Wendy's set to return to UK High Streets

I love Wendy’s!

I always get the Dave’s Double or Triple, large fry, and a large Frosty. So delicious!

Wendy's is America's second largest burger chain? I would have thought it was Burger King.

[QUOTE]What fresh hell is this that you're exporting to us? Square Burgers? Is that like Lorne sausage or something?

Way better burgers than McDonald’s, that’s what.

I like them all R3. But Burger King is my absolute fave.

Burger King does make a nice burger. I like their new Sour Dough King. But I only get nuggets, fries and breakfast sandwiches from McDonald’s.

What is Lorne sausage?

I’m old enough to remember there was a Wendy’s near Leicester Square in the 80s. Five Guys is a more recent invader with several locations. KFC, McDs, BK, Taco Bell, Krispy Kreme, Domino’s, Papa John’s, Subway etc. The way the US has exported terrible food around the globe is pretty amazing. Chick Fil A was sent packing after about 6 months after their first UK location opened due to protests of their gay-hating ways.

Five Guys is good though.

Wendy's.

So Americans can feel at home whilst overseas duh !

I must be weird because I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those overseas. Most people are comfortable with the food they know. I know a lot of Brits who only eat at British pubs or Indian places while overseas too. You don't see a lot of Asians eating Italian, etc.

BK commercials are hotter.

Nothing is better than Clara Peller in the Wendy's commercial! She's the ultimate hottie.

"Madam, this is a Wendy's"

I love dipping my triple into my Frosty. Fries too.

Wendy’s is better than McDonalds and Burger King, OP. By far, actually.

I like the square patties.

What r16 said. If I have to eat fast food like that, I'd choose Wendy's.

I prefer BK because of the Impossible Whopper. Before they had a (not very good) veggie burger. I appreciate that BK keeps menu items for veggie folks. Wendys-never cared for their greasy burgers.

This is modern American imperialism.

[Quote]Wendy's is America's second largest burger chain? I would have thought it was Burger King.

I thought so too. But they closed quite a few franchises pre-pandemic. One in my neighborhood closed ~ 2 years ago. The quality was not good (the flame broiler moved too fast so the burgers were cold in the center, not tepid, cold). It got replaced by a gigantic Starbucks.

R6, Loren sausage is sausage meat formed in a square loaf shape and then sliced and cooked. When it is good quality, it is delicious. Cheaper versions are disgusting.

^^. Lorne!

As far as fast food goes, Wendy's burgers are awesome and far fresher tasting than, say, Burger King. Their taco salads are also amazing. I also love that they offer baked potatoes. Their chicken offerings are lacking though.

I'm curious what the quality of the beef is like in UK/EU fast food places. I assume it's better quality, no hormones and no fillers. It never occurred to me to go to a fast food place when I traveled, except for Dunkin' Donuts for enormous take out coffee. Now, I would out of curiosity.

Blandest burgers and fries on earth.

r21 Sounds kind of like scrapple.

I love Wendy's baked potatoes, best thing about their menu along with their Chili.

Does UK have In-and-Out Burgers? It seems like the UK has all of the US fast food places. What about Pollo Loco or Carl's Jrs ?

Renamed Gwendolyn's.

Why are we still calling them UK High Streets when it’s basically Primark, Boots, William Hill, and a Tesco Express?

[quote]Does UK have In-and-Out Burgers? It seems like the UK has all of the US fast food places. What about Pollo Loco or Carl's Jrs ?

Most of the US doesn't even have In-n-Out. They don't franchise, and their territory is very limited.

Talk about overrated : In -n-Out.

Some great comments guys.

Thanks for your insights.

The UK is clearly a food desert and Wendy's is filling a gap. The lines for McDonalds last summer, when everything else was closed due to the pandemic, were massive.

New sandwich.

[quote] What fresh hell is this that you're exporting to us? Square Burgers? Is that like Lorne sausage or something?

0/10, OP. You're in the US and you know it. Stop posing.

It's 3:10am here dear.

Too late to argue with you.

It's funny - Burger King in the UK tastes a TON better than in the US. It's like how it used to taste 25-30 years ago.

Plus, for my British friends, Burger King was the go to because they had veggie burgers years and years ago. They never had them in the US until recently.

Wendy's and the UK is strange. This will be Wendy's third try. They operated in the UK from 1980-86, 92-2000, and now again.

I do like Burger King over McDonald's.

The UK "high street" is one of the biggest misnomers in the English language.

If some of DL's snobs could see the trash hanging around UK high streets, they'd come away with a new appreciation for trailer parks.

R40 In the US, we still say main street but it is rarely the main commercial street in town and in many places is the most depressed.

American fast food is generally revolting, and there is usually so much of it.

I had no idea Wendy’s was so popular. I always liked their frosted but ice cream is ice cream. As a vegetarian Burger King is my favourite.

What about a bacon butty, R43? Do you like those? Being in the UK and all, it must be staple. What about kippers? You must be eating kippers right now.

Do you have Culver's and Panda Express? That's the best of American fast food. (ducks.)

Although i haven't eaten at Wendy's for probably 2 or 3 years (at least), i would say i prefer their burgers, In N Out, Five Guys, Burger King and i no longer buy burgers from McDonalds.

I much prefer a Morton’s roll with Lorne and potato scone, or a bacon and Stornoway black pudding bap.

I vaguely remember a Wendy’s on Shaftesbury Avenue among the West End Theaters R7

Did not know they packed up shop and are now returning again. Just how many burger joints do people need anyway, especially old school ones? After all, isn't Shake Shack all the rage now?

[quote]0/10, OP. You're in the US and you know it. Stop posing.

oh, no! YOU're back!

You're a pain and a bore.

[quote] vaguely remember a Wendy’s on Shaftesbury Avenue among the West End Theaters [R7]

Yes, it was @ Cambridge Circus.

We also had Popeye's for a while in Leicester Square...and Cinnabon which was ridiculously over-priced.

I went to BK in Earls Court for the first time in years. My burger was so terrible I wish I'd had my camera.

Foods taste better in a lot of countries especially Europe because they have far stricter rules about additives and the processing of foods.

Why isn't white, cisgender female Wendy in line for cancellation?

R52 Because gingers are the one group of cis-gendered white people allowed to claim victim status.

[quote]Foods taste better in a lot of countries especially Europe because they have far stricter rules about additives and the processing of foods.

Yes

I remember McDonald's in Geneva, Suisse years ago and the quality was amazing - better than England by miles and better than the USA by a million miles.

Shit food from the shitter. And people who eat it deserve to die of painful and premature death.

R55 grew up ridin' the subways, talkin' that street talk...she's no tramp but she's no lady.

R54 When I lived in Switzerland, we used to take our American colleges there to eat sometimes. They'd be horrified at the prices, but delighted by the taste.

I bet fast food in the UK and elsewhere tastes SO MUCH BETTER than the U.S. On my one trip over to Europe, i never tried it because i was trying to take in the local flavor.

That is EXACTLY what we need: more fast food outlets providing unskilled slave-level work, the alimentary equivalent of plastic and a huge environmental impact from all the resources needed to keep these businesses running... Downright disgusting.

If these are the great opportunities that Brexit was meant to bring to the UK, we're truly and thoroughly screwed.

Wendy’s has the worst fries.

[quote]If these are the great opportunities that Brexit was meant to bring to the UK, we're truly and thoroughly screwed.

Talking of which, when we (England) WERE in the EU I always wondered why we didn't get more fast food places from EUROPE.

I rather fancy those Dutch places that are like the automat for example.

This is it, Febo

R60 i think In N Out and Five Guys have far worse fries than Wendy's. McDonald's is still the best for fries.

Gurl, where is you goin'?

FEBO!

i really wish we had flunch in London

I go all the time in France

$28 for crossiants? Burger King is out of his mind!

OMG, I love Wendy’s! You’re so lucky. I wish I could visit the UK for some fries and a Frosty.

I wonder if they will be national or just stay in London

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

R37, they had the BK Veggie in the US, going back to around 2000. It was discontinued when they changed to Impossible.

I don't think i ever saw a veggie burger on the BK menu but it's not like i frequented BK all that often (maybe less than once a year). I don't know if they didn't have it on the menu here in the US or it was just a limited time offer. I probably would have tried it. I see other countries offering Hamouli King "burgers," and i would totally try that as well. I'm not a vegetarian, but i do like vegetarian options. I'm not sure i want to try the Impossible burger as I've heard it's way over-processed. I am willing to re-visit that decision though.

American food exported to the UK always tastes worst. 5 Guys and Shake Shack in the USA are good, in the UK they’re mediocre.

It was just a basic grain-and-vegetable patty that wasn't meant to mimic meat, R70. At the end, I don't think it even appeared on the menu. You had to ask.

I always find it funny when Americans say that British food/cooking is bad. The one thing which unites the vast majority of Europhiles and most Brexiteers in the UK at the moment is the passionate desire not to have to accept US food standards as part of any trade deal.

Of course, Boris and Co would happily turn their own granny into a Wendyburger if it got them such a deal, so I await the outcome with trepidation.

r72 i love (most) veggie patties...i've probably only run into 1 or 2 veggie patties i HATED. I recently bought some brown rice & veggie patties that i couldn't even eat half of...it was horrible; i tried twice before i gave up. i've even made my own black bean & veggie patties, and i would appreciate this being more of an available option on our (restaurant) menus (not the Impossible burger stuff though).

It’s weird what you crave when you can’t have it. Last time I was in the US visiting family, I ate at Wendy’s, White Castle and Taco Bell after craving them for ages. It was crushing because nothing lived up to my twisted memory of it! My favourites at Wendy’s are the chili and Frosties. I’d rather see Whitey’s here in the UK given the choice. You can routinely find almost posh by comparison knock off Sliders as starters on menus but nothing like those eggy steamed monstrosities back home.

Anyway, it’s impossible to escape the ever increasing Americanism here even if you wanted to. One more thing.

BK has had veggie burgers since the mid-90s. A Hindi friend told me about it. It was not on the menu and you had to ask for it.

I distinctly remember a BK bean burger on the menu at the Leicester Square outlet in the early 1990s. I was part of a very hippie/granola crowd at school and many of us ate that bean burger.

What fast food workers refuse to eat.

When I went to Germany ten, fifteen years ago, I went to a McCafe, just to see what they offered. I had a strawberry cake which was actually pretty good. The rest of their bake good looked pretty good too. I had better in Germany since then. But even these factory made cakes and torts were much better than what is served in the US. Ingredients may be better, but the recipes seemed to emphasize less on sugar. The drinks were all forgettable though. The fake foamed milk makes me shudder everywhere around the globe.

I understand the negative feelings towards fast food chains in general R59 BUT if you're going to have them, Wendys is top notch. It just tastes fresh. They have a decent variety besides burgers and fries -- chilli, baked potatoes, salads, etc. Their "4 for 4" is a steal. Would cost at least $12 anywhere else.

The salads are good (claimed as fresh made), albeit pricey. Tastes better than a lot of restaurants though. Never recieved brown lettuce or tons of white chunks. The chicken is one of the freshest I've tasted. They also have fresh made (real) lemonade as a drink option.

Not sure why they accomplish what other chains can't, but they do. You can eat the nuggets without sauce. I knew a Wendy's driver and they paid extremely well -- I'm talking a top wage (like 75k with overtime options) and a schedule to die for (3 on 4 off). Could be fresher because they receive deliveries every night.

Tracey Ullman as a Wendy’s cashier during Wendy’s first UK tenure in 83 (30 second mark)

r47 Please translate for us colonials.

[quote]Why are we still calling them UK High Streets when it’s basically Primark, Boots, William Hill, and a Tesco Express?

I've heard of the other three, but I have no idea what a "William Hill" is.

William Hill is a bookies.

[quote] Not sure why they accomplish what other chains can't, but they do.

Because we are trained to accept fries as natural once they have at least twelve ingredients. Pure, unprocessed food is frowned upon. That's why In'n'out fries are not appreciated. They're just potatos.

Im Not in the uk but I thought Wendy’s was more on an Arby’s level in popularity.

R82, a Morton’s roll is a fresh, crispy white bread roll widely sold in Scotland. Lorne is, as has been mentioned, a lightly spiced sausage meat formed in a loaf tin and then sliced into evenly flat slices and grilled (a lot of fat comes out of these). The quality of Lorne varies from excellent to horrific: I prefer excellent. Potato scone is a mixture of flour, butter, salt and potato, formed into flat triangles and fried (preferably in butter. Place Lorne sausage and potato scone into the Morton’s roll, add ketchup or HP Sauce (optional) and serve with a large mug of tea.

A bap is the English word for a roll, and they are usually floury and soft in my experience. These are delicious when filled with salty, thick-cut bacon and stornoway black pudding (a type of blood sausage, but with more cereal and less blood than other types of blood sausage). The best kinds I have had are made in Stornoway (in the Western Isles), or in Lancashire (North of England.

Like haggis, black pudding will sound revolting if you read the Wikipedia article, but it is surprisingly delicious.

[...]

[quote]They'd be horrified at the prices, but delighted by the taste

Switzerland has the most expensive Big Macs in the world ($7.29). The US is in 4th place

Everything is extortionately expensive in Switzerland. It’s why Swiss people in border areas do lots of shopping in neighbouring countries.

Cheap supermarket black pudding is an abomination. Dry, mealy and tasteless. I go to the Outer Hebrides every summer, and I always bring back lots of Stornoway black pudding for friends.The supermarkets in Stornoway have massive fridge compartments just for black pudding. It is also sold by good quality butchers throughout Scotland.

In recent years it has been recognised by top chefs as a delicacy. It makes a delicious starter with grilled goat’s cheese and red onion marmalade.

I always buy Stornoway black pudding online or when I'm in Edinburgh. It's the best.

Bury black pudding is ok, but I much prefer the taste of Stornoway black pudding.

R89 It doesn't surprise me. When I lived in Fribourg, we used to have our American colleges over and take them out for lunch and dinner. They'd be horrified at how much it cost, so we'd just take them to Macdonald's next day and they'd be even more horrified about how much burgers were!

evil

It’s amazing to me that beef-focussed companies concentrate on the UK to grow their businesses. The whole country experienced a beef scare, many have moved on to chicken/fish/vegetarian/vegan lifestyles, but we’re going to throw our diabetes at them to grow a subsidized business.

And, for those not aware, Wendy’s is like a third higher in cost compared to McDonald’s or Burger King here in the States. Export those costs to a country where they pay a living wage for labor and heavier taxes on all the non-food shit the company has to import from the US. The prices are going to be ridiculous. Plus, I thought the UK hated gingers.

r85 it's not that - it's that they are always limp. And then when you ask for them well done, they are too crispy. the part that McDonalds does well is that the fries are blanched before they are frozen, and then when ready, they are dropped in the fryer. It's the twice-cooked method that makes the best fries. The ones at In-N-Out are too wet and that is why they are always too soggy. See article below for a better explanation.

No one likes soggy chips!

I wish you could get sausage rolls in the US, or pork pies!

I LOVE Wendy's. There are few where I live, so it's a real treat if I ever have it. You are very lucky, UK. I'd get rid of all the KFC's on the high streets and swap them for Wendy's.

OP Order the chilli, and ask for crackers and chilli sauce, (free but you have to ask). Then mix it all up.