Whataburger — Restaurant in Tempe

Tradition Meets Frustration at Whataburger

First Impressions Whataburger has always held a nostalgic spot in our family’s heart. It’s tied to some really special memories. So when we stopped in for a casual family dinner (6 people, 6 meals…or so I thought), we were expecting comfort food and good vibes. Unfortunately, this visit took a turn.

Atmosphere & Vibe The place itself was clean and had that familiar Whataburger energy; bright, casual, and easygoing. But the front-end experience during ordering and resolution? Let’s just say it felt less “Texas hospitality” and more “you’re the problem.”

What I Tried Our group ordered a mix of burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and drinks. Standard go-to meals that always hit the spot. But when our food came out, we received 7 full meals for 6 people. And while the extra food might seem like a win, it wasn’t one I wanted. Especially at ~$15 per meal in this economy.

Service & Experience Here’s where things soured: I reviewed the order at the register before paying, specifically because it was a larger order and the cashier seemed new. So when the extra meal showed up, I asked for it to be refunded and returned.

The cashier became visibly flustered, brought over the manager, and from that point on, it felt like I was the issue. I was told the miscommunication was on my end, despite having just gone over the order moments before. The manager seemed annoyed by the request and couldn’t process a refund for the single meal. Instead, she refunded the entire $100+ order, then recharged my card for the corrected amount, causing a temporary double charge and tying up my funds.

It wasn’t just a tech hiccup, it was the tone, the dismissiveness, and how confidently they positioned the mistake as mine. I left feeling frustrated, a little embarrassed, and definitely not valued.

Pro Tips or Heads-Up Double-check your receipt even if you just reviewed your order, apparently that’s not enough. And maybe don’t expect the management to meet you halfway if something goes wrong. Also: be prepared for a larger hold on your card if they need to reprocess your order.

Final Verdict Whataburger still serves up a solid meal, and it’ll always be a part of our family tradition, but this location made us think twice. When customer service turns corrective instead of collaborative, it leaves a bad taste, pun fully intended. We might be back someday… just not here.

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#Whatabummer #OrderCheckedStillWrong...

Got an incomplete order at drive thru. No biggie it happens. Drive through the drive thru again and report error. Get to window and apparently they are trained to ask for the receipt? Huh, never had that happen at a fast food drive thru, ever (maybe just lucky?).

"Okay here ya go". "No, the receipt you got with order". "Uh....the receipt here in my hand?". "No the receipt you got with your order". Confused, eventually figured out they wanted receipt not taped to bag, the other one. "Okay here ya go". They examine it for like half a minute. "Whats the problem?". "Uh, well, my order was wrong?". "Says on receipt you got what you have". "..... yes, I did receive what it says on receipt. It was not what I asked for. Here's what I ordered" (was just missing one thing but best part for me). Examines the receipt more as line backs up. "Okay you want us to remake it?". ".... yes please, thanks". "Okay you gotta pull around front".

Wait in front. Receive correct order some time later.

That part (the wait) not a biggie either, mistakes happen, but the receipt and questioning part....very odd and some 'tude like they are trained that way. Why else would they care. If they are trained that way, managers are trained that way (money retention? Who knows). If managers are trained that way Whataburger trains that way.

Now I'm eating my burger, likely with cheese they dipped in pee before giving it to me. Was very, very weird. Had wrong orders at probably hundreds of places throughout my life. The only correct answer is "oh, we'll get that fixed for you"....right?

I know Whataburger doesn't care but I prefer to never do business again at places where they train their folks to treat customers like criminals, so won't be partaking in Whataburger any longer. Hard-core, I know! Money talks. Only a whisper sometimes, but meh.

EDIT: I will return to enjoying Whataburger if, at any point in my life, another fast food drive thru (Drive through? Drive-Through? Drive-thru?) asks to see my receipt and treats me as a criminal before correcting my order, and will erase this little...

This was my first time eating here and the service was distasteful to say the least. I ordered through the drive thru and asked for fresh fries. However the fries were not fresh. I returned and spoke w/ Manager Daniel who made excuses for the fries being stale but ultimately remade my order. As he walked my food back to tell the associates to remake my order and young lady said that f….. b&$!?. I ask to speak w/ Daniel again letting him know I hear her and it’s inappropriate. Now if I came in with an attitude or disrespectful that one thing but I did not. He again stated he couldnt say anything because it was busy (no it was not). I continue to wait while she stares at me then tells another associate I’m looking at her. So again I asked Daniel what is the problem. I offered for Daniel to bring her to the front so we can address the problem. He declined. I explained it’s never appropriate to disrespect someone else over food they paid for period. Furthermore how is it good practice to provoke someone over food that was stale. I told Daniel would you want me to call you a b….. if you were unsatisfied would that be ok? Now if I made a scene acting insane I would be a problem customer yet I maintain composure and respect and she calls me out my name and you just chug along and blame customers. Regardless if you are having an off day or something personal going on it does not give you the right to be disrespectful and hide your hand. The conduct of your associates begins w/ their leadership and she did nth she hasn’t done before. I wouldn’t recommend this place even for a quick bite. Ironically while I waited someone who was eating inside brings back their fries because a hair was in it. So I guess they weren’t that...