I Tried the Loaded Fries at 4 Chains and One Stole the Show

Next time you're at a restaurant, consider upgrading your fries to loaded fries. Sure, you can get a plain order of fries, but some restaurants offer a massive step up, smothering the fries in a generous amount of toppings like cheese, bacon, chili, and more depending on the restaurant you're at.

It essentially turns your fries into a meal on its own, elevating them, adding protein, and making them far more filling. I visited four chain restaurants, and tried loaded fries at each restaurant, and there's one in particular that was my absolute favorite.

Friendly's Loaded Waffle Fries

I stopped into Friendly's to try their loaded waffle fries smothered in cheese. Right away I noticed that it doesn't seem like melted shredded cheddar, but more so the consistency, color, and taste of like a nacho cheese sauce.

The Look:

I like that they use waffle fries because they can hold more toppings, but despite having the perfect base, they were a little skimpy with their toppings consisting of just the cheese sauce and a little bacon. It was supposed to come with sour cream, as well, but they forgot to add it to the order. I think that would've added a little something to it.

The Taste:

Overall, the flavor was decent. Waffle fries usually have a nice crisp on the edges, but some of them were quite soft and flimsy. I would've preferred if they were cooked a little longer, especially when they're holding heavy cheese sauce. The flavor wasn't bad, but I think there are better ones out there.

Price Point:

Cost of item: $13.39

Texas Roadhouse Cheese Fries

Texas Roadhouse has a wide variety of appetizers, including delicious cheese fries. Sure, the regular cheese fries are good, but you can even add chili to make them, making them even better.

The Look:

As mentioned above, I'd recommend skipping the cheese fries, and going right for the chili cheese fries. They added so much flavor, a bunch of protein to the dish, and made it that much more flavorful in my opinion.

The Taste:

The taste was incredible. Even just the regular cheese fries were delicious, dunked in ranch. I would definitely get these again, especially doused in their flavorful chili. Not exactly the healthiest, but I love chili this time of year, so for me it just added a little extra something.

Price Point:

Cost of item: $10.99

Chili's Texas Cheese Fries

Chili's has always been one of the chains that I've loved the most, particularly because I'm obsessed with ribs, but also because they're affordable. In addition to their prices being more than fair for the amount of food that you get, I feel like they're consistency is on point. I love trying new local restaurants, but sometimes you just want consistency and simplicity.

The Look:

These loaded cheese fries look the best to me so far, particularly because whenever I make any kind of cheesy dish like nachos, I love to load on green onion and pickled jalapeños for flavor and texture. A lot of cheese fries just go straight for the cheese and bacon, which this dish has, but adding the pickled jalapeños and green onion really did it for me.

The Taste:

As predicted, the jalapeño adds a nice heat and crunch, while the green onion brightens up the dish with hints of mild garlic and onion. The stretchy cheese adds a pleasant creaminess to the salty fries, and the bacon isn't too overpowering, especially if you tend to like a little smokiness. All-in-all, I love the blend of flavors and textures here!

Price Point:

Cost of item: $12.29

Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries

When you're looking for good cheese fries, Outback has a simple version. They keep things simple by adding a generous amount of melted cheese in a sprinkle of bacon, which might sound a little underwhelming compared to some of the other options, but the reason it took the top spot for me was the sauce.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The Look:

Again, the fries are a little basic. With just two toppings, you could easily say that this is a little too simple for the price. The crispy bacon and mound of melted cheese is certainly delicious, but for me what really did it was the homemade ranch that it comes with. Generally for cheese fries I prefer sour cream and was a little skeptical when it came with ranch, but it smelled incredible.

The Taste:

As predicted, whatever they do to this house made ranch dressing elevated their loaded fries, bringing them straight to the top spot. Not only is it delicious, but they give you a ton of it. The order came with almost a cup of this ranch, so we were able to bring home the leftovers to make some salads. I love a good dipping sauce for a simple appetizer and this one blew me away. I would definitely get this again!

Price Point:

Cost of item: $13.49

I really enjoyed all of the topping that Chili's puts on their cheese fries, but ultimately Outback Steakhouse took the top spot because they elevated their loaded fries with a delicious dipping sauce.

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