French fries are the perfect side dish to go along with a burger. It’s impossible to sit down and enjoy a juicy, beefy burger without having the desire to dunk a few fries into ketchup. Here we’ll be Ranking the Top 10 Fast Food French Fries From Worst To Best.

Photo byNick Davies

Sonic:

You’ve watched the commercials over the years with those two funny guys in them. No one can deny how humorous those commercials are. Sometimes the commercials are so dumb, but that’s what makes them funny. Anyway, those commercials get you to Sonic and eating their fantastic food. Yes, Sonic is fantastic, as any fast food lover will attest to. And what about their fries? Well, we’re getting to those. It’s not all laughs and giggles at Sonic, as many people learn after placing an order. Why are Sonic’s fries dead last on our list? Let’s be honest and say that Sonic fries are not that bad. Sonic’s food has a way of hitting the spot when you’re in the mood for some greasy delight. The problem with Sonic’s fries is, well, they’re a little bit ordinary. The fries are good, and if you haven’t tried them, we highly suggest you get some, plus a little ketchup. You’re not going to fall in love with their fries or immediately rush back for a second helping. The issue is that they are fairly ordinary and far from extraordinary in any way possible.

Steak n’ Shake:

Is variety the spice of life? Steak n’ Shake seems to think so. That’s why they offer several different varieties of their fries. How many of you go with their classic Thin ‘N Crispy Fries? Some of you foodies out there may choose their Cajun Fries or Parmesan Cheese ‘n Herb Fries. Those of you who are seeking something more hearty can opt for their Cheese Fries or Chili Cheese Fries. That’s a lot of choices, and you can see how it can be difficult to make up your mind. Are you in a refined mood for some herbs and garlic? Does it make you unsophisticated if you only want the skinny fries and nothing else? The problem with Steak n’ Shake isn’t their fries; it’s all of the choices you have. They all taste great, and that’s the problem. How do you get over the fact that you could have both chili and cheese on your fries? Knowing that you have so many different options means that sometimes you’ll feel like you made the wrong choice. Sometimes having too many choices is worse than having too few. Steak n’ Shake is not the place you go if you’re the type who has a hard time deciding what to eat. You’ll second guess yourself the entire meal if you are on the fence about what to order.

White Castle:

You don’t go to White Castle for their fries. You go to White Castle for their sliders. You get a sack of sliders and wash them all down with a cold soda of your choice. You feel so guilty while eating the entire sack. The only saving grace are the fries, and you tell yourself they are a vegetable. Sure, that vegetable has been deep-fried and covered in salt, but it’s still a vegetable. If you dunk it in ketchup, then it’s like eating two vegetables in every bite. That’s the type of logic you need to get yourself through a bag of sliders and a large soda without feeling guilty. Are White Castle’s fries awful? No, they aren’t. They are a step up from the fries that you’ll get at your local mom and pop fast food joint. That’s to say, you aren’t going to go out of your way for an order of their fries. However, you would bend over backwards to get some of their delicious sliders. Those little sandwiches are why you go to White Castle. You get several different sliders so you have a variety of taste in every delicious mouthful. We can all agree there aren’t enough White Castles in the world. We’ll tolerate their fries as long as their kitchen keeps pumping out those hot and fresh sliders.

Taco Bell:

Who would’ve thought that Taco Bell would someday serve fries? Fries at Taco Bell are one of the oddest things they’ve ever sold. Why on earth did they decide to start selling fries? Fries seems as out of place at Taco Bell as a taco salad does at McDonald’s. You want cheesy beefy goodness when eating at Taco Bell. Fries? Who wants to eat them while munching on all the Mexican dishes Taco Bell has to offer? Well, it seems quite a few people like their fries. Who knew that nacho cheese sauce was the perfect condiment for fries? Move over ketchup; it looks like you’ve got some competition. The deep-fried sticks of golden deliciousness served up at Taco Bell are fantastic. Is it odd eating fries at Taco Bell? Sure it is. Strange doesn’t always mean bad as we discovered when it comes to Taco Bell’s fries. We’re sure someone out there is already thinking of all the things that can be done with those fries in their favorite menu items. Can you replace the lettuce on tacos with fries? How about adding a handful of fries to a Burrito Supreme? You can see where this is going. Once you go down the rabbit hole of adding fries to your favorite Taco Bell items, you can’t ever get back out of it.

Popeyes:

Popeyes is another one of those restaurants that you don’t necessarily visit for the fries. You go to Popeyes for their fried chicken and biscuits. You end up ordering the fries because you can’t live off of meat alone. That’s what you tell yourself anyway. It has to be possible to live off of Popeyes fried chicken and nothing else, it must. What more do you need than their perfectly seasoned chicken and something to wash it down with? Some say fries — and these fries have a spicy kick to them. If you’re the type who loves grease on your grease, then eating fries with fried chicken totally makes sense. Popeyes fries are good by themselves without anything else. It’s the ultimate gut bomb to eat back to back deep-fried items. If you’ve got a stomach with a lead lining, then give their fries a try. You won’t find many fries that are seasoned as well as Popeyes. Your arteries will be screaming for relief by the time you’re done with your Popeyes meal. Do yourself a favor and skip the soda with this meal. Go with coffee or water as your body can only handle so much punishment for one day. Sure, your tongue will be happy, but your gut will remind you all day long what you put into it.

Burger King:

You either love or hate Burger King. There seems to be no middle ground when it comes to Burger King. If you’re the type who loves the home of the Whopper, then you probably enjoy their fries. Those who aren’t fans of their flame-broiled burgers probably steer clear of anything from the restaurant including their fries. What’s wrong with their crispy fried sticks of happiness? Nothing really. They are a notch above average fast-food fries. But, some people want to hit a home run every time they’re at-bat, and that’s not possible when eating at Burger King. The fries at Burger King are what you would expect from this fast-food restaurant. They’re crispy, greasy, and salty. They have a tad bit more character than some of the fries listed earlier, but not much. You aren’t going to be left unsatisfied with their fries, but you also won’t put them on your Instagram either.

Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr.:

Fans of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. eat there because of their massive sandwiches. If you’re in the mood to eat a burger the size of your head, then head on over to Hardee’s or Carl’s Jr. The only logical thing to pair such a culinary monstrosity with is a large order of fries. Come on, you’re not going to go with a dinky little small order of fries now are you? Not to go along with that giant burger. You are going to get the biggest amount of fries possible along with an entire bathtub of ketchup. You don’t worry about your waistline while eating at Hardee’s or Carl’s Jr. It’s like Thanksgiving for your taste buds, and every bite is better than the one before it. The fries are great, and the sandwiches are even better. Where else are you going to eat a half-pound of meat and not feel like a glutton? You don’t need to worry about looking around and seeing people eating a salad at Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. Their customers probably wouldn’t know what salad was if it was sitting in front of them. That’s the way it should be too when you’re scarfing down a meal big enough for someone who just came off a deserted island that hasn’t eaten in a week. Do you get ice cream after eating your fries at Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.? You better believe you do. Why not? This is the time, to be honest with yourself and go wild.

Chick-fil-A:

What list about french fries would be complete without waffle fries? Isn’t it odd that more restaurants don’t have waffle fries on their menu? Chick-fil-A’s waffle fries are some of the tastiest deep-fried spuds you’ll ever eat. Pair Chick-fil-A’s waffle fries with one of their fried chicken sandwiches, and you’ve got a lunch fit for royalty. We aren’t even going to talk about dunking those beauties in anything other than ketchup. Or are we? Chick-fil-A has plenty of delicious sauces meant for other things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dip your fries into them. People have been known to get an order of waffle fries at Chick-fil-A and nothing else. It’s easy to see why people like to vegetate while munching away on these crispy potato delights. They’re so good you don’t need anything else to go with them. Put on some headphones and watch Babble Top on YouTube while eating your fries. It’s the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon. Yeah, we know, you’re probably rocking out to some heavy metal instead while writing an essay and playing a game on your phone. Relaxing isn’t what it used to be, and what some find calming others find nerve-wracking. Regardless of what you like to enjoy on YouTube while savoring your Chick-fil-A waffle fries, somehow watching something while eating them makes the experience all that much better.

Arby’s:

Arby’s is one of those restaurants that’s difficult to understand at times. Their roast beef is excellent, and they serve it up many different ways. Arby’s gets a little weird when they venture off into the world of other meats that are not roast beef. Sure, Arby’s has the meats, but do you want to eat them all? If we’re talking roast beef smothered in cheddar, then yes. The other stuff, well, it’s hit or miss. What isn’t hit or miss is their Curly Fries. Some believe that Arby’s Curly Fries are one of the best side dishes in the whole fast food industry. We won’t argue with you if you’re one of those people. Arby’s Curly Fries are everything that’s great about fast food in one single bite. What makes Arby’s Curly Fries so good? They aren’t your typical fry by any stretch of the imagination. They are the only fry on our list that is curly. That in itself isn’t the reason why their fries are so delicious. Arby’s Curly Fries have a seasoning on them that is as unique as they are. The crunch of the fry is also amazing. Combine the seasoning, crunch, and cut of the fry and it makes for some really good eating. If you’ve never had Arby’s Curly Fries, do yourself a favor and get yourself an order. Go with a large or you’ll seriously regret it by the time you’re at the bottom of the container.

McDonald’s:

Would you like fries with that? Of course you would. No fast food restaurant comes close to producing high-quality fries on the scale that McDonald’s does. It’s impossible not to fall in love with McDonald’s fries, especially if they are fresh from the fryer. There are few treats as tasty as the fries McDonald’s serves up every day. You can’t find a better side dish to any sandwich that even comes close to their fries. Not only are the fries at McDonald’s tasty, but you’re also never too far away from them. You can probably walk to your nearest McDonald’s. If you can’t walk there, then there’s a good chance that you can get McDonald’s delivered to you. That’s right; you don’t even need to walk out the door in many parts of the world to dunk the best tasting fries in ketchup. Why stop at ketchup? You haven’t lived until you dip a fry into McDonald’s soft-serve ice cream. Give it a try, and you’ll uncover a salty-sweet delight that was right under your nose the entire time — their hot fudge sundae pairs best with an order of fresh out of the fryer fries. No matter how you eat the fries at McDonald’s, it’s hard to argue that they aren’t the best of all the fast-food options available. The golden sticks of pure happiness that come from McDonald’s are like no other. Dipping them in McDonald’s unique sweet and tangy ketchup isn’t optional. Deep down inside, loving McDonald’s fries feels so wrong. You tell yourself that you’re so much more sophisticated than being a lover of something so simple like McDonald’s fries. There’s something primal about the salty carbohydrate filled fries that keep you coming back to McDonald’s. Admit it; they are the reason why you go to McDonald’s in the first place. It’s their fries and of course their Happy Meal toys that make you feel happy — even if you’re no longer a kid.