5 Restaurants That Are Hiding Amazing French Fries on Their Menus

Think you know where you should head when a French fry craving hits? Sure, you can stop by fast food staples like McDonald’s, Burger King, Rally’s or Checkers, or even In-n-Out. But those fries are basic, not the best. 

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To find some of fast food’s best fries, you need to get away from the usual burger joints and try other restaurants. Yes, even those that primarily serve tacos! Below, I’m sharing restaurants you’d never expect to find incredible fries at.

Del Taco

Yes, Del Taco serves tacos and Mexican-American inspired foods. But glance at the menu, and you’ll realize this oddball fast food restaurant also serves burgers, fries, and other not-so “taco” like items such as cheesecake bites. Don’t let the slightly confusing menu fool you, though, because Del Taco is home to seriously good tacos and standout French fries.

In fact, Del Taco’s fries are so good that they were rated the best fast food fries by USA Today recently. They really are that good, though, thanks in part to their crinkle-cut shape that hands onto crispiness and provides plenty of little nooks and crannies of crunchiness. Plus, the salt sticks around inside those crinkles, which makes them taste saltier than other fast food fries (in the best way, of course).

Even better? I love how well Del Taco’s fries hold up to toppings. Most fries falter and instantly become soggy underneath chili or when dipped, but these don’t. They’re particularly great in the Carne Asada Steak Fries on the menu, where they keep their form and saltiness perfectly.

Wingstop

If you’re looking for atypical French fries that are oh-so-crispy and make for a memorable meal, you’ve got to try the fries at Wingstop. Until recently, I didn’t even know fries were on the menu here—after all, you’re stopping here to order a whole bunch of chicken wings in an array of flavors, not fries.

Don’t make the same mistake as me and overlook the fries on your next Wingstop visit. They’re made from freshly-cut potatoes that are soaked, blanched, and fried, then topped off with a unique seasoning blend that includes classic salt as well as garlic, onion, and a little heat from paprika or chili. But there’s one more key ingredient: Wingstop also seasons its fries with real sugar.

The flavoring on Wingstop’s French fries makes them downright addictive—even more so, in my opinion, when you dip them in the restaurant’s house-made buttermilk ranch dipping sauce. It’s not just for chicken!

KFC

Like Wingstop above, KFC is better-known for its chicken than its fries. But if you’ve been skipping or straight-up overlooking KFC’s fries as a side in favor of classics like mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese, it’s time you change it up. Trust me: the fries here are perfect every time and this fried chicken joint knows how to crisp potatoes perfectly.

After all, what better place to find standout French fries than a restaurant that’s famous for frying food? At KFC, the potatoes get crispy, they rarely get soggy—unless you happen to get the very end of a batch, in my experience. They’re also better than the old Potato Wedges (RIP to my old favorites) but still feature solidly flavorful seasoning.

KFC’s fries are thicker cuts of potatoes than burger restaurants like McDonald’s or Burger King, and they’re dusted with that signature blend of the Colonel’s herbs and spices. So, they do taste slightly different than your average fast food fries, but they do deliver on crispness, freshness, and taste.

Taco Bell

I don’t head to Taco Bell for fries often. After all, I’m there for the Mexican Pizza first and foremost, then soft or hard tacos second. But when I need something cheesy, Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries are the ideal pick.

Nacho Fries aren’t really meant to compete with other fast food restaurants’ traditional French fries. After all, they’re thicker and covered in a batter-like seasoning that gives them a hint of spice and a distinctly Taco Bell-inspired kick that pairs well with… well, nacho cheese and nacho cheese only, frankly.

Some call Nacho Fries the worst in America, but if you need a fry that works flawlessly with melty, gooey definitely-not-real-cheese, then they absolutely deliver. And if you’re a die-hard Taco Bell nacho cheese fan, then these are exactly what you need. Forget chips that’ll break—these oddball fries fit the job perfectly and add a slight kick.

Wendy’s

No, I’m not going to rave about Wendy’s regular ol’ French fries. Those are, in my opinion, pretty bland and basic (and soggy, quite frankly, if you don’t get them fresh out of the fryer). Wendy’s is on this list for a different, not-so-conventional fry that’s on the menu: its potato wedges, or Breakfast Potatoes as they’re officially known.

Wendy’s Breakfast Potatoes are so good, I’ll always opt for them over regular fries—and I’m not usually a potato wedges or thick steak fry kind of girl. But these potato wedges, which are skin-on thick wedges covered in a sprinkling of salt, garlic, onion powder, and pepper, are incredible. And every time they’re served, they’re slightly crispy on the outside and perfectly soft inside.

The only downside is they’re a breakfast item, so you can only nab these fried potatoes until 10:30AM at most Wendy’s locations. But Breakfast Potatoes are way better than your average fast food hash brown option, so it’s well worth making a morning trip to Wendy’s to enjoy them.