Gavin Woods

French fries from 10 fast-food restaurants in Fremont, Nebraska, are arranged on a dining table during a taste test to determine which fries rank best.

Americans eat billions of pounds of french fries every year — enough to fill more than 155,000 school buses. In Fremont, where fast-food spots are all conveniently within a few minutes of each other, that love for fries is easy to see. I decided to put that to the test by visiting 10 drive-thrus and ranking every fry.

While not actually from French origin, french fries got their name from Belgium. The citizens of Belgium created the potato sticks and called them French fries after the language they spoke.

Decades later, people enjoy this Belgian creation with their McDonald’s burgers and chicken nuggets.

I went to 10 fast-food drive-thrus in Fremont, Nebraska, and tried and ranked every french fry. I ordered a small at every restaurant and ate three to five fries from each place to determine my ranking.

Coming in last place is Wendy’s. Wendy’s fries were typically the same for years until they introduced their “hot & crispy” line in 2021. The fries I ate were soggy and bland. They were not very flavorful or salty. They kinda tasted like a baked potato.

Dairy Queen is known for its ice cream and delish chicken tenders, but not for its fries. They tasted very similar to Wendy’s but were crispier and had salt on them. The fries were dry, but if you got them with a meal, everything else would balance it out.

Raising Cane’s is one I’m very divided on. I really enjoy their fresh, hot fries in the restaurant but don’t enjoy them when you get them to go. If I wasn’t limited to drive-thrus, they would be higher. Cane’s crinkle-cut fries are one of the main things they are known for. I found them to be extremely soggy and wet, with little to no flavor and an abundance of salt.

Burger King, the home of the Whopper, was less appealing. Their fries were boring and had very little flavor but were still enjoyable and fun to eat. They were well-salted and tasty.

McDonald’s is a fan favorite for many, but I don’t really see the appeal. They were very soggy and greasy, very salty, too, with a hearty flavor. McDonald’s used to cook its fries in beef tallow and cottonseed oil, which enhanced their flavor, but since 1990 that has changed to vegetable oil and a beef flavoring to keep the same taste.

Very unexpectedly for me was Arby’s, which sits in the middle of the list. I went with Arby’s crinkle-cut fries instead of their famous curly fries to keep the pattern going. Their curly fries have been a selling point since Arby’s opened in 1964, with the crinkle-cut fries being added to the menu in 2021. The crinkle-cut fries provided a crispy layer and a fluffy inside, with a bland flavor but an addictive punch.

Sonic Drive-In’s fries also went through a change, sticking to the usual look but switching to crinkle-cut in 2024. Sonic’s “groovy fries” were extremely greasy and crispy. Their flavor was very explosive — maybe because of all the grease and salt they were covered in.

Unexpectedly, KFC’s fries were very impressive. They were introduced in 2020, replacing their potato wedges. They were light, fluffy, a bit greasy and tasted incredible. Their batter was made with their famous hidden eleven herbs and spices and came in a big container. The only downside was the regular size costing $6, but they are worth the try.

In second place is the Nebraska-exclusive Runza and their crinkle-cut fries. Runza had the best crinkle-cut fries. They were salty, not too greasy and very fluffy, with an amazingly addicting flavor.

First is Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers for their shoestring fries. Freddy’s fries were very interesting, as they were shoestring fries, which are very thin and crispy. Freddy’s fries were very delicious with a seasoning that is salty and a bit tangy — perfect for dipping.

As a whole, this project was very fun. I enjoyed getting to try a bunch of fries from 10 different places. Fries are one of the most important things at a fast-food restaurant, so getting to see what everyone had to offer was very enjoyable. If you like fries and want to try some new ones you haven’t tried before, I recommend trying this challenge. Grab a friend and have a laugh as you both enjoy some french fries.