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Ultimate Side Showdown
Fries vs. onion rings edition.

By Amanda Rock

Do you want fries with that? Maybe you don't. Maybe you just want onion rings. I visited six local burger chains, did all the dirty work and ranked some of SLC's best fried sides to help you decide.

Apollo Burger
Apollo Burger fries are consistently fresh and delicious, and my go-to when I'm having a bad day. The duality of the fried, crunchy exterior with fluffy potato-y insides is delightful. Is it only the Apollo Burger near my work that has life-changing french fries? To find out for yourself, visit the location at 148 N. Redwood Road. Their onion rings are pretty decent, too. Multiple locations, apolloburgers.com

Crown Burgers
"That's it?!" the voice on the other end of the speaker asks accusingly. "Yes, one order of fries and an order of onion rings," I reply. What? Like that's weird? The smell is intoxicating as I rush home to share with my husband. If I was judging by quantity alone, Crown Burger would be the clear winner. I've never seen so many onion rings and french fries in an order. With a thin, light batter coating a thin strip of onion, these rings are pretty typical. The fries are just fine, too. My husband and I declared this a tie—both are adequate, but neither really stands out. Next time, maybe I'll order the fried mushrooms or sweet potato fries. Multiple locations, crown-burgers.com

Hires Big H
The hand-cut fries are delectable, but the housemade Golden Onion Rings are even better. Hand dipped and deep fried to a golden hue, these onion rings are thick and ultra crispy, accented by a tender slice of fresh onion. With that first crunch, you can tell what's up. You can even get these first-class onion rings on your burger, which I highly suggest. Multiple locations, hiresbigh.com

Arctic Circle
Long, spindly, salty, with crisp edges and pleasantly soggy middles: That's how I like my fast-food fries. Also, in 1950, Arctic Circle freaking invented fry sauce—that ubiquitous tangy concoction Utah is famous for. I didn't try the rings, because I am committed to these french fries, dipped in the original fry sauce. These are the fries I grew up eating and I will defend them until I die. Don't @ me. Multiple locations, acburger.com

Iceberg Drive Inn
Through my delicious and important research, Iceberg Drive Inn offers the best tasting fries and onion rings. But, oh man, their onion rings are a revelation. First of all, they are gigantic at about an inch wide. There's no stingy strip of onion here: You get a fat slice of fresh onion, hand breaded and deep fried. I relished folding them in half, dipping them in fry sauce (that Iceberg totally did not invent) and cramming them into my mouth. Four onion rings come in an order, but they are perfection. Do not pass them up. Multiple locations, icebergdriveinn.com

East Coast Subs
The obvious answer, of course, is to order both fries and onion rings. And you can do exactly that at Murray's East Coast Subs. Order Frings, a clever combination of fries and onion rings, and your heart will sing. (Feel free to use that as a slogan, East Coast Subs). No hard decisions are necessary here, plus "Frings" is fun to say. 6056 S. State, Murray, 801-262-7827, eastcoastsubsmurray.com