Whataburger — Restaurant in Cedar Park

Whataburger is, well, a typical fast food joint these days. Well, nights, or early mornings anyway. But... It does have a big advantage over most other places. It is open 24 hours. Out here in the outskirts of the 'urbs, where dining out is limited by 9pm, severely curtailed to fast food only at 10, restricted to three options at 11, one of them survives past 2am. Whataburger. So for those of us who have the unfortunate need to feed during the hours from 2 to 7 in the early morning hours, at least there is a place to go. The problem is not one unique to the fast food industry as a whole. Average is the achievement that is considered success. But Whataburger's average is far above the average of its' competition. So don't get me wrong, you could do a lot worse. Like go hungry. It seems to me that I recall Whataburger had crisper onions, firmer tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, and the shake machine was never closed for cleaning. That could be during the hours most folks sustain. However, though the young staff is usually crisp and cheery, the hours the vegetables have had to wilt in the stainless steel containers since being sliced are showing up on the plates, and the palate. As for pricing, it seems high to pay close to $4 for biscuits and gravy. Which is misleading, as I have never seen the alleged multiple number of biscuits as indicated by the plural form of the word. Was the dish served with 2 of the delicious rolls, I would think it to be a good arrangement. Alas, that is not to be, as I have never gotten any more than one. It goes downhill from there on the breakfast menu. If you are hungry, go for the meal deal and expect age to show in the produce. The fries are spotty, sometimes crisp and just cooked, other times, well, not. Maybe you can upgrade to a shake, depends on the frequency of the endless number of cleanings the machine must endure, hope for a working moment. If you are a senior, take advantage of a free soda with your meal. Just remember to bring hand sanitizer if you are not taking your dinner home, because you will not be allowed to enter the building to use the restroom. Or sit down and eat. Or choose your condiments. Or get extra napkins. Which you will need to clean yourself and vehicle after eating in a darkened auto in the predawn hour. So don't forget to ask for extra salt, pepper, ketchup, napkins, a straw, or anything you expect inside. It won't be in the bag unless you do. All in all, better than going...

We love whataburger in general. And since we moved to Cedar Park we have been going to this one to get our fix. 90% of the time our order is incorrect or missing items. I wish I was exaggerating. It doesn't seem to matter if it's drive thru or dine in. I never complain or make a fuss though. But one day I get home and we are missing fries. I go back, talk to the manager (which was a middle aged short in stature man), and he made it right by giving us our full order free on next visit. But since then, still mistakes are made! Tonight, my daughter and I celebrated Cheeseburger Day by going to our fav burger place - whataburger. She finds a seat while I order. When I get to her she has a concerned look on her face. I ask what's wrong. She says nothing. Next thing I know I hear these whataburger employees(whom all looked like teens) cussing loudly and inappropriately like we're not even sitting one table over from them. Every other word was an f bomb. My daughter was very uncomfortable. We moved and could still hear them across the restaurant. I went and finally complained to the manager. She says, "they're not on break. They're waiting to leave work". I said, "Well if they can't control themselves then they need to wait outside. They had no consideration that there was a child next to them". She mumbled something about going and telling them something. But I don't think they respected her (she looked like a friend of theirs) because they began laughing hysterically. I felt completely disrespected. Of course, my burger was wrong and they had forgotten my daughters shake. I never leave reviews, ever. But I'm so disappointed in this location. We have kept going because its closest. But, my family will not be going to this one any more. Come on, please get it together and expect more from your employees...

Sunday morning, my family and I decided to grab something fast and convenient before a day out. The Cedar Park location seemed like a good option, so we ordered online at 10:50 a.m. and were instructed to pick up our order between 11 and 11:05.

I arrived at 11 and waited for several minutes before anyone acknowledged me, despite my attempts to let them know I was there for an online pickup. When I finally spoke to someone, I had to repeat myself three times about my pickup for “William.” They never returned with any update and instead went off to other duties.

Eventually, another employee asked if I’d been helped. I repeated myself again, only for them to walk away, too. A third staff member, seemingly a manager, asked if I needed something, and once more, I explained my situation—only to watch her walk off. Meanwhile, new customers were coming in, ordering, and receiving their food, while I stood waiting for the order I had placed online specifically to save time.

I joked to the manager, “Is it faster if I just go through the drive-thru?” She finally signed my receipt, saying it was “good for another sandwich another day,” but by then, what should have been a quick pickup had turned into a 30-minute wait.

When I got home, we were eager to eat—only to find two items missing. Unfortunately, these were my wife’s and child’s meals, so I had to drive back to the store. Once again, I had to wait before anyone approached me to ask what I needed. They offered a free milkshake, but I declined, just wanting to get back to my family.

This experience was beyond disappointing. The lack of communication, both within the team and with customers, was glaring. I understand it’s fast food, but this particular visit to a major franchise surprised me with its inefficiency and...