The Beloved Wendy's Side That's Back On Menus

Wendy's talks a lot about its burgers. They're "fresh," "never-frozen," and most importantly, they're square. In all fairness, Wendy's burgers have earned spots next to the Quarter Pounder and the Whopper in the fast-food burger hall of fame (should such a thing exist) and to say that they aren't popular would be an outright lie. But one can not build a restaurant on beef alone. A good restaurant can not only hook the customers with its main course but with its side dishes too — and Wendy's seems to aim to do both.

For example, Reader's Digest tells us that Wendy's is one of the few fast-food chains to sell baked potatoes, which remain popular thanks to their relative nutritiousness compared to other fast-food sides. Wendy's also serves chili, a side dish that was born from a mixture of innovation and budget-cutting back in 1969. Of course, we can't talk about the sides you get at Wendy's without mentioning its fries. Supposedly revamped to be more "hot and crispy" than competitor's French fries (via HypeBeast), Wendy's fries have come in many different varieties over the years. Perhaps the one you'd most recognize is the Baconator fries, which are the classic fries soaked in cheese sauce and chopped bacon.

Another popular variety that is making (or has already made) its return to menus across the nation are fries that, while similar to the Baconator variety, offer a more savory profile than plain cheddar cheese. Think of it as Wendy's take on pub food.

According to TheStreet, Wendy's has brought back its Pub Fries to accompany its Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger. Similar to the Baconator fries, the Pub Fries are covered in cheese sauce, cheddar cheese, and bacon, but use a special "beer cheese" sauce rather than the usual cheese sauce. The first time Pub Fries made an appearance on its menu was back in 2020 (via ChewBoom). But what is it about the Pub Fries that makes them so beloved? Could a simple change in cheese sauce really make all the difference?

YouTube reviewer Must or Bust reviewed the Pub Fries in September 2020. He noted that the beer cheese sauce has a very smokey flavor that combines well with the cheddar cheese, and the large amount of toppings more than makes up for the relatively small amount of fries you get. While there is a generous amount of toppings included, it would seem that not everyone likes this ratio of toppings-per-fry. One Reddit user called the fries a soggy mess — although this may have been because the fries were inside a sealed container — noting that they would have preferred cold but crispy Pub Fries compared to the warm, soggy ones.

While Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger has been deemed a "fan favorite" by Wendy's themselves, it seems that there are some who enjoy the fries more than others. If you want to try them for yourself, it's suggested that you go get them sooner rather than later.