Do Chickie's & Pete's Crabfries Contain Actual Seafood?
Philadelphia is home to a number of beloved dishes. First and foremost, there's the iconic Philly cheesesteak, which sits at the top of the city's food fame. But it's also home to the original stromboli, and if you've ever visited the greater Philly area, you've likely also seen signs for Chickie's and Pete's. The Philly-based chain is known for its "World Famous" Crabfries, but the funny thing is this cheesy snack doesn't actually contain seafood.
Chickie's and Pete's was established back in 1977, and as the story goes, once the summer came to a close, founder Pete Ciarrocchi found himself with plenty of excess crab seasoning that he didn't want to waste. "It really was an accident," he told CBS News. Since crabs were only available in the summer, he needed to find another use for so many seasonings — hence the origin of the name "Crabfries." And so began the journey to create the perfect seasoning blend to put atop none other than crispy French fries. Today, the dish is a timeless menu item at Chickie's and Pete's locations around the nation.
Chickie's and Pete's Crab Fries were inspired by crabs
Although a standard Crabfries order doesn't contain crabs, the dish was inspired by the crabby seasoning blend. It took Ciarrocchi two years to build the perfect Crabfries seasoning mixture, which he often asked restaurant regulars to taste-test. By 1979, the official Crabfries seasoning recipe was developed. Chickie's and Pete's World Famous Crabfries are served with a creamy cheese sauce for dipping, and the signature crinkle-cut look is actually for function; Ciarrocchi says the crinkles help the seasoning grip to the fries better.
These days, you can also order Ultimate Crabfries, which are the original Crabfries topped with you — guessed it — lump crab meat. It's only fitting that this became an option eventually, right? The Ultimate Crabfries also come with aioli in addition to the cheese sauce, but you can expect to pay a premium — it's an extra $10 for the crab-filled Chickie's Crabfries (try saying that five times fast).