French fries are the greatest single-menu item in all of fast food. Put simply, there’s a reason they’re served as the default side on most fast food combo meals. Part of that is because potatoes are dirt cheap and French fries are incredibly easy to make but a larger part is that French fries are undeniably delicious. If you don’t like French fries, we seriously question your taste in food. Sure, there are a lot of fad diets out there that will try and cut fries out of your life, and hey, do what you got to do… but there is no denying that French fries always hit.
They’re crispy, salty, and buttery soft molten potatoes, what’s not to love?
Sometimes, a fast food chain’s fries are so damn good that the thought of eating them is more exciting than eating the main course itself. So in celebration of all the great French fries across the fast food universe, we’re shouting out the best French fry order at each of the big chains! Some of these options will be standard while others will be off-menu gems that you may not have even heard of yet. Enjoy!
Arby’s — Loaded Curly Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
Arby’s Curly Fries are already an easy choice over their regular French fries but getting them “Loaded” takes it to a whole new level. Featuring chopped bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and sour cream, the Loaded fries are salty, tangy, smokey, and way more savory than a simple order of fries.
Arby’s uses a combination of shredded cheddar cheese and some sort of sharp cheese sauce and while generally, cheese sauces tend to taste cheap and overly salty, something about the way it combines with the onion and garlic powder heavy flavor of the curly fries just hits in this really satisfying way.
Once you have these, a regular order of curly fries will suddenly taste like it’s missing something.
The Bottom Line:
This will single-handedly turn your order of fries from a side to a full-on meal. Don’t let that stop you from also ordering a Roast Beef and Cheddar though.
Find your nearest Arby’s here.
Burger King — Frings
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
Burger King doesn’t give you a whole lot of options when it comes to French fries. They have French fries, chicken fries (which aren’t fries) and onion rings (also not fries). No curly fries or bacon topped fries or anything interesting, unfortunately. But few people are aware that you can order “Frings” and get a mix of crispy onion rings and fries which makes the experience of eating at Burger King a lot more enjoyable.
Burger King’s fries are over-salted, so cutting an order with onion rings allows a break from the salt and introduces some sweetness into the mix, while still being perfectly dippable in a side of BBQ sauce or ketchup.
The Bottom Line:
Burger King clearly needs more French fry options but, as the menu stands, this is the most enjoyable way to enjoy fried potatoes at the chain.
Find your nearest Burger King here.
Carl’s Jr — Crisscut Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
At one point Carl’s Jr. had three different French fry options, Thick Natural-Cut fries, shoe-string natural cut, and crisscut. They’ve ditched the thick boys (which is a shame) but thankfully kept the crisscut — which essentially serves as Carl’s Jr.’s version of the curly fry.
The crisscut has this slightly breaded crispy exterior, that helps it stay crunchy even after it has been sitting in the bag for a while with an onion, garlic powder-forward flavor with a hint of paprika and black pepper on the backend. With the wide flat shape of the Crisscut, it’s easy to slip a few of these into your burger to add some extra flavor and crunch.
The Bottom Line:
Zesty, flavorful, and easy to add to any of Carl’s Jr’s sandwiches, Carl’s Jr’s Crisscut fries are a game changer.
Find your nearest Carl’s Jr. here.
Chick-fil-A —Fries + An Order Of Nuggets
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
Chick-fil-A’s waffle fries are mediocre at best. I know a lot of people love these potatoes, but I think most of that love comes from the novelty of the waffle fry form factor. As far as flavors go, these fries are incredibly bland and when lukewarm, near inedible without some sort of dipping sauce.
That’s why I always order the fries with a side order of nuggets, this way I can sandwich a nugget between two fries and create a waffle fry chicken sandwich. It’s not nearly as good as an actual Chick-fil-A sandwich, but it’s a fun way to eat these other tasteless waffle fries.
The Bottom Line:
Crunchy, crispy, and the perfect order when you can’t decide between nuggets or a sandwich.
Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.
Five Guys — Salted Fries + Pepper + A Side of Cajun Seasoning
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
If you want to order the best fries at Five Guys you need to get an order of the Salted Fries and then grab at least five pepper packets and ask for a side of cajun seasoning.
Considering Five Guys offers Cajun Fries on the menu, this seems like a very convoluted way of ordering fries, but trust me, this is the best way to do it. Five Guys’ whole vibe is chaos, they love to throw too many fries in a brown paper bag and bomb it with Cajun seasoning to the point of it being inedible. I don’t know why they do this.
Ordering the seasoning on the side allows you to portion the seasoning in a much more balanced way. Here’s what you do: Open the bag, rip the top portion of the bag off, and sprinkle at least five pepper packets over a bed of fries. Then open your cajun seasoning and give it a gentle sprinkle. Close the bag, shake it up, and continue seasoning to taste.
The Bottom Line:
Not only is this the best way to order Five Guys’ fries but this is also the way to get the best French fries in all of fast food. Guaranteed.
Find your nearest Five Guys here.
KFC — Secret Recipe Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
I used to be pretty down on KFC’s Secret Recipe Fries because they replaced the potato wedges, which I thought were excellent, but over the years I’ve come back around on these fries — I have to say, they’re pretty damn delicious. They’re slightly breaded, give them a nice crunch with butter molten potato on the inside.
In the batter, I’m getting a bit of black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery power. I wouldn’t say it tastes exactly like KFC’s Original Recipe chicken but it’s pretty close. Unfortunately for us, this is KFC’s only French fry option. The colonel also has mashed potatoes but these are better in every way — the mashed are way too dry and smashed to the point of being whipped.
The Bottom Line:
KFC’s only French fry option but at least it’s a good one.
Find your nearest KFC here.
In N Out — Animal Style Fries (w Chopped Chilis)
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
For many an In-N-Out fan, Animal Style is a must. But as popular as these fries are, it blows my mind that more people don’t know you can ask for chopped chilies on top which totally changes the flavor profile and makes this already special order even more appetizing.
The Animal Style fries take In-N-Out’s admittedly bland French fries and douse them in house-made special sauce, grilled onions, and melted American cheese, resulting in a forkful of flavors that bounce between salty, sweet, savory, and rich. And with those added chilis you get some added tangy, vegetal, and spicy notes. The chilis are brined in salt and vinegar, which sometimes results in a juicy burst of earthy umami flavors when you bite into them.
To complete your order, make sure you order a Double Double (animal style or just with grilled onions, always grilled onions), which you can also get chopped chilis in.
The Bottom Line:
In-N-Out with spice — it doesn’t get much better.
Find your nearest In-N-Out here.
Jack in the Box — Curly Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
Straight up, the bacon cheddar potato wedges deserve this spot. But Jack in the Box quietly discontinued them last year so now the most exciting French fry option at Jack in the Box are the curly fries.
The curly fries are great, they’re incredibly greasy but in a decadent and satisfying way with a zesty black pepper and onion-forward flavor. They’re almost soggy with grease but they still have a nice snap and crunch to them thanks to the batter around the fry. But Jack in the Box still has bacon and they still have cheese to melt… so why can’t we get Bacon Cheddar Curly Fries?
Would that be copying Arby’s? Absolutely, but who cares, we want the flavor!
The Bottom Line:
RIP to the Bacon Cheddar Wedges, God Save the Curly Fries!
Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.
McDonald’s —French Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
McDonald’s isn’t very imaginative with their French fries, but they don’t have to be. For many people, McDonald’s French fries are the absolute best, and even if you’ve permanently cut fries out of your diet, you’ve probably snuck a few orders of these in because they’re that good.
My theory is that McDonald’s sprinkles these fries with just a hint of sugar under all that salt, making them so addictive that even the strongest amongst us can’t resist. But just think of what could happen if McDonald’s decided to crumble some bacon and melted cheese on these things (I guess I want all the chains to do this!)?
Until that day, the OG are pretty amazing!
The Bottom Line:
Not exciting or fun or even really that interesting. But hands down, these are some of the best-tasting fries in fast food and flavor beats inventiveness.
Find your nearest McDonald’s here.
Popeyes — Cajun Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
Popeyes Cajun Fries are some of my favorite fast food fries. They’re battered, extra crispy (so long as they’re fresh) and have a tasty blend of cajun spices that include paprika, oregano, chili powder, and onion. Popeyes doesn’t really need to do anything extra to elevate these fries, they’re perfect as is.
That doesn’t mean we’d fault them for creating some type of cajun fry spicy chicken hybrid dish. Maybe a box of fries with one of Popeyes chicken sandwich filets chopped on top with a drizzle of honey. Make it happen Popeyes!
The Bottom Line:
Not only some of the best fries in the fast food universe, but these are also hands-down Popeyes’ best side order.
Find your nearest Popeyes here.
Rally’s — Garlic Parmesan Loaded Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
Now see, this is what I’m talking about! Rally’s seasoned fries have a very similar flavor profile to Popeyes Cajun Fries (they’re a little less spicy, but way more crispy) but unlike Popeyes, the flavor scientists over at Rally’s decided to make them taste even better by throwing garlic parmesan sauce, bacon bits, melted cheddar cheese and more parmesan on top — creating this decadent and satisfying, salty, nutty, cheesy flavor bomb of a meal.
If parmesan isn’t your thing, Rally’s also makes chili cheese fries, but I find the chili to be pretty lacking in terms of flavor and portioning. You’ll get a lot more bang for your buck and more flavor with the garlic parmesan.
The Bottom Line:
Cheesy, salty, nutty, and sharp… what’s not to love?
Find your nearest Rally’s here.
Shake Shack — Hot Ones Bacon Cheese Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
I won’t ever stop talking about how subpar Shake Shack’s crinkle-cut fries are until they make something that is truly delicious. The new Hot Ones Bacon Cheese Fries are the closest they’ve come so far, even though I think these could be a bit better.
These cheese fries feature a dusting of barely spicy Aleppo peppers, with thin strips of bacon, and salty cheese sauce. On their own, they’re just fine, but when you dip the fries in Spicy ShakeSauce, which is a tangy and spicy version of the Shack’s famous ShakeSauce, they become a lot more palatable and delicious.
To take it up a notch, be sure to use the Last Dab packet Shake Shack currently has — it’s legitimately one of the spiciest things you’ll ever eat but features an earthy and complex flavor that makes the burn worth it. This is going to add a lot of excitement to this order. It’s not going to make it much better… but at least you’ll have a story to tell.
The Bottom Line:
Shake Shack’s best fries so far, but they still need a bit more work to be truly delicious.
Find your nearest Shake Shack here.
Sonic — Chili Cheese Fries
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
Sonic’s Chile Cheese Fries are the real deal! Unlike most fast food chili cheese fries, there is no salty radioactive cheese sauce here, just real cheddar cheese, shredded and melted by the heat of fries and chili.
The chili is meaty, spicy, and savory, and the French fries have some of the skin still on, adding a rustic and earthy flavor that pairs really nicely with the fragrant chili. Sure, it lacks a special and unique ingredient, but it doesn’t need one, because the chili is solid, the fries are solid, and the cheese is nutty, complex, and sharp with a depth of flavor that cheese sauce just doesn’t have.
If you really need to elevate these, Sonic allows you to add jalapeños and diced onions on top free of charge, which you should totally do.
The Bottom Line:
Fast food’s best chili fries.
Find your nearest Sonic here.
Wendy’s — Potato Wedges
Why It’s The Best Fry Order:
If you want the best fries from Wendy’s, it’s not the Hot and Crispys, and it’s not the Baconator Fries — it’s the potato wedges. Meaning you’re going to have to roll up at breakfast time for the best fried potatoes the outlet has to offer.
You can argue that potato wedges aren’t fries at all but I mean come on, do we really need to change the title of this article to “best fast food potato order” just for one instance of wedges? I think not.
The flavor is a mix of black pepper, garlic, and onion seasonings, very similar to most chain’s curly fries, but the potato inside the wedges is much fluffier and more buttery than anything you’re going to get from a thinner form factor.
The Bottom Line:
Legitimately better than McDonald’s French fries. Yes, they’re that good!
Find your nearest Wendy’s here.