When you consider fast food, one of the deciding factors involves french fries. Are they worth the trip and the cost, or are they something you’d rather pass on? I visited every fast food restaurant (with a drive-through window) in Rochester, Minnesota, to find out which one has the best fries.
As a fast food guy myself, I based my rankings off of eight different categories that represent a good fry: saltiness, shape, texture, price, temperature, presentation, freshness, and its overall ability to satisfy. I made six fast food stops in total: McDonald’s, Arby’s, Chick-Fil-A, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Culver’s.
The first place I tried was McDonald’s. The price of these fries was $3.29, which is a little expensive. The fries were put in a bag and had gotten a little greasy, making my ranking of the presentation on the lower side. The taste was less salty than I am used to with McDonald’s fries; however, the flavor was still pretty good. The shape of the fry is a classic, standard-cut fry. The freshness of the fries was decent; they were pretty warm and had the signature golden color, but had clearly been sitting on the heater for a while; this also made their texture pretty chewy. I’d only rate the texture as “okay.” For my final overall rating, I would give them a 8.9/10. They weren’t the best, but they were pretty good.
The second fast food restaurant I tried was Arby’s. These fries were not very good. The price was reasonable, only $2.91. The presentation of the fries was nice too. They came in a box, which I prefer to bags. The color was nice and golden; however, the experience went downhill from there. The fries had virtually no salt; you need salt to have good fries. These fries were also crinkle cut, which I am not a big fan of. The worst part was the freshness. Upon biting into the fries, I realized they were uncooked and cold. My final rating for these fries was 4.7/10; they were pretty bad.
My third stop was Chick-Fil-A. The cheapest out of the six places, these fries cost only $2.91. Similar to Arby’s, they were put into a nice box. The salt levels were perfect, not too much nor too little. Chick-Fil-A is known for their waffle fry shape, which is my personal favorite. The fries were a nice temperature, which I enjoyed. They were hot, but not burn-your-mouth hot. They had a slight crunch on the outside as well, with a very soft interior. This fry got a high score in all eight categories, my overall rating is a 9.2/10.
Next I went to one of the most underrated fast food restaurants: Wendy’s. It was pretty expensive, the small fry being $3.23. However, the quantity of fries was unbelievable. Once again, these fries came in a box. They had a good amount of salt on them, and they were very hot and fresh. The fries were standard cut with a nice, dark gold color. They also had a lovely crunch and were perfectly soft in the middle. Wendy’s nailed every category on the head, so I give them a 9.4/10.
The second to last stop was Burger King. I usually like their fries, so I went into this review with high hopes. Burger King’s fries were a little pricey, being $3.12. The fries were served in a round box, which made for a superb presentation. They were standard cut with a golden color. Everything seemed perfect, until I took a bite. First, there was almost no salt, which I immediately didn’t like. Then, the texture and taste were terrible. It was so bad, I couldn’t even explain what I was tasting. My rating for these fries is a disappointed 3.2/10.
Last but not least, I rated the offering from Culver’s. Fairly cheap, it was only $2.48 for a small fry. The presentation was not my favorite, as the fries came in a flimsy bag. The fries were lightly salted but still good. They were crinkle cut with a nice golden brown look. The texture could have been better, because they were a little undercooked. The fries were also not as warm as I would prefer, but it was okay. Overall the fries weren’t the best, but they deserve a solid ranking of 8.4/10.
I did my best to rank these fries fairly. I tried every fry without sauce, so I could focus on the true flavor of the fry. Additionally, while I based most of my ratings off of the fries I ordered that day, previous visits did influence my ratings a little bit. Now, to finally announce the best fries in Rochester, Minnesota: Wendy’s with a 9.4/10. The fries were excellent and did well in every single category. Going down the list; Chick-Fil-A was second with 9.2/10. McDonald’s was third, with an 8.9/10. Culver’s came close with an 8.4/10, while Arby’s lagged behind with a 4.7/10. Dead last went to Burger King with 3.2/10. These rankings are all based on my personal taste and opinion, so I encourage you to try these places for yourself and see if you agree.
