DOVER — Salty sides of happiness were top of mind Friday, as restaurants throughout the country marked National French Fry Day, with several giving them away.
It’s reported that, for many, it is McDonald’s fries that top the list of the best. However, other eateries, such as Five Guys, have been closing the gap on the world-famous golden arches.
In one recent review, tastingtable.com had Wendy’s edging out McDonald’s for the best order of fast-food fries.
“It may be controversial to have Wendy’s at the top of the list, just narrowly beating out McDonald’s, but quality comes down to more than a popularity contest,” the reviewer wrote. “Wendy’s natural-cut fries are consistently fresh and salty, and they strike the perfect textural balance between their soft interior and crispy exterior.
“They’re not too thick, not too thin — the perfect fry, essentially.”
Other nationwide surveys offer different results, though, as more than half of 7,000 people voted McDonald’s as having the best fries in a 2023 poll.
On Friday, Darius Johnson was enjoying a double cheeseburger and fries at the north Dover McDonald’s. He said it’s no contest for the tastiest.
“McDonald’s has the best fast-food french fry, and it’s not even close,” the Dover resident said. “People who grew up eating at McDonald’s love them because, not only do they taste great, but they bring back memories of vacation stops in the car for a quick bite to eat with family.”
No matter which restaurant’s fries strike someone’s fancy, many were providing them for free to celebrate Friday’s holiday.
Some freebies extend into the weekend or even every Friday for the rest of the year, so check your favorite establishment’s website or app.
As for the origin of National French Fry Day — a relatively new occasion whose first year is unknown — it began on a July 13 and continued on that particular date for a while.
However, in 2022, the Checkers and Rally’s restaurants petitioned that National French Fry Day should be celebrated the second Friday of each July, a date that is now agreed upon.
Holly Wisniecki of Magnolia doesn’t see what all the fuss over fries is about, though.
“I really don’t see any reason for people to get excited or upset over a fast-food french fry,” she said, with a laugh. “They’re all about the same — too salty, and they get cold too quickly.
“Now, if I want a good order of french fries, I go to Rehoboth or Ocean City, (Maryland,) and get an order of Thrasher’s. They are very good and just taste like summertime at the beach.”
Wayback on cusp of fry innovation
Wayback Burgers, founded in 1991 in Newark, is on the verge of potentially revolutionizing french fries — perhaps by next year’s Fry Day.
The restaurant says it has created the world’s first ketchup-infused fry — investing more than 10,000 hours into maintaining a salty, crispy, potato flavor, while including the perfect balance of the tomatoey condiment.
Now in the final phase of consumer testing, Wayback anticipates these fries will come to market in the United States in 2025.
“In our opinion, there is no better food pairing than french fries and ketchup,” said its president, Patrick Conlin. “Our (research and development) team has long had the vision of providing that combination more efficiently — by literally infusing each french fry with the perfect amount of ketchup.”
Staff writer Mike Finney can be reached at 302-741-8230 or mfinney@iniusa.org.
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