Americans love french fries and rank them among their favorite foods. When it comes to the preferred cut and cooking method, however, there’s plenty of debate.
Actor Will Arnett sparked a lively discussion online when he expressed his disdain for shoestring fries.
“Everybody hates shoestring fries,” Arnett said on the Off Menu podcast.
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Shoestring fries, also known as matchstick fries, are cut extremely thin.
“If you serve me what they call shoestring fries, we have a problem,” Arnett said, arguing that they “aren’t fries” and claiming that restaurants serving them are being lied to by the people around them.
“So glad someone has finally spoken out about shoestring fries,” one commenter on the podcast’s YouTube clip wrote.
“Will is right, shoestring fries are [expletive],” another wrote.
Others said they prefer shoestring fries.
“Noooo shoestring fries are the best! People like them I swear! They’re so crispy!” one person commented.
“Shoesting fries are phenomenal. [Crinkle]-cut fries should be illegal,” someone else wrote.
A 2022 YouGov survey of 1,000 adults found that 22% preferred thicker-cut steak fries the most.
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Curly fries, which are sliced into a spiral shape, were the top pick for 21% of respondents, while 21% said they had no preference for the type of fry.
Crinkle-cut fries, which use a corrugated blade to create grooves in the potato, were favored by 19% of respondents.
Waffle fries, which are cut into a grid pattern with holes in the potato slices, garnered 12% of the vote, while 6% of respondents said “not applicable.”
The history of the french fry is somewhat vague. Food vendors were selling fried potato strips in Paris by the late 18th century, though some claim Belgian villagers had invented them before that.
Many historians believe American soldiers encountered french fries in Belgium during World War I, where French was widely spoken, helping popularize the name.
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In YouGov’s 2026 rankings of favorite American dishes, fries ranked second, just behind grilled cheese. Eighty-five percent of people reported liking fries, while 11% said they were neutral. Only 4% said they disliked fries.
French fries were the second-most-popular food in YouGov’s 2026 rankings of favorite American dishes, just behind grilled cheese. Eighty-five percent of people reported liking fries, while 11% said they were neutral. Only 4% said they disliked fries.
The average American eats nearly 34 pounds of fries each year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
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McDonald’s serves America’s favorite fast-food fries, according to the 2026 YouGov survey, with 39.2% of respondents choosing the chain. Five Guys (9%) and Chick-fil-A (7.1%) ranked second and third, respectively.
Digital creator Bobby Parrish recently posted on Instagram a comparison of three iconic fries, judging them for taste, ingredients and overall quality.
Parrish ranked McDonald’s fries last, arguing that the chain uses several seed oils, including hydrogenated soybean oil, which Parrish said is “one of the worst.”
McDonald’s fries also contain a natural beef flavor made with wheat and milk derivatives, Parrish noted. Therefore, they are not suitable for vegans and are not considered gluten-free.
Parrish ranked Chick-fil-A’s waffle fries, which he said are made with canola and palm oil, as the second-best.
Steak ‘n Shake’s french fry ingredients are “darn near perfect,” Parrish said. The burger-and-fry chain promotes its use of 100% beef tallow at its restaurants.
