Where to find the best deal on French fries in the Philadelphia area
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Who doesn't love fries? July 13th is National French Fry day, so in honor of that and as part of our ongoing series to help you save money, the Action News Troubleshooters have conducted an unscientific test to find the best fry deal in town.
We went to a number of fast food places to see where we got the "best bang for your buck" and which size French fry turned out to be the best deal.
In our unscientific test, we ordered small, medium and large fries at several McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and Chick-fil-A restaurant locations in the Philadelphia area.
We asked each restaurant to put them in separate bags in case of spillage and then brought them all back to the station and weighed them to find the lowest price per ounce. What we found was rather interesting.
First, if you're on the fence between a small and medium - get the small.
In several cases, we got nearly the same amount of fries for a lot less money. For instance, at the McDonald's in the Wynnefield Heights section of Philadelphia, the small and the medium were almost identical in size with just .2 ounces different, but we paid 90 cents more for the medium.
And for the best deals here's what we found.
The third best deal was the medium fries at Chick-fil-A at 2020 Marlton Pike West in Cherry Hill, New Jersey at 51 cents per ounce.
The second best was the small fries at Chick-fil-A at 400 Haddonfield Road in Cherry Hill, New Jersey at 49 cents per ounce.
And the best overall was the large fries at Burger King at 7850 South Crescent Boulevard in Pennsauken, New Jersey at 46 cents per ounce.
We reached out to all the restaurants for comment. They all agree that since cartons are filled at the time of order, the precise amount can vary and they do each use tapered scoops to try to ensure the customer is getting the right amount.
Burger King - now the King of fries - and that fries deal is more than double the bang for your buck compared to several of the other orders we received. The large at Burger King was 46 cents per ounce compared to $1.25 per ounce for a small at a different chain's location.
One other thing to note is the cost of the same sized fries at the same chains can vary depending on location.
Results:
McDonald's
6935 S. Crescent Blvd.
Pennsauken, NJ
Small - 3 oz - .3 = 2.7 oz $2.99
Medium - 5 oz - .3 = 4.7 oz $3.49
Large - 6.15 oz - .3 = 5.85 oz $3.99
Burger King
654 Longwood Ave
Cherry Hill, NJ
Small - 5.45 oz - .3 = 5.15 oz $3.29 (small and medium in same containers)
Medium - 5.20 oz - .3 = 4.9 oz $3.59
Large - 6.85 oz - .3 = 6.55 oz $3.89
McDonalds
801 NJ - 38
Cherry Hill, NJ
Small - 2.45 oz - .3 = 2.15 oz $2.69
Medium - 3.75 oz - .3 = 3.45 oz $2.99
Large - 6.95 oz - .3 = 6.65 oz $3.79
Chick-fil-A
400 Haddonfield Rd.
Cherry Hill, NJ
Small - 4.60 oz - .3 = 4.3 oz $2.09
Medium - 4.60 oz - .3 = 4.3 oz $2.29
Large - 6.00 oz - .3 = 5.7 oz $2.69
Wendy's
2400 Church Rd
Cherry Hill, NJ
Small - 4.00 oz - .3 = 3.7 oz $2.59
Medium - 3.90 oz - .3 = 3.6 oz $3.19
Large - 6.60 oz - .3 = 6.3 oz $3.39
McDonalds
2428 Kaighns Ave
Cherry Hill, NJ
Small - 2.80 oz - .3 = 2.5 oz $2.79
Medium - 4.35 oz - .3 = 4.05 oz $3.29
Large - 5.45 oz - .3 = 5.15 oz $3.99
McDonalds
24 Marlton Pike W.
Cherry Hill, NJ
Small - 3.55 oz - .3 = 3.25 oz $2.69
Medium - 4.20 oz - .3 = 3.9 oz $2.99
Large - 7.05 oz - .3 = 6.75 oz $3.79
Chick-fil-A
2020 Marlton Pike W. (no drive thru)
Cherry Hill, NJ
Small - 3.50 oz - .3 = 3.2 oz $2.15
Medium - 4.95 oz - .3 = 4.65 oz $2.39
Large - 6.40 oz - .3 = 6.1 oz $2.85
Wendy's
5300 Marlton Pike
Pennsauken Twp., NJ
Small - 3.85 oz - .3 = 3.55 oz $2.59
Medium - 4.60 oz - .3 = 4.3 oz $3.19
Large - 6.05 oz - .3 = 5.75 oz $3.39
Burger King
7850 S. Crescent Blvd
Pennsauken Twp., NJ
Small - 4.20 oz - .3 = 3.9 oz $3.19 (small & medium are in diff. sizes)
Medium - 5.95 oz - .3 = 5.65 oz $3.39
Large - 8.10 oz - .3 = 7.8 oz $3.59
McDonald's (these plates weighed .4 oz)
5020 City Line Ave
Philadelphia, PA
Small - 3.7 oz - .4 = 3.3 oz $2.59
Medium - 3.9 oz - .4 = 3.5 oz $3.49
Large - 6.5 oz - .4 = 6.1 oz $3.89
McDonald's Statement:
It's no secret that McDonald's has fry-making down to a science - with a specific process to make sure our World Famous Fries come out perfectly crisp and golden, every time. Whether our fans are dipping them into a McFlurry for that classic sweet and salty combination, or digging for the last few fries at the bottom of the carry-out bag... they just can't seem to get enough of these iconic spuds.
Burger King Statement:
Though fry weights can vary, the process for filling fry cartons/bags is the same, regardless of size - a tapered scoop is used to funnel fries into the container - until filled. And offering our Guests choice and flexibility to enjoy our iconic, flame-grilled menu on their terms extends beyond removing pickles or mayo. So, when it comes to our piping-hot fries, we know Guest preferences come in all sizes. Whether it's a small fry paired with a Whopper, or a large fry paired with Whopper Jr. - there's no wrong way to add fries to the mix.
Chick-fil-A Statement:
Because our Waffle Fry cartons are individually filled at the time of order with fresh fries, the precise amount in each order may vary. Our restaurant Team Members strive to provide a consistent order experience for all of our customers.
