The debate rages on: which fast food chain truly serves up the best french fries? It’s a question that sparks passionate opinions and fierce loyalty. Before embarking on this taste test, my personal champion was undoubtedly McDonald’s. However, after sampling 12 different fries from 10 popular fast food restaurants, my fry allegiance has shifted. There’s a new top contender in town, ready to claim the crown for the Best Fast Food French Fries.
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To definitively settle the fast food fry face-off, I undertook a comprehensive taste test, ranking fries from 10 national chains from worst to best. Yes, in the world of french fries, there absolutely is a “worst” – and a definitive “best.” My criteria for a top-tier fast food fry are simple yet crucial: it must be served hot, possess a satisfying crispness, boast the perfect level of saltiness, and stand strong on its own, no dipping sauce required. While I appreciate a classic ketchup pairing, the mark of truly great fast food french fries is their deliciousness straight out of the bag, enjoyed on the go.
To ensure a fair and consistent ranking, each fry was evaluated on a scale of one to five across five key attributes: freshness, crispiness, saltiness, ability to be enjoyed without condiments, and overall taste. The results might surprise you, revealing the ultimate champion in the quest for the best fast food french fries.
The Definitive Ranking of Fast Food French Fries: From Worst to First
12. Popeyes
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Freshness: 4
Crispiness: 3
Saltiness: 2
Ability to eat alone: 1
Overall: 2.5
Popeyes Cajun Fries, unfortunately, landed at the bottom of our ranking. The very element that defines them – Popeyes’ signature Cajun seasoning – is what ultimately detracts from their fry quality. While these fries were reasonably fresh and offered a decent crispness, the seasoning itself was a major letdown. Far from the zesty Cajun spice I anticipated, it presented as a dry, herb-heavy coating, leaving a lingering sage or oregano-like flavor on the tongue. To salvage these fries, dipping in ketchup would be essential, primarily to mask the overpowering seasoning. For those seeking the best fast food french fries, Popeyes misses the mark with this offering.
11. Burger King
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Freshness: 4.5
Crispiness: 1.5
Saltiness: 3
Ability to eat alone: 1
Overall: 2.5
Burger King’s fries, advertised as “piping hot and perfectly salted,” fell short of expectations. While they were indeed warm and adequately salted, a significant flaw held them back: they were excessively thick and undercooked. The texture resembled biting into a hot, semi-raw potato. This wasn’t the pleasant heartiness of a steak fry, which I typically enjoy. It’s evident that Burger King aims for a thicker cut than shoestring fries, but this necessitates a longer frying time to ensure complete cooking. Even generous amounts of ketchup seemed insufficient to overcome the starchy, undercooked sensation, preventing Burger King from contending for the title of best fast food french fries.
10. Dairy Queen
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Freshness: 5
Crispiness: 3
Saltiness: 1
Ability to eat alone: 2
Overall: 2.7
Dairy Queen’s shoestring fries appear to be aspiring McDonald’s clones, mimicking the look but drastically missing the mark in taste. The most glaring issue? A complete lack of salt. While some might appreciate unsalted fries, for me, salt is fundamental to the french fry experience. Interestingly, Dairy Queen was among the few restaurants that proactively offered ketchup, almost preemptively acknowledging their fries’ need for dipping assistance. The one redeeming quality was their piping hot temperature straight from the fryer. Cold, unsalted fries would have been an absolute meal-ruiner, further diminishing Dairy Queen’s chances in the best fast food french fries competition.
9. Arby’s Crinkle Fries
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Freshness: 4.5
Crispiness: 4
Saltiness: 2
Ability to eat alone: 2
Overall: 3.1
Arby’s Crinkle Fries, boasting “accordion-style grooves for maximum crispiness” according to their website, were indeed reasonably crispy. However, the promised “lightly salted” seasoning was perhaps too light. The salt was barely perceptible. An unexpected buttery flavor also emerged, possibly due to the cooking oil, which felt slightly out of place. For Arby’s, sticking with their signature Curly Fries seems like the wiser choice when craving the best fast food french fries experience from their menu.
8. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)
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Freshness: 4
Crispiness: 4
Saltiness: 3
Ability to eat alone: 2
Overall: 3.2
KFC’s fries deviate from the norm, seasoned with the Colonel’s secret herbs and spices blend instead of simple salt. While the seasoning was acceptable, the overall fry experience was simply “meh.” Despite commendable crispiness and freshness, they lacked a certain something, prompting a desire for ketchup to enhance the flavor profile. They evoked memories of fries from a church fish fry – not offensive, but certainly not outstanding in the quest for the best fast food french fries.
7. Five Guys Cajun-Style Fries
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Freshness: 5
Crispiness: 3
Saltiness: 2
Ability to eat alone: 3.5
Overall: 3.3
Five Guys fries are described as “boardwalk-style” and are fried in peanut oil. Their Cajun-Style fries are advertised as heavily spiced, and Five Guys wasn’t exaggerating. The Cajun seasoning is applied so liberally that it almost completely masks the fry itself. The low saltiness rating reflects not a lack of seasoning, but rather an overwhelming spice presence. If intense spice is your preference, these might appeal, but the seasoning dominance prevents them from truly competing for the title of best fast food french fries for those seeking balanced flavor.
6. Sonic
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Freshness: 4.5
Crispiness: 3.5
Saltiness: 3
Ability to eat alone: 2.5
Overall: 3.3
Sonic utilizes skin-on Russet potatoes for their fries, frying them to a golden brown and lightly salting them, according to their website. As a made-to-order establishment, high freshness was anticipated, but the fries were surprisingly underwhelming in crispness and saltiness. They felt like a McDonald’s imitation that didn’t quite succeed. Neither terrible nor exceptional, they occupy a solid middle ground. While I might order them again, it would likely be as a Chili Cheese Fry or Cheese Fry from Sonic’s menu, relying on toppings to elevate the experience beyond the fry itself in the search for the best fast food french fries.
5. Arby’s Curly Fries
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Freshness: 4.5
Crispiness: 4.5
Saltiness: 2
Ability to eat alone: 3
Overall: 3.5
Arby’s classic Curly Fries, spiral-cut and fried, present a textural variance. The crispness can fluctuate depending on the specific curl – tighter spirals can be more potato-heavy, while looser curls achieve maximum crispiness. My order leaned towards the curlier variety, resulting in extra crispiness and fresh-from-the-fryer quality. While salted, the dominant flavor profile leans towards peppery spices. The Curly Fries offer a pleasant depth of flavor but lack the desired saltiness, hence the lower salt rating. Enjoyable on their own in small quantities, they would undoubtedly benefit from ketchup to enhance the overall experience, though they stand out as a more flavorful contender for best fast food french fries compared to their crinkle-cut cousins.
4. Five Guys-Style Fries
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Freshness: 5
Crispiness: 3
Saltiness: 4
Ability to eat alone: 3
Overall: 3.7
Similar to their Cajun counterparts, Five Guys’ traditional fries are “boardwalk-style” and peanut oil-fried. Their thickness contributes to a less crispy texture compared to thinner fast food fries. Five Guys fries successfully evoke the boardwalk fry experience – reminiscent of amusement park and seaside fare. They are undeniably good, but not quite addictive enough to consume a large quantity without ketchup. While a solid contender, they fall just short of the top tier in the best fast food french fries ranking.
3. Chick-fil-A
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Freshness: 4
Crispiness: 5
Saltiness: 4
Ability to eat alone: 4
Overall: 4.2
Chick-fil-A’s waffle fries, fried in canola oil and sprinkled with sea salt, emerged as a surprising dark horse in this competition. Admittedly, my prior Chick-fil-A fry experiences always involved generous helpings of Chick-fil-A sauce. However, these fries stood remarkably strong on their own merit. Served hot, but not scalding, they possessed near-perfect saltiness. The most impressive attribute was their exceptional crispiness – truly flawless. Enjoyable even without dipping sauce, though undeniably enhanced by CFA sauce, Chick-fil-A’s fries secured a strong position among the best fast food french fries.
2. McDonald’s
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Freshness: 5
Crispiness: 5
Saltiness: 5
Ability to eat alone: 5
Overall: 5
McDonald’s World Famous Fries, thin-cut shoestring fries crafted from a blend of Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes and fried to crispy golden perfection, lived up to their iconic reputation. These were my pre-test favorites, and they delivered on all fronts: consistently hot, impeccably crispy, and ideally salted. As anticipated, they were the quintessential fry, easily capable of devouring an entire bagful without any dipping sauce. Achieving perfect scores across the board, they were undeniably exceptional, yet ultimately lacked the distinctive memorability of our top pick in the best fast food french fries showdown.
1. Wendy’s
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Freshness: 5
Crispiness: 5
Saltiness: 5
Ability to eat alone: 5
Overall: 5
Wendy’s natural-cut fries, made with skin-on potatoes and seasoned with sea salt, emerged as the surprising victor. Wendy’s revamped their fry recipe in 2021 with a focus on consistently delivering hot and crispy fries – and this updated formula proved to be the game-changer. They were indeed hot and crispy as promised, featuring a visible sea salt coating that adhered perfectly, resulting in flawlessly seasoned fries. As a dedicated McDonald’s fry enthusiast, I was genuinely astonished by my preference for Wendy’s fries. The irresistible urge to keep reaching for more lasted the entire drive home – a testament to their addictive quality. Apologies, McDonald’s, but Wendy’s has officially claimed the title of my new go-to fry destination and, in my expert opinion, serves the best fast food french fries.
