'Do not buy the coffee': 20 Fast food employees tell all about the worst items to order

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Nov 11, 2023 4:00 PM EST

No one goes to a fast food restaurant for nutrition per se, but we should expect the bare minimum with regard to sanitation. Now, we're not here to tell you that fast food is bad for you. First of all, that's a given. Second of all, how are we going to stop you for those restless late nights when the only thing that can give you some semblance of joy is a large Oreo milkshake and an order of chicken nuggets? 

Still, if you find yourself walking into a fast food establishment on one of those desperate occasions, it would behoove you to follow at least some of the advice from these former employees, who shared their horror stories via this r/AskReddit thread. Once again, there's no intent to ruin the vibe for you on your next fast food excursion, but wouldn't you want to remember at least in the back of your mind that if it's in the afternoon, the coffee has been sitting there for at least five hours? Wouldn't you want to know that the fish is just heated up in the microwave and that's considered "cooked?" Keep scrolling below for the full stories and for the best reactions. For more content like this, feel free to take a look at this compilation of stories from managers who had to fire people on their first day.

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  • 01
    r/AskReddit Posted by u/Skylion72 Fast Food workers, what's an item people should absolutely stop ordering from your restaurant?
    via u/Skylion72
  • 02
    feelikekobe ) Dnos worker here. Nothing gross really that we do, but for the love of god stop ordering our bread twists. (Unless you want the cinnamon ones). You can order the Parmesan bread bites. It's the same amount of dough in total for like 3 bucks cheaper. 41.7k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 03
    m DisastrousContact edited Customer: I'll have a <insert stupid drink name>. Me: I have no idea what that is. Customer: It's on your secret menu. Me: We don't have a secret menu. Customer: But I read online that you have a secret menu. Me: Don't believe everything you read on the internet. 28.2k Share ...
    via u/Skylion72
  • 04
    kikiorangutan. edited I worked in a local coffee and donut shop and nobody ever cleaned the soda machines. They were so gross the first time I cleaned them. I asked if anyone knew how to do it and nobody knew, nobody had ever done it Edit: lots of people are wondering why there is soda. Because I live in a highly mormon populated area and they can't drink coffee. And apparently a lot of people like Mountain Dew with their apple fritters. And apparently Mormons can drink Mountain Dew?? ✩ 24.4k ↓
    via u/Skylion72
  • 05
    noodlez5120 Used to work at Poda Express, no real complaints about the ingredients and food prep, but don't buy any shrimp entrees if you actually want to a full meal. They purposely use a smaller serving spoon to make it appear you're getting a lot of food. I believe it was shrimps per serving max was the the policy. 23.8k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 06
    o angry_jets_fan. edited! Para worker here. Nothing's gross or illegal but just know that half of everything we serve comes in frozen. Soups, meats, some pastries and the Mac and cheese/pastas all comes in frozen. But to answer the question, the calorie count for the Mac and cheese is absurdly high. I don't remember the exact number but do your body a favor and limit how many times you have it. There's people who come in several times a week to order a bread bowls of Mac and cheese who don't rea
    via u/Skylion72
  • 07
    4 [deleted] Lg J Sirs, 2006, baked cod on a bed of rice. We would microwave it in a paper dish. 19.1k Share
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  • 08
    MonsterNinja8 If you order any of the all day breakfast items at McC after around 1:00, it will most likely be a few hours old. 15.8k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 09
    cleversystem edited Worked at an A theater for 2 years. Do not buy the coffee unless it's early morning when we first open. Otherwise you're gonna drink coffee that's been sitting out for a solid 5 hours, at least. Edit- What I've gathered from the comments, either 1) that's incredibly gross or 2) after five hours coffee gets its flavor 2.0 and it's great 14.6k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 10
    BabycakesJunior. When you order a pizza, look for the specials. On Pizza's website, you could order a large pizza with two toppings for $18. But if you go to the "Deals" tab, that same pizza could be had for $8. They won't apply the discounts for you automatically. Sometimes you gotta look for them. 14.3k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 11
    halnation. Don't get decaf coffee at er King. Maybe this was just the one I worked at, but we didn't actually brew any decaf. Whenever someone ordered it, my manager would just have me water down the regular coffee 13.7k ↓ Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 12
    [deleted] edited Tropical Sm hie Cafe- All of the smoothies, except the detox ones, have SO much sugar in them. You're not being healthy by going there. Edit: The sugar isn't just from the fruit. Sugar is added to most smoothies, and they claim it's good because it's turbinado. Also: fruit is healthy. 10.4k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 13
    kyliegrace12. Jesus this thread has made me realize that the place I work apparently has standards miles above other places and also I'm only ever eating at my work and home from now on 8.3k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 14
    false_cut Worked at a small dive-bar chain, who's gimmick is that everything on the menu is $5.65 (cad). The nachos. For the same price as a burger, or pasta, or literally anything else on the menu, you got a fistfull of cheese on top of some chips. They also sucked to make. We would heat them up on the plate we served them on, and then would put the burning hot plate on-top of a cold one to serve. So many unnecessary burns, and so many extra dishes. 8.1k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 15
    to_the_tenth_power Worked at a sandwich shop and they had a contest for someone to have a sandwich named after them. They settled on slices of chicken, apples, and honey served on a croissant and grilled. Funny thing is it was pretty popular and I never thought much of it until I tried it. It's not good. Edit: The most popular suggestion for anyone thinking of trying this one out is to add some Brie to it as well. ✩ 7.6k Share ...
    via u/Skylion72
  • 16
    majortom12. I worked at Stacks. Nobody who values their health should order a white mocha anything. That white mocha is absurdly unhealthy and disgusting to work with. ↑ 7.0k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 17
    theoathbreaker13 This was back in the day, but my first job was Mcl d's. One day we got a call from a sister store asking if we'd had any complaints about our shakes. I said no. They did if we did refer it to them... Turns out a mouse had died in the machine at some point and had been been chewed up by the internal mixer... Yeah, I don't get shakes from there anymore and I eye the ice cream especially hard. ↑ 7.0k ↓ Share ...
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  • 18
    Releigh17 edited Former Ae's employee. It's not quite fast food but fast and casual dining. So so much of the food is in frozen vacuum sealed packages that are thawed im vats of boiling water or microwaved. The things that need to look nice spend 1-2 mins on each side on a grill for appearance but they are NOT fresh (think steak, burgers, chicken breast).
    via u/Skylion72
  • 19
    Beyond that salads are often assembled or at least expoed to the side of the main food line by your servers. The people handling money and bussing food in/out. The people who probably aren't washing their hands and gloving every time they toss some croutons on your salad.
    via u/Skylion72
  • 20
    Bottom line.... A's is to be avoided. At least the Midwest franchises I worked for....
    via u/Skylion72
  • 21
    Not_a_robot_serious. My mom Worked at DERE and told me to always get the chicken because they have to make it fresh she said that they just microwave the hamburgers Edit maybe not at all locations but at this one 5.4k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 22
    Charbarzz. Burgers from Sh☐z are microwaved. The grill marks are fake. Bacon is microwaved too. Also, don't drink the J Peanut Butter shakes. One particular peanut butter shake has nearly 2,000 calories in it. 5.3k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 23
    TCSongun W cook: If we are talking health reasons... everything. There is nothing remotely healthy on the menu. Otherwise I say grits because they can sit for hours and managers will try to keep them looking fresh even though they cost next to nothing to buy. 4.1k Share
    via u/Skylion72
  • 24
    Cheezburger Image 9835376896
    via Jonathan Borba

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toxic-workplace coworkers askreddit employees Horrible Bosses food reddit thread Reddit funny fast food toxic-work-environment
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