5 Best: House-Made Chips - The Bend Magazine

5 Best: House-Made Chips

Brunch, lunch, and dinner plates are best adorned with a crisp companion

By: Julieta Hernandez  Photos by: Rachel Benavides

Brunch, lunch, and dinner plates are best adorned with a crisp companion. With the variety of restaurants we have in the area, the simplicity of the chip has a different influence at each place. Nobody’s sandwich plate was ever as complete without this savory side, and we’re certainly appreciative. House-made chips can either make or break a restaurant, but we haven’t seen a bad chip yet. Here are some of our favorites from local spots.

1. Shoreline Sandwich Co. and their chips dominate the block. If it isn’t that slight spice in their seasoning blend, it’s the glassy crunch that makes them the perfect complement to some of the best downtown lunch sammies. 500 N Shoreline Blvd, #108

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2. Hesters Cafe’s lightly salted chips match the vibe of the place: light, airy, and delicious. Their homemade kettle chips are cooked to an appropriate crisp and then dusted with a light seasoning; the potato really never looked this good. 1714 S. Alameda St.

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3. Nuevo Cafe’s homemade chips are always fresh, and usually fare best with their dipping salsa, which is also homemade. Here’s where the crunch of the chips competes with the crunch of the pickle. Today, we favor the chip. 1124 Ayers St.

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4. Paradise Key is one of Rockport’s best scenic diners, and the chips live up to the business. Thin, browned, and crispy, their potato chips spruce up their best dishes and make us appreciate the saltiness of the coast a little more. 165 Cove Harbor, Rockport

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5. P.O.E.T.S. Family Restaurant serves up complimentary homemade tortilla and flour chips, and if those don’t put you in the Tex-Mex mood, their fresh, house-made salsa will. Let’s be honest: tortilla chips hit the taste buds differently, and we can’t pretend that they’re not irresistible. 4825 Saratoga Blvd.