My wife and I owned and operated a cafe in Indiana. The hash browns we used came dehydrated in a gallon cardboard container. You would reconstitute them with water and then be able to fry them with oil or butter (we used Whirl) to a nice light brown on both sides.
For american fries I would use previously cooked potatoes , slice them and fry them up. If someone wanted Lionized, I would add onion and green pepper.
Some (my wife) likes hash browns cooked very light. I like mine darker and crunchy on the outside.
p.s................lets not forget pancakes or hotcakes. Some like them big, others small. Some like them thick, others thin. Some like them light, others dark..........I prefer buckwheat cakes, crunchy on the edge like my Grandma showed me how to make.