So, last time this article came up on HN I generously filed it under "maybe fries in fast food chains in the US are different than fries in US fast food chains everywhere else".
Everytime I go back to a McDonalds in Canada I find the food just tastes better. It's still fast food, but I'm enjoying it so much more.
They say that McDonald's adapt their recipes to the taste of the country they're in, which these anecdotal observations would support :)
It's a shame we don't have 5 Guys though...
There's actually a second type of American fries that I think is somewhat better than the ones at McDonald's. They're called Cajun fries [1]. They're made in an oven and are a bit spicy. You can get them at cheap fast food places like Checkers or fancier hamburger places like Five Guys.
[1] http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/cajun-oven-fr...!