Food To Avoid
Through platforms like Reddit and other sites, fast food workers have been able to share some pretty strange and weird secrets that go on behind the counter and in the kitchen.
There’s everything from expired products to portion rip-offs. Here are some that might make you swear off fast food forever. Hint, the worst ones are chili and hotdogs.
Biscuits From Church’s Chicken
Customers haven’t held back any punches when it comes to the buttery biscuits you can get in their chicken meals.
“Rocks” and “dentist appointments” are some of the most common words in the store’s reviews. One went as far as to say that demolition crews could save money by substituting these for wrecking balls.
Anything From Panda Express
The Chinese fast-food chain has made its way into so many television shows – and always as the butt of bad-food jokes.
People have complained about the excessive sugar and so-so quality. One social media program invited native Chinese grandparents to give it a try and rate it. Let’s just say the results were savage.
Arby’s Roast Beef
“When we receive the roast beef, it's not actually solid. It's a bag of meat paste that solidifies after 3 hours in the oven” – this sums it up nicely.
Although it might taste good, it’s still wise to avoid buying it when the store just opens, because it’s the meat from the previous day.
Subway’s Tuna
The first gack-factor might be the fact that the tuna salad is, quote, “80% mayonnaise”.
If someone loves their white sauce, it’s no big deal. But anyone who is health-conscious might want to steer clear. Oh, and it’s often left out for hours uncovered or un-chilled and then used the next day or until it has run out.
Chipotle Tacos
One employee shared a great hack to counter this “taco” problem.
Normally, the portions are half of the standard ones that everyone is trained to serve. It’s a pretty big rip-off. Instead, order a bowl with whatever you want inside and ask for taco shells on the side.
Sonic's Fries
After an extensive survey, the public announced to the world that these fries were not just overcooked and soggy, but they were also unsalted and lukewarm.
Considering all someone needs to do is open a bag and throw them in a deep fryer, it's a pretty big fail.
Red Lobster Steak
When a customer accidentally orders a steak with blue cheese sauce and then sends it back, chances are they’re getting the exact same steak that was in front of them only a few minutes ago.
Managers won’t throw it out, so the sauce is rinsed off and the steak thrown back on the grill for a few minutes.
Steak n’ Shakes Chili
Workers have snitched that most chains hardly ever cycle out their grease.
One also said that some of the meat comes from collecting the grill bits until there’s enough to do a new batch – which has been sitting there for who knows how long. Keep in mind that they aren't the only ones. Nearly every fast-food worker everywhere says to steer clear of chili.
Stadium Hotdogs
You might want to re-think your drink and dog combo.
Instead of tossing the leftovers at end of the day, wieners (that have been staying hydrated by sitting in water) are put back in the fridge to be used for the next day. There’s a chance you might get something that’s a week old … or longer.
McCafe Coffee
Besides the ice cream machines, long-time employees have admitted that the coffee machines in the cafe section are the least cleaned piece of equipment.
Apparently, the systems are a bit complex and no one, including managers, is trained on how to maintain them. Some might try, but your coffee might always be a bit … well … ew.
Soups From Panera
People might complain about the non-fresh bread. But that’s got nothing on the soups.
The horror stories involve a chain of icky steps that start with a frozen block. The soup is melted in a “re-thermalizer” which isn’t always cleaned. One even said they used the scissors from their boss’s office to cut them open.
Dairy Queen Salads
Okay, this one shouldn't be surprising, but it’s not for the reasons you think.
The store has recently downsized their salads while keeping the same price – and changed the bowl to make it look bigger. Some very unlucky people will also find the older ingredients mixed in to save money.
Starbucks Secret Menus
It might sound wonderful – getting a special drink that no one knows about.
However, that includes the employees. Most aren’t trained on the hidden menu items. So, all people really get is a barista tossing together some random squirts and dashes of whatever with a bunch of milk or juice. It’s pretty much a game of drink-roulette.
Dunkin’ Donuts Hot Drinks
There’s actual math (sort of) behind this one. For example, a hot (large) drink will have 20oz but the cold/iced (large) drink has 32oz.
Also, when it comes to hot chocolate, there are many artificial thickening agents that are gum-based and not milk-based. You would be better off just buying the satchels from the supermarket.