The first Wendy’s restaurant that I can remember eating at was in Hyannis, Massachusetts (northeastern United States, on Cape Cod). My grandmother would take my sister and I there for dinner after my sister’s choir rehearsals were over and before we would drive the half-hour home to Falmouth.
The Hyannis Wendy’s was right on a rotary, which made it difficult to break from traffic to turn into their parking lot. It was worth the effort; we were never disappointed by their food.
Back then (mid to late 80s), Wendy’s captured the American public’s attention with their slogan ’’Where’s the Beef, ’’ and the spokesperson in these commercials was a barrel-house voiced old woman named Clara Peller, who died that same decade. You saw three little old ladies standing around a hamburger, marveling ’’My, that’s a big bun. It’s a big, FLUFFY bun.’’ Clara would bellow ’’Where’s the beef!’’ upon seeing the tiny hamburger patty when they lifted the lid off the competitors burger bun.
The driving force behind this campaign was Wendy’s large, square hamburger patty whose four corners extended over the edges of their bun, answering the question ’’where’s the beef.’’ Wendy’s was also one of the only restaurants at that time (fast food, no less) that offered a Single, Double, and Triple burger. Restaurants like McDonalds offered the Quarter Pounder (one big but overpriced patty) or the Big Mac (two patties, but also one and a half times as much bun and some truly vile special sauce and chopped onion).
Wendy’s also went a step farther and offered a frozen dessert called the Frosty. It only came in one flavor (chocolate) and it was twice as thick as a regular milkshake. You had to spoon it up rather than sip it with a straw.
Back then, I would inevitably order a Single with cheese, a Frosty, a cup of Wendy’s chili, and a medium order of fries (so sue me, I had a fast metabolism).
Fast forward to 2001. Wendy’s still has the same menu now that I am living in northern California, but it is considerably more expensive. Wendy’s and Carl’s Jr. are the most expensive fast food that you can get out here. Even a Value Meal costs at least five or six dollars before you Biggie Size (not to be confused with Super Size, that’s a McDonald’s trademark).
Nowadays, I like Wendy’s chicken patties, particular the Chicken Bacon Swiss. The Cheddar Bacon Mushroom burger is also delicious, except for the strange cheddar sauce that they slosh over the mushrooms, it would do without the sauce. My husband inevitably enjoys a Wendy’s Double with Cheese and bacon. My kids always get a Wendy’s Kid’s Meal; I still trip over the Kid’s Meal toys that come with it once my boys lose interest in them and toss them on the floor.
The Wendy’s down the road from us is usually somewhat clean, but the condiment and napkin dispensers are often overflowing and sticky. THe salad bar could also be better maintained.
Wendy’s is good about making the food in small quantities at a time; I have never gotten cold, rubbery fries from Wendy’s when I have gone through the drive-thru.
They are a trifle slower than some fast food restaurants, but it is often worth the wait. But expect to pay more than you would at Burger King. I would also skip the nasty Chicken Caesar pita; the bread is gummy and soggy, the salad dressing is too sweet, and it is mostly lettuce. The baked potato with chili and cheese is also a tasty alternative to fries, but you may want to order something else with it, it’s pretty small.