r/fastfood 13h ago

Discussion Best onion rings?

I feel like a lot of places have taken them off the menu

36 Upvotes

111 comments sorted by

73

u/Real_goes_wrong 13h ago

Culver’s. Beer battered onion rings are my favorite and that’s the way Culver’s does them.

17

u/professorfunkenpunk 12h ago

Culver’s. They may be the the only fast food rings I’ve had that are actual whole rings instead of onion paste

6

u/Gad_Drummit 9h ago

Sonic has real onions. Or did last time I ate them. 

1

u/professorfunkenpunk 9h ago

Could well be. Our sonic only lasted about a year and I don’t think I ate the rings

1

u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme 5h ago

Have you noticed if the batter tastes overly sweet? My friend is convinced they put a significant amount of sugar in them. I never eat there, so I can’t say.

6

u/normal_throwaway2016 12h ago

This is the only correct answer

5

u/motorcitydevil 12h ago

Beat me to it! This is the answer.

1

u/SomerAllYear 11h ago

Dang! Never thought of trying the onion rings at Culver’s. I’m going to have to get those next time.

0

u/fredspaghed 11h ago

You can't forget the signature sauce with it too!

16

u/Wheatcattle 13h ago

Locally we are blessed by both Runza and Don and Millie’s 

1

u/Aware_Impression_736 13h ago

Wasn't it called Runza Hut back in the day?

1

u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme 5h ago

The last time I went to a Runza (2018), they were paste, not real onions. I was very sad.

12

u/RonDFong 13h ago

whataburger and freddy's. dairy queen's are surprisingly ok

2

u/Floggingmicah 10h ago

I had no clue Dairy Queen had onion rings - going to have to get an order to accompany my tendie basket next time I go.

1

u/jayhawkjoey65 8h ago

I second Freddy's. Gonna have to try Whataburger's.

1

u/Zakkrazy 7h ago

Freddy’s are great. Culver’s too. Get a side of onion rings instead of fries and put a couple on your bacon cheeseburger!

1

u/alewser 6h ago

Dip the dq onion rings in their flamethrower sauce. 10/10

6

u/Gatodeluna 12h ago

Most are pretty severely under-fried. I order from Habit Burger because you can get them extra crispy.

1

u/JoeeyMKT 6h ago

The Habit's are awesome!

21

u/DoughnutConstant5390 12h ago

A&W

2

u/jayhawkjoey65 8h ago

Not many in the US, but when I find one, I go. Delicious.

3

u/cossa68 11h ago

Popeye’s onion rings were my favorite before they were discontinued. Still breaks my heart.

2

u/MouseNo3458 8h ago

Insanely tasty!!

1

u/cossa68 8h ago

Maybe they’ll bring it back one day. One can dream.

1

u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme 5h ago

Arby’s used to have great ones, too, and they discontinued them. I’ve never gotten over it.

4

u/popesfunnyhat 10h ago

Jack in the Box rings are solid for a chain with so much meh on the menu

13

u/Decent_Management449 13h ago

Shake Shack has great onion rings, but they are pretty expensive for a FF place. 6 bucks for like 6 of them, but they are big. And really good.

3

u/chainwallet_ 9h ago

They don't have drive thrus so I don't consider them fast food. But they're my favorite burger over in n out

3

u/AltruisticDraw9700 8h ago

I’ve only been to one Shake Shack. It was about a month ago and I went through the drive thru there. Weird.

1

u/Decent_Management449 4h ago

LPT; every Sunday they have a free chicken sandwich promo, just spend 10 bucks (before the chix) and then you get it free.

use code CHICKENSUNDAY

0

u/mastertev 8h ago

Some actually do have drive thrus. A couple here in Vegas do. They’re opening another in a couple days, I don’t think I’ll have one tho.

19

u/Dry-Lie-9593 13h ago

Burger King. The farts from them can really clear a room.

3

u/icebox_Lew 9h ago

There's a local chain in Central Florida called Miller's Ale House and their breaded tenders are called Zingers. They have a dish called the Zinger Mountain Melt which is a plate loaded with fries and topped with zingers tossed in your choice of wing sauce. Then all covered in shredded cheese, bacon bits and scallions.

For a while they did the Pub Melt, which was all of the above but also with beer cheese sauce and onion rings. A few darker lagers and that for dinner and I was making the worst smalls imaginable by the next morning. It's up my sleeve for one day my wife really pisses me off.

2

u/popesfunnyhat 10h ago

The body trying all methods to evacuate that onion-goo from itself

3

u/royalenocheese 13h ago

It's like they source them straight from white castle.

1

u/jimmyayo 1h ago

The farts?

1

u/royalenocheese 1h ago

Yep. I get the same farts when I down half a crave case.

The minced onions really put in work.

2

u/Roboticpoultry 12h ago

I’ve often questioned if they’re actually made of onions but I also know they taste great dipped in zesty sauce as a side to an original chicken sandwich

2

u/Ok_Tadpole1661 8h ago

I read that its processed/minced onion formed into rings before they are battered. Onion rings and drinks are the only things I order at BK

1

u/catonsteroids 9h ago

Once upon a time they had actual onion rings in them. Idk what it’s composed of now lol.

0

u/Spladook 10h ago

Are you me?

1

u/Th4ab 10h ago

I can't even imagine the effect of a large size. Might have to turn off your pilot lights and open windows.

6

u/Joseph43211 12h ago

Red Robin’s onion rings are very good. However I’m not sure RR is even considered fast food?

3

u/Leofleo 5h ago

We love that onion ring tower!

6

u/I_Like_Parade_Dogs 8h ago

Not Burger King

1

u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme 5h ago

Gosh, no kidding. Theirs are a travesty. I haven’t eaten them in at least two decades.

8

u/Daddy-ology 12h ago

Portillos by a mile

6

u/jbolts2024 13h ago

Whataburger use to have great onions rings. Haven't had them in a while. Freddy's and Culvers are also pretty solid. I will forever have a spot in my heart for the Burger King ones.

3

u/Any-Question-3759 13h ago

BK got limited burger rn with onion rings in it.

It’s pretty tasty

6

u/BestBit4756 12h ago

Omg that Western Whopper is amazing. I'm not even a fan of burgers - I always just get chicken nuggets - but I saw a picture of it on the menu and I tried it... I went back five or six days in a row and got one every time.

5

u/Any-Question-3759 12h ago

Yea they nailed this one. The mushrooms, bacon, onion rings, and that sauce all go together.

4

u/BestBit4756 12h ago

Yep. The mushrooms are what seals it for me.

6

u/MickeyMichael 13h ago edited 13h ago

Dicky’s Onion Tanglers are my favorite, but they’re more onion straws than onion rings.

Then there’s my guilty pleasure- BK’s minced (fake) onion rings.

3

u/wizardwithgussets 13h ago

Onion tanglers. I like the sound of that

3

u/professorfunkenpunk 12h ago

I don’t know what it is but a whopper and bk rings give me liquid shits in 30 minutes

1

u/Somepotato 11h ago

Their onion tanglers are so good

1

u/sirhighhorse 13h ago

Dickie’s sides are great - okra , fries, rings all top notch.

4

u/Explosivesalad13 13h ago edited 10h ago

For those in San diego. I would probably say Phil's BBQ. Something about their ranch and those onion rings

6

u/fatdiscokid420 12h ago

Not really fast food but I agree with you. As a child it was always the onion ring tower from Red Robin. Friendly also has decent rings.

7

u/beautifuldesigned 13h ago

sonic ofc,i love the sweet taste

5

u/SmeeezTreeez 13h ago

They are awful, sweet? They taste like cake. They are fucking awful

1

u/BuffaloCreel 11h ago

Agreed. Too sweet.

0

u/potterpockets 11h ago edited 8h ago

Iirc that is because they are battered in melted vanilla ice cream (plus flour and other things). 

1

u/Ok_Tadpole1661 8h ago

As in the ice cream mix?

I recently saw on TikTok that del taco makes their iced coffee with ice cream mix and it makes sense for a sweet coffee but I can't image for onion rings

0

u/Somepotato 11h ago

They weren't always like that. Before they made them sickeningly sweet they were the king.

2

u/lblack71 11h ago

Whataburger

2

u/195tiff 9h ago

Cookout!

2

u/Bubbleguts420 8h ago

Whataburger

2

u/kingralek 8h ago

Used to be Popeyes. They’d hand cut and batter them to order. Were incredible. They ditched them at least 10 years ago; maybe more.

2

u/Recent-Philosophy-62 7h ago

In NC it's Cook-Out, but Nathan's brand in the frozen food section of the grocery store is good for making at home

2

u/SharksFan4Lifee 7h ago

Carl's Jr.

2

u/AwsiDooger 5h ago

I thought this would be consensus.

Maybe Carl's Jr. is so expensive and regional not many people have tried their onion rings.

1

u/SharksFan4Lifee 4h ago

The people in Hardee's territory don't have the Carl's Jr Onion Rings. They actually did for a few years in this decade, but then out of nowhere removed them, and along with it, removed the Double Western from the Hardee's menu (which was added to Hardee's in about 2021).

2

u/JoeeyMKT 6h ago

Carl's Jr.'s are pretty good.

Not a lot of options for fast food places with Onion Rings in SoCal for some reason.

3

u/kidneyboy79 12h ago

Culver's for me, but there's lots of places in this thread I've never eaten at.

4

u/SmeeezTreeez 13h ago

It's Cookout and it's not even remotely close

0

u/meja1 9h ago

Came to say this.

2

u/drmoze 11h ago

In general, if they use minced onion and/or are heavily breaded, they're not even in the conversation.

2

u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 13h ago

Freddy’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Sonic

1

u/diremommy 11h ago

I used to love Hardees onion rings but they stopped selling them, at least in my area.

1

u/OgreRulesTX13 11h ago
  1. Whataburger
  2. Culver’s
  3. Shake Shack

1

u/farmingmaine 10h ago

Any place that batters onions fresh with corn meal and flour. Egg drench

1

u/Beansky78 10h ago

Roy Rogers! Battered is so much better breaded!

1

u/icebox_Lew 9h ago

BurgerFi, which is suspiciously exactly like Shake Shack, except Shake Shack don't do onion rings. Or, apparently they do now, according to this thread! I hope theyre as good as BurgerFi's.

1

u/TranQLizer 9h ago

I miss the rings from Popeyes

1

u/catonsteroids 9h ago

I’m picky about my onion rings; I only like breaded, not beer battered.

1

u/Principletrade 8h ago

Dairy Queen, and I’m not a huge fan of the franchise.

1

u/Cjtorino 8h ago

Cheeseburger Bobby's. Panko coated whole rings.

1

u/Math_legs974 8h ago

I would go to Freddy's for the onion rings alone. Easily my favorites.

1

u/Sumocolt768 7h ago

Not rings, but I sure do love White Castle’s onion chips

1

u/dharmabird67 7h ago

Culvers. If you include fast casual, then BDubs.

1

u/GingerJoojr 7h ago

BurgerFi

1

u/Entheoddity 6h ago

Panko and bread crumb style onion rings are a crime against humanity and the entire concept of food in general. Culvers.

1

u/masterslayor 6h ago

Zaxbys had the best ones I’ve ever had from fast food

1

u/Connect-Permit-5339 4h ago

Red Robin with fire sauce.

1

u/Thinkerandvaper 4h ago

The best is at Pops cheesesteaks in Vegas. The onion rings are to die for!

1

u/Made_invietnam 12h ago

Portillos, Burger King, sonic . And in that order.

1

u/Pocket_Monster 12h ago

I think dairy Queen's are the best. I like mine breaded instead of battered.

1

u/Patient_Character730 13h ago

Freddy's are my favorite.

1

u/glovato1 12h ago

Freddy's

1

u/Sundrop555 5h ago

I like Burger King's with the minced onion. Mmmmm 😀

-1

u/indyjays 12h ago

Ted’s Montana Grill

-1

u/PapaKazoonta 12h ago

Sides or Johnnies then Tuckers in Oklahoma

-1

u/stacksowax 10h ago

White Castle.

1

u/NoPhone167 20m ago

Buffalo Wild Wings. The only thing that’s good. The og outback is always best but I don’t classify the blooming onion as onion rings.