These Chain Restaurant Cheese Fries Were Just Ranked As The Best, And It's Clear Why

Cheese fries should be listed on restaurant menus just as often as their plain brethren, but for some baffling reason, they're missing from many fast food and fast-casual eateries. This means most cheese fry fans are happy to get their fix wherever they can. However, if you want a truly satisfying serving instead of settling for a just-okay version, Tasting Table knows where to go. In our taste tester's ranking of chain restaurant cheese fries, Wingstop emerged as the surprising number one pick.

Side dishes usually take a backseat to Wingstop's many wing flavors, but its cheese fries stood out for one big reason: the fry seasoning and the jalapeño-infused sauce. These set the dish apart from inferior versions that slap boring melted cheddar onto plain fries. Our taste tester loved the subtle hint of sweetness on the potatoes, and the cheese sauce added the perfect amount of spice with a delectably creamy texture. The skin-on fries themselves are also freshly-cooked and crisp — which is crucial to ensure that they stand up to the cheese.

Interestingly, another box of fries in our taste test came with an jalapeño cheese sauce. Burger chain White Castle infuses its cheese with the peppers, yet our taste tester found their fries to be flavorless and soggy. That's a big compliment to Wingstop's great execution of a similar concept. If you want to rack up the flavor even more, you can order kicked-up versions of Wingstop's cheesy fries, from the fan favorite Voodoo Fries to completely custom creations.

In our eyes, Wingstop's cheese fries are a more than satisfactory side dish. However, the chain has built a reputation on highly customizable menu items, so we can't blame you if you want to trick out your order. First of all, to ensure the fries crispy under their blanket of cheese and other toppings, ask for them to be cooked well-done. While our taste tester found the skin-on fries maintained texture, this is a widely-recommended practice among customers who find the fries to be a little soft.

Next up, try the Wingstop dipping hack that's a total flavor bomb and mix two or three dipping sauces, then dunk to your heart's content. A combo of lemon pepper sauce and original hot sauce would add refreshing tangy notes to the fries while reinforcing the cheese sauce's mild heat. If a whole slew of sauces is a little much for you, you can opt for your fries to be tossed in a dry rub. The hot honey rub is one of the most popular fry partners among Wingstop devotees. The extra hit of sweet-spiciness would be brilliant with the fry seasoning and cheese, but lemon pepper and Cajun seasoning are other options.

If you don't feel like concocting your own fry creation, you can order Wingstop's  Louisiana Voodoo Fries. Tossed in Cajun seasoning and covered in cheese sauce and ranch, these are a major cult favorite that get glowing reviews from across the web. The creamy, tangy ranch and spicy, sweet, and aromatic spice rub are sure to make your meal twice as zesty. Just make sure to grab a lot of napkins.