These Fast Food French Fries Are the Worst Value You Can Buy for Your Money

French fries should be simple, straightforward, and always addictive — at least, that’s my (not-so-professional) opinion. I’m not terribly picky about my fast food fries, but it seems that some chains find them pretty difficult to get right. And others? Well, their fries aren’t just mediocre. They also happen to provide terrible value for the price you pay.

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At certain fast food restaurants, the fries are subpar and expensive. If you’re tired of paying even a small premium for less-than-flawless fries, these are the fast food spots that offer the worst value for your money when it comes to that staple side.

Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen usually isn’t the first place you head when you want a great burger or a side of fries; after all, this ice cream-focused restaurant is better known for its creamy Blizzard. But if you’ve ever had the misfortune of trying Dairy Queen’s French fries like me, then you know they’re not worth a single cent.

These fries are lacking in just about every way. They’re bland and taste essentially unsalted. They’re soft, not particularly crispy (and I mean that as a negative as someone who loves a good soft fry). And they’re just plain forgettable.

In-N-Out

I’m a notorious In-N-Out fry hater. This fast food restaurant makes some incredible burgers and shakes, and I’ll eat almost anything made Animal-Style… except the French fries.

In-N-Out fries are so soft they’re pretty much always soggy, and I don’t think I’ve ever managed to get a batch that was hot, let alone warm. As someone who lives a short distance from three different In-N-Outs, that’s saying something. Frankly, any amount of money is simply too much to pay for these “fries,” if we’re calling them that.

Five Guys

Five Guys might be famous for tossing an extra handful of fries into your bag, but even with this little “perk” the restaurant’s French fries aren’t a good value. Yes, they taste perfectly fine; I don’t completely understand the hype, but they’re decent. The price, on the other hand? At over $6 for a “little” and $8 for a large, they’re exceptionally expensive for fast food.

And Five Guys isn’t exactly serving up enough fries to make those higher prices worth paying. Plenty of regulars have pointed out that shrinkflation seems to have seriously hit the chain, including one dedicated diner who literally measured their fries… only to find out that they never once received an amount close to what Five Guys claims to serve. And that makes their value even worse.

Taco Bell

Technically, Taco Bell’s fries are some of the most reasonably-priced fries you’ll find at fast food joints. At under $4 for a large size in most regions — as long as you’re not ordering any kind of loaded fries, that is — you’re getting a decent portion for your money. Plus, these not-so-typical fries are heavily seasoned to deliver a kick of flavor. 

Even if the nacho spice blend isn’t your thing, these fries are solid. They are divisive; some can’t stand them in the slightest, while others like me find them to be something different if you’re bored with basic fries. Their controversial nature brings down their value, since you do need to be able to stomach them to find them worth paying for.

Shake Shack

When it comes to fries from trendy fast food restaurants, Shake Shack actually does a pretty good job of balancing value for the serving size. Their fries are cheaper than competitors like Five Guys, and their overall price of about $4 to $5 breaks down to a fantastic value of roughly $0.40 per ounce (yes, someone did the math). 

The kicker, though? The fries suck. They remind me of In-N-Out fries. If these weren’t a decent value, I’d never buy Shake Shack’s fries. They aren’t the best crinkle-cut fries — that honor belongs rightfully to Del Taco — and they aren’t well-seasoned. They’re unforgettable a la Dairy Queen, albeit with a better price.