Fast Food Mozzarella Sticks Ranked

By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell, Editor-in-Chief

I fell in love with mozzarella sticks at the concession stand of my childhood pool. Growing up, three months out of the year, mozzarella sticks were one of my major food groups.

But when summer ended, the few times I could get my hands on the sticks, I was consistantly disappointed. The mozzarella sticks available to me didn’t live up to the poolside mozzarella sticks I enjoyed all summer.

The perfect mozzarella stick has a crispy outer layer, is thick with cheese that stretches when it is pulled apart, and is accented with sweet, velvety marinara sauce.

From a self-proclaimed mozzarella stick aficionado, here are fast food mozzarella sticks ranked best-to-worst:

The Best Hands-Down: Arby’s

Arby’s mozzarella sticks are better than most mozzarella sticks at sit-down establishments. Stretchy, cheesy, melty… They are worth the trip to Arby’s, even if you don’t like their meat sandwiches. Their prepackaged marinara sauce is even good. You can never go wrong getting mozzarella sticks from Arby's.

Runner-Up: Sonic Drive-In

Sonic’s mozzarella sticks are really good. Sonic is owned by Inspire Brands, the same company that owns Arby’s, making them unsurprisingly second on this list. While they are slightly thinner than the mozzarella sticks at Arby’s, their cheese is stretchier, which makes for a fun cheese stick experience. They are also cheaper than most fast food mozzarella sticks on the market - a real bang for your buck. Pair it with Sonic's classic cherry limeade, and you have a great lunch.

Third: Checkers & Rally’s

Checkers & Rally’s just seem like the kind of place that would have great mozzarella sticks. And they do. They serve them tossed together with their seasoned fries, which makes for an interesting presentation style, and more variety of flavor. It is served with Red Gold marinara sauce.

Fourth: Burger King

Burger King mozzarella sticks are good. There’s nothing fancy about them, nothing spectacular, but they are good. If you are craving mozzarella sticks, they do the job well. The only complaint I have is the marinara sauce, which could be a bit sweeter.

Fifth: Captain D’s

Captain D’s does seafood great. They do mozzarella sticks pretty well. What is most interesting about them is they serve them with either a traditional marinara sauce or honey mustard, which is an unconventional mozzarella stick sauce choice, but it really works. Captain D’s has discovered how a different sauce can reinvent a food.

Sixth: Sheetz

Sheetz is sixth on the list solely for convenience. Anywhere you can get gas, milk, ibuprofen, and decent food items at the same place is a win. Are Sheetz mozzarella sticks the best? No. But they also aren’t the worst. If Sheetz put in some effort, they could definitely be improved, but to be able to make one stop, they're ok.

Seventh: White Castle

White Castle mozzarella sticks are a good option if it's late at night and it's the closest option, or if you go to White Castle for a burger and want an ok side option. These mozzarella sticks and their marinara sauce are nothing to brag or complain about. They simply exist. At least you don’t have to make your own.

Eighth: McDonald’s

McDonald’s mozzarella sticks are rare. You can only find them at select locations, and for good reason. They are not very good, and therefore, there is no demand. They were even part of a 2016 class-action lawsuit where a California man sought $5 million for false advertising, claiming the sticks contained 3 percent starch, and not "100 percent mozzarella." McDonald’s mozzarella sticks are thin, soggy, and barely contain any cheese. I can get behind McDonald’s apple pie, but their mozzarella sticks can be skipped.