Places Around Maastricht: Reitz Friture

Type of Place: Friets Takeaway & Restaurant
Location: Markt Square
Website

Fries. Chips. Friets. Patat. No matter what you call them, potatoes cut into sticks and fried up are popular the world over. The Netherlands, and certainly Maastricht close to the Belgian border were they apparently have an extra special love for friets, is no exception. With 101 years of business under their belts, Reitz always seem like a popular place to get a snack. It is with that in mind, as well as our desire for a cheap lunch alternative, that Dan & I ducked inside to try out a cone-full of their particular fare.

I think that friets are one of those foods that is half about the experience of eating them; like a starchy version of shellfish. These friets are served in a paper cone wrapped around warm fries with a tiny ‘friet fork’ to help you get at your messy meal.

Reitz also serves their friets with a wide variety of flavors from the boring, American-style “with salt” to the classic Dutch mayonnaise dollop to even odder choices like zuurvlees (literally ‘sour meat’; its Limburgish). Dan tried the pindakaas (peanut butter sauce) variation and I opted for zuurvlees and mayo. The fries were fresh and hot and the flavorings tasty. A small size would have been enough for the two of us, but if you have a big appetite they also offer a large. We did find that we should have eaten faster as the toppings soak into the friets quickly and the bottom half of each cone turned into a soggy mess. Fortunately I was full by then, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Reitz also has a restaurant in the back, but we have not visited it yet. And if you chose to eat your fries at McDonalds next door, shame on you.

3 Responses to “Places Around Maastricht: Reitz Friture”

1. melissa says:

   March 24, 2010 at 2:15 pm

   Oh gosh friets..don’t you think they’re so much better in NL? Fritjes Speciaal is my fave…curry ketchup, mayo and chopped onions..delish!

   Reply
   • Amanda says:

     March 24, 2010 at 2:28 pm

     Dutch friets are definately lekker, although curry ketchup might be too much for me. Much better than American fries in my opinion. I also have a special place in my heart for Irish chips smothered in cheddar cheese and thick bacon.

     Reply
2. A Touch of Dutch says:

   March 24, 2010 at 2:49 pm

   I find it hilarious how there is a McDonald’s next to this place! I really like how you’ve written about the friets Made me hungry!

   Reply