Onion Rings from a Chicken place? Yep, and they’re great!

You knew I wasn’t going to stop with those awesome Cajun Fries, and it just so happens Popeye’s also serves terrific onion rings. They’re not a regular menu item, and not all stores have them. Count your blessings if your local restaurant is one that does. I prefer these crunchy rings of onions to those at Whataburger, and their every bit as good as the Sonic versions I’m very fond of. They are coated with a thick batter which flakes away and crumbles with each bite. It’s a tasty mixture, plus it has a little something extra — a trace of the mild cajun spices from their other foods.

The onions are cut thin to medium-thick, perfect in my opinion for sweet flavor without being overpowering. They’re firm and juicy inside, not slimy. Despite being frozen, I’d swear they taste as fresh and flavorful as Sonic’s made from scratch rings.

Sizes generally range from large to extra large. Popeye’s even numbers the rings in each order, 6-piece or 10-piece. I’m not accustomed to seeing onion rings counted and labeled in such a way, like chicken pieces, but that’s not a problem. These are clearly a high quality product, and cost more to produce than some other options available. Each circle of crunchy, sweet, spicy onion goodness has value and worth in this system. You have to respect that. They’re proud of their rings.

The Onion Rings from Popeye’s are fantastic. I’m happily surprised. A chicken place is not where I typically expect to find onion rings, much less such delicious ones. It’s rare to see a chain who does both Fries and Rings so well. Good work Popeye’s.

Price: $1.99 (6-piece) / Website: Popeyes.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

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Nutrition Facts - Popeye’s Onion Rings.

The company has not published nutrition information for this item. Fast Food Critic makes a point to supply the nutrition facts with with each review, and will update this once the info is available.

McDonald’s doesn’t have onion rings. Neither does Wendy’s. Or Arby’s.

Like our friends the Tater Tots, O-Rings have never been able to match the popularity of the almighty french fry. That doesn’t keep fans from gobbling them up faster than ever before. Restaurants that serve these deep fried onion slices often find a loyal fan base dedicated to their product. Places like Sonic, Burger King and Whataburger continue to experience high demand, and each offers something a bit different.

At Whataburger, it’s size. They are bigger and thicker than most. If you want a lot of ‘onion’ in your rings, you are going to very happy. However, for some folks it might be too much. If you enjoy onion ‘flavor’ more than pure-onion, these might overpower you. And to borrow a quote from the Sonic onion rings review: I find that if onions are too thick you often wind up with an unpleasant surprise waiting in the center. There’s nothing worse than taking a bite only to find the entire naked onion has escaped from it’s breading (or battered) shell, because it was too limp and slimy to cooperate.

This is more of a problem with Whataburger, because of their thickness. I usually have a couple rings try the aforementioned escape route, leaving me with some big-bare onions in each order. I like onions, but not enough to enjoy large pieces without batter or breading, or being used ON or IN something else. The issue is not uncommon with onion rings in general, regardless of who’s brand, so it comes with the territory. Some folks enjoy all that extra onion, but not me. Once that little bugger has broken free of it’s crunchy shell, it better be thin or else it faces the possibility of being tossed away.

Flavor is not a problem. The onions are juicy and sweet. The deep fried batter is tasty, light golden brown, medium thick with a good crunch. I used to think they cut and battered fresh onions in each store like Sonic does, but these are actually frozen and shipped by a company that has been supplying Whataburger for many years. They are remarkably flavorful and fresh tasting considering they come from the freezer, and most people could probably be fooled into thinking they were made from scratch in-store. I suppose that’s why a company like Whataburger, known for fresh burgers and ingredients, is confident enough to include them on the menu. A wise decision.

The Onion Rings from Whataburger are good. True onion lovers will rejoice in their large, thick slices. They are not made from scratch like their burgers, but they have earned the right to sit alongside them. I still tend to prefer the rings from Sonic, giving them a slight edge and 1/2 star higher score, but these are quite tasty and enjoyable.

Price: $1.69 (medium) / Website: Whataburger.com

Fast Food Critic Score: B

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Nutrition Facts - Whataburger, Onion Rings (Medium).

Calories - 420
Calories from Fat - 250
Total Fat - 28 grams
Carbs - 36 grams
Saturated Fat - 13 grams
Trans Fat - 0 grams
Cholesterol - 24 milligrams
Sodium - 494 milligrams

I wanted to give Sonic Drive-In another chance, after a fairly disappointing experience with their extra long chili cheese coney. This time it’s their onion rings, and I’m pleased to report the results are much better. These rings were good enough to make me forget about that chili-dog. In fact, they are some of the best fast food rings around. They are not frozen and thawed. Sonic employees actually slice and bread onions every day, at each store, making some of the freshest onion rings in the industry.

The balance between onion and breading is just right, with each bite containing a fair amount of both. This ‘balance’ is important and one of the keys to a good fast-food onion ring, because too much of one element can overpower the other. The onions themselves are cut thin to medium-thick, just the way I like them. I find that if onions are too thick you often wind up with an unpleasant surprise waiting in the center. There’s nothing worse than taking a bite only to find the entire naked onion has escaped from it’s breading shell, because it was too limp and slimy to cooperate. This is not a problem with Sonic’s onion rings. Their size and proportions allow for even cooking all the way thru. And the breading itself is crisp, crunchy, dark brown, and has plenty of nice bumps and ridges for added texture.

The Onion Rings from Sonic are excellent. They have a near-perfect balance of onion flavor and crispy breading crunch. From the first ring that fell out of the package, to the last squashed tiny piece in the bottom, every bite was tasty and satisfying.

Price: $1.59 (regular) / Website: SonicDriveIn.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

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Nutrition Facts - Sonic Drive-In, Onion Rings (regular size).

Calories - 500
Calories from Fat - 250
Total Fat - 28 grams
Carbs - 55 grams
Saturated Fat - 5 grams
Trans Fat - 6 grams
Cholesterol - 0 milligrams
Sodium - 210 milligrams