Fast Food Fries Ranked From Worst To Best, According To Customers

At a glance, french fries are pretty straightforward. They're just potatoes, after all. Add some salt and a few other seasonings, and you're done, right? There are all kinds of tips and tricks that will help you make french fries extra crispy at home, but they're just different when they're made in a commercial kitchen with some serious fryers. Fans of the humble fry know that there are plenty of places making stellar fries, and we here at Mashed even put together a list of the best places in each state for an unforgettable order of fries.

If you can't make it to a restaurant serving up some gourmet fries, a bag of your favorite fast food fries are the next best thing. Not all chains are created equal, though. Sure, a chain might have stellar burgers or the kind of milkshake that shows up in your dreams, but that doesn't mean the fries are good.

We wanted to know what the experts had to say about the best fast food fries, and by experts, we mean customers. In order to put together this ranking of fast food fries from sadness sticks to perfection, we hit social media and the internet to find out what people are saying. Here's what they think.

Sorry, Dairy Queen. We just can't get on board with your fries. Like ... at all. We're not the only ones, either. When we looked at what other customers were saying, we found that it was widely agreed that it takes mere seconds for your fries to go from "fine" to "absolutely disgusting" once they're out of the fryer. There's another complaint here, too. DQ has fans who have visited multiple locations in multiple states report that they get wildly different products at different locations. Sometimes they're almost fine. Sometimes they're terrible. But that's the thing: Customers shouldn't be surprised by their order. Maybe stick with ice cream?

It turns out that there are a lot of people who can't stand White Castle. They complain about things like soggy buns and way too many onions. Another reason? You guessed it: reliably terrible fries. Burgers and fries go together like Harold and Kumar, but White Castle's fries are the bland, soggy, flavorless kind that no potato should be forced to become. Chatter on Reddit suggests that White Castle is only good if you're in some state of altered consciousness. Back in 2020, there was a huge discussion on whether or not White Castle had changed its fries. No one was sure, but it seemed as though the fries had gone from bad to worse.

There's another unique thing to hate about White Castle's fries, too. In 2022, White Castle announced it was replacing about a third of the company's fry cooks with robots. Giving the robot an adorable name like "Flippy" doesn't change the fact that it's putting humans out of a job, and that's not cool, White Castle.

Anthony Bourdain hated a lot of things, and that included Johnny Rockets. The late celebrity chef known for his Travel Channel series "No Reservations" made his hatred known in a hilariously expletive-filled series of tweets way back in 2013, and he's not the only one who's not a fan. Plenty of people head to sites like Yelp and Tripadvisor to complain about the fries. The one word that's often mentioned is "soggy."

The general consensus seems to be that if you picked up some frozen fries and baked them for not quite long enough, those are your Johnny Rockets fries. Add chili cheese, and there's even more reasons to complain. But hey, if you love soggy fries made soggier by wet things, this might be the place for you!

In-N-Out burger buns are unlike any other hamburger bun in the industry, and you might also say that about the fries. Unfortunately, only one of those two things is standing out in a good way, and it's not the fries. If you'd like to get an idea of what In-N-Out fries are like, go take a bite out of that Amazon box you got in the mail yesterday, and chew. It's all right. We'll wait. 

Awful, right? We're not the only ones who think so. One writer at Mashed's sister site, The Takeout, did such a severe takedown of In-N-Out fries that it could make your head spin. And there's plenty of other customers who agree, suggesting that if you want something approaching a fry-like texture, you'll have to ask for them to be well-done. Unfortunately, they'll still be pretty flavorless.

Check out what Reddit is saying about Zaxby's fries, and there are two main complaints. First, they don't travel well. If you order via DoorDash or get your order to go, by the time you get around to eating the fries, they're going to be soggy and sad.

As if that wasn't bad enough, there are a ton of people complaining about just how many fries you get in a large or Go Big order... or, more specifically, how many fries you don't get. There's a surprising number of customers who say that they had some serious disappointment kick in when they saw how few fries they got for what they were charged, with even some employees chiming in to say the fry ration wasn't high enough.

When we here at Mashed did a roundup of the Culver's menu items that you should skip, the crinkle-cut fries were definitely on the list. We weren't the only ones to think so. A look at what Redditors had to say about Culver's fries made it clear that unless you prefer your fries to be of the soft and soggy variety, you're going to be disappointed. 

Words like "sickly" and "gross" get thrown around a lot, but some people note that there is a way to get something that's tolerable: Ask for them to be well done. But should you have to make a special request to get fries that are still just mildly acceptable?

The only thing worse than predictably bad fries is a restaurant with a fry quality that's gone downhill. That seems to be the case with Hardee's and Carl's Jr., where the quality has people complaining that there's really no reason to go there anymore. Just what's going on here seems ... unclear at best. Some customers say that their local location has a vastly downgraded menu and quality. Others add the only fries they're being served are tasteless, soggy ones with no seasoning. Still, some swear that they live by that seasoning. Some love the curly fries. Others have never heard of such a thing. What's going on here, Hardee's and Carl's Jr.? What happened to consistency?

In theory, the idea of serving waffle fries to stand out from the competition is a good one. An idea is only as good as the execution, though, and when Mashed ranked the best and worst items on Chick-fil-A's menu, the fries came in at the lower end of the list for being dry on the inside, soggy on the outside, and very inconsistently seasoned. We're not the only ones who think that. Plenty of angry people are taking to the internet to wonder how it's possible to get fries to be so bland. Whoever is behind Chick-fil-A's fries seems to think that the old-fry-texture is a win, and while it's possible some locations are making their fries a little more on the well-done side, that's apparently the minority.

When Sonic overhauled the fry choices by adding Groovy Fries, it was a solid upgrade. Groovy fries are generally crispier than the chain's old fries and have a more pleasant texture ... but given how bad the old fries were, a solid upgrade gets the chain only so high in our ranking. Groovy fries definitely have a fair share of haters out there, with many noting these crinkle-cut fries come out way, way too greasy. Going to Sonic means there's a certain expectation of fries being coated in a layer of grease, but customers aren't happy with the grease and the lack of flavor. And have we mentioned the grease? With the tots on the menu, there is no reason to order these new fries.

Here's another entry in the "meh" section of the list, and it's yet another fast food chain serving up your standard, unremarkable kind of crinkle-cut fries. The complaints here at Raising Cane's are the same as at other chains that went the crinkle-cut route, which is that by the time the fries make it to the table, they're pretty soggy and limp and have none of the crispy crunch that makes a great fry. While you can request your fries to be made extra-crispy, you shouldn't have to ask for fries to be made right. Even then, they're only passable if they're fresh. If you're planning on fishing some out of a bag on the drive home, you're bound to be disappointed.

When we here at Mashed ranked the menu items at Jack in the Box from worst to best, the fries came in toward the bottom of the list. We're not alone in our belief that you should just skip these fries, either. Look through customer comments on Reddit, and it's clear that the mere idea that they're decent is an unpopular opinion. Jack in the Box fries are more commonly on the soggy, boring, bland side of things. The chain's curly fries get more love than the regular fries, but that's really not saying much. While there's nothing consistently terrible about them, you can do much, much better.

Some of the common complaints that customers have about Wahlburgers refers to the price and the serving sizes, often noting that it's not unusual to leave the place still feeling hungry. A pricey dinner is fine if you get what you pay for, but not even the fries are anything special — especially considering they're not included with the burger. Customers call them average, reporting that they get cold pretty quickly and that they're not really anything special as far as seasoning or flavor. And while there's nothing wrong with them, there's nothing outstanding about them, either. 

It's time to talk about Fatburger, and when scouring customers' opinions about this one, it seems as though there's surprisingly little to say. Overall reviews for Fatburger tend to be very middle-of-the-road, and when fries do get mentioned, they're just sort of "fine," "okay," and "mid," while others say that they're just sort of what fries should be. They're crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle, and while they're nothing to write home about, they're not consistently terrible, either. There's no reason not to get them, but there's no reason to go out of your way for them, either.

There are a lot of discontinued menu items that fans of Popeyes would like to see make a comeback, and based on the opinions customers have about the fries, the chain might want to consider a swap with almost anything else. A lot of different words are used to describe the fries, and unfortunately for Popeyes, that includes things like "mushy," "soft," and badly seasoned. Although some people swear by Popeyes, consistency seems to be a major problem here. A surprising number of customers say that their local locations often suffer from supply issues, which means fries might not always be sourced in the same way and served the same way. That's a major bummer.

Generally speaking, customers are fine with Shake Shack fries. Or not. What gives? Consistency. Head over to Reddit to see what people think about this particular chain's fries, and you'll find plenty who say that the quality varies by location. Those that are good, though, are just kind of all right: They're a standard sort of crinkle-cut fry, which is fine. However, there's a catch — and that's the price. Add in the price tag, and the general consensus is that if you're going to go to Shake Shack for a burger, you should probably just swing by another fast food chain for more reasonably priced (and probably better) fries.

Love Steak 'n Shake fries? You seem to be in the minority — or you haven't been there in a while. Although older social media posts have fans raving about perfectly seasoned, perfectly crispy fries, more recent posts are from customers who are less impressed. There are complaints about bland seasoning, fries that aren't even the advertised shoestring fries, and portion sizes that are less than stellar. And that's not great. Sure, food prices are high, but at least hook us up with some serious fries! Those responding to criticisms seem unsurprised at lackluster fries.

Farmer Boys prides itself on farm-fresh, cooked-to-order food, so it makes sense that customers might expect the fries to be out-of-this-world delicious. Check out what people are saying on sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp, though, and you'll find that's not the case. Those who do mention the fries generally report that they're just fine,  and customers sometimes add it wasn't what they were expecting for the price and image of the chain. Others say that the fries are reliably decent, always taste fresh, and portion sizes are also decent. All in all, they're fine but nothing to write home about.

The fries at Bojangles were a tough one to call because of consistency. Here's the thing: There are a lot of people who truly love the seasoned fries at Bojangles and absolutely recommend giving them a shot. The seasoning is top-notch, but there are plenty of other customers who complain about a lack of consistency. There's a lot of speculation as to what's going on here, but the chatter about a decline in quality is too loud to ignore. Some suggest asking for more seasoning, but fries should already come with the right amount, shouldn't they?

Burgers and fries might be the perfect combination, but a number of burger joints are getting beaten out by the hot dog specialists over at Dog Haus. Sure, they have burgers, too, but as for the fries, you should probably order them no matter what else you get. Chatter on Yelp and Tripadvisor is largely favorable, with customers saying that the fries here are reliably crispy, well-seasoned but not too heavily seasoned, and overall, a reliable entry in the fry game. 

There is one footnote to this, though, and that's the fact that plenty of customers are of the opinion that if you really want to be happy with your side of fries, you'll need to get the cheese or chili cheese fries. Legit.

Golden Chick offers a variety of sides, including battered fries. If you're thinking that this should make the fries a step up from other chains that are offering some basic crinkle-cut fries, you'd be correct. While there are the standard sort of dissenting opinions, many customers have taken to sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp to report they find the fries consistently crispy and cooked really well, and sometimes, they're cited as the best part of the meal. Some say they're too bland, but all in all, you're not going to be upset that you ordered them.

We came across a few entries in our fry ranking that were tough to call, and this was one of them. There's a lot of hate out there for KFC's fries, and if you head over to Reddit, and you'll find that there are a ton of people who are still skeptical after a fry overhaul. Still, there are more who say they like the new fries. Who would have thought? We decided to rank them where we did because they seem polarizing: The addition of the spice mix seems to be a love-or-hate sort of thing, with some even claiming they're the best of the best. While those people are in the minority, we do have to give KFC some kudos for what seems to be a menu change that's heading in the right direction.

Here's another one that was tough to call because there are some people who love WingStop fries and others who say they're the worst. We're going to give them the benefit of the doubt, though, because there are ways to order your fries that are going to make them great. Ask for extra-crispy fries, and get any toppings — like ranch or cheese — on the side. You'll avoid some of the common complaints about soggy fries, and you'll get some stellar seasoning. Order right and avoid the pitfalls. You won't be disappointed.

The saddest thing about Taco Bell's fries is that they're not available all the time. If they were a permanent menu item, it's entirely possible that they would rank much, much higher on our list. Customers have a ton of good things to say about them, starting with the consistency in size — which makes consistent cooking easier. The seasoning is an all-around win, and with a side of nacho cheese, they're pretty amazing. There are a few legit complaints, including the portion size in relation to the price, and the fact that when they start to cool, they don't really hold up that well to the seasoning. Many say that the reason that they're so good is that they're a guilty pleasure that's not that great, and to be fair, doesn't that sum up Taco Bell?

Wendy's comes into the fry game in a respectable position with plenty of favorable comments from customers — particularly those who compare these fries with the fan favorite: McDonald's. And this is one thing that people seem to feel really, really strongly about, with Wendy's getting kudos for turning out consistently good fries that are just the right amount of crispiness on the outside and pillowy softness on the inside. There are two points of debate here, though, and that's the school of thought that says that because Wendy's other food is so good, it elevates the fries ... and the fact that dunking your fries in a Frosty gives them a definite advantage.

Are you going to A&W? Are you getting the fries? You should, and that's according to plenty of customers who have taken to sites like Reddit to wonder whether they're alone in discovering how good A&W fries are. A&W fries have also been compared to the fan favorite McDonald's in terms of quality, and the general consensus is that they're really good. They're hot and fresh, crispy, perfectly salted, and reliable. There are some things that put them lower on our list, though. There are complaints about the price point, and there's also the fact that A&W isn't nearly as widespread as McDonald's.

Arby's is another love-or-hate kind of fast food chain, but when it comes to the fries, it gets an impressive amount of love online. Arby's is, of course, serving up heavily seasoned curly fries, and that means it's a go-to for customers who want something that's not the same old thing. While some say that yes, these fries can get soggy if they sit, they're also deliciously seasoned. There's nothing quite like biting into one of those tightly wound, crispy-yet-soft curly fries. Add in some horsey sauce for dipping, and they're pretty darn delicious. What knocks this one down a bit is the likelihood of getting scraps of fries instead of whole, large fries, and that's a shame. They really are great!

When one person took to Reddit to condemn Whataburger's fries, the backlash was swift and harsh. Many, many more people hopped on to defend the chain's fries, lauding them for how delicious they are ... as long as they're fresh, that is. If they're not served fresh, they might be less than stellar, but everyone should be serving fries fresh, right? That's what we thought. The general consensus is that Whataburger also gets some serious points for the spicy ketchup and that the combination of the condiment with extra-fresh fries is a match that can't be beat.

This chain might be most well-known for the hot dogs, but when Nathan's Famous was forced to change its fries for one season, fans noticed in a big way. That's because the chain normally uses Katahdin potatoes, which make for light, creamy fries, but had to switch varieties one year. That's reflected in reviews of the iconic Coney Island location, where customers say they've been served up some of the best fries of any chain restaurant. They're crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside, so why aren't they higher in our ranking? Stop at a location outside of Coney Island, and reviews get a little more unpredictable. Many customers report they're still decent fries, but others claim they're overpriced and inconsistent.

Wienerschnitzel not only gets points from customers for the heavenly deliciousness of its chili cheese fries, but we're also awarding extra points for creativity. Yes, you can order plain fries that are reliably well-done, crispy, and precisely what you want in a fry. But you can also order fries on the Junkyard Dog, which also comes with chili, mustard, onions, and cheese. Should you? Yes, yes, you should. These fries are absolutely stellar, and we appreciate the fact that the chain gives you several ways to enjoy them — and that they're crispy enough to stand up to chili without getting soggy.

It's no secret that McDonald's fries don't taste as good as they used to, and that's because the company switched from beef tallow to vegetable oil. Check out the ingredients listed for Portillo's fries, though, and you'll see that beef tallow is still used. The result is fries that invariably get recommended by customers as being delicious, crunchy, and the perfect texture that even stands up to being turned into cheese fries — and that's saying a lot. Cheese fries can be invariably soggy, but not here! Reviewers head to Tripadvisor to give the chain's fries a shout-out, saying that they're so good that there won't be any left on the plate when you're done. Portillo's is proof that done right, crinkle-cut fries can hold their own. 

While there are plenty of people who swear by the quality and quantity of the fries at Five Guys, it turns out that the love isn't necessarily unanimous. The biggest complaint is that they're served in bags and in such a big quantity that by the time you get partway through that bag, they're starting to be less perfect and more soggy. The use of peanut oil is also pretty polarizing, but those who do love the fries swear by them for being the perfect greasy-yet-crispy fry. The reason that many say Five Guys' fries taste so good? Fries don't get fresher than these.

There's a post from one particular Redditor that sums up what people seem to think about the fries from Checkers and Rally's. It says: "Rallys ha[s] the best seasoned fries in fast [f]ood. I stuff them in a pillow and smell them til I fall asleep. Last night it took 8 hours." Writers over at Mashed's sister site, The Takeout, also say that Checkers and Rally's have some of the best fries in the business, and others agree. The fries are lauded as perfection elevated even higher by the seasoning that makes them famous in the world of fast food fries, and even better is the fact that you can buy them frozen from the grocery store to cook at home. If you love seasoned fries, this is your place.

Dave's Hot Chicken is on the higher end of the fast food spectrum as far as price is concerned, so it's not surprising that one of the biggest criticisms of the fries here is that they're overpriced. However, if you'd like some truly stellar fries and crinkle cut is your favorite, it might just be worth spending a few extra bucks for fries that are perfectly seasoned and perfectly crispy, instead of settling for some of the notoriously soggy fries that tended to come in pretty low on our list. As a bonus, you can also get honey packets here, which is a great addition to raise the fry game.

If you've been wondering when Burger King was going to make an appearance, here we go. This fast food chain takes one of the top spots, according to customers who go out of their way to point out the fact that Burger King is serving up really good fries. We would suggest that some of that has to do with the sheer volume sold and the likelihood that you're going to get super fresh fries. Although there are the inevitable customers who yearn for the BK fries of yesteryear, plenty of folks consider BK the reliable go-to for crispy, salty fries at an affordable price.

Tacos might be in the name of Del Taco, but this chain gets some serious love for its fries — particularly because they're crispy enough that they can stand up to delicious creations that involve trading nachos out for fries. They're pretty perfect on their own, but when paired with nacho cheese, chili, and sour cream, they're just next level. Del Taco is one of the few chains that does crinkle-cut fries right, and fans are here for it. They want the world to know about it, too, and the fries are consistently one of the standard recommendations given to Del Taco newbies.

And here we are at No. 1 on our list. It was a close run between McDonald's and Del Taco, but McDonald's seems to remain the favorite by a certain margin. Not only are customers willing to throw down in support of McD's fries — especially if they're fresh — but when CivicScience did a massive survey in 2023, about half of all fast food customers polled said that the McDonald's crispy, salty, shoestring fries were the best of the best. There are a lot of reasons that McDonald's fries are just so darn delicious, from the consistency to the seasonings, oil flavors, fats, and the fact that they're almost always served fresh. Want a fry fix? Go to McD's.

In order to come up with a ranking of the french fries being served up by some of the biggest fast food chains in the country, we did a few things — starting with our own experience in trying many of these fries ourselves. While we had a general sort of idea of how we'd rank many of these places, we did a deep dive into social media sites — including Reddit, Facebook, and TikTok — to see what others were saying. Of course, no one on social media can agree on anything. Though there were some varying opinions on some of these places, we did find that in many cases, people had surprisingly similar opinions on whether the chain's fries were a total fail, an absolute win, or something in between.