Augusta, GA

Hot potatoes: These Augusta-area restaurants serve up the best French fries, says Yelp

Published

1 year ago

July 18, 2024

Hot potatoes: These Augusta-area restaurants serve up the best French fries, says Yelp

Do you want fries with that?

Chances are, you do. The average American eats an estimated 40 pounds of potatoes every year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Diners often judge restaurants based on the quality of their French fries. In no particular order, here are five locally owned Augusta-area restaurants that serve the best fries, based on reviews posted on the crowdsourced consumer review website Yelp.

The Whiskey Bar on Broad Street in Augusta, Ga., Friday morning March 26, 2021.

Whiskey Bar (Kitchen), 1048 Broad St.

When Kenny and Bobby Morrison founded the popular watering hole in 2012, generously sized hamburgers soon became a menu standout. The fries that accompany them is attracting a following of their own. The Whiskey Waffle Fries include maple chili, rémoulade and crumbled blue cheese.

Others, such as reviewer Lindsay K., keep it simple: “I’m not frequently crazy about waffle fries because I like my French fries on the softer side and waffles don’t often lend to that. However, these were really good and I hardly used any of my ketchup and mostly ate them plain.”

Farmhaus Burger, 1204 Broad St.

Chef-owner Sean Wight opened the first of his two Farmhaus locations in 2013. The simply-seasoned, hand-cut fries, gluten-free on request, draw comments such as “crispy and delicious” and “amazing.”

They can be ordered with sea salt and cracked pepper; with feta dipping sauce; or with red-bean chili and your choice of cheddar or smoked gouda cheese.

Pro tip: Farmhaus serves a special sauce with its sweet potato tots that a lot of returning customers use for their fries.

Jackie M’s and Son, 3308 Milledgeville Rd.

A certain fast-food chain’s reputation for fries has become the yardstick by which customers judge all other fries. So when diners such as Wayne C. describe Jackie M’s version as “the best french fries, even better than McDonald’s,” the comparison is not invoked lightly.

The modest soul-food restaurant, across from Bayvale Elementary School, has a national reputation. In 2020, Yelp ranked the restaurant as one of the top 100 places to eat in America, notably its authentic Philly cheesesteaks.

“The fries are hand-cut and really good,” according to reviewer Jeremy T. “Fresh out of the fryer and seasoned with salt and pepper.”

The Cattleman's Poutine, a snack food of fries and cheese curds topped with ground steak and brown gravy, is a popular menu item at Deep South Cheese and Grill in Dearing, Ga. Photo taken Oct. 20, 2022. — The Cattleman’s Poutine, a snack food of fries and cheese curds topped with ground steak and brown gravy, is a popular menu item at Deep South Cheese and Grill in Dearing, Ga. Photo taken Oct. 20, 2022.

Deep South Cheese and Grill, 4591 Augusta Hwy., Dearing

Quebec native Gino Doucet founded the small restaurant in 2018 and brought one of Canada’s favorite comfort foods with him – poutine, which covers fries in cheese curds and gravy.

Assorted meat toppings often accompany poutine. Ground steak, smoked sausage, chicken and bacon all make appearances on Deep South’s poutine dishes, including a vegetarian “Italian” poutine with marinara sauce.

Doucet has since sold Deep South to Brittany and Andrew Brown, but the fries and poutine are still on the menu.

Laziza owner Nader Khatib stands inside his Broad Street location in this photo from 2020.

Laziza Mediterranean Grill, 4272 Washington Rd., Ste. 8A, Evans

Mediterranean cuisine successfully got its foot in the door locally when Nader Khatib opened his first Laziza in 2011. Adding their crisp fries to the menu was an easy pivot.

The Greek Fries come loaded with favorite gyro ingredients such as beef and lamb. The Feta Fries are drizzled with creamy garlic chili sauce and topped with crumbled feta cheese.

“I know it sounds weird, but their French fries are amazing,” Janina M. said on Yelp. “A great combination is getting some of their hummus, and using it as a dip for their fries. Good stuff! I honestly would go back just for that.”

Reviewer John B. kept his opinion of Laziza’s fries to one word: “Indulgent.”

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Feed your French fry fix by visiting these Augusta-area restaurants

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Augusta, GA

Finding Solutions: Augusta Juvenile Court receives grant for gang prevention

Published

40 minutes ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Finding Solutions: Augusta Juvenile Court receives grant for gang prevention

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Juvenile Court received a grant of more than $1 million to prevent youth from joining gangs by addressing underlying factors that lead to criminal behavior.

The grant from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will allow the court to expand services beyond its current programs and serve a broader population of at-risk youth.

“This allows us to build on the work we are currently doing. It also allows us to serve a different population of youth that we have not been able to serve on such an extended level, so we have additional funds that will serve even more kids and to hopefully assist the sheriff and district attorney in not having youthful offenders become adult offenders that they have to obtain and prosecute,” said Chief Judge Tianna Bias.

Addressing root causes

The funding will target factors that make youth vulnerable to gang recruitment, including poor school attendance and reading difficulties.

“Whether it’s that they have poor school attendance, not reading on grade level. One thing we’ve seen is that when you are not reading on grade level that has an impact on many other areas of your life. It’s really just an opportunity to offer wrap-around support for these kids so we can prevent them from getting into unfortunate situations that they may not end up in front of a juvenile court judge later,” Bias said.

Dr. Audrey Armistad, chief intake officer for the juvenile court, said the court’s goal is rehabilitation rather than detention.

“We put them in programs and services that help them to be able to develop mentally, socially and physically when it comes to kids involved with the juvenile court,” Armistad said.

Expanding services

The juvenile court currently serves at-risk youth through the THRIVE program. The court is also expanding services with a new computer lab set to open next month.

“It helps us to be able to provide instruction to kids getting GEDs, parents wanting GEDs, as well as we provide learning loss instruction to kids enrolled in Richmond County who may need remediation in math and reading,” Armistad said.

A gang prevention expert will meet with the juvenile court team to provide recommendations on how the grant money should be spent.

Bias said success will be measured by fewer teens in courtrooms and more in classrooms.

“We are meant to rehabilitate not to punish and we want to help these parents get kids on track so we can see a better Augusta for everyone,” Bias said.

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Augusta, GA

AU to cut ribbon on new Student Health Services building

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

AU to cut ribbon on new Student Health Services building

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta University is set to cut the ribbon on a new Student Health Services building on Friday.

The ribbon cutting will be held at 2:30 p.m. at 1465 Laney Walker Boulevard in Augusta.

The event will showcase the field of college health and the role the services have on students’ personal development and academic success.

The clinic relocated to the new space last month to make way for AU’s advanced research and clinical innovation, according to officials.

At the event, there will also be snacks, interactive games and clinic tours.

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Augusta, GA

Law enforcement converges on home in west Augusta

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Law enforcement converges on home in west Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – There was a large law enforcement presence Thursday morning at a home in west Augusta near Fort Gordon.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force were in the area attempting to find a suspect, according to deputies.

Witnesses said around 11:25 a.m. that officers had been surrounding a home at Harper-Franklin Avenue and Covington Court.

That’s in a neighborhood of mostly two-story brick-fronted homes built in the past three or four years just east of Jimmie Dyess Parkway and a couple of blocks north of Gordon Highway.

As noon approached, law enforcement had left.

But a Facebook post from earlier did show a large presence,including marked and unmarked cars, and officers all around the house. A witness said police dogs were on the scene, as well.

News 12 has reached out to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for information.

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