People say fries are like Batman and Robin, but sometimes Batman does things alone. That’s his whole deal. And in our world, most people can’t even fathom having a burger without a side of French fries. I personally won’t even consider it, because to me, they’re more than Batman and Robin: They’re Batman and Batman.
So, if you’re getting fast food and need some fries, where should you get them? Which chains will let you down? Which chains will make your time and money worth it?
I ranked 10 of the most popular fast-food fries that exist and examined them from key angles: How do they taste? How do they crunch? How do they dip? Very advanced sciences. Here are 10 different fast-food French fries, ranked.
Best: Kentucky Fried Chicken
I know I did a whole burger thing in the beginning, and KFC is probably not what you expected to see here, but my job is to tell the truth. And the truth is that Kentucky Fried Chicken’s fries are legitimately good. And I’m not just saying that because I got to tour the KFC Headquarters and peer behind the Colonel’s curtain.
KFC’s fries are more like actual pieces of fried potatoes than any other fries I’ve tasted at a fast-food joint. They’re jagged and angled, like a piece of battered fish, and seasoned with something incredibly reminiscent of Australian chicken salt. They’re just great. I want them with steak frites. I want them with a burger, or maybe a big plate of them in a German beer hall. No notes.
2. Shake Shack
When Shake Shack was still a purely East Coast operation, an immediate rivalry with In-N-Out was born. (In my opinion, the comparisons are nonsense because Shake Shack’s price point is nothing like In-N-Out, making them very different burgers.) I’m a West Coaster who spent 30 years living in California, and In-N-Out’s burger is the very basis of my religion.
It gives me no pleasure to say that Shake Shack’s crinkle-cut fries are leagues better than In-N-Out’s. It gives me no pleasure to say that the crunch of every Shake Shack fry is always perfect, and it gives me no pleasure to say that every Shake Shack fry is always seasoned to perfection. None of it gives me joy, but here we are. These things are good.
3. Arby’s
It’s hard enough to produce one type of great French fry consistently, but two? Arby and Jack are just showing off. While both Arby’s and Jack in the Box are dishing out terrific curly fries, Arby’s is also frying up some crinkles. Shake Shack’s are better, but Arby’s are solid. They’re salty and crunchy, and they even stay crunchy after they get cold. They are, in fact, the best things on the menu.
4. Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box is so close to the third-place slot, but the chain’s regular fries don’t quite match Arby’s crinkles. Both are killing it in the curly fry game, offering perfectly seasoned fries that are the ideal shape for dipping into a sauce container. Like Arby’s, it’s impressive to offer two good fry options and deal double-damage.
5. McDonald’s
Exhale. Wrap up the angry email you’re going to send me, and go with me for a moment. Close your eyes. Think about McDonald’s fries, which, in theory, are good. But ask yourself, when was the last time you had McDonald’s fries that were hot and crispy? Is it every 10th time? 15th time?
While you are, of course, able to stand there and wait for fresh fries to come out of the oven, this is no life for somebody eating fast food. The idea is to be in and out of there, well, fast. While McDonald’s fries are the perfect shape and are usually seasoned well, they are soft and soggy nearly every time I eat them. You can’t dip soft fries into anything. You can’t crunch down on them in that beautiful way that contrasts against a burger with soft fries, either.
Also: Is this really all the fries you get for a medium? Is the background just painted with more fries to trick me? C’mon now, McD.
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6. Popeyes
I’m not one to get fries with fried chicken (maybe like me, you prefer something cold and crunchy alongside, like slaw), but Popeyes is a place to do it. I like the big, thick crunch on Popeyes fries, which are beautifully flecked with pepper. They dip real well into some Popeyes sauces, too.
7. In-N-Out Burger
In the Shake Shack slide, I mentioned that I’m California-bred and that In-N-Out is my religion. Yet here we are, with In-N-Out’s fries at number seven. I have strong opinions about these fries, based on my experience. I hear a lot of, “THEY ARE THE WORST FRIES THAT HAVE EVER EXISTED IN FAST FOOD,” and I also hear a lot of “THEY ARE THE ONLY GOOD FRIES IN FAST FOOD.”
For me, they’re just fine. They’re not salted very heavily, so adding a bit of your own goes a long way. Another thing that goes a long way? Asking for them well-done. I have been doing this for decades, and it makes an enormous difference. Trust a Californian on that.
There’s a chasm of quality between In-N-Out and the fries that follow. This is the last stop on the train of fries that are worth your time.
8. Wendy’s
In fairness, they have gotten a lot better. Wendy’s 10 years ago would have finished last.
These have improved significantly, and I especially appreciate that you can see the skin on the edges. While nice and salty, Wendy’s fries never seem to be crispy. That’s a massive issue for me, because as far as dips go, there’s nothing better than a Frosty. Soggy fries can’t handle being dipped into a milkshake.
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9. Chick-fil-A
If you put your pitchforks down after my low McDonald’s rating, you may have just picked them back up again. I would love the idea of Chick-fil-A making good waffle fries, but I’m so sorry, I’m just so, so, sorry; they don’t.
I swear to you that when I say I have never had a crispy waffle fry from Chick-fil-A. Never in my life have I had a waffle fry that was any sort of shape feasible for dipping into that magnificent Chick-fil-A sauce.
10. Burger King
Foof. Burger King’s fries are really only similar to other fries in that they are starchy, salty rectangles. These neon yellow sticks are not just bland, they’re something more than bland, as though after you’re done eating one you can taste even less in your mouth than you could prior to the first bite. It’s almost like looking down into weird containers full of soft filling rather than a potato with skin. That’s gonna be a no from me.
More Fast-Food Taste Tests From Cheapism
- The Best Fast-Food Cheeseburger, According to Our Taste Test — There are a multitude of fast-food chains slinging cheeseburgers, but which one is the best? Who deserves your hard-earned dollars?
- The Best Sandwich Chain Out There (and 9 Other Ones That Are Just Okay) — See if your favorite fast-food sandwich shop made our ranking of the best sandwich chains out there.
- 10 Best Fast-Food Chicken Nuggets, Ranked — When the chicken nugget craving hits, where do you go? Here are the best fast-food chicken nuggets, ranked from best to worst in our taste test.
