They cooked the competition.
Shake Shack fries aren’t just hot and tasty — they’re also the best bang for a fast-foodie’s buck, according to new data that dubs the eatery, born in New York City, king of the “best-value fries in America.”
It’s quite the finger-licking (and affordable) accolade.
“Shake Shack has the best value fries at 40 cents per ounce,” wrote study authors for Net Credit, a personal loans lender, in the 2026 report.
“Finding the best value fries wasn’t about finding the cheapest fries,” the experts explained. “It was about narrowing it down to the U.S. burger chain … that offered the most fries for the least amount of money.”
More potatoes for less dough — it’s a frugal gourmand’s dream.
Belts are tightening and budgets are being stretched thin amid the unpredictable inflation crisis, leaving folks craving a yummy meal for a steal like the 99-cent burgers and “Dollar Menu” treats of yore.
But until the economy heals — or society figures out a way to rewind the hands of time — Shake Shack has, evidently, got our backs.
To rightfully crown the joint “best,” researchers calculated the national average price per ounce of medium (or regular) fries at more than a dozen of the largest U.S. burger chains, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Five Guys, In-N-Out, Smash Burger and, of course, Shake Shack.
Investigators then analyzed the published nutrition data of fries from the restaurants and documented the weight of each serving.
“We used kitchen scales to weigh a regular portion of fries from each of the 14 biggest U.S. burger chains, where regional price variations were normalized to reflect the nation’s average for each chain,” the experts explained.
“Shake Shack — despite having some of the more expensive fries on our list — had the best overall value, at 40 cents per ounce (because they do give customers a lot of fries — 6.17 ounces per regular portion),” the insider said of the crinkle-cuts. The average cost for the golden goodies is around $5.
“By comparison, Sonic, which came in last of the 14 places, maintains a price of $1.27 per ounce, with a total of 2.54 ounces per serving,” per the findings. Crispy spuds from Sonic come with a price tag of approximately $4.
But, surprisingly, in the never-ending beef between McDonald’s and Burger King, the king bested Ronald in the ranking.
“We found that a serving of medium McDonald’s fries weighs around 3.99 oz. At a national average price of $3.54, this adds up to about $0.89 per ounce — 15.6% more expensive per ounce than regular Burger King fries,” noted the team of pros.
However, when it came to the “best value cheeseburger” — determined by calculating the national average price per ounce of a single-patty sandwich — Mickey D’s came in second place, trailing closely behind Whataburger, which earned the No. 1 spot.
Burger King and Wendy’s took the third- and fourth-place honors, respectively.
“Burgers and fries have gotten more expensive, but they can still offer a budget-friendly choice for an occasional treat,” said the insiders.
“Even as prices climb, with a little awareness and the right order, it’s still possible to get more out of every bite without overspending — or overindulging.”
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