Fast-food french fries are a delicacy for people all over the world. The simplicity, consistency, and affordable price make them extremely appealing. Not to mention the incredible taste. There are many factors that go into making a good fast-food french fry. Despite french fries being a simple formula to follow, the quality of them tends to differ wildly between fast food chains. Some of the most popular chains are Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Chick-Fil-A. Comparing the fries from these four restaurants is crucial in determining which place holds the superior french fry. There are multiple bases on which the fries will be compared, including, price, flavor, and nutritional value.

Starting with the most well-known and favored french fries, McDonald’s. A medium fry at McDonald’s is $1.79, making them affordable. In a medium fry, there are 320 calories and 260 mg of sodium. Not the healthiest of options, but it is to be expected for what you are ordering. McDonald’s had the crispiest, hottest, freshest, and saltiest of fries. The cup holding the fries was packed to the brim, meaning you are getting as much as you paid for. Some may even argue that there is too much salt, which is a reasonable perspective. Abbie Weilgus, a junior at Pennridge High School disagrees with this statement and says, “I think that they are the best classic fry, not too hard or soggy, and they always have a lot of salt which I like.” The longer and skinnier shape of these fries provides for a more crispy experience. However, since the fries are so skinny they sometimes seem to lack actual substance. This made these fries taste and feel a bit more processed than the other fast food chains. Overall, the McDonald’s fries earned a score of 7.5/10.

The next fast food chain that was examined was Burger King. A medium fry at Burger King costs $2.19, making them on the more expensive side of fast food. In a medium fry at Burger King, there are 370 calories and 270 mg of sodium. This makes them on the higher end of calories and sodium compared to other places. Immediately upon arriving at Burger King, the quality of the service was clear. The entirety of the drive-thru experience ended up taking 15 minutes, despite there only being four cars in the line. When the fries were received, the holder was partially empty, meaning what was paid for wasn’t fully received. They were on the thicker side, which is often better, but these had no crispiness. They were soggy and extremely mushy. As if it couldn’t get worse, there was an aftertaste of microplastic that was hard to miss. The higher price for lower-quality fries ultimately ended up costing Burger King most of its points. Overall, the Burger King fries earned a score of 4/10.

Next up was Wendy’s. A medium fry at Wendy’s costs $1.99, putting them at an average spot price-wise. In a medium fry at Wendy’s, there are 350 calories and 620 mg of sodium. The calories in these fries are pretty average, but the sodium is extremely higher compared to the other fast food chains. These fries are evidently unhealthier than most of the other places that were looked at. Wendy’s had the best fries of the evening. One of the only places that this restaurant lacked was the french fry holder was slightly empty as there was definitely room for more fries in it. However, in almost every other category, Wendy’s came out on top. These fries have the perfect amount of salt, there wasn’t too much but they weren’t lacking either. Also, there was a perfect level of crispiness. They were slightly bigger than McDonald’s fries, meaning they had more substance in the middle of them. However, they were mushy like the Burger King fries. The fries’ bigger size didn’t take away from its crisp factor. Overall Wendy’s fries earned a score of 9/10.

The final fast food fries that were examined was Chick-Fil-A. A medium fry at Chick-Fil-A costs $1.65, making them the cheapest fries out of all of the places. In a medium fry at Chick-Fil-A, there are 420 calories and no sodium nutrition facts were provided. However, the calories in these fries are significantly higher compared to the rest of the places. One of the most noticeable differences in these fries is the style of fry. Chick-Fil-A exclusively serves waffle-shaped fries, which you can’t seem to find anywhere else. Some people have animosity against the waffle shape of fries. However, some people prefer it. Allison O’Mara, a senior at Pennridge High School says, “The reason why I like Chick-Fil-A so much is because of the waffle fries.” Chick-Fil-A provided a good amount of fries for the cheap price but the flavor and texture weren’t anything special. There was a decent amount of saltiness, but they could’ve used a little bit more. Also, they weren’t as crispy as they could have been. Overall, the Chick-Fil-A fries earned a score of 7/10.

After comparing the fries from McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Chick-Fil-A on multiple bases, a final ranking has been made based on the scores they received. In order from best to worst, the ranking goes Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, and finally Burger King. The differences in the fries from these places may seem insignificant but fries are often the most important part of the fast food meal and knowing the best place to purchase from is crucial.

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https://www.nutrition-charts.com/five-guys-burgers-and-fries-nutrition-facts-calorie-information/#fries
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https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/small-french-fries.html
https://www.chick-fil-a.com/menu/chick-fil-a-waffle-potato-fries