I Tried And Ranked Fries From 12 Fast Food Chains. These Were Hands Down The Best

The fast food scene is a competitive space for fries, with just about every chain worth its salt serving up crispy potato strips in some form or another. They've long been a standard-issue selection in the burger world, but they also show up next to fried chicken, partner with tacos like an American take on nachos, and stand alongside sandwiches of all sorts, pushing potato chips back in the bag. This french fry domination has created a hierarchy of quality that demands exploration to make sure we all get the caliber of fries we deserve. Customers may have their opinions on the best and worst fast food fries scattered all over the board, but a comprehensive taste test of fast food fries would help put them all in the same arena, at the same time.

I'm fortunate enough to live near locations for almost every major fast food chain in the U.S. So I circled my neighborhood and picked up packs of fries from McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, and more, and sampled them side by side to determine which of these crisps are the best. The results were surprising, even for a long-standing fry fan like me. It showed me that no matter how attached I get to a favorite, there may be something even better waiting up the street. Here's a breakdown of how my fantastic fry-tasting adventure went down and what it revealed about the finest fries out there.

The biggest disappointment in my sampling adventures was Raising Cane's. The chain serves crinkle-cut fries that look almost boiled rather than fried, plopped into a white Styrofoam clamshell. It was the most generic of the sample set, both for the packaging and the contents inside. I was excited when I saw it, thinking that a medium order in such a large container might be a motherlode of crispy potato happiness, but that was just my foolish optimism getting the better of me. Leave it to Raising Cane's to show me the error of my hopeful ways. 

The sad personality of these flavorless, soggy fries is a real buzzkill. The color is almost as washed-out as the carton they come in. This would be enough to make me choose a completely different side if I were ordering a combo, and there's no way I would ever choose this chain for a fries-only visit.

The fact that you can find premium ButterBurgers all over the menu makes you think that you can also depend on top-notch french fries as part of the experience. But for a restaurant that puts so much focus on the flavor of its burgers and custard, Culver's would do well to spend a little time improving its fries. There's really no reason to skimp on the side selections just to keep the spotlight shining on the centerpiece of the combo meal. A proper packet of fries could only enhance the situation.

But that's not how Culver's does fries. These are some of the most basic crinkle-cut fries on the circuit, blanched, flavorless, and lacking in crunch. I kept sampling one fry after another, hoping to find one that changed my mind. By the fifth fry, I realized it wasn't going to happen. I awarded myself bonus points for not giving up and put Culver's near the bottom of the list for not coming through in the clutch.

The hype over McDonald's as a supreme fast-food french fry is overdone. It's a passable fry at best, and there's so much better on the market now thanks to a variety of shapes and cooking techniques. Compared to the others, McDonald's fries just look pale and weak. Maybe all the tinkering with the original formula has taken a toll on the concept of what a timeless tater the McDonald's fry once was.

Like so many others, I know I've loved them in the past, but they did nothing for me this time. I'd like to think my palate has become refined over the years. The reality is that these fries just don't compare to those at other chains, and probably never have. There are plenty of McDonald's fans out there who would come to the defense of their favorite burger spot and its beloved french fry selections. I would guess they might change their minds if they made a comparison against chains that take more care with their fries.

Before I started this taste test, I was a huge fan of Wendy's fries. Everything from the skin and texture to the extra fried crispiness put my taste buds in a whirlwind of happiness. I had little doubt that this would be a contender for the top fries in this ranking, if not the best of the whole collection. My mouth watered at the thought of getting to taste them again.

Shame on me for getting things so wrong. I didn't find them to be as dazzling as they had been in the past. They were lacking salt, and the texture was underwhelming compared to some of the other outlets I sampled. It just goes to show that you may not know what you're missing in the world of french fries until you expand your horizons and try somewhere new. If you're wonder what you should know before ordering Wendy's fries, it's that you'd be better off ordering a baked potato instead.

Sonic's Groovy Fries are the latest fry innovation from the drive-up chain, though there's nothing terribly noteworthy about the design. It's a slightly smaller version of the crinkle cut fries, fried a little longer so they're browner and crisper ... and also greasier. That isn't something I mind, since it infuses each wiggly stick with more flavor. And it isn't as if there's oil dripping off of them, but if you favor a drier french fry, this one might not be your thing.

Rather than the consistency, it was the flavor that didn't rise to the occasion — strange, considering that I've enjoyed Groovy Fries on their own. But having more than one option to taste at one time gave me insight into just how inferior a fry Sonic cooks up. Maybe this is how the company gets customers to give the accompanying Groovy Sauce a try. If your fries can't be enjoyed on their own, no sauce is going to cover up the stigma. Here's hoping Sonic rethinks its strategy and re-reinvents its fries soon.

"America's Roast Beef, Yes Sir" comes through with an all-American french fry that avails itself deliciously. I sampled Arby's thick, crinkle-cut fries — not the seasoned curly fries. It didn't seem fair to throw a different shape into this mix, so i left those corkscrew taters off the table. Sticking with the straight-ahead zigzag fry won't let you down, though. They're brown and crispy enough to be filled with plenty of flavor and texture, and they don't rely on a special batter like their curly cousins to ramp up the enjoyment quotient. These fries are plenty good without it. 

I've never paired this version of Arby's fries with any of the chain's sandwiches, since I don't eat meat. But I can't imagine they'd be anything less than delicious as a side selection. And there's no question they'd be amazing dipped in one of Arby's famous Jamocha shakes, too. We can't let Wendy's Frosty fry-dip be the only game in town.

Offering simple matchstick-style fries makes Whataburger's offering look an awful lot like McDonald's, which made me a little leery. Rumors abound about fast food chains using the same brands of frozen fries and giving them special treatment to set them apart, but there's a chance they could all end up tasting the same. What a disappointment it would be if Whataburger made the same missteps with its fries as the House of M does these days.

Thankfully, there's a notable difference in flavor that gives Whataburger fries a tasty edge. It's nothing fancy or particularly creative — maybe just a better grade of oil or a different cooking time or temperature. Nevertheless, they're crispy and chewy enough to tempt you into eating them two or three at a the time. If you didn't know there were better fries on the horizon, you'd be very pleased with these. But I've seen the fast food french fry promised land, and it has even better options waiting.

Popeyes may not go crazy with the shape of its fries, but it does add an extra something-something by using a crispy Cajun coating to make each order feel like a little celebration. In a menu filled with so many different sides, it's nice to know the chain doesn't simply throw average fries on the marquee. Instead, the thoughtfulness helps the Popeyes fry format stand out among the competition.

These fries measure up in the flavor category; they're even tasty enough without ketchup to adorn them. They also seem to hold up pretty well after they've gone a little cold, something I discovered when I re-tried them an hour after I bought them. The texture remains sturdy, if not as crispy as they were at first, and the flavor of the seasoning is still enjoyable. The fries also retain their form, a handy feature for anyone hoping to reheat them in the air fryer. 

The Home of the Whopper can also be considered the castle that conquers much of the fry competition, thanks to a superior thick cut and a golden brown finish. I found just enough oily flavor to balance out the bland potato starchiness. This doesn't mean they're greasy necessarily, just that the taste of cooking oil actually enhances the fries rather than turning them into something less palatable, like some heavy handed fry-makers can do. Of course, it could be due to the cook on duty when I made my purchase, but I'd imagine the process is the constant, which means fantastic fries every time.

Burger King made a huge mistake once trying to make its fries healthier. It appears the company has learned its lesson, favoring enjoyment over nutrition (they're french fries, after all). I'd gladly make a snack of these prime fries without ordering any kind of main to go with them ... but I wouldn't say no to an Impossible Whopper. 

I was pleasantly surprised by Freddy's elegant way with its super-skinny shoestring fries. I wasn't expecting the petite shape; somehow I pictured this outlet serving crinkle-cut fries to match its old-fashioned diner aesthetic. So when the package of slender potato strips arrived, I gave it a wary side-eye. I was immediately impressed with the company's choice to serve them in a cup, however. It helps make the serving feel more generous, which is never a bad thing when it comes to fries.

The taste and chewiness of Freddy's fries won my heart as soon as I dug my grubby mitts into the cup. The prospect of grabbing several fries at a time to make a super-bite was too much to resist. Doing this with ordinary sized fries would have emptied the container in just a few passes. But with Freddy's, I could go back again and again and still have plenty of fries left to enjoy.

I'm old enough to remember when KFC fries were just simple crinkle-cut fries like some of the other chains on this list. The company has gone back and forth with its copycat recipe-worthy potato wedges, a fan favorite that deserves a permanent spot on the menu. But when it comes to traditional french fries, it seems that the Colonel's crew has cooked up a winner of an alternative to those sad, flimsy fries of the past.

The clever twist in this packet of potato goodness is the coating. KFC's addition of 11 herbs and spices to the exterior of these french fries is an ingenious way to tie them back to the famous flavors of its chicken. It also enhances the basic mass of the fry underneath by slapping it with an umami essence that would go missing in a lesser recipe. A chain that can make its fries substantial enough to feel like a main order instead of a side dish deserves its props. It's a feat KFC has handily accomplished.

With its reputation for extremely greasy tacos that help knock the edge off of a hangover, you would think Jack in the Box would also go heavy on the grease with its french fries. That's not a dig against the outlet; it's what many customers prefer and even look forward to. As much as I've eaten Jack in the Box food in the past with fries as part of the deal, I hoped this would be a happy reunion after years of separation (I get pretty attached to my fries, as you can tell). My fear was that these fries would end up having the same too-greasy profile as the tacos, and that I'd misjudged them the whole time.

While I stopped short of singing "Reunited" while dipping into the bag, I was elated to find out my loving recollection of Jack's fantastic fries was no false memory. This is a superior fry in both taste and texture, with crispiness and chewiness in perfect harmony. I might have gone several more years without remembering just how happy these fries make me, wondering if I ever really knew how they tasted at all. I'm glad I had the chance to circle back for the long-overdue reminder. This is an order of fries I would go out of my way to find, and one I won't question again. 

To arrange my collection of a dozen fast food chain french fries, I chose the familiar names on the circuit, which also all happen to be within a 5-mile radius of my home base. I went with medium orders from every outlet to give myself plenty of fries for sampling. This also made for better photos to provide a clear view of the fries' shapes and sizes. This meant the price per order was in the $2.50 to $3.50 zone — and there's a clear distinction between the serving size you get. To keep the playing field level, rather than trying to determine the best fast food fries in every shape, I stuck to just the straight and crinkle-cut versions. 

For even-handed sampling, I tried a single unadorned fry from each bag while they were hot and fresh. This is obviously the best way to taste what each order of fries has to offer, as well as the state in which you're most likely to receive them. My criteria for what made fries good was simple: a crispy exterior, fluffy interior, and balanced fried flavor without loads of grease. Any fries that called me back for second and third samples were automatic winners and ended up ranking higher than the one-fry selections. Once I had the fries at home, I circled back for a cold tasting to see if I could learn anything more about each selection.