The 10 Best Fast Food Tater Tots You Can Order Right Now
Crispy potatoes come in many forms: French fries, hash browns, waffle fries, and more. While all of these fried potatoes are undeniably tasty in their own special ways, it's the humble tater tot that's always in our hearts. It's easy to see why tater tots are so popular, as they embody everything we love about potatoes in a delectable bite-sized bundle. Crunchy on the outside with a soft and pillowy interior, tater tots are easily one of the best-fried finger foods that you can reach for.
Strangely, most fast food joints aren't cashing in on the beloved tater tot's lucrative potential. Instead, most of them rely on different styles of French fries — which can feel a bit uninspired and monotonous. Don't get us wrong: We love an order of curly fries now and then. But when we're in the mood for a crispy batch of tater tots, the pool of fast food options on the market can be surprisingly shallow. The good news is that we've taken the time to round up some of the best out there. From burger joints to pizza shops and 24-hour convenience stores with surprisingly fresh food, here are the 10 best fast food tater tots you can order right now.
1. Smashburger
Smashburger is a little pricier and more elevated than the average fast food joint, but it's still in the same wheelhouse. For just a few bucks more than what you'd pay at fast food giants like Wendy's or Burger King, you can score grub at Smashburger that's much higher quality.
Menu items like the Carolina BBQ Burnt Ends burger with slow-smoked pork and the Double Truffle Mushroom Swiss burger with truffle mayonnaise make it clear that Smashburger is aiming to create menu items that are slightly more ambitious. But along with these upscale items, the restaurant offers a variety of casual sides, including sweet potato fries, crispy onion straws, French fries, and tater tots.
The tater tots are definitely a highlight of the menu and they come in two different flavors. There are plain tots, which are just fried until they're a crispy golden brown. There are Smash Tots, which are tossed in a seasoning blend that includes rosemary, garlic, and olive oil. The inclusion of rosemary gives these tater tots a refreshing pop of herbaceousness, and the addition of garlic gives them a pleasant pungency. These tots make a delicious pairing with a gooey cheeseburger and a hand-spun milkshake. When the mood strikes for some good tots, Smashburger is a safe bet.
2. Burger Street
Burger Street is a chain of fast-food restaurants in Texas and Oklahoma. As its name suggests, the menu is built around various burgers. One of the highlights of the chain's menu is the Chili Cheeseburger, which is topped with chili, red onions, and Fritos chips. But if burgers aren't your thing, the restaurant has other options, like chicken sandwiches, BLTs, and hot dogs. When it comes to fried spuds, there are a few different sides to pick from, including curly fries, sweet potato fries, and tater tots.
The tater tots at Burger Street deliver all the comforting flavors and textures that you expect. They have a nice crunch on the exterior, yet the inside of the tot has little bits of soft and creamy potato for some nice textural contrast. This may seem like a minor detail, but let's face it: no one likes soggy tater tots. Some restaurants don't fry their tots long enough, leading to a mushy mess. But that's not the case at Burger Street. The restaurant understands that texture means everything in the world of tater tots. By prioritizing crispiness, Burger Street consistently delivers tater tot greatness. We dream of the day that the company branches out beyond Texas and Oklahoma.
3. Taco John's
Tacos might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about tater tots. But the truth is that some delicious magic happens when crispy potatoes are paired with various tortilla-based dishes. Taco John's cashes in on this with its Potato Olés, which are essentially just crispy little tater tots tossed in seasoning.
The Potato Olés at Taco John's are best enjoyed with a dipping sauce such as nacho cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. Even though tater tots are often dipped in ketchup or ranch, nacho cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa offer more complexity. If you've never dipped tater tots in any of these sauces, give it a whirl at Taco John's and see what you've been missing out on.
While you're at it, keep in mind that Taco John's puts its Potato Olés to good use in different tacos and burritos on the menu. For breakfast, the Scrambler Burrito is made with ingredients like eggs, nacho cheese, poblano peppers, onions, and tomatoes, as well as the chain's famous Potato Olés. There's also the Spicy Steak & Potato Griller, which is a grilled burrito stuffed with sirloin steak, Potato Olés, nacho cheese, chipotle sauce, and hot sauce. As you can see, tater tots aren't just relegated to the sidelines at Taco John's. They're prominently featured in plenty of dishes on the menu, proving that Taco John's truly appreciates the power of the almighty tater tot.
4. Sheetz
There aren't many places where you can score tater tots at all hours of the night. The good news is that Sheetz has delicious tater tots and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sheetz is a convenience store chain with locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. The company sets itself apart from the pack by offering surprisingly good food at all hours of the night, including its Cheesy Bacon Tater Bombs. These Cheesy Bacon Tater Bombs are packed with bacon, potatoes, and cheese.
These tots are definitely made for cheese lovers since the cheesiness is so over-the-top that it nearly overpowers the potato element. But what we really like about this option is that there are so many different dipping sauces to pick from. Barbecue sauce, blue cheese, jalapeño ranch, buffalo sauce, and garlic dip are just some of the choices on the table. If the Cheesy Bacon Tater Bombs sound a bit overboard, Sheetz also has Mini Hash Browns that should do the trick.
5. Chick-fil-A
The menu at Chick-fil-A has more to offer than just chicken sandwiches. The company describes its Hash Browns as crispy potato medallions. However, we all know that these are basically flat tater tots. These crispy tater nuggets are downright delicious, but there's a catch: they're only on the breakfast menu. That means if you want to enjoy the splendor of these tots, you'll have to place an order before 10:30 a.m.
That might seem a little on the early side to eat something heavy like fried potatoes. But in reality, there are a ton of other fried breakfast dishes that are just as (or even more) filling, such as chicken and waffles or a breakfast burrito. By comparison, tater tots are a light meal. Plus, we're of the mind that it's okay to throw caution to the wind once in a while and enjoy something fried for breakfast. These Chick-fil-A's Hash Browns are well worth it. Wake up and treat yourself to a Bacon, Egg & Cheese biscuit, along with some of these taters, and start your day off right.
6. Sonic
Sonic may not necessarily have the best burgers in the business, but let's give credit where it's due. The restaurant whips up some respectably delicious tater tots. The chain's Tots are fried until crispy golden brown, then lightly seasoned with just the right amount of salt. Simple and tasty, Sonic's plain tots are definitely some of the best fast food tater tots in the game.
We also dig the fact that these tots can be ordered smothered with cheese or topped with a chili and cheese combo. If you opt for the Chili Cheese Tots, here's a professional tip: add on some diced onions and jalapeños. These two simple ingredients add a major boost of flavor that pairs perfectly with cheesy tots covered in chili. As a matter of fact, sides might be where Sonic shines the brightest. There aren't many other fast food joints that offer jalapeño poppers, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and tater tots on the menu. When it comes to crispy fried sides — especially tater tots — you can count on Sonic.
7. TacoTime
TacoTime is a fast food restaurant with around 100 locations, mostly concentrated in the western half of the United States.The restaurant's menu features a mix of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and more. The company sells only a handful of different sides — one of which are tater tots — that the restaurant calls Mexi-Fries. These tater tots come in three different sizes and are tossed in the restaurant's signature spice blend.
What makes TacoTime's tater tot offerings exceptional are the Stuffed Mexi-Fries. These are tater tots that are packed with diced jalapeños and shredded cheese to create bite-sized flavor bombs. The ratio of potatoes, jalapeños, and cheese is mixed just right, creating a perfect balance of creaminess, crispiness, and spiciness.
TacoTime's Mexi Bites alone are worth a trip to the restaurant. That said, the restaurant's Crisp Burritos are also well worth your time. Stuffed with beef, chicken, or beans and cheese, these Crisp Burritos are basically just taquitos masquerading under a different name. You haven't fully lived until you've tried all three of them and picked up an order of Mexi Fries to go with them.
8. Domino's
There's a good chance that Domino's is one of the last places that comes to mind when you get a craving for tater tots. After all, the company is known for its pizza — and most pizza joints don't offer tater tots. But do yourself a favor: the next time you want to roll the dice and try something new, take the restaurant's Loaded Tots for a spin.
Domino's Loaded Tots come in three different styles. There's the Melty 3-Cheese Loaded Tots, which are tater tots covered in shredded cheddar, mozzarella, and provolone. There are also the Cheddar Bacon Loaded Tots that are topped with cheddar and mozzarella, smoky bacon, and parmesan garlic sauce. Another option is the Philly Cheese Steak Loaded Tots, which come tossed with succulent slices of steak, Alfredo sauce, onions, and peppers. When hunger strikes and you're in the mood for some loaded tater tots, any of these options from Domino's is a good call.
9. Dunkin'
Dunkin' has Hash Browns that are essentially just circular, flat tater tots. While restaurants like McDonald's offer hash brown patties that are bigger and thicker, the Dunkin' variety is smaller and shaped into bite-sized pieces — which makes them more similar to tater tots than hash browns.
These crispy taters from Dunkin' are warmed up in the oven to order, which makes them taste extra fresh and crunchy. They are made with a mix that includes dehydrated potato flakes, salt, corn flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and other spices. Dunkin' also offers the option to add these to your breakfast sandwich, which is a great way to customize it. Adding some crispy potatoes to an Egg & Cheese croissant is a wonderful way to add some textural complexity to the sandwich. We also appreciate that these taters aren't too salty. They are seasoned in a way that feels appropriate for their size, which isn't overpowering.
10. Del Taco
Del Taco is a fast food chain with around 600 locations spread across the country. While most of the company's restaurants are situated out West, Del Taco also has some locations in Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. The company is known for shredding its cheese fresh by hand at each of its locations and for its expansive menu. At Del Taco, you'll find everything from burritos and tortas to burgers and milkshakes. The restaurant also sells Hashbrown Sticks, which are pretty much just cylindrical tater tots.
These Hashbrown Sticks can be enjoyed on their own, as a side, or you can have them alongside other ingredients in a variety of menu items. The Double Cheese Breakfast Tacos and Toasted Breakfast Wrap are both seriously enhanced by the addition of these crispy Hashbrown Sticks. For a wild ride that's truly delectable, try scoring an order of brown sticks and dipping them in a side order of guacamole.