I eat french fries almost every day. That is not a hyperbole, I am really that unhealthy. When I find myself asking my parents what’s for dinner, they respond with “you have a car,” and the next thing I know, I’m having dinner in a parking lot. I’ve eaten fries at almost every fast food place this side of Clemmons, and it’s proven to be challenging. The average french fry consists of carbs, grease, carbs, salt, a little bit of love and carbs. However, if you are going to throw trash into your body, it might as well be good trash, and I’m here to rank the landfills. I’ve gone to five different fast food chains around the Winston-Salem and Clemmons area. Each french fries listed price is based off of the stores’ equivalents of a small serving, and a rating of the amount of salt and/or seasoning on the fries.

Bojangles – I didn’t realize when I ordered fries that I was going to get a pile of seasoning on a plate. Some people like seasoned fries, the key word there being fries. I couldn’t even tell what I ordered under the spices. I respect going all in with the spices; it may not be for me, but it has its fans. However, Bojangles didn’t even commit to that idea. Some fries weren’t even close to being seasoned; some fries were seasoned on one side and not the other. It doesn’t help that the fries are thin and wide too; where do you grab them from?

Amount of salt/seasoning: Six out of five

Price: $1.70

Stars: One out of five

Wendy’s – I infamously gave Wendy’s chicken nuggets a five out of five last year and I received push back. What can I say? I’m a loose cannon. Wendy’s fries are not the same situation. Their fries are distinct instead of being complementary to the main course, as a good fry should be. Yellow as the sun and with a strong, dominating taste, Wendy’s is good but in small bursts.

Amount of salt/seasoning: Four out of five

Price: $1.69

Stars: Three out of five

McDonald’s – The classic. McDonald’s is a staple of American diets and, everyone has had their fries. They’re salty, crunchy and satisfying, at least in theory. I always remember thoroughly enjoying the fries at McDonald’s, but each time I have them, I’m left with a sense of emptiness. It’s anticlimactic. It’s not a bad fry but it’s not great. However, McDonald’s is definitely closer to being great than being bad, and I won’t complain when they are being presented to me.

Amount of salt/seasoning: Three out of five

Price: $1.49

Stars: Four out of five

Chick-fil-A – These fries are unique and combine everything I love about the others without any of the negatives. The waffle design is a way to stand out while being fun to eat, it’s only a shame I got five. Alas, I cannot rank Chick-fil-A the highest, but I don’t think it’s their fault. You may actually be getting the same amount of food as the other places, but I think the waffle design tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating less. I’m always still hungry after finishing them off, even with the large option.

Amount of salt/seasoning: Two out of five

Price: $1.55

Stars: Four out of five

Five Guys – Famous for their burgers and fries, there was no possibility of excluding Five Guys from this listing. In a beautiful brown paper bag, I was presented a surprisingly large cup full of golden brown fries. While it was the most expensive of all the places I went to, I definitely got my money’s worth. Each fry looks like it came from a local potato farm, and they were cut large and dense. You want to look for the love that went into making a fry and Five Guys had it in spades.

Amount of salt/seasoning: Three out of five

Price: $3.49

Stars: Five out of five