I don't remember McDonald's fries tasting better in the US than in Europe, but then I don't go to McDonald's all that often. (I do grant that there are subtle differences between McDonald's restaurants in different regions.)
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.
Cajun fries at 5 Guys and probably most fast-food restaurants are made by simply sprinkling Cajun spices on fries prepared in a fryer as usual, the oven is an implementation detail Rachel Ray choose in the linked recipe that is uncommon.
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...!