WaPost: 'Route 11 Potato Chips finds success as a cult favorite in a fiercely competitive market'

Welcome to the world of Route 11 Potato Chips, a small Virginia chippery in the rustic Shenandoah that has been cooking up Kettle-style cult favorites for more than 20 years.

The Washington Post visited Route 11 Potato Chips in the northern Shenandoah Valley and discovered the yumminess that so many already know.

We stopped there in 2011 while roaming the back roads in that part of Shenandoah County with my parents and, even though they were not actively cooking at that time, the varied choices of chips was far larger than anything we had seen in retail outlets.

When in Seaside, Florida, last year, we were pleasantly surprised to find one of the food trucks offering Route 11 chips. The secret is spreading about this local gem.

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
2011

Route 11 Potato Chips in Mt. Jackson ... crunch on!

 Route 11 Potato Chips began in 1992 in an old feedstore in Middletown located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. From the website: "Our original quest was to pay tribute to the most popular snack food in the USA, by just trying to make an excellent potato chip.Our recipe is simple:  good potatoes, high quality oil and unusually delicious seasonings. We are committed to making the highest quality potato chip on the market.  

"We make them in our own facility in a safe and clean environment and welcome you to come visit us and see the process for yourself.  We are always striving to be better at what we do and to provide discriminating potato chip eaters everywhere with an excellent product.

"Relative to the rest of the snack world we are still small potatoes. And that's exactly how we like it.  This small size affords a chipper attention to detail, turning what is usually mass produced by machines, into a fine art.  Try the chips and see for yourself."

 Listen to the Route 11 Potato Chips jingle.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
October 2011