Deeper takes.
The research behind Frypedia surfaces patterns that deserve more than a chain page. This is where we write them up — arguments, investigations, and field-tested observations on the fast-food fry.
The Cold Eight
Only eight chains on Frypedia serve fries genuinely safe for vegans, celiacs, and dairy-free diners. What do Five Guys, Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out, Mission BBQ, Hopdoddy, P. Terry's, Dick's Drive-In, and Elevation Burger share?
NO. 02 · 7 MIN READThe tallow reversion
McDonald's dropped beef tallow in 1990 under health pressure. Five chains on Frypedia still use it — and a cultural shift is making that number grow, not shrink.
NO. 03 · 5 MIN READWhy the fryer matters more than the ingredient list
Thirty-plus chains on Frypedia have fries that are gluten-free by ingredient but unsafe for celiacs because of shared fryers. An argument for why "dedicated fryer" should be as visible as "gluten-free."
NO. 04 · 6 MIN READThe FAT Brands three-way
Three burger chains, one parent company, three different fryer philosophies. Why the fry recipe is the last thing a holding company touches — and the last thing it stops paying for.
NO. 05 · 5 MIN READThe White Castle multi-recipe mystery
The oldest burger chain in America runs three different French fry recipes, depending on where you eat. What happened, why it happened, and why it matters.
NO. 06 · 8 MIN READThe regional holdouts
Ten chains, ten different fry programs. What happens when a regional chain refuses to standardize to the national QSR default.
NO. 07 · 6 MIN READIs the seed-oil panic changing what chains fry in?
Steak 'n Shake switched to beef tallow in January 2025. One switch, or the start of a pattern? What we're watching for in 2026-2028.
NO. 08 · 7 MIN READThe Mission BBQ methodology
Mission BBQ's fries don't appear on any official allergen chart as "celiac-safe." We list them as Suitable with a source note. Here's what that means, how we got there, and why the gap between chain disclosure and field reality keeps mattering.
NO. 09 · 8 MIN READThe economics of the Cold Eight
Running a dedicated fry fryer costs money every single day. So why do eight chains pay it? Breaking down the unit-economics behind the fry programs that actually work for celiacs — and why the other forty-six chains have done the math differently.