Fast Food Workers Reveal Which Menu Items You Should Never Order

Published on December 11, 2019
Who doesn’t love fast food? We all have our favorites, but fast food chains have a lot to hide from us. A recent Reddit thread focused on fast food restaurants and offered warning from their employees as to which items you should absolutely never order. Is your favorite menu item on the list? Let’s find out…

Chicken Sandwiches – Burger King

Burger King is known for their hamburgers so it’s not a good idea to order their chicken sandwiches. Because they’re not as popular, they end up sitting in the warmer for hours and become rubbery and leathery.

Chicken Sandwiches Burger King

Chicken Sandwiches – Burger King

Tuna Salad SuperMelt Sandwich – Friendly’s

A former Friendly’s employee revealed that the tuna salad was only prepared once a week and kept in the fridge ready to sell. Other items that should be prepared fresh were also mentioned. Needless to say, avoid the tuna salad.

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Tuna Salad SuperMelt Sandwich Friendly’s

Tuna Salad SuperMelt Sandwich – Friendly’s

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Ice Cream – Sonic

A Reddit user said that the staff never received proper training on how to clean the ice cream machines. When one staff member did try to clean it they found mold everywhere, which means customers were being served mold with their ice cream.

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Ice Cream Sonic

Ice Cream – Sonic

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Chicken Fries – Burger King

Yet another chicken dish from Burger King has made the list. Chicken fries were sometimes kept for in the warming tray for six hours before being served or tossed in the trash. Another reason not to order these is that they’re 80% breading.

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Chicken Fries Burger King

Chicken Fries – Burger King

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Filet-O-Fish – McDonald’s

Just like Burger King. McDonald’s is a burger fast food restaurant, not a fish one. This dish is definitely their least popular, which means they’re probably not fresh. Stick to ordering hamburgers if you don’t want to be disappointed.

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Filet-O-Fish - McDonald’s

Filet-O-Fish – McDonald’s

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Veggie Burger – Culver’s

According to a Reddit user who used to work there, these veggie patties are kept frozen until ordered, then thawed in a microwave, and then cooked in the same grill where the other burgers were cooked. Not completely meat-free then are they?

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Veggie Burger - Culver’s

Veggie Burger – Culver’s

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Roast Beef Sandwich – Arby’s

Several former Arby’s employees shared with Reddit users that the roast beef is apparently not solid when it arrives. It comes in a bag of chunks of beef mixed with fat and pressed into a paste that solidifies in the oven.

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Roast Beef Sandwich - Arby’s

Roast Beef Sandwich – Arby’s

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Chicken Nuggets – McDonald’s

These may be very popular but it doesn’t mean that they’re made fresh. Because they’re more popular than other chicken items on the menu they’re made in bulk. But then they sit under the heater for hours until someone orders.

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Chicken Nuggets - McDonald’s

Chicken Nuggets – McDonald’s

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Beans – Taco Bell

When you hear the name Taco Bell you immediately think Mexican-inspired food. Beans are a staple in Mexican food so you’d think their beans would be good. Apparently, their beans are bagged and need water added to them to turn into the beans they sell.

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Beans - Taco Bell

Beans – Taco Bell

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Gourmet Veggie Club – Jimmy John’s

This vegetarian option is definitely not a healthier choice! This 16-inch piece of 9-grain wheat bread is 2,000 calories and contains high amounts of sodium, fat, and sugar. It’s the equivalent of 4 Big Macs give or take a few calories.

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Gourmet Veggie Club - Jimmy John’s

Gourmet Veggie Club – Jimmy John’s

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Sandwiches – Domino’s

Isn’t Domino’s a pizza joint? It seems not many people know they now make sandwiches too. An employee went on Reddit to complain about this new item on the menu. Especially the Philly Steak and American cheese. Apparently, these ingredients aren’t always fresh.

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Sandwiches - Domino’s

Sandwiches – Domino’s

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Secret Menu – Starbucks

There is no such thing as a secret menu! Your barista will look at you with confusion if you ask for something on the secret menu. Decide what you feel like, figure out the base drink, and add extras from there.

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Secret Menu - Starbucks

Secret Menu – Starbucks

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Orange Chicken – Panda Express

This is a controversial choice as it’s their most popular item. It seems once the rush if over, any leftover meals are left sitting out and the chicken starts drying up. Apparently, they just pour more sauce over it and sell it.

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Orange Chicken - Panda Express

Orange Chicken – Panda Express

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Tacos – Chipotle Mexican Grill

There’s nothing wrong with tacos, they’re just not cost-effective. According to a former Chipotle employee, the size of a taco portion is half the size of a bowl. So it’s better to order a bowl and get some side tortillas.

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Tacos - Chipotle Mexican Grill

Tacos – Chipotle Mexican Grill

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Tuna Sandwiches – Subway

A Reddit user that used to work at Subway referred to the tuna they use as “literal poison in a container.” apparently it’s always a few days past its expiration date. The fact that it’s mayo-based increases the chances of food poisoning too.

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Tuna Sandwiches - Subway

Tuna Sandwiches – Subway

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Chili – Sonic

Their chili comes pre packed in a bag. It’s then heated in a warmer and then it sits there all day. No one knows just how long it’s been sitting there before eventually sold. It’s recommended that you avoid ordering the chili.

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Chili - Sonic

Chili – Sonic

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Milkshake – McDonald’s

A former employee shared that the ice cream machine breaks quite often and the milk base stays inside the machine until it’s fixed. In that time the milk goes bad and forms mold. Which is hard to remove fully.

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Milkshake - McDonald’s

Milkshake – McDonald’s

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Breadsticks – Little Caesars

What’s not to love about buttery and garlicky breadsticks? A former Little Caesars’ manager shred on Reddit that they use butter at all. Instead, they use an imitation that comes in a huge tub and it’s not even refrigerated.

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Breadsticks - Little Caesars

Breadsticks – Little Caesars

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Chili – Wendy’s

Apparently, the chili from Wendy’s is basically overcooked beef. What’s worse is it’s kept for up to seven days before a new batch is made. If you’re craving a fresh bowl of chili it’s not advisable that you order from Wendy’s.

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Chili - Wendy’s

Chili – Wendy’s

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Barbecue Chicken Sandwich – KFC

An employee shared inside information regarding these sandwiches. Apparently, they’re really stale! The chicken is soaked and heated a whole month before being sold. That’s not even safe to feed to your pets never mind being sold to unsuspecting patrons.

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Barbecue Chicken Sandwich - KFC

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich – KFC

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Smoothies Or Milkshakes – Jack-In-The-Box

Apparently, the same blender is used for all smoothies and milkshakes and nobody cleans it properly after each serving. It gets a quick rinse with some water and that’s it. So you will probably get bits from all shakes prepared throughout the day.

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Smoothies Or Milkshakes - Jack-In-The-Box

Smoothies Or Milkshakes – Jack-In-The-Box

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Wisconsin Butter Burger – Steak ‘n Shake

As the name says, this burger contains butter. But how much? Apparently, there’s a quarter stick of butter in it. That’s a ridiculous amount of butter! It’s so unhealthy for your arteries that they’ll be crying out in pain if you ingest this.

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Wisconsin Butter Burger - Steak ‘n Shake

Wisconsin Butter Burger – Steak ‘n Shake

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Pasta – Panera

Everyone loves their mac and cheese but no one knows that all their pasta is microwaved. There’s absolutely nothing fresh about these meals. They’re basically frozen pasta dishes thrown in a microwave when ordered. Who knows how long they’ve been in the freezer before sold!

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Pasta - Panera

Pasta – Panera

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Oven-Roasted Chicken Sandwich – Subway

With anything is oven-roasted, it’s healthier and tastier than boiled or microwaved. Seems the so-called oven-roasted chicken is nothing but boiled chicken warmed up in a microwave. Which is not nearly as appetizing, or as healthy for that matter.

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Oven-Roasted Chicken Sandwich - Subway

Oven-Roasted Chicken Sandwich – Subway

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Bagel Eggs – Einstein

When you order any meal with eggs you’d expect a freshly cooked egg, right? At Einstein’s, the eggs are microwaved and place in a warmer until they’re sold. Because it’s in a sandwich customers can never tell just how long they’ve been sitting there.

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Bagel Eggs - Einstein

Bagel Eggs – Einstein

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Pastries – Panera

There’s nothing better than freshly baked pastries! Unfortunately, that’s not what you’ll find at Panera. Their pastries and desserts are also frozen and warmed up when ready to sell like their pasta. So buy pastries elsewhere if you want freshness.

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Pastries Panera

Pastries – Panera

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Chicken Sandwich – Sonic

A former employee revealed that the chicken sold at Sonic isn’t real chicken. They didn’t elaborate as to what it was exactly but it was also mentioned that because it’s not too popular it also sits for long periods in the warming tray.

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Chicken Sandwich - Sonic

Chicken Sandwich – Sonic

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McCafe – McDonald’s

McDonald’s employees will tell you never to order anything from the McCafe range. The staff isn’t properly trained on how to use and clean the machine, which means whatever you order will most probably contain mold and old remains from previous drinks.

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McCafe - McDonald’s

McCafe – McDonald’s

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Donuts – Dunkin’ Donuts

This employee’s fact about Dunkin’ Donuts is quite surprising. It seems their donuts are not fresh at all, as they’re delivered frozen. A refrigerated truck delivers daily and the donuts are then labeled as fresh but they’re far from fresh.

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Donuts - Dunkin’ Donuts

Donuts – Dunkin’ Donuts

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Fries – Wendy’s

Wendy’s slogan is “Quality is our recipe,” but that’s not the case with their fries. There’s a saying among Wendy employees about the fries which states that they aren’t old until they’re sold. Needless to say, it’s not advisable to order their fries.

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Fries - Wendy’s

Fries – Wendy’s

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Original Chicken – KFC

KFC is known to be ‘finger-licking good’ but not if you order your chicken around closing time. That’s when you’ll most probably get chicken that’s been sitting under the warming lights for hours or even pieces that have been dropped on the floor.

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Original Chicken - KFC

Original Chicken – KFC

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Dipped Ice Cream Cones – McDonald’s

Other than the ice cream machines don’t get washed regularly, apparently, the chocolate used for dipping sits all day. The employees are instructed to just mix it well when the top layer becomes congealed. Ice cream doesn’t sound too appetizing after hearing that.

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Dipped Ice Cream Cones - McDonald’s

Dipped Ice Cream Cones – McDonald’s

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King Shakes – Burger King

There seems to be a pattern when it comes to fast food joints and their ice cream machines not being cleaned regularly. Other than the dirty ice cream machines, apparently the shake mixes are often expired too. Overall, don’t order King Shakes.

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King Shakes - Burger King

King Shakes – Burger King

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Food At Starbucks

The food at Starbucks isn’t particularly gross or unsanitary, it’s just not particularly fresh and it’s overpriced as well. All their food is pre-packaged and frozen and reheated when ordered. If you’re not a fan of frozen foods, then avoid their food.

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Food At Starbucks

Food At Starbucks

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Coolattas – Dunkin’ Donuts

Their Coolattas may be refreshing and tasty but once you know how dirty those machines are you’ll think twice about ordering one. Much like some of the other frozen treats served at restaurants, these machines are never cleaned properly.

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Coolattas - Dunkin' Donuts

Coolattas – Dunkin’ Donuts

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McRib – McDonald’s

If it’s ribs you’re craving then think twice about ordering the McRib as you won’t be getting ribs at all. Instead, what you’ll be getting is a substance made with a mixture of pig tripe, hearts, and stomachs. Definitely no no!

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McRib - McDonald’s

McRib – McDonald’s

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Decaf Coffee – Burger King

According to a former Burger King employee, their decaf coffee is in fact, regular coffee which is watered down. Apparently, they don’t have actual decaf coffee and simply improvise. Well, at least at that specific branch that’s what they did.

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Decaf Coffee - Burger King

Decaf Coffee – Burger King

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BLT – Steak ‘n Shake

This one made it on the list purely because of the price. A worker at Steak ‘n Shake has said that their BLT is heavily overpriced. Reason being that they skimp on the fillings to cut costs. Especially the bacon.

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BLT - Steak ‘n Shake

BLT – Steak ‘n Shake

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Soup – Panera

Once again we are seeing a pattern with Panera. Their food is all frozen and reheated and the soup is no exception. The soup is thawed out in what they call a ‘rethermalizer’ which is simply a sink filled with boiling water.

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Soup - Panera

Soup – Panera

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Soup – Tim Hortons

A Reddit user who used to work at Tim Hortons has warned the public about their soups stating that they’re not fresh. They’re frozen and reheated, and what’s worse, there was even a case where maggots were found in the soups.

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Soup - Tim Hortons

Soup – Tim Hortons

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Chicken Parmesan Sub – Jersey Mike’s Subs

A former employee shared on Reddit that this is the only thing on the menu they wouldn’t order. Apparently, the chicken parm is a frozen patty that’s reheated in the microwave for a few minutes. By doing that it becomes mushy and gross.

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Chicken Parmesan Sub - Jersey Mike’s Subs

Chicken Parmesan Sub – Jersey Mike’s Subs

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Salads – Dairy Queen

Their salads may be tasty but they’re too pricey. As if the size-to-price ratio wasn’t bad enough before, they have now recently downsized the bowls. It seems like the portions are the same but they’re smaller but the price has stayed the same.

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Salads - Dairy Queen

Salads – Dairy Queen

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Hot Chocolate – Dunkin’ Donuts

A Reddit user who used to work at one of the Dunkin Donuts stores has revealed that their hot chocolate is full of chemicals. They use thickening agents in their hot chocolate called Xanthan Gum and Cellulose Gum.

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Hot Chocolate - Dunkin' Donuts

Hot Chocolate – Dunkin’ Donuts

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Tea – Jimmy John’s

If you order your tea in the morning or relatively early in the day then there’s no problem. However, if you order it later in the day then you’ll be getting tea that was brewed at 5am and has been sitting all day!

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Tea - Jimmy John’s

Tea – Jimmy John’s

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Chicken Wings – Little Caesars

A former Little Caesars employee said that the wings are cooked in the same pans they use to cook the pizzas for the same amount of time. This means you’ll be getting raw chicken most of the time because it wasn’t cooked long enough.

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Chicken Wings - Little Caesars

Chicken Wings – Little Caesars

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Whopper Junior – Burger King

Whopper Juniors are only popular with kids for obvious reasons, which means that if you order one it’s most probably been sitting under a warming light for hours. Surely after a few hours, the whole burger is dry and crusty.

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Whopper Junior - Burger King

Whopper Junior – Burger King

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Sweet Tea – McDonald’s

It’s no secret that sweet tea contains sugar, but just how much sugar is in there? Apparently, there’s one pound of sugar for every gallon of tea! A large cup has 38 grams of sugar, which is way over the daily recommended limit.

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Sweet Tea - McDonald’s

Sweet Tea – McDonald’s

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Roast Beef – Subway

A former Subway employee revealed that the roast beef is so full of preservatives that it’s practically ‘ iridescent.’ If unsuspecting patrons don’t know these things they’ll never know just what goes into the food they’re eating. That’s why they say “knowledge is power.”

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Roast Beef - Subway

Roast Beef – Subway

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Burgers – Sheetz

A Reddit user who was a former Sheetz employee warned that their burgers were not flame grilled at all. The grill marks are in fact fake because their patties are actually cooked in the microwave. Microwaved patties are just simply gross.

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Burgers - Sheetz

Burgers – Sheetz

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Steak Or Chicken Subs – Firehouse Subs

A former Firehouse Subs manager said that according to him, the only things worth ordering on their menu is the sliced meat or meatball subs. This is because the steak is usually frozen and greasy and the chicken is pre-packaged.

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Steak Or Chicken Subs - Firehouse Subs

Steak Or Chicken Subs – Firehouse Subs

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Hash Round Nibblers – White Castle

These hash brown nibblers are delicious but they’re not very good for your health. There’s 110g of fat and over 1400 calories in a sharing bag of these little nibblers. Fast food isn’t usually a healthy option, but these are exceptionally unhealthy.

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Hash Round Nibblers - White Castle

Hash Round Nibblers – White Castle

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Fish Sandwich – Burger King

Much like with McDonalds, Burger King is s hamburger joint so why order fish there? The fish in these places is never good quality and because they’re not popular they end up sitting around for a long time.

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Fish Sandwich - Burger King

Fish Sandwich – Burger King

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Breakfast Menu – Taco Bell

If you have dietary restrictions then you’ll want to avoid their breakfast. They usually have protocols in place to avoid cross-contamination of vegetables and meat. Unfortunately, at breakfast, this isn’t the case because the bacon sits on the same grills aa the vegetables.

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Breakfast Menu - Taco Bell

Breakfast Menu – Taco Bell

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Jumbo Jalapeno Cheese Pretzel Dog – Auntie Anne’s

These treats are delicious but they’re capable of making your arteries explode! This cheesy pretzel dog contains 1,360mg of sodium, 31g of fat, and 650 calories. They’re freshly made and there’s no other issue other than your heart’s health.

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The Homewrecker Burrito With Chicken – Moe’s Southwest Grill

There are some burritos on the market that are relatively healthy depending on the filling, but this isn’t one of them. Unfortunately, Moe’s Homewrecker Burrito is anything but healthy. It has 1,859mg of sodium and 945 calories.

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The Homewrecker Burrito With Chicken - Moe’s Southwest Grill

The Homewrecker Burrito With Chicken – Moe’s Southwest Grill

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Pad Thai Chicken – P.F. Chang’s

A bowl of Chinese noodles with some chicken sounds pretty healthy, right? Sadly, this Pad Thai is extremely unhealthy because of its high content of sodium and sugar. This meal is 1,230 calories and contains 2,590mg of sodium and 43g of sugar.

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Pad Thai Chicken - P.F. Chang’s

Pad Thai Chicken – P.F. Chang’s

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Any Grilled Food – Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A has a wide fan base because of its great service and delicious food. But apparently, they’re not good at keeping gluten out of gluten-free foods. Employees apparently use the same grill without cleaning between orders so there’s cross-contamination.

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Any Grilled Food - Chick-Fil-A

Any Grilled Food – Chick-Fil-A

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Ice – Any Restaurant

A comment that popped up very often on Reddit was regarding ice machines at restaurants. Users warned to never order your drinks with ice because there were many times when they found mold and dead flies at the bottom of the ice machine.

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Ice - Any Restaurant

Ice – Any Restaurant

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Round Eggs – McDonald’s

A Reddit user warned against the round eggs from McDonald’s. Apparently, the eggs that they put inside their Mc Muffins or sandwiches are not made on site. They are delivered to each branch frozen and wrapped in plastic then warmed up.

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Round Eggs - McDonald’s

Round Eggs – McDonald’s

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Everything But The Wings – Buffalo Wild Wings

According to a former employee, the only thing that’s fresh and worth ordering is the wings. He posted on Reddit that everything else on the menu is pretty much prepackaged and frozen. At least their signature dish is fresh and tasty.

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Everything But The Wings - Buffalo Wild Wings

Everything But The Wings – Buffalo Wild Wings

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