Customers Believe These Are The Worst Fast Food Fries

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Fries are a fundamental part of fast food menus. Whether you're chowing down at a fried chicken joint or sinking your teeth into a juicy burger, there's nothing like a crispy, salty, perfectly potato-y side of fries to complement your meal. However, as many diners know, there can be dramatic differences in fries from one chain to the next. Now, the people have spoken, and the last-place choice is clear: Dairy Queen.

The conclusion comes from our ranking of fast food fries from worst to best, which assessed three dozen choices in total. Along with sampling the fries, Mashed conducted a deep dive into social media views on each, scouring sites and services like TikTok, Reddit, and Facebook for the general fry consensus.

For many fans of fast food fries, it may come as no surprise that the decidedly dessert-focused DQ struggles on the fries front compared to other chains. Customers were frequently unimpressed with their taste and texture overall. On a Dairy Queen subreddit, u/OnePersistentFox pointed out, "They're awful, lowest tier fries of all in my opinion. Takes like three minutes for them to get cold, and they aren't even that good fresh." Diners also complained of occasional inconsistency between Dairy Queen locations, claiming they'd noticed differences in the fries in different states. It's a significant blow to any chain restaurant, where brand familiarity is crucial to building a strong customer following.

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Two other, more niche restaurant chains joined Dairy Queen in the bottom three of the ranking. White Castle placed 35th, and Johnny Rockets was 34th. White Castle, known for its slider-style burgers, has taken heat for having bland, mushy fries. Meanwhile, the retro-inspired Johnny Rockets also faces accusations of serving soggy or cold fries.

Those still seeking their fry fix after a disappointing Dairy Queen visit should head to longtime potato legend McDonald's, which scored the top spot on our list. In addition to their freshness and crispiness, other reasons why McDonald's fries are so good include the subtle, salty-sweet contrast and perfect coloring created by coating the fries with dextrose pre-cooking. Despite what some believe, the chain actually no longer uses beef tallow in its fryers, which many long attributed to their extra-rich flavor. 

While there's a lot to like, at the end of the day, subpar fries aren't the only shady thing about Dairy Queen's menu. When it comes to hot food, the chain could stand to make some improvements. If you're craving a sweet treat, DQ is a solid choice. Fry lovers should look elsewhere.