The Ultimate Ranking Of Wendy's Breakfast Items
Wendy's has long been a favorite fast food restaurant, due in part for its famous chocolate frosty and baked potatoes. However in recent years, their relatively new breakfast menu has been noticed by many looking for a quick and delicious breakfast option. With items unique to their chain like potato wedges and chicken croissants, Wendy's is leading the way toward more innovative fast food breakfasts.
When Wendy's first started in Ohio in 1969, nobody had any idea the level of success that Dave Thomas would bring it to. In fact, according to their official website, Wendy's invented the modern drive thru window, pioneering the way we order fast food all the way back in 1970. Today, Wendy's is one of the most popular franchises in the U.S., and is also an advocate for various children's charities, with a special focus on foster care and adoption. Just like its corporate goals, its menu is constantly evolving, including the removal and addition of items to their breakfast menu. While they are still establishing themselves as a breakfast destination, many have discovered the delicious options and are making it a regular fixture.
This breakfast menu is not the first time Wendy's has attempted to enter the morning fast food arena. According to Forbes, their first breakfast menu incarnation was in 1985, and it lasted all of nine months. The original breakfast menu offered odd selections for a fast food joint, like made to order omelets. Wendy's also sold breakfast in various forms in 2007 and 2012. Today's breakfast menu has lasted the longest, nearing almost three years at the time of publication. It looks like this time around, it's here to stay.
10. Sausage Biscuit
Wendy's Sausage Biscuit is one of the simplest items on the breakfast menu, and sometimes it's available for only a dollar. According to PR News Wire, in April of 2022, Wendy's had a "Buck Biscuit" promotion, where the biscuit was available for a dollar for the entire month. The promotion also included the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, too. On even ordinary days, it's still a very affordable breakfast option and a quick way to check breakfast off your list.
The Sausage Biscuit is a buttermilk biscuit holding egg, American cheese, and sausage. The eggs are fresh-cracked and cooked at the time of your order, meaning the item always tastes fresh, unlike other similar offerings. Unfortunately, it ranks low on our list because it certainly isn't very creative. You can order this type of sandwich at virtually any fast food chain, and it's just not very exciting even if it tastes decent. But, if you need to feed a crowd of Little Leaguers or coworkers, you can grab a bunch of these affordable sandwiches and easily fill hungry bellies.
Another way to punch this sandwich up? Add in some sauce. Wendy's ranch dressing will improve both the flavor and texture, as will some mayo and ketchup. But probably not all three. Let's not go too crazy this early in the morning.
9. French Toast Sticks
Wendy's French Toast Sticks debuted in the summer of 2022 as part of their first breakfast menu expansion after first offering it in 2020. Compared to other french toast sticks on the market, they honestly aren't great. They are darker and doughier than competitors like Burger King and Carl's Jr., possibly due to the quick-fry method that is used to cook them. One plus, however, is that they're served with Mrs. Butterworth — a top of the line syrup served in cute little containers. Unfortunately, the flavor is just mediocre and leaves fingers greasy.
According to The Washington Post, despite having some mediocre offerings, Wendy's is gaining ground in the fast food breakfast industry. By the end of 2022, breakfast items accounted for 10 percent of its revenue, and they are currently in third place for the highest breakfast revenues among fast food restaurants. Like the Sausage Biscuit, the french toast sticks aren't a very creative offering, and as The Washington Post also stated, they tend to have an off-putting scent that isn't in line with how we expect french toast to smell. These will hopefully hit their stride at some point, but for now, they just aren't worth the calories if you're looking for an indulgent breakfast treat. Also, we don't recommend eating them in the car. The powdered sugar gets everywhere, and if you are looking to grab a quick bite on the go, this is not where it's at. Go for a sandwich or bar instead.
8. Oatmeal Bar
According to Brand Eating, Wendy's did test breakfast menus prior to rolling out their permanent menu in 2020. Back in 2013, the oatmeal bar was one of the offerings — and it doesn't look like they've changed much in the decade since. The oatmeal bar is promoted as healthy, but in reality it has the same sugar content as Wendy's cookies. Eating fruit and oatmeal when we might as well be eating dessert is the reason this ranks low on our list.
The oatmeal bars claim to be fresh baked, and due to their irregular shape, it's likely they actually are. Each bar contains oats, cranberries, and blueberries, making it a hearty morning snack in easily transportable bar form. It's a great way to grab some breakfast quickly on the way to work or to give to a kiddo on the way to school. With a unique ginger flavor and varied texture thanks to its crispy edges and chewy exterior, the oatmeal bar does taste pretty good if you don't mind your breakfast bar being big on flavor but not on health.
There are tons of copycat recipes for Wendy's oatmeal bar available on the Internet, which you can replicate at home with an undoubtedly lower sugar content than the chain's offering. However, if you're looking for quick morning convenience and don't feel like a heavy sandwich, this could be a passable choice. It's also an ideal option for a vegetarian that finds themselves in a Wendy's drive thru.
7. Sausage and Gravy Biscuit
Fast food restaurants tend to have rather dry biscuits, either because they are mass produced or because they trust the shelf life to be a bit longer than it probably should be. Whatever the reason, sometimes it seems that something is always a bit off with drive-thru biscuits, and Wendy's is no exception. Biscuit sandwiches tend to be a bit more forgiving as our tastebuds can focus on other flavors and textures like warm bacon and melted cheese. Unfortunately, pouring gravy over biscuits isn't always a helpful solution, which is the case with Wendy's Biscuits and Gravy.
Wendy's gravy is made with grilled sausage and white pepper, which sounds delicious. But in looking at the ingredient list online, it's clear they are using a powdered gravy mix and it shows. The end result is a gravy that tastes like it's on a budget. It's also more of a dine-in menu item — have you attempted to eat biscuits and gravy with a plastic fork and knife, especially when you are on the go? It's a likely a recipe for disaster.
According to Hub Pages, the gravy to biscuit ratio can tend to be a bit stingy, and with sparse gravy and dry biscuits, there just isn't a lot left to love with this heavy item. If you want biscuits and gravy, hit up your favorite diner in town and get this yummy breakfast dish done right. When it comes to fast food, it's best to stick to sandwiches and potatoes.
6. Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant
Chicken for breakfast has been the trend for quite some time now. Since the Southern tradition of chicken and waffles swept the entire nation, it's now rather commonplace for chicken to be a part of fast food breakfast menus. This is a bit of a bummer for pioneer Chick-fil-A, which is now knee-deep in chicken sandwich competition, including Wendy's Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant.
The name of the sandwich is pretty self-explanatory. It contains a fried chicken filet, bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, and a maple honey glaze. It is served on a flakey and buttery roll that ties the whole thing together for some serious deliciousness. This obviously isn't good for anyone on a diet, but if you're looking for a tasty morning indulgence, this sandwich is where it's at. According to Salvaggio's Deli, when this sandwich was first rolled out onto the breakfast menu, it sold out within the first few weeks. Now it's readily available and its popularity remains strong, thus earning it a permanent spot on Wendy's breakfast menu.
If you are a lunch-for-breakfast type of person, the Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant is going to be the closest you can get. It also pairs really well with a refreshing Coke or Dr. Pepper if you aren't into juice or coffee. While nothing is ever going to top the kings of chicken sandwiches — notably Popeye's and KFC – those chains do not offer breakfast menus. Thus, Wendy's is one of your best bets if you're hoping for chicken in the morning. Look away, Chick-fil-A, look away.
5. Potato Wedges
Almost every fast food restaurant offers some variation of hash browns on their breakfast menu. Some, like Carl's Jr. or Burger King, serve up hash brown nuggets, while McDonald's and Jack in the Box have a patty form. But Wendy's so far is the only easy-access breakfast restaurant to serve wedges. Potato wedges just taste better. We can't explain it, but there's something inviting about their warm seasonings and thick centers. Pair them with ketchup and/or ranch dressing, and you will wish these were available all day.
According to Brand Eating, the potato's seasoning is a strong presence of black pepper combined with garlic, onion, and salt. As a result, these wedges are very flavorful. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the potato wedges are the perfect response to Wendy's french fries, which tend to be a bit dry. The thickness of the inner potato is moist, soft, and more reminiscent of their popular baked potatoes. Again is there a reason why Wendy's can't sell these potato wedges all day long?
The wedges go great with any sandwich on the menu, or you can balance them with the oatmeal bar if you want variety without feeling overly full or greasy.
4. Classic Sausage Egg and Cheese Sandwich
The Classic Sausage Egg and Cheese Sandwich has really good bread. We could eat this bread every single morning and never grow tired of it, due to its texture and flavor that makes it right on the mark. Add in grilled sausage, egg, and melted American cheese, and you get one heck of a sandwich to start your morning with.
There is another variation of this sandwich with bacon. According to Insider, that sandwich is also top notch thanks to the high flavor index of the bacon, which is hickory smoked. The egg is also fresh fried on both versions, and you can tell with every bite. One thing that makes this sandwich a winner is a lack of sauces. While mayo and maple bacon sauce all serve an important place in our hearts and stomachs, sometimes it's just nice to have something simpler. The Classic Sausage Egg and Cheese Sandwich feels like eating a homemade breakfast that mom might've made on a weekday morning. It's comforting, well put together, and full of flavor.
While some critics don't love the bread, comparing it to a dinner roll, we think that is perfectly fine and don't believe there's such a thing as too much bread.
3. Frosty-ccino
First of all, the name Frosty-ccino is a bit misleading. According to Brand Eating, this drink does not contain a cappuccino at all. After all, cappuccinos are hot and are created from espresso and foamed milk. The Frosty-ccino, on the other hand, is pretty much black coffee poured into a cup with vanilla ice cream. We want to make it very clear, however, that no one is complaining over here. The only thing better than regular ice cream is ice cream that keeps us awake as we crawl through a busy day — the Frosty-ccino one hundred percent has our vote despite its problematic moniker.
Sugary coffee drinks have been popular since the dawn of Starbucks, and so many other fast food-style restaurants have attempted to jump on the trend as well. McDonald's rolled out its whole McCafe menu a good while back, and the strong majority have at least one iced coffee drink on their roster now. So it's no wonder Wendy's created a coffee drink that contained their famous frosty. After all, they know what they have, and few can resist that creamy cold goodness.
If you want to mix things up a bit or want an even more flavorful drink, ask for a chocolate frosty instead of vanilla. As long as both flavors have been fired up in the machines that morning, the chocolate will be available and adds a richness to the slightly bitter black coffee. Sometimes, strawberry and other seasonal flavors like peppermint are available, so feel free to toss them in to your Frosty-ccino and get ready for a seriously refreshing and delicious pick-me-up.
2. Bacon, Egg and Swiss Croissant
The Bacon, Egg, and Swiss Croissant is a polite little sandwich that also comes in a sausage variety. Both are delicious, thanks to the fresh-cracked egg and the flakey, buttery croissant holding it all together. According to QSR, Wendy's offered a $3 breakfast combo that included the sandwich with a side of potato wedges, which helped kick off interest in the menu item. Today, it remains a popular part of the menu.
If you want a more filling and savory sandwich, go for the sausage. If you want something more traditional and reminiscent of a home cooked meal, opt for the bacon. The other winning element of this sandwich? Swiss cheese. The strong majority of fast food sandwiches, including most of the Wendy's selections, use American cheese. Swiss is a rarity, and just ups the quality. It is a melty, likable cheese that pairs well with breakfast meat and egg.
The restaurant's tag line is "Wendy's Does Breakfast Better," and this croissant sandwich gives them the legs to stand on such a bold statement. It is really much better than what's found on many fast food breakfast menus — including their own. If you're not a fan of croissants, you can ask for a swap with one of the other morning breakfast bun offerings, or get it in a bowl with just the sausage, egg, and cheese if you are in a low carb mood.
1. Breakfast Baconator
The Breakfast Baconator is one of the most iconic menu items on Wendy's breakfast line up. Since at most Wendy's locations the drive-thru window opens earlier than its dining room, it's important to have a tasty enough sandwich on the menu to make it worth stopping by. Wendy's has found their golden goose in the Breakfast Baconator, complete with its sausage, bacon, two kinds of cheese, and egg held together by a burger bun.
According to Cleveland.com, Wendy's invested a ton of money into rolling out their breakfast menu — specifically $20 million. This included the design and advertising of the Baconator. The details of the sandwich include six strips of bacon and both American and Swiss cheese — so you can expect a flavor explosion when you're stuck trying to decide which breakfast sandwich from the menu to order. Combined with the sausage patty and fresh-cracked egg, the Breakfast Bacontor almost feels more like eating a burger than anything else. Perhaps Wendy's will eventually consider serving their breakfast items all day, but for now the Breakfast Baconator is only available from 6:30 a.m. until the breakfast menu rolls into lunch. The Breakfast Baconator is well worth waking up for, and is probably one of the best items on the menu if you like a big breakfast sandwich that checks all the boxes.