A couple of weeks back I posed the question on Twitter and Facebook: Curious what people think; who has the best (tater) tots in town?

You know what I’m talking about: tater tots, those delicious bite-sized deep fried cylinders of grated potato, crispy and hot on the outside and tender on the inside. They’re deceptively simple, at their most basic just putting frozen tots into a fryer, but you can find ones that aren’t very good if you try.

But, who has the best? McMenamins is my usual go-to for their Cajun tots (your best bet is to get them on happy hour when they’re cheap, or as a side to your burger or sandwich), and that was a consensus of several respondents to my impromptu social media poll. Other suggestions from social were Silver Moon Brewing’s Jalapeno Cheddar Tots, and Cascade West Grub & Alehouse’s Jalapeno Cheese Tots. (Is there a trend there?)

You’re going to find tots of course at the burger places: Pilot Butte Drive In, Dandy’s, Bend Burger Company, and so on. Backyard Pizza has tots on the menu, particularly a “loaded” tots covered in cheese, bacon, sauce, etc. and then you’re swinging into totchos territory. There’s even a food truck—TOTS (theoretically; there haven’t any updates since last June).

So. Where are the best ones located?

(Image credit: Willis Lam / CC BY-SA, from Wikimedia Commons)