Your Wendy's Baked Potato Isn't As Fresh As You Think

Fast food is such a convenient way to grab lunch or dinner on the go. If it's something you do often amid the hustle and bustle of life, though, you may prefer a place that has nutritional options. That's one reason why Wendy's serves baked potatoes: The vegetable contains less fat than its fried alter ego. In fact, it's been on the menu since 1983 as a "hot-stuffed" item and was part of the now-defunct low-calorie menu. Despite the extra nutritional value, the Wendy's baked potato might not always be the freshest item behind the counter.

Some former employees have revealed on Reddit that, at least in some cases, the side isn't exactly fresh out of the oven when it's served. One explained that the potatoes take a while to prepare and only have a one-hour shelf life. Because of that, many are wasted, and sometimes, the leftover potatoes from lunch are still served at dinnertime since it's difficult for them to keep track. Another former worker noted that he/she wouldn't eat a baked potato more than an hour after the lunch or dinner rush because they get chewy. Another third commenter noted that when the workers run out, some of them microwave a fresh potato instead of not selling any.

While Wendy's baked potatoes don't necessarily go bad if they sit in the warmer for longer than an hour, their quality may diminish some. Based on these comments, when you order a baked potato at Wendy's is the key to whether or not it's fresh.

Clearly, Wendy's baked potatoes are delicious to many customers because about 1 million are sold every week (per Reader's Digest). Also, an ex-employee said in a Reddit feed, "I personally love the baked potatoes and would dress mine how I wanted to when I worked at Wendy's." However, it seems that some of the optional toppings aren't always prepared fresh either: particularly the chili and cheese.

A Reddit user wanted to know how Wendy's chili is made, and a former worker responded, "When the burger patties time out of use for a burger, they are frozen to be used as chili meat." Apparently, the kitchen employees chop up the meat and throw it into a pot with water and a dry bag of beans and seasoning to simmer for about four hours. Although not general practice, the meat is fresh sometimes, according to another former employee in a separate Reddit post who said, "I remember one time when I worked at a Wendy's. We didn't have any leftover meat from the night before so we had to use freshly grilled meat."

As for the cheese, at least two ex-Wendy's workers warned users on Reddit about the cheese sauce. One said, "Some managers will make the crew pour boiling water from the coffee maker into it when it's almost out to 'make more'." Similarly, another ex-employee said that the cheese sits out all day, developing a skin on top, so they just mix it up to make it liquid again for customers' orders.