Whataburger — Restaurant in Ruston

“Imagine serving your country for years, then being denied a simple cup of coffee you were promised.”

It was the evening of August 9, 2025, right around 20:00, in Louisiana. My friend and I both proud U.S. veterans and respected, successful members of our community were driving together after a long day. We weren’t looking for anything extravagant, just a small pick me up and a quiet moment to enjoy. That’s when we saw it: the warm glow of the drive thru lights and, right beneath them, a sign that caught our attention “Free Coffee for Veterans.”

To someone else, that might just be another promotion. But to us, it’s more than words on a sign. It’s a nod of appreciation, a small but meaningful acknowledgment of the sacrifices we and countless others have made. We both smiled and thought, “What a nice way to end the day.”

We pulled into the drive thru, but quickly realized the speaker wasn’t working. No problem things break sometimes. We rolled forward to the window, expecting to be greeted with a smile and maybe even a “Thank you for your service.” Instead, we were met with something entirely different.

The employee leaned out with an expression that could only be described as annoyance, like we were an interruption to her evening rather than paying customers. We politely asked about the free veteran coffee and even pointed to the sign to make sure there was no misunderstanding. Her response? A flat, cold, dismissive “No.”

No explanation. No “I’m sorry, the promotion isn’t valid right now.” No effort to clarify or double check. Just a tone and look that made it clear she felt above us like we were trying to take something we didn’t deserve.

We sat there for a moment, a bit stunned. I glanced over at my buddy and couldn’t help but wonder what was running through his mind. He’s served with honor, built a good life after the military, and does so much for the community just like me. I felt a wave of embarrassment and even emotional distress, not because of the coffee, but because in that moment we were both made to feel small, like our service didn’t matter. It hurt more than I care to admit.

As veterans, we’ve faced difficult moments. We’ve dealt with far greater challenges than a denied cup of coffee. But the sting wasn’t from the drink we didn’t get it was from the lack of respect in the exchange. As the saying goes, “It’s not the coffee it’s the respect in the cup.” And that night, there was neither coffee nor respect to be found.

It’s not about a free drink. It’s about integrity honoring your word and showing consistent respect to customers, especially those you publicly claim to honor. If you don’t mean it, take the sign down. If you do mean it, make sure every employee is informed, prepared, and capable of delivering the offer with basic courtesy.

We didn’t leave with coffee that night, but we did leave with something else: disappointment and a heaviness I wasn’t expecting. A small act of kindness could have been a bright spot in our day. Instead, it became a moment I’ll remember for all the wrong reasons.

A cold shoulder at a coffee window doesn’t just ruin a cup it leaves a lasting impression. And unfortunately, that night, Whataburger served us something we never...

We had a bad experience. Whataburger is normally a well run organization. The line was full in the A & B lanes. Luckily we were in the A lane with window access. It took 30 minutes to get to the last widow. During that time the B lane had not advanced 1 car. The B lane had 7 to 8 cars in line. When we got to the last window the B lane started blowing there horn. The server came out but had no way of helping. They had paid via the remote device in this lane so didn't get a ticket. Long story short the service people inside had thrown away the tickets. It got so bad that they didn't have the tickets for the A lane either so I gave them my ticket to fill my order and the order was ready setting next to the window but the lady's working widow didn't know how to continue. Nor would they answer the window after knocking. Finally a large male person showed up and had to tell each person what to do. The lady in the car B lane was working with a manager to fill her order. She was given two meals and her money back. When I pulled away after 45 minutes and no way to get out of line. They were still there waiting on their food. This is not normal at Whatabuger as most location are well trained in TX. We will never slow down in Ruston LA again on our trips. Any location will be better for a road side lunch. The food was good and just not as warm as normal...

I ordered through the app and it said my order would be ready between 12:40-12:45. There is no check in button when picking up from the counter. I walk in at 12:41 and tell them I have a mobile order. The guy goes to look at a screen and comes back to tell me there is no order with my name. I then show him my mobile order receipt. He goes to the back again and I didn’t see him again for almost 10 mins. By then it was past 12:45. He comes back and sees that I’m still standing at the counter and is super nervous. He then looks at the screen again and at 12:52 my order just then popped up on the screen. I receive my order shortly after that and I take it to the car. I open up the burger and it’s a hot mess. Lettuce is falling out and there was more sauce on the package than the burger. I haven’t had an issue with the app when going to other whataburgers so maybe their system was glitchy. The burger on the other hand could’ve been put together much better though. I’m not saying I won’t ever go back, but I won’t be going back anytime in the...