Whole Shabang “Jail Chips” may be the best ever

The Unboxing of my order of Whole Shabang Potato Chips

I discovered The Whole Shabang Potato Chips quite by accident. A half-eaten package was in a shopping bag in the back of our Prius. I was on a long road trip so I helped myself to a few. Wholly mallolly! These were probably the best chips I’ve ever eaten. The cut and fry of the chips themselves was ideal, and the taste was a robust onion/garlic profile PLUS a hint of tartness like in salt and vinegar chips AND mild chili spice as in BBQ chips. I finished the package in short order then went on a quest for more.

The Prius makes regular trips to Pittsfield MA where my wife buys cheese at a frou-frou grocery called Guido’s; I assumed the chips had come from there. But their website turned up blank while a Google brought up strange references to… prisons? Then I remembered my college student telling some yarn about how these chips are only available in prison commissaries but he had somehow procured a supply.

Inside the bag of Whole Shebang potato chips

And it’s true! The parent company to Whole Shabang Chips is The Keefe Group, a billion dollar supplier of prison commissaries. How quixotic that they decided to make the world’s best potato chip and provide it only to inmates, not at retail. And of course the inmates got very creative; this very good piece of investigative journalism shows how they make a complete meal out of rice, ramen, boiling water and the chips as a garnish. I don’t think you’ll be tempted to try it at home.

Original Whole Shebang Chips, from the website.

The happy conclusion to this story is that Whole Shabang potato chips are now available by mail order, to law abiding folks like us. You can get a pack of six 6-oz bags for $19, which is about what you’d pay for a premium chip at retail, with free shipping if you live close to the PA plant like I do.

You can also order from Amazon with the confidence of prime shipping, but you’ll pay a bit more. On the other hand, your Amazon order will bring you a single bag of chips, which may be all a decent person needs to eat. Take your first bite of The Whole Shabang and you’ll understand what I am talking about.