Wendy's — Restaurant in Chattanooga

I don’t know how to explain it to you. I’ve tried. I’ve written. I’ve posted. I’ve spoken to friends who will no longer eat with me. I’ve drawn diagrams. Made a podcast. Once, in a fever, I carved the words “SPICY NUG LIFE” into a bar of Irish Spring. But still, you don’t get it. You think it’s just fast food. You think it’s about value. Or freshness. Or the variety. Wendy’s is not just the best fast food restaurant. It is the only fast food restaurant. The rest are distractions. Shadows. Carbon simulations of a truth too spicy for the masses. I’m sorry if this offends you. Actually, no I’m not. You’ve been eating lies. Let me feed you the truth. Where else can you get: • A burger that tastes like someone actually fought for it • Nuggets that have the crunch profile of a firm handshake • Fries that don’t need ketchup but tolerate it like a favorite uncle with bad opinions • A Frosty that can’t be defined by modern physics I once tried to dip a fry in a McFlurry. The machine broke. That's not a joke.

In college, I lived down the street from a Wendy’s. I had $9 in my checking account and 7 of it belonged to Dave Thomas. I ate there often, alone, and usually proud. The workers refused to learn my name. It wasn’t their problem. There was a period in 2014 where I hit a rough patch. Life stuff. One day I drove thru Wendy’s, visibly broken, ordered my food and waited. Wendy’s gave me the wrong order. They gave me someone else’s. It somehow felt much more jarring and intimate than opening someone else’s car door in a parking lot because it looks like your own. I discovered the error too late. Yet, in that moment, I was a man rediscovering himself one bite at a time. That sandwich? It had lettuce on it. I never eat lettuce. That day, I did. That day, I healed.

Let me be clear: • Burger King is fine if you like commercials and being a sheep among the herd. • McDonald’s is nostalgia dipped in ambient regret. • Taco Bell is performance art with consequences. But Wendy’s? Wendy’s is what the others pretend to be. Fresh. Salty. Humble. Slightly unpredictable. Like a middle child with good shoulders and a secret inheritance.

One day, humanity will fall. I don’t know when. Maybe it’ll be war. Maybe it’ll be weather. I’m no prophet. But when it happens, only one redhead will remain. Standing calmly in the ashes. Holding a tray with a Frosty and a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. Looking directly into my eyes. And whispering: “You should have tried the breakfast.”

Five stars. Always. Forgive yourself. Return to...

I GOT THE POLICE CALLED ON ME just for asking for something that was left out my order. Absolutely horrible experience!!! I placed an order through the Wendy’s app. I ordered 4 $5 biggie meals (bbq nuggets for the nuggets which come in plastic containers not the regular nugget containers which are way smaller)and a bacon and cheese potato. They left off a 4 piece nugget and my baked potato. I drove to the Wendy’s and was automatically greeted with attitude. I tried to explain at the intercom that my food was missing and was cut off with I don’t replace food. I advised her that I was not asking for a replacement simply the items that I payed for that I did not receive. I was again responded with attitude so I asked for a manager they told me to hold on and advised the person I was speaking to that I would pull up to the window. When I got to the window the lady said I put it in the bag. I said how because there’s no way another bbq 4 piece nugget and potato would fit in the bag they had creases where the bags were folded. She replied there was another bag. I said ma’am if I received it I wouldn’t have driven all the way down here when I already paid for delivery if I received it. See that we weren’t getting any where I again asked for the manager. She stated he just pulled off and went to the bank (which was right down the street). I replied ok I will wait because at this time no one was behind me and the lady slammed the window. I look up and two police officers pulled up from different directions. They said they were advised that I was blocking the drive thru when I was asked to leave. No one advised me to leave nor pull up. I got police called on me with my 8 year old in the back seat in 96+ weather all for trying to ask for what I paid for. The items that were missing were under $5. My entire order was $45 because I ordered through the Wendy’s app. They not only lied to the police, they scared my son, and embarrassed me. I WILL NEVER GO THERE AGAIN. When the manager got there he replied the food is weighed. I asked how much my food weighed he said he couldn’t tell me that. I asked for the name of the lady the encounter was with I was told they couldn’t tell me that. So I replied what about the first name? They still wouldn’t give me just the first name. (Note: they are supposed to wear name tags) A pic of what was left at...

I’ve been coming to this Wendy’s regularly since I moved here from FL 19 months ago. The customer service is usually always great even though sometimes the wait in the drive thru is long. As a chef in fine/casual dining I try to understand the business of the industry. Especially the fast food industry. I moved to GA but still travel to Chattanooga often and the last few visits I’ve made to Wendy’s have been via a mobile pickup order always at the drive thru due to my long drive home to Ringgold from work. My last several visits have been TERRIBLE at this place. The drive thru attendant (a very young & rude black kid) has demanded I come inside to pick up my order… when it clearly states it was to be picked up at the drive thru. Tonight I arrived at 8:30 & upon my arrival I told him that I had a mobile pickup order and he told me to come inside to get it. I told him I had an additional order id like to place and he told me I could also do that inside. I told him the pickup order was for the drive thru. He became rude and told me to pull up. When I got to the window he practically threw my chili out the window and I told him AGAIN I wanted to place an additional order to which he huffed and puffed and said what do u want? I told him a sour cream and chives potato and he said they were out of them. Again, I work in the industry as a chef. Not a fast food chef but an actual fine dining chef and this level of laziness and lack of customer service is simply not acceptable in any form of the food service industry. If you don’t want to do your job and work, find a job that allows you to be lazy and hardly work. I won’t be returning to this Wendy’s EVER AGAIN. Nor will my mom and we both visit this location 3-4 times a week. That kid needs to learn what it is work and stop demanding ppl come inside to pick up their food. Stop saying you’re out of things so he doesn’t have to work. Your losing business and attitudes like the one he has is costing you customers...