Some people might say this is a curse. Others might comment it is an epidemic spread amongst fast food chains in this day and age. Are companies becoming lazier, are people becoming more pretentious, or is it a third unidentified party that makes it so renowned fast food chains are struggling to get past the 1 star reviewer? The restaurants marked on this list appear to be notorious, but are they really that bad? Let’s explore, and be the judges of, 19 restaurants deemed the worst America has to offer.
1. Mcdonald’s In Seattle, WA, 22nd Ave
Our first restaurant stands at a solid 2.0 stars on Yelp. The complaints are mostly food related, whether customers are missing nuggets or the burgers are cold and poorly preserved. One reviewer actually marks it the “worst Mcdonald’s ever”. However, famous Youtuber Ryan Trahan gave this restaurant a chance and was left pleasantly surprised! His food was hot, the order was complete and overall, the experience left him to write a 5 star review. So, we could mark this as isolated incidents rather than poor service altogether.
2. Mcdonald’s In Seattle, WA, 5th Ave
Yup, just streets apart, there’s another one. Our Youtuber checked both, and his drive-thru experience left Ryan Trahan with hot fries and an intact burger. This particular restaurant generated more complaints about slow service, but that is not what happened once tested.
3. Taco Bell In Detroit, MI
Moving away from Yelp and on to Google Reviews, an angry 1-star reviewer marked the burritos as cold after waiting for over an hour! However, famous Youtuber The Chicken Connoisseur praised this particular Taco Bell for the order he’d received. Ryan Trahan also experienced a warm, well-wrapped combo being quickly delivered.
4. Burger King In San Antonio, TX
The complaints here are a bit hard to stomach. Dirty floors, pink patties, major sanitary concerns. Yet ReportOfTheWeek, a renowned fast food reviewer, confessed he loved the flavors and the internal temperatures were appropriate. Ryan Trahan’s order passed the test as well.
5. Wendy’s In Chicago, IL
Very low rated on Yelp. And among them, cold fries seem to be trending. And yet both Ryan Trahan and ReportOfTheWeek received hot fries with their order. Another proof that low rated doesn’t mean low quality. Customer-serving apps do show consistent quality at other Wendy’s around Chicago too.
6. KFC In Atlanta, GA
This restaurant’s Google Reviews are estimated at around 1.5 stars. Disappointing is the thing on everyone’s minds. The reviews keep talking about how dry the chicken is while the sides are soggy. But Ashen, a knock-off food reviewer, as well as DannyMalin gave their thumbs-up when testing the chicken from this location. The chicken doesn’t seem to be that disastrous.
7. Subway In Phoenix, AZ
Stale bread, wilted vegetables. A classic. Many reviewers ponder on whether the ingredients were past the expiration date. Ryan Trahan and ReportOfTheWeek decided to investigate, and found nothing but freshly made subs! Seems the days of bad sandwiches are over.
8. Chick-fil-A In Charlotte, NC
A 1-star review on Yelp discussed how poor the drive-thru management is. But ReportOfTheWeek went through the experience of ordering from this Chick-fil-A multiple times, only to be pleasantly surprised each time.
9. Yelp vs. Google
While taking a break, we must mention that some chains can tank hard on Yelp while performing decently on Google. It’s a known fact that Yelp can amplify emotional rants. While on Google, users’ average ratings are prone to smooth out the extremes. It’s always best to check both, as they offer valuable intel from other people’s experiences.
10. Review Rants And Reality
Youtube creators are dedicated to a cause here: to show that real world fast food chains are rarely this dramatic. While a spilled drink or missing nuggets, or something more profound in these situations, can feel overwhelming, food is required to meet expectations. It is the law. These rants don’t often align with the quality of the service.
11. Taco Bell In Los Angeles, CA
Cold crunchy tacos topped with a cold, slow staff. Many 1-star reviews report the same thing. When Ryan Trahan dropped by, he got a warm, fresh taco served in minutes! Another video by TheReportOfTheWeek confirmed the tacos to be delicious. It seems internet anger has not reached these two.
12. Burger King In Miami, FL
1-star Yelp reviews report a bunch of missing items, as well as cold burgers. The running theme is that they’re either not cooked enough, or they’re left to sit for a long period of time before being sold. ReportOfTheWeek was pleasantly surprised by a flame-grilled Whopper, while Ryan Trahan got his menu served hot and fast.
13. Wendy’s In Boston, MA
1-star Yelp reviews have a bunch of complaints here: cold fries, overcooked burgers, rude staff. Though Ryan Trahan did a quick drop-in, he was greeted by a friendly staff and his food was quickly served. ReportOfTheWeek spent more time here, analyzing the burger’s temperature. It was perfect!
14. KFC In Chicago, IL
1-star reviews named the sides watery but the chicken dry. Stuart Ashen decided to investigate, only to be met with an Eastern-style chicken, fresh and flavorful. Danny Malin also focused on how crispy the chicken was.
15. Chick-fil-A In Atlanta, GA
This 1-star marked location is a bit different than the rest. The customers are mainly complaining about slow service with the wrong orders being given. However, ReportOfTheWeek encountered none of these issues. Instead, he got a friendly and fast drive-thru staff with his hot meal. Most experts see these reviews as anomalies, and not trends.
16. Youtuber Checklist
What these Youtubers are focusing on is simple. Order, temperature, cleanliness. So, whoever gives the correct order, keeps the place clean (or at least with no visible grime) and the food at a reasonable temperature wins. Yelp reviews rarely mention these three.
17. How To Read Reviews
Obviously, no review is to be ignored. But you should check the review volume and consistency. Are the complaints repeated? Do they match or is it a one time incident? And if it is, are you willing to risk it knowing your odds? For extra certainty, it’s always better to check Youtube. Google, or TikTok for the same location.
18. A Two-Step-Test
So, there is a 1-star place, but it’s the closest to you… and you’re hungry. Risk it? Well, let’s check the most recent reviews, those are the most relevant to the current situation. Do a quick cross-platform rating as well. Then, if you decide it’s worth it, do it. Odds here suggest you’ll walk away just fine with a hot meal.
19. Don’t Let Hype Ruin Your Meal
The conclusion today is that 1-star reviews often bring the spotlight on the worst of the worst. But they often miss the average or high experiences of other customers. Youtubers like Ryan Trahan, Reviewbrah, Ashen, and Malin, show that in person, many locations perform just fine. Next time you’re skeptical, let your stomach be the judge.