Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Whether you prefer your French fries drenched in ketchup, swimming in malt vinegar, seasoned or just plain, rarely does anyone answer the age-old question of “would you like fries with that?” with a “no.”

Fries have been a staple for Americans since the inception of the fast food restaurant. In fact, every American packs away an average of 30 pounds of the delicious golden-fried potato sticks each year.

McDonald's alone sells around 7 percent of all the potatoes grown in the United States each year, according to a Fox article -- with another 29 percent of the American potato crop consumed by companies producing frozen French fries, many used by other fast-food establishments.

This love affair with the crispy, yet tender, delicious fried spuds got cleveland.com reporters Yadi Rodriguez and Brenda Cain curious about which fast food restaurant serves up the best fries, so they traveled to 24 drive-thrus all across the Cleveland region to taste test fries.

Just in time for that Fourth of July road trip – or just a quick snack on a summer day – here are their rankings of fast food fries available across Northeast Ohio, concluding with No. 1 Penn Station. You read that right, Penn Station. Have you tasted their fries? See what you think of all 24 rankings below.

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No. 24 Long John Silver's

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Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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These fries had a slight odor of fish when served up lukewarm. They even had a slight fishy taste and an even stronger fishy aftertaste.

In addition to the fishiness, they also appeared to have been cooked earlier and warmed up. No thank you.

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No. 23 Swensons

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“Dry” and “tasteless” sums up our experience. Salt packets are served on the side. They didn't help much though.

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Swensons

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No. 22 Mr. Chicken

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These matchstick fries were the crunchiest of all we tried. With their thin, long shape, they took on the consistency of potato sticks more than fries. The taste was similar to the fried chicken they sell.

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No. 21 Sonic

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One of the least-inspiring fries on the journey came from Sonic. They “tasted like old grease that squirts out in your mouth when you bite into them,” according to our notes.

They definitely had been sitting a while, as the fries were borderline cold, limp and chewy.

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No. 20 KFC

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If you love the chicken at KFC, you will love their fries. The potatoes are coated in the same coating they use for the chicken, so they taste and smell just like a drumstick.

The thinner the fry is cut, the crispier. And while you cannot detect the grease on your hands, as soon as you bite into a fry, you know from where it came.

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No. 19 Popeyes

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If you are looking for “sparkle” in your fries, be sure to pick up a Cajun Spice Sparkle packet on the condiment bar and sprinkle it on your order.

We waited nearly a half-hour(!) for a lukewarm order of fries that were soggy. The only taste was from the spice packet.

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No. 18 Guthrie's

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The crinkle-cut fries from Gutherie's were very salty.

Thicker than most crinkle-cuts we encountered, they were served hot and crispy, but still had a lingering grocery store frozen fry taste.

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No. 17 Dairy Queen

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Dairy Queen might want to stick to ice cream cones and sundaes.

The fries were nothing special – typical frozen French fry taste. They were lightly salted and came in random sizes. Though dry, they were not greasy.

Cain felt they had a slight unpleasant after-taste she attributed to “being cooked in old grease.”

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No. 16 Hardee's

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Let’s start with the fact that the serving size was skimpy comparatively for the $1.99 price charged for a medium order.

While the flavor was good, these fries had obviously sat in the warmer for a while before being served to us. They were not too salty, which was a plus.

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No. 15 Shake Shack

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Shake Shack’s crinkle-cut fries may have been sitting for a while, even though we waited several minutes for our order. They were limp, soggy and a bit tasteless by the time we got them to our table.

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No. 14 Mr. Hero

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Cooked fresh when you order, we still detected a bit of an “old” taste.

These fries were not crunchy, though cooked well. They come unsalted, but a little salt could have helped these along.

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No. 13 Burger King

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Many years ago, Burger King touted in TV commercials that their fries had beaten a certain competitor in a nationwide taste test.

We cannot agree with that claim. The lukewarm fries we were served (pre-lunch rush) were not greasy, but definitely could have been cooked a bit longer. They were “limp” (Cain) and “squishy” (Rodriguez) and unsalted, leaving them bland and with a very starchy consistency.

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Reporter Brenda Cain kicking up her heels over fries at Burger King.

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No. 12 Culver's

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Culver's cornered the market on the temperature of the fries they served – these were searing hot when we got them.

And Culver's does the frozen crinkle-cut French fry right. These lightly-salted spuds were crispy on the outside, with a mashed potato consistency inside, and not at all greasy.

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No. 11 Arby's

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Arby’s sure touts its meats in TV commercials, but their bright orange curly fries steal the show with their fun shape.

Assertively seasoned with a mix of salt, garlic and onion powder, the spirals were crispy outside, and soft on the inside, and not at all greasy.

Ours were fresh and hot, but then we did order them at 10:30 a.m., so they definitely had not lingered in a warming tray.

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No. 10 Chick-fil-A

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These skin-on waffle fries offered a nice crunch when we bit into them. They delivered a hearty potato taste in the soft inside.

They were served hot, not left to languish in a warming tray, but sadly, these fries were the saltiest of all 24 we tried, which detracted from the enjoyment.

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Cain hanging out at Chick-fil-A.

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No. 9 Raising Cane's

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Raising Cane’s crinkle-cut fries are not going to be heralded as the best, but they are a solid (frozen) fry easily enhanced by the restaurant’s special recipe dipping sauce.

Not greasy, they come to you salted and fresh from the fryer.

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No. 8 Wendy's

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Many years ago, Wendy’s went from the standard fast-food fry to “natural cut fries with sea salt.” While they haven’t nailed French fry perfection, these were solid fries with flecks of skin visible.

The lightly-salted fries are crunchy without being overcooked, and with a smashed-potato consistency on the inside.

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No. 7 Taco Bell

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Cain admits she has never gone "south of the border" for fries before, but she was also willing to concede it could have been worth the trip.

While these fries are not as crispy as most we tried, they are cooked to a tender perfection, then coated with a nacho seasoning.

The cheese cup, which came with our kiddie-sized order, definitely amps up the flavor.

If you are curious, visit a Taco Bell soon, since the fries seem to come and go on the menu.

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No. 6 Steak 'n Shake

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Steak 'n Shake serve what are likely the thinnest fry in the fast food industry – something that may be a positive for some but a negative for others.

On the upside, the thinness produces a delicious crunch when they are served hot. On the downside, the thinness means they get cold quickly, so you will need to eat fast.

They are delivered with no salt so you can add it to suit your taste level, or try Steak 'n Shake’s own seasoning mix to ramp up the flavor even more.

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No. 5 McDonald's

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Everyone loves a winner, right? McDonald's fries have been a favorite since 1955 --today selling more than one-third of the french fries sold in the US.

The company adds "natural beef flavor" to the cooking oil, which may account for the richness of flavor.

Maybe it’s the much-loved memories of going to McDonald’s growing up, but when served piping hot from the fryer (which ours were), it’s hard to top a McDonald’s fry with its golden crispness and saltiness. The thinness of the fries add to the crispiness.

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No. 4 Rally's

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Probably one of the less-heralded fries on the market today, Rally’s is Rodriguez’s go-to when she is craving crispy fries. Fried perfectly to a crunchy goodness, they are seasoned with a secret spice mix that kicks up the flavor unexpectedly.

The only downside? The grease. The fries actually glistened in the sunshine. But it wasn’t enough to take away from our high scores for flavor and texture.

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No. 3 Five Guys

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These fries are the real deal.

Made with fresh potatoes, they are cut and fried when you order and served piping hot. In fact, if you are at all curious where the day’s spuds hail from, you can always find a sign near the cashier telling you the Northwest city and state.

If consistency is your thing, these fries may not make the grade for you since they come in all lengths and thicknesses – some fried crispy-crunchy, while others are less done. Served salted, the same inconsistencies apply, with some fries being more salty than others.

But you can’t top the serving size. A medium was nearly two full servings since the employee fills the cup with fries, then throws an additional scoop into your bag.

Speaking of the brown bag that carries your fries to the table or car, expect to see it soaking up the peanut oil the fries were cooked in.

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Cain is standing in line at Five Guys but you can munch on peanuts while you wait.

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No. 2 Wing Stop

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You know the fries are fresh at Wing Stop because of how long it takes from ordering to eating, but it's definitely worth the wait!

The potatoes are cut up and cooked after you order. The grease is apparent when you get them, because they come to you piping hot straight from the fryer.

The serving size is generous enough to be shared.

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No. 1 Penn Station

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Reminiscent of those great fry cups you get at the county fair, Penn Station’s fries are made from fresh, skin-on potatoes cut throughout the day and cooked when you order.

These taters are fried to a crispy golden-brown deliciousness, then lightly salted.

The taste is pure potato heaven!

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Frozen fries? I think not.

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Love fries?

Here's the 11 best french fries we tasted in our region-wide hunt for Cleveland's Best Burger