Food & Drink

I Tried 14 Fast-Food Fries to Find the Best-and the Winner Won by a Landslide

By Fred Hernandez Parade - Food and Drink Stories

Updated July 17, 2026 1:18 PM

When it comes to fast food, everyone has a favorite french fry. Maybe you swear by crispy shoestring fries. Maybe it's thick-cut fries, waffle fries or heavily seasoned ones. Whatever your preference, chances are, you'll defend your favorite chain to the end.

A few restaurants have earned almost legendary status. McDonald's fries are often considered the gold standard, while In-N-Out's fresh-cut fries might be the most polarizing item in fast food. Some people love them, while others can't stand them.

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I wanted to find out whether these french fry reputations actually held up when every fry was stacked against the competition, so I spent the day driving from one fast-food restaurant to the next, ordering fries from 14 different chains and tasting them side by side. Some were exactly as good as I remembered, others were surprisingly disappointing and a couple completely caught me off guard.

I expected several chains to be in a close race for the top spot. Instead, one restaurant separated itself from the pack much more than I expected. By the end of the taste test, there really wasn't much debate about which fast-food chain served the best fries.

Read on for the results of the taste test and to see where your favorite fry landed on the list. Who knows: you may have a new fast-food french fry to try on your next drive-thru run.

The Fast-Food Fry Taste Test: My Methodology

To keep things fair, I ordered every fry in person and ate them as soon as possible after they were served. There were no delivery apps and no ketchup or dipping sauces to cover up any flaws.

While this list doesn't cover every fast-food fry out there, it includes a good mix of national chains and a couple of regional favorites.

Every order was judged on flavor, texture, crispiness, seasoning and consistency from the first fry to the last. Of course, taste is subjective, but after 14 orders, one chain clearly stood above the rest.

The Bottom Tier: The Worst Fast-Food Fries We Tried

14. Sonic ($3.39)

These Sonic fries were the biggest disappointment of the entire taste test. The fries were so dark and overcooked that the first bite caught me off guard. They were tough to chew, tasted like old frying oil and reminded me more of stale fries than a fresh order. I've seen similar complaints from other customers about the Groovy Fries, so my experience may not have been an isolated one. Either way, this batch landed firmly at the bottom of my rankings.

13. Wendy's ($3.89)

I had high hopes for Wendy's fries after hearing so many people rave about them, but this order didn't quite live up to the hype. They were on the darker side with a crispier exterior than most of the fries I tried, but they also tasted a little dry and could've used more salt. They're still a perfectly decent side, but just not one that stood out once I started comparing them with the rest of the competition.

12. KFC ($3.39)

The seasoned coating is easily the best part of KFC's fries. It adds plenty of flavor and gives them a crisp exterior, but the fries themselves were a little too soft and oily for my liking. By the end of the order, the coating had left noticeable oil marks on the carton, which made them feel heavier than many of the other fries I tried. They're not bad by any means, but I expected them to be a little crispier.

11. Burger King ($4.49)

Burger King's fries have a nice crisp and are a little longer than most of the others I tried. They reminded me a bit of Carl's Jr.'s fries, though they were slightly drier and didn't leave much of an impression beyond that. There's nothing wrong with them, but when stacked against the rest of the competition, they were easy to forget.

The Middle Pack: Good, But Forgettable

10. Taco Bell ($2.99)

Unlike most of the fries on this list, Taco Bell's Nacho Fries rely on seasoning instead of just salt. The fries themselves are soft with a light crisp, but the seasoning gives every bite plenty of flavor. I would've liked a little more crunch, but they're still a solid option, especially if you're looking for something different than a traditional order of fries. I skipped the nacho cheese for this ranking, but it's hard to argue that the two aren't made for each other.

9. Popeyes ($4.09)

If bold flavor is what you're after, Popeyes delivers. The Cajun seasoning gives these fries one of the biggest flavor boosts of the entire taste test, making them stand out from the sea of plain salted fries. This particular order wasn't quite as crispy as I've had from Popeyes before, but the bold seasoning still carried them to one of the stronger finishes in the ranking.

8. Jack in the Box ($3.99)

If you're ordering fries at Jack in the Box, skip the regular fries and go straight for the curly fries. They have an excellent crispiness, plenty of flavorful seasoning and just the right amount of salt to keep you reaching for another bite. They are a little oily, but not enough to take away from the experience. The seasoning and crispiness give the curly fries just enough of an edge over the regular fries.

7. Carl's Jr. ($3.59)

These Carl's Jr. fries ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the taste test. They arrived hot, were nicely salted and packed more flavor than I expected. They're a little softer and oilier than some of the fries ranked above them, but they were still packed with flavor. A little more crispness would've pushed them even higher, but they were still satisfying enough that I'd happily order them again.

6. Raising Cane's ($2.99)

Freshness is what stood out most about Raising Cane's crinkle-cut fries. They arrived lightly golden with a satisfying texture, and they didn't have the greasy taste that held back a few other chains. I found myself wishing they had a little more salt to make the flavor pop, but the fresh potato taste and solid crisp more than made up for it. They weren't quite good enough to crack my top tier, but they're an easy side I'd order again.

5. In-N-Out ($2.40)

In-N-Out fries are probably the most divisive among fast-food fries, but I don't think they deserve nearly as much hate as they get. Fresh out of the fryer, they had a clean potato flavor, a good amount of salt and were cooked surprisingly evenly from fry to fry. They weren't nearly as crispy as some of the higher-ranked chains, and after a few minutes, they started to soften, which is where I can see the "cardboard" complaints coming from. Even so, they're still a fry I'd gladly order again, especially because you can ask for them to be made light or well-done if you prefer a different level of crispiness.

4. McDonald's ($2.99)

McDonald's fries are every bit as good as people say they are, but tasting them side by side with other chains made me notice a few things I probably would've overlooked otherwise. They have that classic crispy exterior, fluffy center and unmistakable salty flavor, but my order was a little oilier than I'd like. They're still an easy fry to finish and absolutely deserve a spot near the top of the rankings, but they didn't quite live up to the almost untouchable reputation they have among die-hard fans.

The Top 3: The Elite Fast-Food French Fries

3. Del Taco ($3.99)

Del Taco may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of great french fries, but these were one of the biggest surprises of the french fry taste test. They arrived piping hot and tasted noticeably fresher than several competitors, even when ordered late at night. While they weren't the crispiest fries I tried and could have used a little more salt, I found myself reaching back into the bag for more. If you're already stopping for tacos, don't sleep on the fries.

2. Shake Shack ($4)

Shake Shack's crinkle-cut fries got off to a strong start thanks to their crispy exterior and satisfying chew. The thicker cut gives them a hearty bite without feeling overly dense, and they stayed crisp longer than many of the other fries I sampled. They missed the top spot because my order wasn't perfectly consistent. There were a few overly browned pieces and smaller crunchy bits at the bottom, but the overall quality was still excellent.

1. Chick-fil-A ($2.99)

Chick-fil-A's waffle fries checked nearly every box. They were crispy on the outside, soft inside and had a texture that kept every bite interesting. Their unique shape also means you get plenty of crispy edges without sacrificing the fluffy potato center. My only real complaint was that they could have used a touch more salt, but even without it, these were the fries I kept comparing every other order to in my taste test.

The #1 Best Fast-Food Fry: Chick-fil-A

As I worked my way through all 14 orders, Chick-fil-A's waffle fries remained the one to beat. They struck the best balance of crispiness, texture and freshness without sacrificing one quality for another. Some competitors were crispier but drier. Others had better seasoning but lacked texture. Chick-fil-A found the sweet spot.

The waffle shape deserves some credit too. Those extra ridges create more crispy edges while still leaving plenty of soft, fluffy potato in the center. Every fry felt substantial, and unlike several other chains, my order was consistently cooked from top to bottom.

Would I have sprinkled on a little more salt? Sure. But that was about the only knock I could come up with. When a fry's biggest criticism is that it could use a pinch more seasoning, it's doing something right. After tasting 14 different orders side by side, Chick-fil-A earned the top spot by delivering the most complete fry of the bunch.

Fast-Food Fry Superlatives: Beyond the Overall Winner

Best Curly Fries: Jack in the Box. Crispy, well-seasoned and packed with flavor, these are everything you'd want from a curly fry.
Best Waffle Fries: Chick-fil-A. Crispy on the outside, soft inside and consistently cooked from the first fry to the last.
Best for Reheating:Popeyes. A few minutes in the air fryer brings back their crispiness, while the Cajun seasoning keeps every bite flavorful.
Best Salt Level:Carl's Jr. These struck the sweet spot with enough salt to enhance the fries without overpowering them.
Crispiest French Fries:Shake Shack. The crinkle-cut fries delivered one of the crunchiest bites of the entire taste test.
Best Seasoning:Popeyes. The Cajun seasoning added the boldest flavor of any fry in the lineup.
Biggest Surprise:Del Taco. I wasn't expecting these to finish near the top, but their fresh flavor won me over.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're grabbing a quick lunch, making a late-night drive-thru run or just craving something salty, the right fries can easily steal the show. Hopefully this ranking helps narrow down your next order-or at the very least gives you a few new chains to try.

This story was originally published July 17, 2026 at 12:08 PM.