I don’t eat fast food frequently but I have always felt like there is a time and a place for it. I am aware that I will likely get a few scoffs for writing a review on a fast food chain for a foodie blog but I have had Wendy’s on my radar for years. Even during my two visits to the USA, Wendy’s has somehow managed to escape me, which is a shame as I have heard that it is one of the better fast food franchises available from the states.
When I heard that Wendy’s was opening in Cambridgeshire my ears immediately pricked up. It was certainly going to be cheaper than going back to America to try and it’s always good to have more choice in the market. As Wendy’s is quite rare in the UK, the foodie box ticker in me couldn’t resist visiting.
I have always wondered whether it really made much difference which fast food outlet I visited. A lot of people would tell you that they are all the same. Could Wendy’s really offer anything which Burger King and McDonalds didn’t already? There is not a huge difference between the ones which are already in the UK, so what makes Wendy’s think that they could muscle into the British market?
There is only one way to find out!
Upon arriving, the place was very new and clean. It looks like this venue was built exclusively for Wendy’s. The place was a little sterile but certainly better than the public toilet design of Five Guys. It was incredibly spacious and they had a good amount of seating available.
Looking at the menu, there was a fairly standard choice when compared to other fast food joints. Burgers (which were square), bacon burgers, chicken burgers, and nuggets. They offered Cesar salad which was a nice touch, as well as chili portions and curried bean burgers. Nothing revolutionary but a few little things which might interest people. Considering that Wendy’s is right next to a Burger King and a Subway, you may want to visit for the Cesar salad or the curried burger.
Prices came to £21 for two meal deals. This comes to about the same price as Burger King, which comes to around a tenner for one of their Memphis burgers or other specialist meals.
I went for the “baconator” which boasts to be a half pound of British beef, American cheese, and 6 pieces of Applewood smoked bacon. As expected, the burger was square but the roll was still round. I’m not really sure what this offered but what the hey!
Wendy’s proudly boasts that they never freeze their burgers, which is something other fast food joints cannot say. I must admit, my wife and I did agree that the burgers tasted more meaty and less greasy than other rivals. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it. Sizes were slightly smaller than Burger King but larger than McDonald’s burgers.
I also noticed that the lettuce used in my wife’s burger looked incredibly green and fresh, something I don’t think I have seen at a fast food outlet before. Usually all vegetation looks incredibly sad in fast food.
The chips were excellent. They still had their skins on and were very salty. Just the way I like em! They were certainly my preference over McDonald and Burger King chips. There is an unlimited supply of ketchup but mayo and BBQ sauce was 30p extra.
Wendy’s brioche style burger buns are also my favourite out of the other fast food chains. Burger King, for example, has a very dry and flakey seeded bun which more often than not collapses towards the end of the meal. I had this experience with Burger King only the other day while at Addenbrookes hospital, and it is not very pleasant.
The drinks machines give you a wide choice of sodas which ranged all the way from Dr Pepper, Coca cola, Fanta, and Sprite. This is fairly standard with other fast food outlets but the difference here is that they let you mix different flavours like vanilla and cherry into your drinks. Better yet, you get unlimited refills! This is very common with places such as Five Guys but isn’t offered anywhere else from Wendy’s rivals.
Me being me, I decided to try and have some fun by trying to make the most disgusting mix possible. The best I could come up with is a vanilla sprite 😂🤮 Good times!
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Wendy’s. It’s a little more expensive than McDonald’s which will always remain the value king of fast food but you will notice a significant quality boost for the extra money at Wendy’s.
Wendy’s hovers around the same prices as Burger King and Five Guys. It’s interior and overall experience is aesthetically similar to Five Guys and offers the same kind of quality. This, I feel, is the kind of fast food establishment which you should be thinking of when looking at Wendy’s.
I feel Wendy’s can really hurt Burger King as it offers better quality at the same price. Especially since Wendy’s is right next door to the one in Brampton. Wendy’s also offers some different choices where Burger King has a very tired and generic menu and does not even have a drinks machine.
Have you been to Wendy’s? What do you think? Can I survive in a very competitive fast food market?
The Cambridge Foodies 