Fast Food Menu Items That Get The Most Customer Complaints

You hear a lot about the best new fast food items or the tried-and-tested fast food classics that have endured years of menu changes, but friends, this is not that read. You see, sometimes fast food places do roll out a new menu item to customer raves. But other times, it's just a big miss. And in the age of Reddit threads, viral TikToks, and one-star Yelp obliterations, there's no hiding when a fast food experiment flops. Fast food fans do not hold back when their fries taste weird or their favorite sandwich gets an "upgrade" that is anything but.

When a limited-time release goes limp, fans make sure the world knows exactly how betrayed they feel (often in capital letters, just for added emphasis). From McDonald's not-so-crispy chicken strips to Chick-fil-A's lackluster fries, online foodies are keeping score. Even big hitters like KFC and Starbucks aren't immune to the carnage. We have all seen it, with some menu tweaks sparking full-blown meltdowns across social media faster than you can say "recipe change."

We dove into the latest customer complaints, lighting up Reddit and beyond to find the fast food fails causing the loudest uproars. These aren't your average gripes. These are the most passionate, dramatic, and oddly poetic purchasers, channeling their foodie rage. So, grab your napkins, maybe a snack that actually hits the spot, and settle in as we break down the menu misfires that left fans fuming, disappointed, and ready to roast their favorite chains online.

The internet has spoken (loudly), and it turns out that people are not lovin' it when it comes to the McDonald's McCrispy Chicken Strips. McDonald's hyped up its McCrispy Strips like they were bringing back the golden era of Chicken Selects. Instead, fans say the only thing crispy about them is the name. "They're objectively bad," one Reddit user complained. "They're called McCrispy Strips but they literally are not crispy."

Across Reddit, ex-Chicken Selects loyalists have entered full nostalgia mode, mourning the tender glory days of the 2000s chicken. As one fan said on Reddit, "All they had to do was bring back Chicken Selects and that would've made everyone happy." Instead, they got what yet another Reddit user described as "bouncy rubber balls from when we were children." Yikes.

People aren't just disappointed. It cuts deeper. They are taking this clucking seriously. Some think the uniform shape of McDonald's McCrispy Chicken Strips screams factory test run, with many claiming it feels like woody chicken – an industry term given to abnormally tough poultry. Either way, taste buds are not impressed. If Chicken Selects were a nostalgic bop, McCrispy Strips are the over-produced remix no one asked for, or is buying. Alas, somewhere out there, a sad packet of ranch, suddenly left without a dance partner, is wondering where it all went wrong.

Next stop on the tour of fast food menu items that upset customers is Chick-fil-A. Call it the fast food plot twist no one saw coming. In early 2025, Chick-fil-A — arguably once considered fry royalty — quietly tweaked its iconic waffle fries recipe. The chain swore it was only a mild update, promising loyal customers the same great taste, only crispier. But fans online? Let's just say they didn't agree.

After much debate, the verdict was in. The charge was soggy chaos, and to Chick-fil-A loyalists, the chicken chain was guilty. "They ruined the waffle fries! Why? Why? Why?" cried one devastated fan on Reddit. Others claimed that they had a habit of sticking together. "My fry yesterday was a giant block," one user ranted. Unsurprisingly, yes, customers soon launched an official petition to revert the fries to their original recipe ASAP.

Beyond texture, many swear the new-and-not-so-improved fries taste stale, like they've been reheated under a heat lamp. Longtime fans are rethinking their loyalty while also grieving the flavors of fond reveries. It's giving heartbreak and stomachache. And while the internet can forgive a lot, when you mess with the fries? Fie!

What's the ideal shape of French Fries? If you ask online customers who logged in to voice their opinions on the updated Long John Silver's fries in 2024, they would most definitely not answer "waffle." Long John Silver's decided to swap out their classic fries for trendy waffle fries, and customers instantly staged online mutiny. "I had the waffle fries today and I will not be getting them again," one commenter said on Reddit. Their review was brutal. "They were not crispy. They were chewy, tasteless, and barely warm."

What should've been a glow-up became a downgrade. One fan summed it up perfectly: "Had high hopes when I tried them since I usually prefer waffle fries but these were probably the worst fries I've ever had." Instead of crispy sea-salted bliss, diners got a chewy tragedy that left them yearning for the regular fries that "fit so much better."

Now, some are swearing off the spuds entirely at Long John Silver's, with one super-dramatic soul declaring they'll just order the green beans in the future. Green beans! From a fish-and-chips joint! We think it's safe to say that maybe not every menu needs a modern twist.

Burger King's onion rings have always been mired with some controversy, but the latest wave of complaints can be described as nothing less than deep-fried fury. Just look at the customers on social media, roasting them harder than BK's own broiler. "I hate their crummy onion rings more than their sh***y fries," one customer ranted on Reddit, proving that sometimes hate really does burn brighter than love. It's enough to bring tears to your eyes, literally.

The outrage centers around what's inside the ring — or, more accurately, what's not. One commenter didn't mince words: "Onion rings my as*. There isn't even onion in the 'onion' rings. How cheap can you get?" Apparently, instead of real onion slices, BK uses onions blended into a paste-like texture, shaped into rings. Think baby food meets breading. Even worse? The upcharge. Yep, the chain reportedly started charging extra for its wildly unpopular onion rings. Cue one user going nuclear on Reddit: "It's not the money, but it is the principle of their uncontrolled corporate greed."

What makes it sting even more is the nostalgia factor. Fans remember when BK onion rings were an indulgent guilty pleasure. Now? They're just an oddly textured, dry disappointment. The rings may still exist, but their reputation is fried.

When we ranked fast food chicken sandwiches by taste, Popeyes failed to crack the top three. But it wasn't always this way. Remember 2019? When the popularity of Popeyes' chicken sandwich broke the internet and sparked full-blown chicken sandwich war? People were waiting hours for that spicy, crunchy perfection. Fast-forward to today, and online chatter reveals the glow-up didn't last. "Did the chicken sandwich get worse?" one user asked on Reddit, sparking an echo chamber of disappointed cyber-sighs.

Turns out, the once-legendary sandwich might have peaked too soon. One commenter dropped the hypothesis that the original sandwich was supposed to be a limited-time deal, meaning the magic wasn't meant to be sustainable. When it became a permanent menu item, fans noticed corners being cut. "The sandwich you're getting now is probably considerably lower quality than the original version," someone lamented.

From more lackluster breading to smaller pieces of chicken, the online verdict isn't looking too hot for the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. Basically, the Popeyes sandwich has gone from Beyoncé-level hype to reunion-tour energy. It's still technically the same, but the sparkle's gone.

When a brand tries to step too far from its wheelhouse, the results can be really bad. Like, crash and burn bad. That said, remember when, of course, the Starbucks chicken sandwich failed? Well, the disappointment continues with the Starbucks Tomato & Mozzarella on Focaccia. A hopeful darling for the grab-and-go case, the sandwich has flopped, and Reddit is not holding back.

Photos circulating online of the latest version as of 2025 show bread that's more Sahara than sourdough (yes, it's that dry) and a filling that looks like someone forgot the actual tomato and mozzarella. "How to chase away your customers by being a cheap-a** with the fillings in [one] easy step!" one frustrated fan wrote on Reddit, perfectly summarizing the miffed mood.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Starbucks employees don't make the sandwiches onsite. Instead, they warm up frozen sandwiches that are delivered in bulk. In other words, that $7 sandwich is less artisanal, handcrafted elite status and more heat-lamped corporate fodder. Longtime customers mourn what used to be (the nostalgic early-2010s version with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and actual flavor), with one lamenting, "Everything in 2025 is a trash version of its former self." We will let one final comment speak for itself on this issue: "Starsucks."

Wendy's has a nugget problem, and fans aren't letting it slide. One Reddit thread in mid-2025 began with a shocking confession from an employee: "Wendy's manager told me they switched the nuggets and that's why they look this way." Cue chaos.

The attached photo showed misshapen, soggy nuggets that looked like they'd been microwaved after a long night out. Customers immediately suspected foul (or "fowl") play. "First thing I thought was they went out and bought Banquet brand nuggets from the supermarket," one wrote. One complained that Wendy's had seemingly downgraded to more rubber-like nuggets before also declaring, "I wanna make a stink about it because I hate being lied to."

For a brand that prides itself on only using fresh, not frozen, meat regarding its beef, this is not the vibe. Devoted fans who used to defend Wendy's nuggets as elite-tier fast food are now considering switching teams. The consensus? Something's off. Whether it's a supplier switch, a recipe tweak, or a full-on identity crisis, Wendy's nuggets are giving Temu McNugget energy, and Reddit's just not having it.

KFC's mashed potatoes used to be the stuff of comfort food legend. Creamy, peppery, and just downright primo, they were the glorious glue that held your meal together. But lately, fans say the famous side tastes more like instant mush than mashed tater transcendence. "It's like mashed potatoes aren't real anymore," one Reddit user wrote, adding, "Now it's like a sticky powder with potato flavoring."

Even the once-thick and flavorful gravy is apparently watered down nowadays. Users have claimed that it lacks the authentic flavor that once made it such a standout, with one fan reminiscing about the '90s when it was "a flavor explosion." The gravy drama doesn't end there. KFC apparently started pouring it directly on the potatoes instead of giving it on the side in some locales, and fans are livid. "I had nothing left for my biscuits," one person complained on Reddit, with another accusing the chain of reducing waste as an excuse for cost-cutting. Yes, that means fewer containers, but it also means more angry customers.

The new KFC experience? Half the gravy, double the disappointment. At this point, people are reminiscing about instant mashed potatoes from the store, and that is definitely not a good sign for Colonel Sanders' legacy.

Dairy Queen should probably stick to Blizzards. Fans say its crispy chicken sandwich is a certified skip. The issue can be encapsulated by one single word: precooked. An online thread started when a Reddit user posted about biting into a "pink-looking" chicken sandwich and panicking. Employees jumped in to clarify that the chicken is pre-cooked and frozen, then reheated. "If it's not cooked all the way through," one explained, "the middle will still have a little pink tinge and it'll be cold." Comforting...

Plenty of fast food fans have claimed that the sandwich is a fast food item you may want to skip. Honestly, it feels lowkey like it could be Dairy Queen's biggest flop since the infamous parent-shaming ad attempting to be cute. (Spoiler alert: it wasn't.) If you want a sandwich that tastes like cafeteria chicken, by all means, go for it! For the rest of the world, it is needless to say this chicken sammy has ruffled some feathers, and Dairy Queen seems dangerously close to losing its crown.

Some things just shouldn't exist, and Subway's chicken salad might be one of them. According to  alleged employees, this "salad" is basically just a disappointing pairing of rotisserie chicken mixed with mayo. That's it. "It's nasty and embarrassing to even serve," said one Subway worker on Reddit.

Subway employees (and fans of the old Orchard Chicken Salad) nearly wrote a eulogy while lamenting its modern-day replacement. "We've already [thrown] over five pounds out," one said. Others echoed the sentiment, with most branding the chicken hodge-podge in pretty bleak terms. "Nobody f***s with Subway's chicken salad," said one blunt reviewer on Reddit. Many stores reportedly stopped selling it altogether because no one bought it, and it would go bad in the meantime. In other words, it faces fast food exile.

Even diehard chicken salad loyalists couldn't defend it. "I love chicken salad," one wrote. "But, ours... that isn't chicken salad lol." The internet consensus is that this one belongs in the trash bin, right next to yesterday's stale sub loaves.

Lately, the guacamole at Chipotle might cost extra, but the drama is free with every order. Chipotle fans are exhausted after dealing with what can only be described as pure guac gaslighting. Some diners claim they have been repeatedly denied the guac that's supposed to come with their cheese quesadilla when ordered via mobile. "I even show them on the app," one customer fumed, "and then get the 'I'll give it to you this time, but I'm following up with my manager on this.'"

It's not just one rogue location, either. Customers from all over are comparing notes, and the inconsistency is maddening. For example, one confused Chipotle customer took to Reddit to note, "I was charged an additional $1.55 stated in receipt as 'side item,'" leaving all to wonder if prices went up again, or if people really just do not know the actual policy anymore.

Some magnanimously offered employees the benefit of the doubt, wondering if they're just encountering new cashiers who don't totally know what they're doing yet. But more cynical (or maybe just more realistic) regulars aren't buying it. "They are probably assuming that the only people that still go there are the people that are willing to pay anything just to eat Chipotle," one person cyber-sighed. At this point, the guac isn't the only thing that's inconsistent. It's Chipotle's entire vibe, and the collective we is clearly not feeling it.

Domino's may deliver pizza in 30 minutes or less, but their wings are seemingly delivering nothing but heartbreak. Social media is littered with sad photos of damp, pale wings lounging in plastic containers like they simply gave up halfway through the cook cycle. "Expectations were low," one diner wrote on Reddit, "but is this how they're supposed to be? Soggy yet minimal sauce." The answer, friend, is no.

Fans are united in their disgust. "I've never had wings from Domino's that weren't soggy AF," one said. The culprit seems to be the packaging, with those steamy little heat traps turning wannabe-crispy wings into moist messes. If you are still unclear, one reviewer nailed it: "It was like a wet fake-smoke-added chicken nugget on a bone."

Some customers have vowed never to stray from pizza into wings territory at Domino's again. A few even raised suspicions of corporate corner-cutting. When even those with admittedly low expectations are disappointed, you know it's rough out there. Maybe Domino's should stick to what it does best (pizza, duh), because any way you slice it, these wings just did not fly.