Food fight! Macon’s popular restaurant competition is back as a three-day event

Twenty-three downtown restaurants will be competing this week for the title of Macon’s Fry Fight Champion, which comes with major bragging rights along with the coveted Super Spud trophy.

The fourth annual Macon Fry Fight will be increased from one day to three, starting on Wednesday and ending on Friday, which is National French Fry day. NewTown Macon came up with the fry fight in response to a slow summer season for downtown Macon. Since 2022 when the Fry Fight was born, it has attracted people from all over to come together and try the creative and unique dishes.

“It really gives our restaurants an opportunity to flex their culinary muscles and skills, and so it’s a fun way for people to be introduced to restaurants they may not go to normally, or try a new restaurant that they’ve never been to before,” said Emily Hopkins, vice president of external affairs for NewTown Macon.

The only parameters restaurants must follow is that it needs to be an entree-sized dish with potato-based fries as the foundation, and the price range has to be between $12-15

Looking to defend the title

Two-time winner and defending champion, Cashman’s Pub, entered a dish that is a twist on a classic American favorite that they hope will add a third Super Spud trophy to their collection.

The idea behind ‘Chicken Pot Fry’ came to Reginald Perkins, the executive chef at Cashman’s Pub, in a dream.

“I was asleep one night, and I woke up and the word popped up in my head,” Perkins said. “I thought about the catchy phrase of chicken pot fry, I was like, that’s a catchy word let me try that.”

Cashman’s Pub ‘Chicken Pot Fry’ has crispy shoestring fries layered with tender rotisserie chicken, garden vegetables, and a rich, creamy white sauce, all topped with golden, buttery pastry crumbles. Perkins hopes the creativity of the dish paired with the catchy name will be enough to win, but he’s more excited about how the fry fight brings the community together.

“Macon is the only city I’ve seen that enjoys competitions like this, and I think the restaurants get excited about it. It brings customers in, and everybody comes out and supports so we’re all excited about it,” Perkins said.

Macon’s newest fry fighter has come to compete

New to the competition and the downtown scene, the Social Duck is coming in hot to give Cashman’s Pub and other veteran fry fighters a run for the trophy.

With their dish called ‘The Gouda Pig’, chef Scott Heck brings something to the competition that is “going to to pop” according to Heck. The dish includes barbecue seasoned fries that will be topped with melted Gouda, pulled pork, barbecue sauce and pickled red onions.

Heck has been in the culinary industry for 40 years and has cooked for the fry fight before with Barefoot Tavern, which is closed for renovations. The Social Duck will compete this year as an extension of Barefoot Tavern, Kris Ellis, the owner of both restaurants said.

Ellis said that he looks forward to the Fry Fight as a way to “increase the visibility of The Social Duck, and also, it lets people notice the Barefoot Tavern is still around, and (is) planning to come back strong in the very near future.”

The Social Duck opened to the public on July Fourth and will reopen for the Fry Fight on Wednesday. Rivaling their dish in its uniqueness is their entertainment offerings. The Social Duck has duckpin bowling making it a fun, distinct place to go downtown for all ages.

When asked if these combined qualities would provide an advantage in the competition, Ellis said it isn’t about winning at all.

“It’s all about camaraderie with the other restaurants, because I think that’s very important. It’s also about interacting with the community and I guess to me, it’s more about that. I don’t consider a win a win unless you are winning in your community, and people know you’re available and you’re present and you’re active,” Ellis said “So I think, to me, that’s where the win comes.”

Voting will start Wednesday and close midnight on Friday. The 2025 Macon Fry Fight Champion will be announced Monday, July 14.

This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM.