Dirty Chips

Update Review, 2022

I've reviewed Dirty Potato Chips before, back in 2013.  You may recall that I didn't really like them then.  But people change, tastes change, and so, I gave them another try in 2021-2022.  It was a year of a lot of stay-at-home lunches, which often included a side of chips.

"Dirty chips are kettle chips with attitude. We offer bold, disruptive, trend-setting flavors with authentic ingredients and small-batch quality."

As I geared up to write this update review, I learned something - it turns out that Dirty is no longer a standalone company, but rather, they are owned by ... Utz.  The same Utz that makes that crazy addicting snack mix ...  And why Utz?   Because Utz also owns Zapp's, yes another brand of kettle chip (that I like only slightly more), that bought Dirty a few years prior.  The snack food world, so insular!

Anyway, yeah.   Kettle chips, still not really my thing, and certainly not Dirty Brand.

Sour Cream & Onion.

"A creamy smooth taste with a hint of onion. "

Maybe I just don't like Dirty Chips.  Or most kettle chips.   I found these too fried,  with a flavor I didn't care for in the chip itself. 

The sour cream and onion didn't do anything for me either.  Meh-tastic.

**.

Mesquite BBQ.

"Everyone knows that mesquite wood makes the best bbq, and ours captures the true flavor of the old southwest. "

By mid-2021 I had a problem.  An addiction almost.  To snack foods, chips in particular, and bbq chips most of the time.  I wanted them every single day with my lunch.  I have *never* been a chips person like this before!

Even though Dirty chips aren't my favorite brand nor style, I still tried their bbq one day, when the local cafe I was picking up food from swapped out from Kettle brand to Dirty chips.

The bbq flavor was good, mesquite indeed.  A fairly complex taste, a mix of tomato and onion and spices, with a smoky nature to it.  Oh, and of course, salt and sugar to keep me addicted.  The chips were crunchy, more fried than I like, very, very unhealthy kettle style.  Not that any chips are particularly known as health foods, but Dirty chips really are higher up than many on the calories/fat/etc content.

Anyway, I easily finished my bag, and I liked the bbq flavor more than any other Dirty chip, but still not a brand I seek out.

***.

Funky Fusion.

"These funky fusion kettle-cooked potato chips are a little bit of everything. Deliciously spiced with smoky paprika, onion and garlic concoction, and blended hints of a sweet vinegar for the perfect tang. Your taste buds will thank you."

These were fascinating chips.  The name, "Funky Fusion", really is quite correct.  They were a little bit BBQ, a little bit Salt & Vinegar ... like a tangier, more grown up, very of a mesquite bbq.

I liked them.  The flavor was unique, they weren't too fried tasting.  Dirty brand still isn't my top choice, but this flavor was a winner, and I rank them above Kettle brand chips ...

***+.

Original Review, 2013

"Dirty" chips.  Not exactly the most appealing product name.  I was curious about the naming, so I looked it up on their website.  They explain "The name 'Dirty' comes from the process we used to prepare our chips. The potato slices are not washed, leaving more of the natural potato flavor."  Ok, so I guess they really are dirty ...

Anyway, Dirty chips are kettle style, crispy and oily.  They offer some standard flavors (salted, bbq, sour cream and onion, etc), but also some more exotic ones like maui onion.  They are all fine, but nothing special.  Meh.

I'm still continuing my quest to find chips I love.

• Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt.  Tasting notes: Eww.  Now, I would have never selected these, Ojan got them for some reason.  They were good standard oily crispy kettle chips, but I really did not like the pepper.
• Maui Onion.  Tasting notes: Kinda sweet onion flavor.  Good crispiness.
• Mesquite BBQ: Tasting notes: Same good crispiness, decent sorta sweet mesquite flavor, but not my favorite.
• Sweet Potato.  Tasting notes: Very sweet potato flavored, crispy, but something just seemed to be missing. I didn’t like them nearly as much as Terra or Food Should Taste Good ones.