This Is The Fast Food Chain With The Best Fried Shrimp

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Crispy fried shrimp is a great protein alternative to the usual beef and chicken offered on fast food menus — if it tastes good, which, let's face it, isn't always the case. Surprisingly, the tastiest fast food fried shrimp doesn't come from a seafood chain. According to Mashed's ranking of fast food shrimp, it's served up at Swensons Drive-In. 

Swensons is an Ohio-based fast food restaurant with about 25 locations in the Buckeye state. The small, long-running chain is known for its Galley Boy burger, a double cheeseburger with Swenson signature sauces on a toasted bun. 

While the "burgs," as Swensons calls them, may be the stars of the show, the fried shrimp on the menu are tastier than most fast food shrimp, according to Mashed's own ranking which states, "The shrimp resembles fresh-fried selections you'd order from a beachfront grill — crunchy, evenly coated, and thereby suited for the tangy dip that ups the flavor ante astronomically. Tasty, authentic, and out of a drive-thru (or in this case, a drive-in)? Say no more!"

Customers can buy a shrimp dinner consisting of a dozen tail-on fried shrimp with cocktail sauce, a toasted roll, fries, and coleslaw or applesauce for a little over $10, making it the second most expensive item on the menu (besides the fish dinner). Or, if you can go without the sides, purchase the $7 shrimp snack, which includes a dozen fried shrimp with cocktail sauce.

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Although many people in the U.S. may be unfamiliar with Swensons, for Ohio natives the drive-in restaurant is a cultural mainstay of the state. Swensons was founded in Akron, Ohio by Wesley T. "Pop" Swenson in 1934 and began as a small hamburger stand. 

The chain has grown steadily over the years, expanding its footprint to cities around northeast Ohio, and has maintained a vintage vibe with the drive-up style that was popular at burger chains in the mid-20th century. There is no indoor seating at Swensons — customers stay in their cars, while waitstaff runs out to take orders and brings out the food on a tray that hooks onto the car. The carhop service is part of what makes it one of the best regional fast food chains, according to the Mashed staff.

While the majority of online customer reviews for Swensons are for its burgers, the shrimp has generally been described as crispy, decently sized, well seasoned, and in good quantity for the price. Besides the shrimp dinner, Swensons also offers a fish dinner for a little over $10, consisting of two lightly battered whitefish fillets, a toasted bun, fries, and coleslaw or applesauce. See where Swensons' coleslaw stands in a ranking of worst to best fast food coleslaw before you buy.