I’ll admit it upfront: I love French fries.
And I’m not alone – according to one report, Americans eat an estimated 4.5 billion pounds of French fries each year.
So we eat a lot of fries – but which fries do we eat most?
Well, it turns out we have information on this…
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Thanks to the good folks over at YouGov, we have information on how Americans view various restaurants and brands, and from that we can make some educated guesses at how Americans feel about their fries.
For example: If Chick-fil-A was America’s favorite brand (it isn’t)…would anyone doubt that their delicious waffle fries were a big part of why?
Same for McDonald’s. Wendy’s. Arby’s. Five Guys.
So I’ve taken a look at popular restaurants whose brands are closely associated with the quality of their French fries.
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This means I left off places like, say, the Cheesecake Factory – we all know that nobody really cares about their fries!
And of course, there’s elements of judgment here – I had to make some gut calls – so feel free to argue in the comments about who I shouldn’t have included!
With that, on to the rankings!
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 93%
Percent of Americans who like it: 59%
My take: I cannot believe Five Guys is ranked tenth on this list. Their fries are top five for me, easily, and Five Guys is widespread enough at this point that just about everyone has heard of it.
Their fries are tasty, and you get a ton of them. What’s not to love?
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 97%
Percent of Americans who like it: 59%
My take: I was legitimately shocked to see McDonald’s ranking so poorly. Not because I disagree with it – there are much better fries to be had that aren’t stringy and soggy – but because they’re just so popular and well-liked.
But maybe not as well-liked as I thought! Who knew?
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 93%
Percent of Americans who like it: 59%
My take: I think one of the things Hard Rock Cafe does exceptionally well is: It positions locations near tourist traps like Walt Disney World and Las Vegas. Because of that, anytime you eat at Hard Rock, it’s inherently tied up with fun memories of your vacation. The food is pretty forgettable in my opinion, but the memories never are.
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 98%
Percent of Americans who like it: 59%
My take: Burger King’s fries are just ok. (Their hashbrowns are way better.) I don’t think they’re anywhere near seventh best, but this isn’t really about my opinions, is it?
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 94%
Percent of Americans who like it: 62%
My take: I used to wait tables at a Red Robin, and let me tell you – the fries were very popular. Steak fries have never been my thing – they’re too thick and never crispy enough – but given the way people dug in on the endless baskets of fries, it’s no surprise at all to me that Red Robin ranked so well.
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 90%
Percent of Americans who like it: 63%
My take: A&W does a lot of things “ok” – but I really love their root beer, shakes, and fries. Especially the chili cheese fries – there’s just something about chili, fries, and shakes all together. (Or a burger.)
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 98%
Percent of Americans who like it: 65%
My take: KFC is one of those where I’m not sure how well-liked they really are for their fries. KFC was WAY more popular for its potatoes when they were wedges before they brought the original recipe fries to the menu. (Although I’m not sure how many people really draw fine distinctions like “potato wedges” vs “fries.” And also – a select group of people were recently able to order KFC potato wedges for the first time in years!)
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 96%
Percent of Americans who like it: 65%
My take: I think Chick-fil-A probably ties for my favorite fries on this list with the next restaurant, #2 ranked Wendy’s. I like waffle fries for the fun shape and the differing levels of crunch throughout the fry…but honestly, the thing I like best about them is that they’re such a great scoop for sauce. You can pile a lot of honey mustard, Polynesian sauce, or the eponymous Chick-fil-A sauce on each fry…and that’s awesome.
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 97%
Percent of Americans who like it: 65%
My take: Like I mentioned earlier, I think Wendy’s ties for my personal favorite fries. They’re not stringy and damp like McDonald’s often are…they aren’t too starchy and thick liked Red Robin’s steak fries…it’s kind of a “just right” texture, crunch, and flavor.
(And of course, dipping them in a Frosty doesn’t hurt either!)
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 96%
Percent of Americans who like it: 66%
My take: Popeyes fries are really, really good. I don’t think that’s a particularly controversial take.
And that Popeyes has become super popular is – I don’t think – terribly surprising either. They’ve got lots of amazing new flavors and have been doing a great job of rapid expansion while still maintaining their quality.
I won’t deny they’re popular! I’m not sure they deserve “America’s favorite” – although, to be clear, their Cajun fries really are great – but I can’t really argue with the data, can I.
And actually, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense – their Cajun fries are different enough to really stick out.
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So there you have it – America’s 10 favorite fries according to my analysis of data from YouGov.
And with each – you can see why!
But of course, two big questions remain, for you:
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#1: What do you think of the methodology? Any restaurants you’d argue I shouldn’t have included? Happy to hear the feedback, just let me know in the comments.
#2: Who makes YOUR favorite French fry? Again, just let me know in the comments!
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