To tell you the truth, fries are not my favorite part o’ the fast food meal. In fact, I could go without them and the enjoyment factor would not suffer much. Is that shocking, or controversial? A man of my physical stature speaking such blasphemy? It happens to be the truth. However, I have no shortage of experience. I mean, just because I COULD go without fries doesn’t mean I actually do. Let’s be serious… Consequently, I have some opinions and hope you do as well.
For the record, my favorite fries in the world are just the generic crinkle-cuts served up hot ‘n’ fresh at a diner, or someplace like that. Know what I’m talking about? There’s generally a sandwich in a plastic basket lined with paper, and a handful of delicious fries piled alongside. Man, that’s good stuff! But they have to be hot ‘n’ fresh. Those things can go south on you in a short span of time.
Fast food fries are difficult for me to judge because the hot ‘n’ fresh factor is not always there. In fact, it’s generally absent. Or, at least, they’re wildly inconsistent. So, for the sake of this discussion, I’ll just give you my quick thoughts on only the best versions of each.
McDonald’s This is everybody’s automatic favorite, and they’re certainly good. Very salty, almost to the point of going overboard. It feels like they used to be slightly better, but I feel that way about most things. Possibly everything. Huh… weird. It also feels like McDonald’s does a better job of hitting the hot ‘n’ fresh target than other places. Am I wrong about that? These are definitely solid. I prefer a girthier fry, but that’s a minor complaint.
Wendy’s Possibly my favorite, when done well. These are bigger than McDonald’s fries, have the skin-on, and are loaded with sea salt. However… these things are rarely hot ‘n’ fresh. So it’s a sad state of affairs. I know how good they could be, but so often fall short. Dave would not be happy. A missed opportunity a high percentage of the time. Sad and frustrating, really.
Burger King I like these. They have the Wendy’s girth and the McDonald’s overall vibe. I don’t think they’re generally considered to be a strong contender for the best fast food french fry, but they’re right up there, in my opinion. In fact, I believe I enjoy them more often than the technically superior Wendy’s fries, ’cause they’re more consistently prepared well. A strong effort!
Five Guys These are generally served in massive bulk, and they start out tasting good. Then the oil starts to get to us, and we end of tossing a lot of them into the trash. When it comes down to it, I don’t think I really like them all that much. Again… controversial. The burgers there are great, but the fries are never quite as satisfying as I think they’re going to be. Very oily. And I don’t really need seven pounds of them during each visit.
Long John Silver’s The worst. Somebody should do a stretch in prison for these flaccid, flavorless strips of root vegetable. I’m getting angry just thinking about it. Taken in moderation I enjoy their fish or Chicken Planks, and they offer up a solid cole slaw. But the fries, alongside those other semi-quality items, are an affront to all that is holy. Prison, I say!
In ‘n’ Out These are also shit, but not quite as bad as LJS. Mealy is a word that jumps immediately to mind. They cut them right there and use fresh ingredients, etc. But they’re bad. What can I say? The burgers, again, are solid. But their fry game? Weak!
Arby’s I know there’s a rabid cult for Arby’s curly fries, but I am not a member of said cult. I don’t like all the spices and shit. Just give me a french fry, and compete on a level playing field. When you go for a novelty cut, AND cover everything in various overpowering spices… it’s a problem in my eyes. I know they have regular fries too, but those are so forgettable I can’t even remember what they’re like. And I’ve had them often.
Chick-fil-A Another novelty cut: the waffle fry. I like these better than the curly fries, but they’re not great, either. I don’t need my fries presented in a crosshatch pattern, thank you very much. However, I had some on our way back from Myrtle Beach a few weeks ago and thought they were freaking amazing. So, I don’t know. All my life I’ve been agnostic on these things, but my most recent experience is making me wonder: are they better than I realize? Probably not.
What do you have on this subject? Am I way off on some of that? It’s certainly possible. In any case, please share your thoughts. Also, I probably left out some places. Help me complete the category! Use the comments section.
I need to get ready for work now. It’s late, as usual.
I hope all of you had a great Easter. Ours was pleasant. You can hear all about it in the new episode of the world famous West Virginia Surf Report podcast. Here’s your summary:
Our Easter wasn’t spectacular, but it was pleasant. And what’s wrong with that? In this one, I tell you all about it, as well as my general Easter history. I also discuss the importance of the holiday where we currently live, and my across-the-board lack of religious knowledge. And I reveal the things I believe people should judge more, and the things they should judge less. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening!
And this is the link. It’s available here, there, and everywhere. Give it a listen!
Have a great week, my friends.
See you again on Thursday. Or Friday.
Now playing in the bunker
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In college I worked for the company that refined beef tallow for McDonald’s fat fryers (worst job in the world, but it paid well).
About 20 years ago they switched to vegetable oil, so you are probably correct that they don’t taste quite the same as in your youth. The fatty acids in the beef tallow give a lot of flavor.
McDonalds, then Burger King.
Wendy’s used to be a contender until they started leaving the peels on several years ago. I’m against the dirt taste on those.
The funny thing about Mickey D’s is, as good as the french fries are, they’re the absolute worst thing ever after about six or seven minutes from their peak.
I like Arby’s curly fries 2nd, Wendy’s and BK are tied at third.
Never been to a 5 guy’s, anytime I’ve ever had a chance, they were packed to the gills and I’m not a patient man.
One of these days I’m going to take a road trip and take In and Out and Whataburger off of my bucket list.
The guys that I work with have a Chik-Fil-A game. We say “thank you” to which the proper response is “my pleasure”. We see how many times we can initiate this exchange before they figure out that we are messing with them. Loads of fun for bored guys on their lunch break.
The guys that I work with have a Chick-Fil-A game that we play. We say “thank you”, the appropriate server response is “my pleasure”. We see how many times we can do this before the server figures out that we are messing with them. Loads of fun for guys on their lunch break.
My favorites are Freddy’s and Steak N Shake. I like shoestring crispy fries. I can’t stand Five Guys, they are soggy. McDonalds are great if they are cooked well done. If they are just waved over the grease just long enough to sight see the fryer then they are limp and soggy, and that seems to be the way they usually do them now.
Yeah Freddy’s. I don’t eat fries any more but the ones at Freddy’s are consistently excellent (as are the burgers).
Back when I ate french fries, Wendy’s and McDonalds were my top two, if made correctly. It seems back when I was in my teens through my 20’s they were always done right. Now days it is so hit and miss I skip the fries when I have fast food, which is not very often. Most of the time when we go out to eat, it is someplace where we can have a beer with dinner.
Odd as it may sound, my favorite fries now are served at a restaurant opened by Kroger called Kitchen 1883. ( https://www.kitchen1883.com/) It was the first one they opened and it is located in a small town near us called Union, KY. It is attached to the Kroger Marketplace, between it and the liquor store. The food is great and they also have a great happy hour every day.
The liquor store also has a small bar in it for beer and wine tastings and many times there will be a crowd a people in there watching football or basketball games.
Malcolm Gladwell did a podcast about the McDonald’s French Fry and how and why it changed. In this case, as in most, someone who thought they “knew better” badgered the corporation until they capitulated, ruining it for the rest of us. They re-create the old version and have people taste test them, with predictable results.
http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/19-mcdonalds-broke-my-heart
I have to chime in on Malcolm use of the beef lard circa 1978 thru the 80s which made McDonald’s fries so freaking good. When we changed the oil back then the fries were too light colored and crappyy. When they changed the oil they were hideous.
I think checkers uses a nice blend of spices.
Jeff, I agree. The crinkle cuts in that red and white paper boat, with extra salt to catch the ketchup are the tastiest. Diners and road stops served them the best.
I do like the “cajun” seasoning available on Five Guys’ fries, but at McDonald’s the underlying fry is better. And I think the phase-out of the beef fat might have been a regional thing. I worked at the local MacDoodle’s when I was in high school in the 1970s, and I think it was vegetable shortening even then.
French fries, like any fried food, need to be served very fresh – like, barely cool enough to eat. For superior fries, make them at home using Kenji Lopez-Alt’s procedure.
If fast food fries are too salty, order them without salt and add back the correct amount. As a bonus, they will also be hot and fresh.
Rally’s or Checkers
“Dave would not be happy.”
This is an understatement. Wendy’s went to hell after he passed, throwing Dave’s ideas and values out with the old cooking oil. A true life example…
Winfield, WV – Our family went through the drive through, among our many items requested were several order of Spicy Chicken Nuggets. I paid, took the order and passed it back. Barely away from the window one of my progeny lets me know his nuggets are not spicy. I pull around, parked, and took the offending regular nuggets – minus the bite he had taken from one – back into the store. The young lady at the counter listed to my issue, took the nuggets from me, dumped them back into the basket and brought me a fresh order of spicy nuggets.
I sat next to a Wendy’s corporate person on a flight a few years after Dave died and she *agreed* with me that Wendy’s had messed up their product. I used to eat Wendy’s once a week back when it was good (and In-N-Out once a week too to keep things healthy).
Okay here’s the science:
High fatty acid content = flavor
Low fatty acid content = fry life
McDonald’s: not that interested in flavor, insists on 5 days fry life for each batch of oil
Popeye’s: very interested in flavor, then they throw out the oil at the end of every day (I’m told)
The fat/oil supplier sells cheap unrefined oil to Popeye’s, and expensive highly refined oil to Mickey D’s.
And by refining, I mean they add powdered lye to the fat to make soap. I’m not making that up.
My job was to titrate the fatty acid content and if it was in the right range, give the thumbs up to the engineer to “keep pumping that oil, baby.”
Jesus, actual science on yet another discussion about corporate fast food. The science is way better than the fries, and likely causes less arterial damage. Thanks.
John
. . . and to expand from hard science into social science, how does the titrate of any of the corporate fast food outlets compare to the titrate of a family-owned diner? Clue: the babes go to diners whilst the high fatty acid crowd goes straight from Walmart to the conglomerate joints. Just a statistical observation; exceptions abound.
John
Agreed
Pizza, tacos, burgers, fries. Which can I do without the rest of my life? Absolutely fries. Some are great, some are shit. Not paying for chance food. I will only go for pizza, tacos, and burgers where I know they will be awesome. Fries are always a chance.
Fries have really gone to shit – across the board. I agree that crinkle cut consession stand fries are now the best, even if only by default. I rarely eat the fries anymore. Does Long John Silvers batter their fries? Seems like maybe they do.
I don’t like French fries, but the ones at Del Taco are surprisingly good. They are crinkle cut, and I put them in every bite of my burrito to make it extra salty and crunchy. The burgers are good there too. Otherwise, I have to have my fries dressed to make them palatable. Animal style at In N Out, for example, or in poutine.
I love Del Taco fries. In fact, Del Taco is the final fast food frontier for me. Their 8-layer veggie burrito has saved me a few times.
Since I’ve moved to Tucson, though, not only have I eaten no fries, but now that I think about it, there aren’t really any on offer. It’s taco city here, but that’s super OK with me.
I think Jeff would find the city’s claim to fame in regard to food super disturbing, but it’s actually weirdly awesome: the Sonoran hot dog. It comes in a variety of iterations, but it’s essentially a bacon-wrapped hotdog served in a bollio roll, topped with chili beans, pico de gallo, pickled jalapenos, and a spicy mayo sauce drizzled on top. They are super, super good and you can get them everywhere from serious restaurants to little carts on the side of the road.
https://tinyurl.com/yys6o24g
I’ve always wanted to try a Sonoran Dog! Next time I’m in Arizona I’ll have to try one.
-I think the Chick-fil-A waffle fries are my favorite! Especially dipped in their Chick-fil-A sauce.
-As pedestrian as Wendy’s fries might be–they are still much better than what they had before: mealy and tasteless. But it’s hard to get them in the butter zone of perfection! They are usually cold, chewy and limp.
-Arby’s used to have regular fries along with their curly fries and potato cakes. They were very good–which is probably why they eliminated them from their menu.
-Others have mentioned Checkers and Rally’s fries. They are seasoned, but they are quite tasty.
-The little shoestring fries they serve at Steak-N-Shake (and used to have at G.D. Ritzy’s [RIP!]) were outstanding–especially when smothered in chili and cheese!
No one commented on Smashfries from Smashburger. They are fucking great. Now we only have maybe 3 or 4 Smashburgers in the expansive Great White North, but we seize the opportunity whenever possible.