Note to Wendy's

[yendi]

Regarding the Baconater:

Cutting three strips of bacon in half does, technically, make six strips of bacon, in the "satisfying the lawyers" interpretation.

It does not, however, make six strips of bacon in the "satisfying the bacon fanatics" sense.

Also, the bacon on the sandwich, as served in your restaurants, is limp and flavorless (and sure as hell isn't cooked to order, even though you proudly run commercials decrying the idea of food sitting around). It's all but overwhelmed by the runny "cheese," mayo, and catsup. And the bacon is never thick or long enough to actually poke out of the burger as it does in your picture.

Which makes that commercial you run about the guy obsessed with bacon liking this thing really misleading.

(All findings, incidentally, are based on an admittedly small sample of two meals at the Central Square Wendy's.)

Comments

[angryvixen.livejournal.com]

The one Baconater I had was disappointing as well. My husband got one a few weeks later and hated it too. I'm especially disappointed considering they replaced my favorite, the Big Bacon Classic, with that. I mean, it's just a lot of beef and no flavor. The BBC at least had lettuce and tomato on it and wasn't so overwhelmingly beefy.

Oh, and look, there's an online petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/wendybbc/petition.html) trying to save the Big Bacon Classic. Too funny. Glad to know I'm not the only one upset by its removal from the menu boards.

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

Oh no, the Central Sq Wendy's is the Wendy's of the Damned. They suck. Lynx has had the baconater a few times and thinks it's one of the best fast food burgers he's had. I, as you know, am a freak who hates bacon, and will not go near the thing.

[crwilley.livejournal.com]

I had a Baconator just last night, with more or less the same thoughts: "Gosh, those aren't six strips of bacon; they're six half-strips of bacon. And they've been swimming in enough ketchup to drown a six-year-old."

I think I'll stick with my junior bacon cheeseburgers, which come with a tomato slice instead of nasty red goop.

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

The Central Square Wendy's is not to be considered edible by many of the folks that live here. If you must have a burger in Central Square go to the Tavern on the Square. They will make your burger to order and it will not have undesired condiments.

(I don't do red meat myself these days, but I have dined with folks who are and who have ordered their burgers. They also can make a damn good turkey burger).

[murnkay.livejournal.com]

Wait you mean a fast food joint lied about how its food looked and tasted?

Say it ain't so!

[ydnic.livejournal.com]

I've been very very disappointed in the quality of Wendy's over the last two years or so...

[yendi]

I know! I'm shocked, too.

[yendi]

I just ate at the Porter Tavern in the Square, and it was nice. I've never eaten burgers there, but I had the stuffed bacon burger at Joshua Tree (same owners, I think), and it was damned fine.

[yendi]

Most fast food disappoints me, but this one actually created decent expectations.

[yendi]

I'm taking it one step further, and simply avoiding Wendy's completely.

[yendi]

"freak who hates bacon" is a redundant phrase.

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

Sure, but I at least wanted to let you know that I've accepted my freak status.

[yendi]

The BBC was much better. I'd forgotten about that one. Still, they need to up the quality of the bacon regardless of what burger they use.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

The BBC is gone?

I avoid the place like the plague, but, when forced to go, that's what I'd eat.

On a whole, I'd rate their burgers as slightly above McDonalds in quality (i.e. not much), and well below gourmet food (i.e. BK), which also doesn't have a surplus of quality hanging about it.

[harold3.livejournal.com]

The baconater at the st. augustine wendy's off of US1 was outstanding. Course I ordered it with extra bacon. First and only time I've had it and it rocked. It's probably a store to store quality control issue.

[angryvixen.livejournal.com]

Yes, sadly it is gone. That was my favorite burger there. I went one day to get one, craving it madly, and saw the Baconater combo in its place. When they asked for my order, I weakly asked if the BBC was still available and was told that the Baconater was the same thing. I looked at the picture on the menu board and replied, "Uh, no it's not." And lo, there was much gnashing of teeth.

That was the only thing I'd eat there too. I barely ever go anymore since it's gone.

[angryvixen.livejournal.com]

What's weird is the bacon on my BBC was always much crispier and fresh than what I have seen on the Baconater. I'm wondering if they changed up their bacon habits when they switched burgers. But agree with you, there's no excuse for limp, flavorless bacon. That is a sin punishable by the yanking out of fingernails in my opinion!

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

For some strange, odd, unknown reason, many of my co-workers who lunched with me began to point out how all the places we lunched had a burger named after me on the menu even though they didn't often (or ever, really) print it out there.

Someone who didn't often go to lunch with us would ask me what I was having and someone else would answer: "Oh, he's having an Everett burger."

Bacon, cheddar (mostly, unless they didn't offer that choice), and barbecue sauce on the side (if they didn't offer it on the burger itself).

If you're ever in the Lehigh Valley, Chess n' Checkers on Airport Road has one of the best Everett burgers I've ever had. And Starters Riverport in Bethlehem has an Everett burger with bison (great!) or Kobe beef (even better!) Jack Creek (Bethlehem & Easton) has a pretty decent offering, and even discounts it heavily at lunch if you buy two items off the lunch menu.

Unfortunately, the larger chains don't fare so well. Red Robin does okay with the Banzai burger (sub in bison). Even though Ruby Tuesday's took off the Smokehouse Bison (aka Everett burger), you can still order it that way. Friday's has the Jack Daniels burger which is almost the Everett burger.

Applebees - once a favorite - now ranks somewhere below Burger King and above Wendy's. Or maybe lower.

Is it too much to ask for a good burger? Oy.

[angryvixen.livejournal.com]

I'm partial to Ruby Tuesday's triple prime burger. It's the juiciest, tastiest burger I've ever sunk my teeth into, and I love it.

I doubt I'll ever be up your way (I'm in Georgia), but if I ever am, I'll try to remember where to get a good burger. We did just recently get a Red Robin, and I've been wanting to try it out at the suggestion of others who have had them in their area for a while. Hopefully I won't be let down.

[glowkitty]

It was pretty gross here, too.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

If you can find anywhere that does real Kobe burgers (or steak), give them a try. Starters has been doing them for a while, and a couple of other local places are starting to carry them.

They should cost about twice what other burgers do or they're probably imitation Kobe! The real stuff can go for upwards of $30 a pound, ground. =)

[ydnic.livejournal.com]

I'd actually had fairly good luck with Wendy's up until then. Lately, their fries have been pathetic. Another lunch option off the roster...

[kellirose1313.livejournal.com]

Add my two experiences down here in South Florida as well. Limp, lifeless half strips of bacon on one. The second time I got 1 half peice and one long peice folded over and that's it. I've given up on ordering it since these were two completely seperate locations as well.
If you want amazing bacon get any sandwich from Checkers (if they're available by you), expecially the BLT (not on the menu but available if asked). You get real thick yummy strips of bacony goodness everytime.

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

Hey, is your icon from You Can't Do That On Television?

[glowkitty]

Indeedy it is. I thought it was somewhat appropriate for the post (despite the awful joke I made out of it in the text).

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! I haven't thought about that show for YEARS!

[jafinnola.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had the same reaction.
Bacon on a hamburger should be crisp and full of flavor not like a bad date. ;^)

[thejunebug.livejournal.com]

I watched a show once about marketing, and how they make food appear like that on TV. Basically, they are not allowed to use anything than what appears in the "real" burger- so what you see IS what you get. However, on TV they construct it a little more "creatively":

1. Usually a small triangle is cut from the burger itself, in the back. The burger is then spread open, so that it looks bigger and shows under the bun more.
2. The ketchup, mustard, etc, is squeezed around outside the meat patty, to make it look as if there's a lot of ketchup, mustard etc being squished out of the burger.
3. All lettuce, bacon, cheese, etc is layered on the front/outside of the burger to make it look so big that it's literally poking out the sides. There is essentially nothing in the middle of the burger.
4. A lot of the time the sesame seeds on the buns are glued on so they stay in place.
5. Everything is held together by toothpicks.

Also, note in most burger commercials you don't see the inside of the "display" burger, nor do you see the complete burger- just one side or one half.

[nishar.livejournal.com]

They suck at our local Wendy's too. Ever since Dave died Wendy's has been going downhill.