# Poll: McDonald's fries and Big Macs are substandard, even for fast food **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074 "2019-03-13T15:46:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/101 "2019-03-17T03:08:19Z")
I love McD’s fries. They’re by far my favorite fast food fries. Big Macs, not so much, though. Even the Quarter Pounders aren’t as good as they used to be when I was a kid, and the newest version is nearly inedible for me. Which is good, because I don’t need to eat them. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/102 "2019-03-17T04:02:33Z")
Always fun to see a push poll crash and burn. 🙂 (I’m in the not-the-best-not-the-worst camp) ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/103 "2019-03-17T09:43:59Z")
Almost everyone of you is subjectively wrong. Mcdonalds for breakfast Wendys for lunch Burger King … I’d rather die a slow painful disgraceful death than eat there \ 5 guys the burgers are good the fries are nasty Most of the rest I have mo experience with McDonalds has changed their method of preparing their fries so they aren’t as good as they used to be. Wendys probably uas best fries right now. That being said, I’ve had a treat basically none of you will be likely to ever have. McDonalds fries prepared by the executive chef in charge of research and development for Simplot (the company that actually makes the fries) right there in the company test kitchen (which I nominate as the real America’s Test Kitchen) prepared the way they were meant to be. Enough fries to last 4 guys all afternoon. Hours later they were still delicious cold, just the right amount of salt, not greasy, not limp amd soggy. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/104 "2019-03-17T18:41:09Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > They’re OK, but not the best. Wendy’s is better, with Burger King the worst.\* But Five Guys is way ahead. > \*New slogan “At least they don’t taste like detergent any more.” They don’t? Good on them! I always thought that, since they added that coating, they tasted mildly like burnt plastic. When they did that, they went from being worse than McDonald’s fries to being worse than any other fast food/restaurant fry I ever had. Wendy’s was the best fry before they went the skin-on, sea-salt route. Still the best, but not as good as they were. Five Guys has the best fries, but they don’t have a drive-up window at the only one here in town. That, the cost, and the slower speed overall, takes them out of the fast Food category, i think. I think ketchup preference is all in what you get used to. I used to be a big Heinz guy, but since moving away from Pittsburgh, I’ve found many restaurants don’t serve it. Since it’s significantly cheaper around here, I’ve been buying Hunt’s for several years. That’s become my default, and now I find Heinz to be on the vinegary side. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/105 "2019-03-17T19:23:02Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > But, come on, can we be real? McDonald’s fries are pretty much the worst fries you can get anywhere. They’re not even potatoes. They’re tiny, flavorless, textureless, extruded strings made from some kind of potato-like meal. Ignoring issues of taste, I’m going to point out that this simply is not true. I assume it’s an attempt at hyperbole or sarcasm. I’d leave it as such, except that I MUST remind the author of the “Frispo®”, a “french fry” that was used by Carl’s Jr. in the early 1980s. This was actually an extruded, corrugated-sided fry that was made from potato meal and water. As a fry cook, you hit the button on the Frispo machine, and it gave you a basket of these things, which you then put into the oil to cook. They were moderately good upon being removed from the oil and salted, and by three minutes later, were fit to do nothing but stare at sadly while you contemplated going back for another Famous Star/California Roast Beef/Steak Sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/106 "2019-03-17T21:04:10Z")
DSYoungEsq, that image brings this to mind [Earl]…Frispo, it’s the Pringles of french fries…[/Earl] ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/107 "2019-03-17T21:11:50Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I used to buy “shrimp fries”. You know, similar to potato chips. They didn’t taste like shrimp or fries, but they were damn tasty. Shrimp chips are weird and nasty. I FLOVE them. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/108 "2019-03-17T21:22:44Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Ignoring issues of taste, I’m going to point out that this simply is not true. I assume it’s an attempt at hyperbole or sarcasm. I’d leave it as such, except that I MUST remind the author of the “Frispo®”, a “french fry” that was used by Carl’s Jr. in the early 1980s. This was actually an extruded, corrugated-sided fry that was made from potato meal and water. As a fry cook, you hit the button on the Frispo machine, and it gave you a basket of these things, which you then put into the oil to cook. They were moderately good upon being removed from the oil and salted, and by three minutes later, were fit to do nothing but stare at sadly while you contemplated going back for another Famous Star/California Roast Beef/Steak Sandwich. I already pointed this out upthread. Sometimes I think everypne’s put me on “ignore” ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/109 "2019-03-18T03:17:09Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I already pointed this out upthread. > > Sometimes I think everypne’s put me on “ignore” I’m sorry; I didn’t read the entire thread; I was getting tired of irrelevant discussions. I opted for the Cliff Notes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/110 "2019-03-18T05:00:34Z")
I’m not a fast food fan. I only eat McDonalds at airport, on layovers. And I try to fly direct… When I do eat McDonalds, I get the Filet-o-fish (with less tartar sauce) and the fries. They are okay hot and fresh. They used to be delicious, back when they were cooked in beef tallow, but they’ve been no better than “okay” since then. That being said, I like shoestring fries. I guess I don’t love potato, and I lots of fried surface. … Big Mac? Never had one. They look disgusting. I don’t like a lot of sauce on my sandwiches in general. Even as a kid I wouldn’t eat McD’s burgers because they had too much crap on them. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/111 "2019-03-18T05:58:03Z")
I don’t go to Maccas often, and avoid it entirely if I can unless it’s the only option. The fries are mediocre, but they aren’t sickly. We have a couple of franchises here in Australia that make way better chips, and of course there are Fish And Chip shops too, which I primarily gravitate towards. I don’t eat burgers, my usual go-to at McD’s is chicken nuggets. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/112 "2019-03-18T07:00:39Z")
in ca the only argument is whos curly fries are better arbys or jack in the boxes… The worst fries ive had is carls jrs/hardees round potato chip like fries …there always burnt on the outside and raw in the middle … ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/113 "2019-03-18T14:56:11Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Always fun to see a push poll crash and burn. 🙂 > > (I’m in the not-the-best-not-the-worst camp) Eh, I’m not surprised in the least by the results. It’s why I wrote the OP in the first place. I keep hearing this (wrong!) opinion about McDonald’s fries. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/114 "2019-03-18T22:30:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I already pointed this out upthread. > > Sometimes I think everypne’s put me on “ignore” What? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074/115 "2019-03-19T19:35:29Z")
Mac D’s fries used to be the best, until vegetarian complaints made them stop using beef (either as the frying substance, or a flavoring afterward). Now they vary between okay (if fresh and hot and properly salted) to horrific (cold, old, under/over salted). Wendy’s used to have great fries until revamping them to “natural cut” ugh, I won’t even order fries there any more, just give me a baked potato instead. Currently the worst f.food fries I’ve had. BK, used to be pretty much what Mac D’s currently are, but they’re a lot different now, and I quite like them. Arby’s are okay, but I’m not always in the mood for curly fries. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-mcdonalds-fries-and-big-macs-are-substandard-even-for-fast-food/831074.md?page=5)