We thought it would be so easy to just open a place that just makes french fries with homemade dipping sauces,” Walker told Wicked Local in a recent interview.

The trio were laid off in 2011, and they opened Saus — Dutch for “sauce” — soon afterward.

“When we first opened, we were calling them frites and Belgian-style fries," Walker said. "but we have since pivoted to just fries and trying to shed the Belgian association. For various reasons. Trying to be more true to ourselves."

Greasy spoons:Mass. restaurants that have been on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'

Saus was the winner in Wicked Local's recent online survey about who made the best french fries in Greater Boston.

The age of the potatoes, the type of potato Saus uses and the way the french fries are twice-fried are what Walker says make them taste so good. The restaurant ages Idaho russet potatoes for a few months before hand-cutting them into thin fries, leaving the skin on. The cut potato strips are then fried in two steps in a vegetable oil blend. First, they are fried at a lower temperature, drained and cooled and placed in a cooler. When they're purchased, they're fried to order and topped with thick kosher salt.

Walker said she, Eliah and Kuo did a lot of research before creating their french fry recipe. They learned that older potatoes make better fries, light-colored and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Younger potatoes end up darker and greasier, she said.

“It comes down to the starch content and the sugar content,” Walker said.

Saus’ menu focuses on fries. They can be ordered in three sizes — petite for $6.50, medium for $8 or large for $9.50. A sauce on the side is included in the price, and there are several vegan and mayonnaise varieties to choose from — truffle ketchup, nacho cheese, garlic chickpea and honey mustard.

More:We asked, you answered: Here are America's favorite french fries

Poutine, fries, with cheese curds and miso mushroom gravy, are among the most popular items on Saus’ menu, said Walker.

“When you think of a fry, I think this is what you’re picturing," she said. "It’s classic, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. You can definitely tell it’s made from a real potato, not like a pre-mashed situation."

Saus has two locations. It originally opened at 33 Union St. in downtown Boston. The Somerville restaurant, at 1 Bow Market Way, opened in 2018.