When we heard that the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory is open for tours, we had to make a stop!
You might be familiar with Route 11 Chips. They’re available in most US states (sorry, Alaska and Hawaii) and, more importantly, they’re delicious! I’d most recently had Route 11 potato chips with a giant deli sandwich at The Battlefield Country Store in Fredericksburg. I knew that these tasty kettle-cooked chips were made in my home state of Virginia, but I only recently discovered that the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory is open for tours. Of course, we had to make the stop on our next road trip.
You can also find Route 11 Potato Chips at Messick’s Farm Market, Grilled Cheese Mania, and Great Harvest Bread Co.
Finding the Factory
We easily found the Route 11 Chips factory. It is right off of I-81, just a couple minutes off the interstate in the Shenandoah Valley town of Mount Jackson. Frequent passers-by will probably be able to recall Mount Jackson’s water tower, which is painted like a bushel basket of apples.
The factory is small and unassuming. You’d never know that each day, tons of potatoes were processed into super tasty chips right here!
Inside the Factory
The work areas can be seen behind the counter, to the left of the counter, and upstairs. Signs are clearly posted requesting that visitors not take photographs of the work areas, so you’ll have to visit on your own to see it in action.
While observing the process, we learned that potatoes are sourced locally for Route 11 Chips for most of the year. Then the potato peels and rejected chips are used to help feed a local herd of cattle! (During our early spring visit, they were mostly from Florida, which has a longer growing season.)
We also learned that it takes one ton of potatoes to produce 400 pounds of chips! Potatoes are mostly water and all of it cooks out in the oil.
We did get some great photos of the factory store, where we were offered free samples of Route 11 Chips. An employee also gave our kids some postcards about how Route 11 Chips are produced.
Route 11 Potato Chips
We purchased a large chip clip and a combo pack of Route 11 Chips. It contained 2-ounce bags of Lightly Salted, Barbecue, Salt & Vinegar, Sour Cream & Chives, Chesapeake Crab, Dill Pickle, Appalachian Salt & Cracked Pepper, Sweet Potato, and Mama Zuma’s Revenge.
After we left the factory, we had a sampling party. We each picked the ones that looked good to us and then I did my best to evenly divide the rest. All of the chips were good. They are thinly-sliced and have that satisfyingly hard crackle that you only get with kettle-cooked chips.
Though the Mama Zuma’s Revenge label proclaims that they are “HOT Habanero” chips, a lot of chips with “hot” labels simply aren’t. Well, these are! Sampling two chips was enough for me. They were tasty, but not worth the discomfort. Proceed with caution!
My husband loved the Chesapeake Crab Route 11 Chips, which wasn’t a surprise to anyone who’s seen how much Old Bay seasoning he uses when he cooks. The kids loved the Salt & Vinegar, Sweet Potato, and Dill Pickle the best.
My personal favorite was the Appalachian Salt & Cracked Pepper. Many “salt and pepper” chips have a vinegary flavor, but the salt and pepper in the Route 11 Chips shines through. They taste so fresh!
I really love the commitment that Route 11 Chips has to supporting the area. It’s easy to see why they’ve won so many accolades for their delicious chips and business practices.
Plan Your Visit
Route 11 Potato Chips
11 Edwards Way
Mount Jackson, Virginia 22842
540-477-9664
website
