The Lexington-headquartered A&W Restaurants chain landed the No. 3 spot for best fast food french fries in the country, according to USA Today’s annual 10Best fast food awards. The chain also earned runner-up honors for best fast food restaurant in America in 2026.
FULL STORY: Kentucky-based restaurant has No. 3 best fast food fries in the US
Here are key takeaways:
A&W fries have made USA Today’s 10Best top 10 list every year since 2023. The restaurant describes them as “thin, crispy and salted just right.”
Only Del Taco and Farmer Boys fries beat A&W in the 2026 rankings. A&W held its No. 3 spot from 2025 and climbed one spot to runner-up for best fast food restaurant overall.
Ariel Chung, a reviewer on The Fries Blog, said the fries have a “magical butter crunch” and gave them an overall score of 7/10. “These are one of the best fries we have reviewed,” Chung wrote. “They appear basic, but we can absolutely sense the thoughtfulness in the recipe.”
A&W began as a root beer stand in California in 1919, founded by Roy W. Allen. Partner Frank Wright joined later, and the name “A&W” was chosen in 1926 from the partners’ last initials.
The chain serves its fries in 38 states and operates more than 10 locations in Kentucky alone.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
Dining and Cooking