Ever wonder what the people making your fast food actually think about what they’re serving? Turns out, workers at some of the biggest chains have pretty strong opinions about certain menu items. From sodas that sit in questionable machines to sandwiches that smell worse than they taste, employees aren’t shy about sharing what they’d never order on their own dime. These aren’t just random complaints either – these are the people who see what happens behind the counter every single day, and some of their stories might just change what you order next time you’re hungry.
The soda machines hardly ever get cleaned properly
Those fountain drinks might seem harmless, but workers across different chains say you might want to think twice before ordering one. The problem isn’t the soda itself – it’s the machines, lines, and dispensing guns that rarely get the attention they need. Some employees admit they were never properly trained on cleaning procedures, while others say the cleaning just doesn’t happen often enough. One worker described finding what they called “soda gun snakes,” which are basically tube-shaped growths made of sugar, yeast, moisture, and lots of neglect.
The situation gets even worse at pizza places where yeast is floating around in the air, creating perfect conditions for gross buildup. Slushie machines get called out too, especially at places like Sonic where the machines are apparently super hard to clean. When equipment is difficult to maintain and restaurants are understaffed, guess what gets skipped? That’s right – the cleaning. Some workers say they’ve seen machines go weeks without proper sanitizing, which means all that sugary residue just builds up over time.
Subway’s chicken products have a weird smell issue
If you’re ordering chicken at Subway, prepare yourself for something strange. Workers from different locations have all mentioned the same problem – the chicken strips have a really off-putting smell when you first open the package. One employee described it as smelling like a vacuum-sealed fart, which is probably the most memorable warning you’ll get today. What makes this even weirder is that managers apparently tell new workers about the smell upfront, assuring them it’s totally normal and nothing to worry about.
Other employees mention that the grilled chicken gets prepared in a pretty unappetizing way. According to workers, it gets “boiled in the microwave,” which doesn’t exactly scream fresh and delicious. Multiple employees across different stores have said the same thing, so it’s not just one location with a problem. The chicken also apparently isn’t as fresh as you might hope, sitting around longer than other ingredients. When workers who handle the food every day are telling you to skip something, that’s probably worth listening to.
McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sits around way too long
That fish sandwich might sound good, but here’s the problem – nobody really orders it that often. This means the cooked patties end up sitting in the heating cabinet way longer than they should, well past their freshness window. Workers say it’s one of the least popular items on the menu, so if you happen to order one during a slow time, you’re probably getting something that’s been sitting there for a while. The fish loses its quality pretty quickly once it’s been cooked and kept warm.
Think you’re being smart by asking for a fresh one? Employees say that sometimes they just drop the old patty back in the fryer for a few seconds to crisp it up before serving it to you. So you might not actually be getting a freshly cooked sandwich at all. Some workers have also noticed the sandwich seems smaller than it used to be, even though McDonald’s denies making any changes. When multiple employees from different locations are all saying the same thing about an item, it’s worth considering other options on the menu.
The soup at most chains has temperature problems
Soup seems like it should be a safe choice, but workers have concerns about how it’s handled. Some say soup sits in warming stations all day, which isn’t necessarily bad if it’s kept at the right temperature. The bigger issue comes during preparation – soup often gets made in huge batches that need to be cooled quickly, but the batches are too large to cool down properly. This means the soup can sit at temperatures that are perfect for bacterial growth, which is definitely not what you want.
There’s also the question of what actually goes into the soup. Some employees say soup is where leftover ingredients end up – think overcooked meat or vegetables that aren’t good enough to serve on their own. Workers mention that frozen soups reheated in bags can sometimes have pieces of plastic mixed in if the bags break down from the heat. When you’re dealing with something that’s already kind of a mystery mixture, adding questionable cooling practices and potential plastic contamination makes it even less appealing.
McDonald’s McRib gets universally hated by employees
When the McRib comes back, workers dread it. This limited-time sandwich generates entire discussion threads where employees share their hatred for making it. The complaints aren’t just about personal taste – workers describe the pork patties sitting in old barbecue sauce for hours without being cleaned or changed. One employee said the sauce is so disgusting and sticky that it doesn’t come off serving trays even after running them through the dishwasher multiple times. The smell of the sauce apparently lingers on everything and has turned some workers off barbecue completely.
The sauce gets everywhere when the McRib is on the menu, coating surfaces and creating extra cleaning work that nobody wants to deal with. Workers describe it as basically spam shaped like ribs, which doesn’t make it sound very appetizing. When employees feel bad about having to serve something to customers, that says a lot about the product. The combination of questionable meat quality, sauce that won’t wash off, and the general grossness factor makes this one of the most universally disliked items among fast food workers.
Wendy’s chili comes from old burger patties
Wendy’s makes their chili from leftover hamburger patties that didn’t sell, which sounds economical but doesn’t always result in the best product. The burgers that go into the chili are often dry and have been sitting around for a while, losing most of their taste. Workers say these are patties that weren’t good enough to serve as regular burgers, so they get repurposed into chili instead. Some employees warn that unless you’re okay eating beef that might be days old, you should probably skip it entirely.
The practice varies by location, which is why some people love Wendy’s chili and others think it’s disgusting. At some restaurants, they’re really careful about which patties go into the chili and how long they’ve been sitting. Other locations aren’t as picky, and you might end up with chili made from seriously old meat. When workers at one location say it’s great and workers at another say to avoid it, that inconsistency is its own red flag. You’re basically gambling on whether your particular Wendy’s has good standards or not.
Burger King’s chicken sandwiches have raw meat problems
Raw chicken at Burger King seems to happen more often than it should. Social media has plenty of posts from customers who got undercooked chicken sandwiches, which is seriously dangerous. Workers point to several possible reasons – the fryer temperature might be wrong, employees might be rushing and not checking if the chicken is fully cooked, or different products with different thicknesses get mixed up. When you’re busy and understaffed, mistakes happen more easily, and undercooked chicken is one mistake you really don’t want.
Even when raw chicken gets returned, some locations apparently don’t properly sanitize the work stations afterward. One worker heard from someone at Burger King that during busy times, they basically never check the temperature to make sure the chicken is fully cooked through. That’s a huge problem since undercooked chicken can make you seriously sick. When employees admit they’re not following basic safety procedures because they’re too busy, that’s your sign to order something else. Stick with items that are harder to mess up if you’re at a location that seems overwhelmed.
Dunkin’s blended drinks have dirty machine issues
Those frozen drinks at Dunkin’ might be refreshing, but the machines they come from tell a different story. Workers say the blending machines and ice machines rarely get cleaned as thoroughly as they should. One employee flat-out said their location’s ice machine was absolutely disgusting. The problem with machines that handle frozen and blended drinks is that they’re complicated to take apart and clean properly, so shortcuts get taken. Old drink residue builds up inside, and when machines aren’t cleaned well enough, you risk cross-contamination between different products.
When employees admit the machines never got cleaned well enough at their location, that should make you think twice about ordering anything that comes from them. The issue isn’t limited to one or two stores either – workers from different Dunkin’ locations have mentioned the same problems. If the equipment that makes your drink is dirty, it doesn’t matter how good the ingredients are. The buildup of old product, combined with moisture and sugar, creates perfect conditions for bacteria and mold growth.
Pizza Hut’s wings sit in nasty fryer oil
Chicken wings from Pizza Hut come with their own set of problems, mainly related to the oil they’re fried in. Workers say there’s no guarantee the wings will be fresh, and the bigger issue is how often the fryer oil gets changed. One former employee shared a horror story about their location never replacing the oil, letting it turn dark brown and staying that way for weeks. Raw chicken and other fried foods all cook in the same oil, and when it never gets changed, you can imagine how gross that gets.
Another worker said their store only changed the fryer oil about once every three weeks or longer, despite cooking tons of raw chicken and other items in it constantly. Old fryer oil breaks down and starts tasting rancid, which affects everything cooked in it. When you’re eating wings that were fried in oil that’s been used for weeks without being changed, you’re getting all those old tastes and breakdown products along with your food. Fresh oil makes a huge difference in how fried food tastes, and when restaurants skip this step to save money, the quality suffers big time.
Not every fast food restaurant is going to have these problems, and some locations are way better than others about following proper procedures. But when workers who deal with the food every single day are telling you to avoid certain items, it’s probably smart to listen. Next time you’re ordering, maybe think about what the employees themselves would actually eat – and consider going for something that doesn’t have a reputation for sitting around too long or coming from equipment that’s impossible to keep clean.
