Looks like Jollibee’s getting international recognition again—only this time, it’s not for the best reasons.
Jollibee might have one of the best fast food fried chicken in the United States (third best, to be exact), but it looks like their fries aren’t of the same caliber according to this food columnist’s “authoritative, totally not subjective, incontrovertibly definitive and 100 percent correct L.A. Times Fast Food French Fry Rankings.”
Ranked from best to worst based on taste and texture, the list positioned Jollibee fries at number 16, only four places away from the bottom of the list. According to fast food fries judge Lucas Kwan Peterson, Jollibee’s fries have “a vaguely sweet, almost pastry-like overtone that didn’t jibe with their being otherwise fairly flat and tepid.”
That makes for a not-so-jolly bee.
According to fast food fries judge Lucas Kwan Peterson, Jollibee’s fries have “a vaguely sweet, almost pastry-like overtone that didn’t jibe with their being otherwise fairly flat and tepid.”
Meanwhile, Jollibee’s number one competitor in the Philippines, McDonald’s, ranked second on the list, with their French fries dubbed “the greatest food on Earth,” but only when they’re not cold and soggy.
If it’s any consolation, Peterson still gave a shout-out to other Jollibee products like the Big Yum, Chickenjoy, and Jolly Spaghetti, which all spark “a good deal of Marie Kondo-style joy.” And 16/19 ranking aside, Jollibee’s been on a roll with more than 1,000 branches opened around the world, making it a globally recognized brand.
The US isn’t the only country getting the Jollibee treatment as the fast food chain opened its first branch in the United Kingdom in October last year. Meanwhile, 100 more Jollibee stores are set to be in opened in Canada.
So don’t worry, Jollibee. You’re still our number one.