Breakfast is indisputably the best meal of the day, and all good breakfasts come with hash browns. These are facts. The question is — which Canadian fast food chain does it best? After some serious testing, I now know the answer.
What makes a good hash brown — in my opinion — is when the potato is the star of the show. It doesn't need to be fancy or elaborate, just something that's fresh, tasty, and hits the ideal crunchy-but-soft texture.
Luckily, we have a lot of excellent hash brown options to choose from. I've been a big McDonald's hash brown fan for some time and wanted to see how it stacked up against other popular fast food chains in Canada.
So, I grabbed a friend, and we drove to Wendy's, McDonald's, Tim Hortons, and A&W to put their hash browns to the test. (And yes, we did eat all four in a row. Yes, it was a lot of potato for one morning.)
Here's how they compared and where I'd gladly go back to get my hashbrown fix.
McDonald's
The best hashbrown I've (ever?) had
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
We'll start with the winner because, quite honestly, it was an easy win. This McDonald's hash brown was potentially the best I've ever had.
It was piping hot and super fresh. The exterior was crispy with the most satisfying crunch, but the inside was soft and chewy with a nice potato texture, still (i.e., it wasn't just mush). I would say that these were perhaps the most greasy option, but honestly, I think all that grease is what made the texture so good — so I'm okay with it.
The only downside to McDonald's hashbrowns — and why I can't give it a perfect 10 — is that they're only served during breakfast hours until 11:00 a.m. I've ordered an egg McMuffin in the afternoon before and gotten fries as a side instead. I love them, but they're not a hash brown. So, go early!
- Price: $2.69
- Rating: 9.5/10
A&W
A&W breakfast is so good
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
A&W's hashbrowns came in a very close second place. They also had a great texture contrast — crispy on the outside, soft and smooth on the inside. They weren't as fresh or as hot as the McDonald's option, which cost it a few points.
My friend and I decided to grab a full breakfast here since A&W has awesome breakfast sandwiches, and she introduced me to putting the hash brown in the sandwich... Game changer. So good. If I were judging based on breakfast options in general, A&W would edge out McDonald's because of how good the bacon-and-egger is.
A&W serves breakfast all day long, which means you can get your hash brown fix at any point in the day. This should honestly be the standard and earned it an extra 0.5 points from me.
- Price: $2.59 each; I got the Bacon & Egger combo with a breakfast sandwich and coffee for $9.27.
- Rating: 9/10
Wendy's
Not a hashbrown but still worth it
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
I know, I know, these are not hashbrowns, but they are breakfast potatoes and worth a spot on this list. They are awesome. They were super fresh and had an awesome crispy texture to them. I bought a small, and it was a very generous portion size.
I would say that they could be seasoned better. Unlike a hash brown, which is more about the potato flavour itself, I feel that this style of potato — a crispy wedge — should have more seasoning on it. They had a good flavour, a kind of seasoning salt, but it just wasn't enough for me.
Similar to McDonald's, these seasoned breakfast potatoes are only available in the morning before 10:30 a.m.
- Price: $2.82
- Rating: 7/10
Tim Hortons
Last place...
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Coming in last place... Tim Hortons. I'm not going to lie, I had hoped for more from the iconic Canadian institution, but they just weren't in the running with the other three.
The Tim Hortons hash brown lacked the textural contrast of a crunchy exterior and a soft interior. It was a more consistent soft texture throughout. It was also lukewarm, so I don't think it was that fresh. We both also thought it might have been cooked or heated in old oil or something. As my friend said, "It has a different umami flavour."
These hash browns were similar to the ones you can buy in the store and heat up in the oven. They're passable, but there's no wow factor. At $2.19 each, they are the cheapest option on the list, but saving a few cents will not make them my go-to choice. It is also not entirely clear when they stop serving breakfast items — some locations stop at noon, others at 4:00 p.m., and some serve breakfast all day.
- Price: $2.19
- Rating: 5.5/10
After eating more potatoes than I need for another month, I can say with confidence that McDonald's and A&W will forever be my go-to options. McDonald's in the morning and A&W any other time.
I was surprised by how tasty the Wendy's breakfast potatoes were, though, and may add them to my roster. As for Tim's? Sorry, they're just not it.
Happy hashbrown-ing!
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.