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Calories · American & British

Calories in french fries

A typical restaurant serving of french fries (one restaurant side of fries, about 170 g) is about 490 calories, usually 250–700.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called fries, chips, restaurant fries.

~490
French fries

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein6 g
  • Carbs63 g
  • Fat24 g

One serving

Serving
one restaurant side of fries
Weight
~170 g
Per 100 g
~289

The dish

About french fries

Fries get their energy from potato starch plus the frying oil they absorb, which adds a good share of the total. Portion size swings the number most: a kids' order is about a third of a sharing basket.

What moves the number

Why one plate is 250 and another 700

  • Portion size: a large basket can be double a side
  • Oil soaked up during frying
  • Dips like mayo or cheese sauce

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Share a basket with the table
  • Order the small size
  • Have ketchup instead of mayo or cheese sauce

Side by side

Next to other American & British dishes

American & British · typical restaurant servingAll about American & British food →

  • Hot dog~300one beef hot dog in a white bun with mustard · usually 250–650
  • Mac and cheese~340one restaurant side, roughly a heaped cup · usually 250–1,000
  • Clam chowder~350one bowl of New England chowder, about 1½ cups · usually 200–900
  • Sausage roll~350one bakery sausage roll in flaky pastry · usually 250–550
  • Caesar salad~400one starter salad with about 45 g of dressing · usually 250–800
  • Grilled cheese sandwich~400one grilled cheese on white bread · usually 300–750
  • BLT~420one café or diner BLT, no sides · usually 300–650
  • Onion rings~420one side order of 8 to 10 rings · usually 300–1,000
  • Grilled salmon~440one restaurant fillet, no sides · usually 300–650
  • French fries~490one restaurant side of fries · usually 250–700
  • Shepherd's pie~490one pub portion · usually 350–750
  • BBQ ribs~530a half rack of sauced pork ribs, about 6 ribs · usually 450–1,400

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

Off unless you turn them on

Calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and, when PlateDiary AI reads your photo of the table, each dish gets one rough “~” number. Accept it or change it; a number you correct is remembered for that dish. With Calories off, the app looks exactly as it did before.

A read sends small pictures of the cut-out dishes, with the place's name as a hint — never the table photo, faces or your location. Calorie numbers never go to analytics, and nothing is written to a health app. PlateDiary AI starts with free tries; here is how it works.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Potato, french fries, restaurant, FDC 2709462
  2. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) — Restaurant, family style, french fries, FDC 169836
  3. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) — McDONALD'S, french fries, FDC 170721 (medium serving 117 g)

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in french fries?

A typical restaurant serving of french fries (one restaurant side of fries, about 170 g) is about 490 calories, usually 250–700. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

Why are restaurant fries so high in calories?

It is potato starch plus the oil the fries soak up in the fryer: a 170 g side carries about 24 g of fat.

How many calories are in a sharing basket of fries?

A large basket can be about double a side, so close to 1,000 — which is why it works best in the middle of the table.

Does the dip make a difference?

Yes. Ketchup adds little, while mayo or cheese sauce are the dips that push a plate of fries higher.

What changes the calories in french fries?

Portion size: a large basket can be double a side. Oil soaked up during frying.

How can I order french fries lighter?

Share a basket with the table. Order the small size.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.