Customers find French fries "hard to swallow"

Neal Rowland, the owner of Cubbie's diner in Beaufort, North Carolina, said his newly-named 'freedom fries' have been a hit with customers.

"Everybody's been in support of it," he told BBC News Online.

"World War II veterans have been coming in, telling stories of when they were in France. They're overwhelmed about it, they can't believe it."

A sign in the restaurant's window reads: "Because of Cubbie's support for our troops, we no longer serve French fries. We now serve freedom fries."

Liberty measles

Mr Rowland says he got the idea from similar protest action against Germany during WWI, when sauerkraut was renamed liberty cabbage, frankfurters became hot dogs, and German measles converted to liberty measles.

He said the move was not aimed at French people but at their government.

"We look back at all the numerous times the US has gone to the aid of the French, and now we see they won't come to our support," he said.