French fries might be the most popular side dish in America, yet somehow everyone has a completely different opinion about which restaurant makes them best. Some people swear by the thin, crispy ones while others go crazy for thick-cut fries with seasoning. After eating way too many orders of fries from different fast food places, one thing became clear: not all fries are created equal, and some of them are surprisingly disappointing.
Dairy Queen fries taste like absolutely nothing
Going to Dairy Queen usually means you’re there for ice cream, not fries, and after trying them it’s obvious why. These fries look perfectly fine when they arrive in their little branded box, all golden and ready to eat. The problem starts when you actually take a bite and realize there’s basically no salt on them at all. It’s like eating warm potato sticks that forgot they were supposed to be french fries.
The texture isn’t terrible since they’re usually pretty fresh, but that doesn’t save them from being completely forgettable. Multiple taste tests put Dairy Queen near the bottom specifically because they need ketchup just to have any taste at all. When a fry can’t stand on its own without drowning it in sauce, that’s a problem. They almost seem designed to be ignored while you focus on your Blizzard instead.
In-N-Out Burger makes disappointingly mealy fries
In-N-Out gets so much hype for their burgers that you’d think their fries would be amazing too. Instead, they’re weirdly mushy and don’t have that satisfying crunch you expect from a good fry. The restaurant cuts their potatoes fresh right in front of you, which sounds great in theory. In practice, it means the potatoes still have too much moisture when they hit the fryer, resulting in a soft, almost grainy texture that feels undercooked.
Even asking for them well done doesn’t help much since the basic preparation method creates the problem. Most fries get fried twice to get that crispy outside and fluffy inside, but In-N-Out skips this step. For a place that does burgers so well, it’s strange that they can’t figure out fries. Some people try to fix this by ordering them extra crispy or animal style with cheese and sauce, but that’s basically admitting the fries need serious help.
Burger King fries are too thick and undercooked
Burger King describes their fries as hot and perfectly salted, but the reality is very different. These fries are cut way too thick, almost like steak fries, except they’re not cooked long enough to actually cook through. Taking a bite feels like eating a hot raw potato with a slightly crispy outside. The ratio of cooked exterior to undercooked interior is completely off, making each fry feel heavy and starchy in your mouth.
The salt level is decent, but that doesn’t matter when the texture is this bad. According to multiple taste tests, people consistently rank these among the worst fast food fries available. Even covering them in ketchup can’t fix the feeling of chewing through all that dense potato. For a place called Burger King, you’d think they could at least get the fries right since they’re supposedly royalty when it comes to fast food.
Jack In the Box curly fries lack enough seasoning
Jack In the Box offers both regular and curly fries, and the curly ones are definitely better, but they still fall short. Curly fries are supposed to have a bold, smoky, paprika-heavy seasoning that makes them stand out from regular fries. The ones at Jack In the Box have the right idea with their spiral shape and light breading, but the seasoning tastes muted and doesn’t pack enough punch. You can tell there’s something there, but it’s like they were too shy with the spice mix.
The texture is actually pretty good thanks to the light breading that creates a nice crunch. Unfortunately, the potato itself doesn’t show up much in terms of taste either. With so many other fried snacks on the Jack In the Box menu like tacos and egg rolls, it seems like they put more effort into those items and let the fries become an afterthought. When you’re expecting that signature curly fry experience and it comes out bland, it’s a letdown.
Five Guys fries get soggy way too fast
Five Guys makes a big deal about their fries, even posting signs about where their potatoes come from. They give you a huge portion, dumping extra fries into your bag like they’re being super generous. The problem is these fries don’t stay crispy for more than a few minutes. They’re cut thick and keep the skin on, which adds some taste, but they also tend to feel greasy and lose their texture quickly once they start cooling down.
The regular version can be overly salty, and there’s often a noticeable taste of old peanut oil that’s been used too long. When you order the Cajun style, the heavy seasoning can overpower everything else, making it hard to even taste the potato. While some people love the boardwalk-style approach Five Guys uses, the fries work better as a concept than in actual execution. By the time you finish your burger, the remaining fries at the bottom of the bag are usually limp and disappointing.
Popeyes Cajun fries have overwhelming seasoning
Popeyes is known for their fried chicken and that viral chicken sandwich, so you’d expect their fries to be pretty good too. The Cajun fries come coated in a reddish seasoning blend that looks promising, and they do have a satisfying crunch from the seasoned flour coating. The spice level is noticeable with paprika and black pepper leading the charge, which is great if you’re in the mood for something with a kick. The issue is that regular fry cravings don’t always line up with wanting Cajun seasoning.
Sometimes you just want a simple, salty fry that tastes like potato, and Popeyes can’t deliver that since their fries only come one way. The seasoning can also coat your mouth with a dry, herby feeling that builds up as you eat more of them. They’re definitely not bad fries, and the crispy texture is on point, but they’re too specific in their taste to be an everyday choice. When you want Cajun fries, these hit the spot, but they can’t satisfy a basic french fry craving.
Chick-fil-A waffle fries never give you enough
Chick-fil-A makes the only waffle fries on most fast food menus, and they’re genuinely good. The waffle shape creates tons of crispy edges while keeping plenty of potato in each fry, and they’re seasoned with sea salt that’s actually noticeable. The texture is consistently crispy, which is impressive for such a thick-cut fry, and you can taste the potato really well. Dipping them in Chick-fil-A sauce is practically a religious experience for some people, but honestly, they’re good enough to eat plain.
The frustrating part is the portion size, which feels noticeably smaller than what other places give you. Multiple reviews complain about getting just a handful of fries in each order, which is annoying when you’re really hungry. For the price you pay at Chick-fil-A, you’d expect a more generous serving. The fries themselves are fantastic, but when you finish them in about thirty seconds and wish you had more, it keeps them from being a top choice. Quality is great, but quantity matters too.
Arby’s curly fries have amazing seasoning
Arby’s curly fries are probably the best version of this style you can find at any fast food chain. The spiral shape is fun to eat, and the peppery, paprika-forward seasoning gives them a distinctive barbecue-adjacent taste that regular fries don’t have. They’re crispy enough, though that can vary depending on how tightly curled each individual fry is. The really twisted ones tend to be a bit softer in the middle, while the ones that are just slightly curved end up extra crunchy.
One annoying thing is that each order only contains a few actually curly fries, with most of them being small hooks or barely curved pieces. The seasoning is consistent across all of them though, which saves the experience. They’re not as salty as some people might want, since the focus is more on the spice blend, but that makes them unique. When you get a perfectly spiraled Arby’s curly fry, it’s legitimately exciting, which says something about how good they can be at their best.
Wendy’s changed their recipe and it paid off
Wendy’s redesigned their fries in 2021 specifically to make sure they stayed hot and crispy longer, and the new version is seriously impressive. These natural-cut fries keep the potato skin on, which adds extra crunch and a more authentic potato taste. The sea salt coating is visible on each fry, sometimes even sticking to your fingers, but it’s not so much that it becomes overwhelming. The temperature stays consistent too, so you’re not racing to eat them before they turn cold and sad.
What makes these stand out is how well-balanced everything is. The outside gets properly crispy without being hard, the inside stays fluffy, and the salt level hits that perfect spot where you’re satisfied but not reaching for your drink constantly. Recent rankings have put Wendy’s at or near the top consistently, sometimes even beating McDonald’s. They’re great plain, with ketchup, or even dipped in a Frosty if you’re into that sweet and salty combination. The formula just works really well.
McDonald’s fries set the standard everyone else follows
There’s a reason McDonald’s fries are called World Famous Fries, and it’s not just marketing hype. These thin, golden fries have a texture that’s almost impossible to replicate, with a perfectly crispy outside that shatters when you bite into it and a fluffy inside that actually tastes like potato. The salt level is generous without going overboard, and they stay good for a surprisingly long time compared to other fast food fries. Even when they start to cool down, they’re still enjoyable to eat.
McDonald’s uses a specific blend of potato varieties and a precise frying process that includes cooking them twice to get that signature texture. The consistency is remarkable too—you can go to pretty much any McDonald’s and get fries that taste the same, which is harder to achieve than it sounds. Countless taste tests put McDonald’s fries at the top, and it’s because they nail every aspect of what makes a fry great. They’re the measuring stick that every other fast food chain tries to match, and most of them fall short. Simple, salty, crispy, and reliably delicious every single time.
French fries seem simple, but getting them right takes real skill and attention to detail. Whether you prefer thin and crispy or thick and seasoned, there’s definitely a fast food fry out there that matches what you’re looking for. Next time you’re in a drive-through, maybe try something different from your usual order and see how it compares.
