The 10 Best Wendy's Menu Items, According To Customers

When Wendy's first opened its doors in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio, the menu was simple, featuring just five items – but the chain has evolved from those humble beginnings to incorporate a lineup packed with fan favorites that keep customers coming back. Over the years, the restaurant has created a unique and distinct identity in the fast food world, thanks to its iconic square-shaped beef patties, Applewood smoked bacon, and signature items like the Frosty and chili that have stood the test of time.

What makes Wendy's menu so compelling isn't just the variety, but the unique flavor and texture combinations that hit different notes for customers. Some menu items spark a sense of nostalgia, reminding fans of childhood meals or late-night drive-thru runs, while others earn high praise for their generous portions and value. From indulgent, meat-packed burgers to unique sides you won't find at competing chains, Wendy's has built a menu that feels both familiar and a little unexpected. We looked through Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook to find the Wendy's menu items fans are talking about. And according to loyal customers online, these are the items that truly stand out.

The iconic Wendy's Frosty was one of the original menu items, and it remains a quintessential fast food dessert. The Wendy's Frosty is different from your traditional milkshake, containing specific ingredients like guar gum that give it its iconic thick and smooth texture and prevent it from melting too quickly. Customers online claim that there is something so specifically addicting about the frozen dairy treat, whether you're enjoying it with a spoon or dipping your salty fries into it. One fan on Reddit said, "It started with one day me deciding I'd get a large Vanilla frosty and since then it's like I need that vanilla frosty."

This dessert is uniquely delicious and nostalgic for many, from the classic chocolate and vanilla to the Frosty Fusions, which feature chunks of cookie dough, Oreo, brownie, or caramel crunch. While there is much discourse online about which Frosty flavor reigns supreme, many customers believe the classic chocolate is untouchable. It's distinctive because it uses a combination of chocolate and vanilla to create a lighter, more subtle chocolate flavor than your typical chocolate milkshake.

One of the things that sets Wendy's apart is that it serves baked potatoes, a menu item that most other fast food chains do not offer. It was originally introduced to the menu as part of a "health-conscious" menu in the '80s, but managed to stick around due to its popularity. It's praised among fans not only because it's unique, but because Wendy's offers several ways to customize it to your preferences. You can order it plain, with sour cream and chives, cheese, or bacon.

One customer on Reddit explained that they have not gone to Wendy's without ordering a baked potato in 10 years. They wrote, "It's the best item to me, always super hot and they overfill with bacon and cheese. I wish more places did baked potatoes." But perhaps the most popular way to make this fast food side a top-tier menu item is to order it with another iconic Wendy's item: the chili. Customers love the contrast of the soft and fluffy potato with melted cheese and hot chili on top.

The Baconator is made for carnivores as this meat-focused burger features two of Wendy's iconic square-shaped quarter-pound patties, six pieces of Applewood smoked bacon, two slices of American cheese, ketchup, and mayo — all sandwiched between a premium bun. And what makes the Baconator particularly indulgent and special from other burgers in the fast food game is that it has no vegetables. In one customer's rankings of Wendy's menu items, the Baconator is as good as it gets, earning top-tier rankings. The Redditor said of the burger: "iconic, juicy, and always hits right."

Customers praise how the bacon is cooked, making a crispy and flavorful addition to the burger, and some claim the patties are simply better than those at McDonald's and Burger King. In one YouTube fast food burger taste test against Burger King's Whopper, McDonald's Big Arch, and Five Guys bacon cheeseburger, Wendy's beat out the competition, earning first place "based on price, taste, and size."

Dave's Double is Wendy's bread and butter, and the menu item was the most ordered sandwich item on their menu in 2023. Like the Baconator, Dave's Double also features two of the quarter-pound patties — unlike the Baconator, however, it comes topped with veggies and is served on a potato bun. It includes lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle, with ketchup, mustard, and mayo, and some fans claim this juicy fast food burger could pass as a restaurant-grade offering from a high-end restaurant for how delicious it is.

The price and quality leave customers highly impressed, regarding it as the quintessential American cheeseburger, despite being one of the unhealthiest items you can order at Wendy's. The combination of condiments, crisp vegetables, and juicy burger make it an obvious winner. One food reviewer on YouTube explained, "For a double cheeseburger from a fast food spot, it really doesn't get much better." Other reviewers appreciate the crunch from the onion and pickles, which is a texture you don't get with the Baconator.

This menu item is another one of the original items that Wendy's served when it first opened and has remained a fan-favorite ever since. The chili is made with the same beef as Wendy's burgers, which was originally an effort to reduce food waste from unsold patties, but it's now part of what makes the chili so delicious. As a comfort food that is fairly unique for a fast food restaurant, some customers on Reddit believe, "Cup of Chili is STILL the GOAT of the menu."

And this menu item isn't just good by fast food standards. Rumors have circulated for years that people have entered chili cookoffs and won. One Redditor wrote, "I remember reading somewhere about a guy who entered a chili contest with only Wendy's chili, claiming it was his own recipe ... and he won first place." Though the rumors have yet to be substantiated, fans of the menu item have no doubt that this tasty, beefy chili could win a first-place prize in competition. If you're in the mood for a chili cheeseburger, you can order a cup of chili to pour on your burger and make the Wendy's secret menu burger of your dreams.

Wendy's breakfast menu features some fan-favorite foods as well, including the Breakfast Baconator, a sandwich that features a grilled sausage patty, American cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, a fresh-cracked egg, and a Swiss cheese sauce on a hamburger bun. With two types of flavorful breakfast meats and two types of melted cheese, what's not to love? Fans of this breakfast sammie tend to agree that the Swiss cheese sauce is the ingredient that sets the product apart from other fast food sandwiches. It prevents the sandwich from being too dry (which is a common complaint with these kinds of meals) without overpowering the flavors from the other ingredients.

Another reviewer was pleasantly surprised to find the sandwich wasn't too greasy, and unlike many other fast-food eggs, the one on this sandwich appeared to be an actual fried egg. The one customization that fans of the sandwich recommend to optimize this breakfast experience is to swap out the plain hamburger bun for a superior buttery biscuit. One Redditor wrote, "Ask for it on a biscuit instead of a bun then enjoy the best fast food breakfast sandwich ever."

Where most of its fast food competitors feature hash browns on their breakfast menu, Wendy's offers a different take on the breakfast potato and customers can't get enough. The potato wedges are seasoned to perfection and perfectly cooked to feature a thin crispy outside and buttery soft inside. Some fans claim they are so well done that they could easily pass as a non-fast-food item, and some feel this dish is far preferable to the chain's fries.

One customer tried the potato wedges for the first time and admitted they are worth the hype. They wrote in a Facebook post, "These things are seasoned just a little spicy, crisp and quite possibly as addicting as I've been told ... I may need an intervention." They're perfectly seasoned with cracked black pepper and garlic powder, which makes them enjoyable all on their own, sans sauce. Even in a taste test against other fast food hash browns that customers love, one TikTok food reviewer crowned Wendy's seasoned potatoes the winner for its taste and texture.

Ordering a salad at a fast food chain can be risky business, as they have a reputation for wilted lettuce, measly vegetables, and underwhelming flavor — but Wendy's taco salad stands out and impresses customers. Some even claim it's the best thing on the Wendy's menu. The base of the salad features crunchy romaine, tomatoes, corn, and cheddar cheese. It then comes with creamy salsa dressing, chili lime seasoned tortilla chips, and of course, the iconic Wendy's chili.

Fans liken the salad dressing to Chick-fil-A's popular creamy salsa dressing and appreciate the combination of crunchy tortilla strips and romaine with the warm beans and beef from the chili. Customers love this salad as an alternative to a heavy burger, but the only complaint they have is that assembling the salad yourself can take a bit of work. Regardless, any menu item featuring the infamous chili is a winner for Wendy's loyalists.

The Spicy Asiago Ranch Chicken Club is what some Wendy's fans on Reddit simply call a "top-tier chicken sandwich," and among the several chicken sandwiches that Wendy's offers, this club reigns supreme, according to fans online. It features a succulent, fried chicken breast seasoned with fiery spices, Applewood smoked bacon, asiago cheese, creamy ranch sauce, lettuce, and tomato, on a toasted bun — it's a flavorful step up from the classic chicken sandwich on the menu.

One customer applauds the chain for not skimping on the ranch sauce, which adds a unique flavor to the sandwich, paired with a smoky bacon profile that is savory and delicious. Another food reviewer on YouTube compliments the soft bun and the way the ranch sauce combines with the flavor from the chicken fillet. Additionally, the Asiago cheese, instead of traditional American cheese found on most BLTs, adds a slight sharpness to the flavor profile and helps the Asiago Chicken Ranch rank among the best chicken sandwiches at Wendy's.

Wendy's is often credited with instigating the soft pretzel trend of 2013 when it first introduced pretzel buns to its menu. The Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger was later introduced to the Made to Crave lineup in 2020 and has been on and off the menu ever since, despite being a fan-favorite burger. This sandwich brings all the things customers love about a gastropub burger to the drive-thru window. It features a quarter pound of beef with Muenster cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, smoky honey mustard, crispy fried onions, pickles, and warm beer cheese sauce on the iconic pretzel bun.

Customers claim it's one of the best fast food burgers of all time, with its combination of two types of cheese, a hefty portion of beef, and slight sweetness from the honey mustard. During March Madness, Wendy's released a "Bring it Back" bracket where fans could vote to bring back one menu item, and the Pretzel Bacon Pub burger won, to the delight of fans everywhere. In response to the announcement on Instagram, one commenter wrote, "Thanks for healing the world. I'll take 14,000 of them." There's no word on how long the menu item will be featured, so pretzel bun fans should get to Wendy's while they still can.