Well we already tried (and enjoyed) the black pepper onion rings that were offered by Season’s Choice a couple of months ago, so naturally it’s time to turn our attention to their Black Pepper Fries, available as a Special Buy at Aldi stores nationwide. True to form, these are what they suggest they are: French fries sprinkled with a black pepper seasoning. Wow, how unique! Let’s see what I thought of them!
First of all, I don’t know if it was sheer luck, or just their outer coating, but I tend to undercook fries in the oven. Even when I cook them well, they never turn out as crispy as I like. These, just like the extra-crunchy onion rings, came out just perfect from the oven – they weren‘t burnt, but had a nice bit of added crunch. The black pepper is evident on each fry just by taking a look at them, but you can really appreciate the addition after taking a bite: even though pepper constantly takes a backseat to the more popular “salt”, it adds a nice flavor that reminds me of something a chain restaurant serving bottomless fries might serve (this honestly isn’t a specific reference to any particular one, just a general observation). There’s quite a lot of flavor in each bag, and for a mere $1.99, there’s some solid value to be had here, considering there’s well over a pound of fries here.
A side note: While it may seem a little obvious to just buy some regular fries, and sprinkle some black pepper on them to get a similar effect, I don’t think it would achieve the same taste. The outside coating seems to be a lot crispier than their normal fries, and it tasted like there are some additional spices that really mesh well with the pepper. Honestly, these are some pretty solid fries for the price, akin to what you might get at a chain restaurant, but for literally a fraction of what you would expect to pay at one. (And I know the “chain restaurant” distinction might be a mood killer, and I dislike most such places myself, but let’s be real here: are you really expecting gourmet fries at this price point?)
Overall: 7.5/10. These hit the spot pretty well, with the black pepper seasoning offering something a little left of center, and a welcome change from the typical varieties of fries (crinkle cut, seasoned, etc.) that we’ve grown accustomed to. They cooked up perfectly crispy, unlike most other frozen fries I’ve had, and just have a great spicy taste that give the taste buds a little extra kick. This is the first time I’ve seen these, but I’d definitely pick them up again during another Special Buy cycle…if they’re ever available again. The $1.99 price tag only makes things even better. Definitely worth a purchase.
