French Cuisine: Ranking the Fries

One of each type of fry that we sampled. Taken and edited by Finley Wetstein & Isabella Bagnaro.

By Isabella Bagnaro and Finley Wettstein

French fries: the iconic American side-dish, hamburger sidekick, and milkshake’s savory counterpart. There are a number of fast food places around our school that distribute well known fries, which are still commonly debated on which is better. We took it upon ourselves to spend an afternoon after practice to go around Jenks and rate these fries on a very scientific scale that we invented. 

Each fry was consumed hot and immediately after purchase, and were rated in the following categories: star rating, crunchiness, price, portion size-to container ratio, cut, and overall flavor.

Each location is scored out of 10 points covering the reviewer's overall opinion but containing factors such as crunchiness, saltiness, price, portion size, and cut.

DISCLAIMER: authors do not recommend trying this at home. Completing this task resulted in extreme discomfort, nausea, and disgust. 

McDonalds: Small Fry $2.19

FIN ♾️/10

It does not get any better than a classic McDonalds serving of french fries. Every single time I am craving a delicious fry they never fail to hit the spot. Today like any other day I was beyond satisfied with everything about their fries. Slightly toasted with the perfect amount of crunch and seasoned with a decent amount of saltiness. I would prefer slightly saltier but only on rare occasions have they not been salty enough for my liking. Little to no grease residue left on my fingers and the portion size was perfect. 

BELLA 10/10!!!!

McDonalds french fries are the standard. The portion size is perfect, the price is inexpensive, and the taste is exceptional. Salty, piping hot, and the perfect texture. Starting off with these was a negative for their competitors, but incredible for me. Straight to the point, just like their straight cut shape. 

Arby’s: Medium Fry $3.09 (They do not sell small fry sides by themselves you have to either get a meal or get a medium). 

FIN 5/10

In the past I considered these fries as delicious and thought that they had to be included in our fry review journey, but they were not as great as I previously thought. Maybe because they had to be the follow up to McDonalds or I was really hungry the last time I ordered them, the reason is unknown. I did not love their distinct flavor or the fact that they were served at a lukewarm temperature. They left an odd BBQ after taste in my mouth and their Arby's sauce made matters worse. However, I did like the crunchiness of the fries and the potato-y-ness of the fry. 

BELLA 6/10  (When cold: 6.7/10)

Ordering these after McDonalds was a mistake. McDonalds set the bar high, and I’m afraid Arbys didn’t compare. For starters, Arbys doesn’t allow you to order a small fry by itself, you either have to order a medium (which is what we did) or purchase a meal. The fries are curly and have a signature taste to them. They aren’t salty but they have their own seasoned taste which was moderately enjoyable. Surprisingly, after sitting out for a few minutes and getting cold they were better. These fries are crunchy and possess a distinct taste. Were they bad? No. Were they great? No. 

Chick-Fil-A: Small Fry $2.15

FIN 9/10

Chick-Fil-A fries are another great classic, but like Bella my appetite for any food, let alone fries, was gone. The car was getting hot, there was a spider somewhere (found in the backseat during the McDonalds trip and has disappeared from sight since), and waves of nauseousness were coming over me. But after my first bite the nausea left. In my opinion very little can top a perfectly crispy waffle fry dipped in Chick-Fil-A sauce. A decent amount of salt and not too greasy these fries deserve a 9. Their small is a great portion size for a light snack. 

BELLA 8/10  (With sauce 10/10)

At this point, I had driven us to two prior fast food places (the most recent being Arbys) in under thirty minutes. I also had the brilliant idea to finish off the fries once Finley was done with her notes and our discussion. Due to that ingenious idea… as I pulled into the Chick-Fil-A drive through, the nausea was starting to kick in at a rapidly growing rate. I pulled over after acquiring the fries, and at the first bite I was reminded of why fries exist. My faith in fry humanity was restored. Chick-Fil-A’s fries are delectable, and with [Chick-Fil-A] sauce… heavenly. And for a short time, the sickening feeling running through my body ceased… as I finished half of the salty side. These waffle-cut delights have a signature taste. My only critique of Chick-Fil-A fries is that they are not consistently salty, sometimes when I go they are perfectly salted, this time they were barely salted which takes away from the taste. The size of the fries themselves is rather large, but the portion is still good. 

Canes: One Size (Side) $2.27

FIN 3/10

I feel bad giving these fries a 3/10 because usually they sit at a solid 8. If Raising Canes was the first stop on our list this fry review would have been a lot more enjoyable and a lot more positive. Unlike the Chick-Fil-A fry these fries did not help my disgust. The fries were soggy, greasy, and were way too potato-y. They were not crunchy and not salty. But dipped in Canes sauce they were sort of enjoyable. When just reviewing sauces, Canes trumps almost everything easily. Unfortunately this review is over the dry fry. 

BELLA 2/10  (MAYBE a 5/10 with Canes sauce)

And the nausea returned. With a horrific punch. Not only were these fries royally disappointing, they worsened my fry-induced illness immensely. Soggy, uncooked, wet, lukewarm, bland, and starchy. For background knowledge, I love Canes, and eat there frequently. Their chicken, Texas toast, sauce, sweet tea, and lemonade are certain to satisfy any craving, any day of the week. However, this quality drops off the Grand Canyon with their fries. The only way to even slightly enjoy these fries is when they are drowned in Canes sauce. The edges and corners of these crinkle-cut fries are slightly crispy, while the rest of it has the texture of a damp sponge. We ate the French fries momentarily after being handed them, and they were damp and seemed very undercooked. They were not salty and had a strong starchy-potato taste. On a more positive note, Canes gives you a lot of fries for a small, they don’t advertise different sizes, but the are the price of a small side at most other fast food restaurants, yet gave you much, much more than their competitors.