Fast food fry debate finally settled, according to new survey
French fries are shown in a McDonald's restaurant on Sept. 3, 2002. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Ah, another groundbreaking survey has been released about French fries. This time, the CasinoReviews.net decided to dive deep into the age-old debate of who makes the best French fries in the good ol' US of A.
Hold on to your salt shakers, folks, because apparently, McDonald's has been crowned the undisputed fry king once again. Shocking, right? Chick-fil-A and Five Guys came in at No. 2 and 3 respectively.
Wendy's, Burger King, Arby's, Checker's/Rally's, and Popeyes also made the cut, proving that Americans sure do love their fast-food fries. Well, some of them, anyway.
McDonald's didn't just win though, they won by a lot. They snagged 43% of the vote while Chick-fil-A was a distant second with 10%. Five Guys, Wendy’s, and Burger King cling to the top five like fries to ketchup, with single-digit percentages to their names.
In-N-Out, Culver's, and Shake Shack managed to snag a couple of pity votes. Meanwhile, poor Jack in the Box, Sonic, Whataburger, KFC, and Carl's Jr./Hardee's barely even made a blip on the fry radar. And as for Del Taco, Taco Bell, and White Castle? Well, let's just say they didn't even get a pity vote. Not one.
When it comes to what makes a fry fan swoon, apparently taste is king (or should we say fry?). Texture and salt also get honorable mentions, but let's be real, it's all about that crispy goodness.
And let's not forget the real MVPs of the fry world: toppings. Ranch takes the crown (after ketchup obviously), followed closely by cheese sauce, honey mustard, barbecue sauce, and garlic Parmesan. Mayonnaise even gets a reluctant nod from the fry aficionados.
Now, here's where things get heated. Size, dipping sauce, or seasoning: what's more important? Turns out, size does matter for 40% of respondents, while others swear by their favorite dipping sauce or seasoning. It's a fry war out there, folks.
But hey, at least we know people are willing to splurge on their fry fix. Only a measly 1% cited price as the reason for their fry preference. And how much are they willing to fork over for those golden sticks of joy? A median response of $4.32. Who knew fries could be so bougie?
And finally, in a shocking turn of events, it seems like the majority of folks believe that local fry joints just can't hold a candle to the big boys. 71% of those surveyed prefer French fries offered by the national chains. Sorry, mom-and-pop shops, it looks like you'll have to step up your fry game if you want to compete.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the median age of the respondents was 36; 31% identified as male, 66% identified as female, and 2% identified as non-binary.