Readers pick winner in Free Press french fries poll

The results of the Burlington Free Press french fires poll are in and we have a clear winner, with readers picking a Burlington institution, Beansie's Bus, by a wide margin.

For this poll, we decided to go a bit beyond the confines of Chittenden County, but stuck to eateries that were close enough for an impulse visit to satisfy a craving for deep-fried goodness.

As it turns out, readers stuck close to home.

Beansie's converted school bus is a fixture on the north end of Battery Park in Burlington during the warm months. Then the yellow bus pulls up and opens for business, people in the Burlington area know that warms days aren't far behind.

Beansie's serves old-fashioned, skin-on, straight-cut fries that you know came from the deep fryer, the kind you remember from the fair. The texture leans toward a chewy heartiness along with the crunch, rather than a delicate crisp that characterizes so many fast-food fries.

While readers turned out for Beansie's fries, the rolling restaurant is perhaps as well known for serving up Michigans, hotdogs topped with a seasoned meat sauce — no beans. Don't forget the onions and yellow mustard.

The location adds to the experience of eating at Beansie's. You can pick up your food, wander over to sit on the stone wall along the edge of Battery Park and have your meal with an expansive view of the waterfront, Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks beyond. While you're enjoying your meal, watch out for the gulls. They will shamelessly swoop down on any unattended hot dogs or fries.

Beansie's was in the food truck business before food trucks were a thing. Beansie's is celebrating 80 years in business this summer, as the banner draped in front of the bus's grill proclaims.