Ironically, The Best Fast Food Chain Soft Serve Ice Cream Isn't Even Real Ice Cream

Sometimes, all you need after chowing down on your favorite fast food burger is a creamy soft serve ice cream cone. It cools you off on a warm day, it's easy to eat on a road trip, and it's the perfect size when you're craving a little sweet treat. Of course, like any fast food item, some soft serve cones are better than others. We wanted to find the best option that you can buy in most areas of the United States, so we ranked six different cones from popular fast food restaurants. Chick-fil-A took home the prize for the top spot, even though this popular chain came in last place when it comes to its fried chicken.

The funniest part about Chick-fil-A beating out its five opponents is that its popular dessert isn't actually real ice cream. The Chick-fil-A Icedream Cone has to go by this name legally because of the fact that it doesn't meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's requirements for the frozen treat, and therefore can't be considered ice cream. According to the USDA standards, if something has less than 10% milkfat or butterfat, it doesn't count as ice cream. But Chick-fil-A isn't alone in this, as popular chains like McDonald's, Wendy's, and Dairy Queen all sell soft serve cones that aren't technically ice cream either.

Even though the Chick-fil-A cone isn't technically ice cream, it still has many winning qualities when it comes to flavor, texture, consistency, and overall taste. This soft serve won for its lightness and airiness, and was acknowledged for not being too thick or heavy unlike some of its counterparts. The Chick-fil-A cone also achieves a balanced flavor that is both sweet and creamy. This is even more impressive when you compare it to cones from Burger King and Dairy Queen, which had prominent aftertastes of artificial flavors — something that wasn't found in the Chick-fil-A Icedream cone.

And lastly, for those who pay attention to the calories and cost of their ice cream desserts, the Chick-fil-A cone has fewer calories (180 per serving) than many of the other popular options and costs around $1.89 (depending on your location). It isn't the cheapest or lowest in calories, but it sits comfortably in the middle.