Thrasher's French Fries: A timeless Ocean City tradition
On the Ocean City boardwalk, there is one man who reigns supreme.
One man who knows the secret behind the town's most coveted treat.
His throne, a small office under the Jolly Roger Amusement Pier, is far from glamorous. But his position of power at Thrasher's French Fries, will go down in history.
His name is Les Morris, known among friends and co-workers as the, "Lord of the Fries."
Morris doesn’t own Thrasher’s — that honor belongs to Buddy Jenkins — but after nearly 40 years in the business, he knows those famous French fries better than anyone else.
He keeps a watchful eye on the stand, making sure the crispy, yet tender potatoes uphold the integrity of the original recipe.
When asked about the often copied, but never quite duplicated flavor of Thrasher’s, Morris simply says, "Some things are better left untouched."
Creating the best French fry
It was 1929 when J.T. Thrasher introduced a unique concept to the Ocean City Boardwalk, a food stand specializing in just one item.
Thrasher, originally from Georgia, was met with skepticism, but forged ahead anyway with his French fry enterprise.
His goal? To create the best tasting fry ever eaten — past, present or future.
To run the stand, he employed a group of girls from a Christian school in Georgia, and housed them in a dormitory above the present-day Bank of Ocean City. He shipped in freights of potatoes from various regions of the country to ensure the highest quality and flavor with each bite.
Thrasher's now utilizes a special machine to slice each potato, just like the women did in 1929, only a heck of a lot faster.
Currently, there are three boardwalk locations: the original, another at 2nd Street, and a third at 8th Street.
After 87 years, Thrasher's French Fries has only changed hands twice: Franklin "Crip" Hastings and Charles Jenkins. Both men promised to uphold Thrasher's high standards and the original recipe, and both men kept their promise.
"There's never been deviation from quality or tradition," Morris said. "Thrasher would be proud."
The French fry stand is still under Jenkins' management, with the help of his trusty manager, "The Lord of Fries." Quality is still the ultimate goal and only through years of passion and diligence has the fry retained its superior taste and appearance.
"These fries make you feel things"
Since that first sliced potato in 1929, Thrasher's French Fries has become an Ocean City Boardwalk sensation.
The fries have been featured on The Food Network and Good Morning America, in countless publications like USA Today and The Washington Post, and are regarded as perhaps the best in the country.
But what makes them so irresistible?
"It's a secret," said Morris, nonchalantly.
There are a number of theories regarding their superior flavor, prominent among them that Jenkins puts, "something in the grease." But Morris chalks it up to hard work and consistency.
For years, Thrasher's has used four simple ingredients: Idaho potatoes, peanut oil, apple cider vinegar and salt, a combination paying homage to the old English ways of dressing potatoes. And don't expect to find any ketchup nearby.
"Trust me," said Rich Aversa, lifelong French fry fan from Baltimore. "You don't need it."
The fries are served in paper cups —16 ounces, 32 ounces and 53 ounces — but the largest looks suspiciously like a bucket. So, in these diet-conscious times, exactly who orders french fries by the pail?
"Everybody," Morris said. "Young people. Old people. Local people. Tourists. You name it."
After nearly 90 years, Thrasher's French Fries are a timeless classic, practically a representative of the boardwalk itself.
"These fries make you feel things," he said. "They bring you back to a special, simpler time in life. Since they are always the same, you always get that sentimental feeling when you're eating them."
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