Why So Many People Can't Stand Jack In The Box

It was the year 1951 when the very first Jack In The Box popped open with a bang — pun intended. The company has been cranking ever since, growing steadily to become the familiar fast food franchise with the white faced, smiling jack mascot we all recognize. At well over 2,000 locations in 25 states, there are handfuls of consumers who hold love in their hearts (and stomachs) for the franchise and its products. But these warm feelings are certainly not held by everyone.

For as many customers that love their local Jack In The Box restaurant, there seems to be an equal amount of those that can't stand it, either. Despite the company's large and varied menu (which includes unique, interest-piquing items like mini tacos, sourdough burgers, and milkshakes with boba pearls), there are loads of consumers who remain chronically unimpressed by the restaurant franchise as a whole. So, why all the hate for the chain that has been serving up burgers, fries, and other beloved fast food staples for over 70 years? We did some digging to find out. From excessive price tags to inconsistent entrées to backed up drive-thrus and more, here's the real scoop on why so many people can't stand Jack In The Box.

"Can y'all still afford Jack?" reads the self-explanatory title of a Reddit discussion in which the poster describes prices they feel are skyrocketing at Jack In The Box. "I would order from Jack to save money and get a quick meal like every day a year and a half ago. Now it feels not worth it." Unfortunately, this single customer is not alone in their feelings. Threads questioning the "why" behind Jack In The Box's prices have been increasingly littering internet forums, with some going so far as to deem them astronomical.

While some eaters in these online forums have shared helpful tips for saving money on Jack orders, such as joining the company's loyalty rewards program or utilizing its coupons through the app, even these appear to have caused reproachful backfire among the consumer base. "I'm tired of the app dealio," said a frustrated customer on another Reddit thread discussing the issue, "just treat all your customers the same. Screw apps, coupons, etc. just give me that same deal without the extra work on my end. Bad business." Ouch. It appears that for some, Jack In The Box can do no right with its current price points and savings opportunities. While lowering the prices tags attached to its food overall would likely restore some of its lost loyalty among customers, we're not sure when — or if — we can expect this kind of reduction in real time.

We've likely all experienced the disappointing feeling of peeling open our bag of steaming food in the car to find we've only been given enough portable ketchups, honey mustards, or signature sauces to cover a few of our french fries. In the case of Jack In The Box, consumers consistently note that this sad, saucy reality is commonplace.

Forget employees casually throwing a handful of dipping sauce packets into your bag; according to both employees and customers on Reddit, Jack In The Box is notoriously stingy with its sauce packets. But this goes beyond being an unofficial, teasing act performed in good fun by workers — many employees report that there is an actual policy surrounding how much sauce they are authorized to hand out to patrons. One former worker on Reddit claimed that at his location, only one packet was to be handed out for free: any additional requested sauces came with an up-charge of 30 to 40 cents each. This report was further evidenced by a recent photo posted by another Reddit user that featured an actual "Sauce Policy" chart hanging in the window of a Jack In The Box drive-thru. We suppose we can understand how this slightly odd stringency would make the chain unappealing in the eyes of dip enthusiasts.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing, so when restaurant chains make changes to recipes or ingredients that their consumer base has grown accustomed to, they're often playing a dangerous game. In 2016, Jack In The Box bravely teetered out onto the ledge of change with a brand new bun to encase its burgers. The original, classic seeded bun was out; a brand new, smooth split-top bun was in.

Unfortunately, it appears that this is when some consumers' loyalty to the chain was shattered for good. The bun change of 2016 inspired much controversy among Jack In The Box eaters, with many who had grown up devouring the seedy buns lamenting over the swap. One customer on change.org started a petition, calling the new buttered buns a "monstrosity" while clamoring for the classic variant to be brought back. Sadly, it appears these complaints fell on deaf ears: Jack In The Box has stood faithfully by its new buns, and the seeded ones show no signs of returning to the menu. We have to believe the company has acted in its own best interest in this case — but as it stands, there are those who have lost their taste for its burgers as a result.

With the percentage of consumers desiring plant-based alternatives steadily increasing, many fast food chains are hopping on board with vegan and vegetarian entrées — including burger joints. From Burger King's Impossible Whopper to the McDonald's McPlant, plant-based patties are slowly finding their place among the beef ones on modern fast food menus. However, when it comes to Jack In The Box, meat burgers continue to dominate, making for a less-than-inviting dining scene for many vegetarian and vegan consumers.

Despite many of its burger-based competitors opting to provide an alternative for plant-based customers, Jack In The Box's menu remains void of any vegetarian or vegan-safe patty options. In fact, there are currently no vegetarian entrées offered at the franchise at all. The closest one can get is the Chicken Teriyaki Bowl which becomes vegan, of course, only after the consumer requests that the chicken be removed. While there are a few sides that are considered safe for plant-based eaters, such as the french fries or the applesauce pouches, they have not been made vegan intentionally. We'd say it's understandable how the sheer lack of inclusion in this case could be considered a turn-off for those avoiding meat and animal by-products.

If there's one thing that many eaters consider majorly distasteful, it's an overload of grease. A soaked-through, soggy bag can render a dish immediately unappetizing. And in the case of Jack In The Box, unpleasant run-ins with grease happen far too often according to grossed-out consumers.

Numerous threads on online platforms such as Quora, Reddit, and Tripadvisor exist calling out Jack In The Box for extra greasy food, with some going so far as to reference an off-putting, gritty texture to some of the items. In addition to making food feel slippery, wet, and heavy, consuming too much grease can cause less-than-enjoyable symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, or bloating in the short term. In addition, since grease adds a higher-than-normal calorie count to meals, foods coated in it can also lead to obesity in the longer term. No wonder many health-conscious consumers maintain some serious reservations regarding Jack In The Box's greasy reputation.

It's a scenario serious enough to make your growling stomach drop with horror. You pull up to your favorite fast food restaurant, ready to order that item you are craving above all else, only to find that it has been slashed from the menu without warning. While product discontinuations are a normal part of the restaurant industry, they are undoubtedly disappointing to say the least. Some consumers can be so put off by them, in fact, that they stop wanting to frequent the restaurant in question for good, as has been the case with some previous Jack In The Box fans.

Jack In The Box, with its long-standing presence, has cycled through many products over the years — and their subsequent cancellations have been a little too hard to swallow for handfuls of once-loyal eaters. From sriracha sandwiches to mini beef burgers to chicken melts and more, the list of discontinued items by Jack In The Box is long and distinguished Some consumers admit they haven't felt the desire to return since their leaving. Still, there is a hint of good news here: employees insist that Jack In The Box is notorious for rotating items frequently according to the season and needs of the company. This means that if you're missing your favorite item, there's still a chance it could be brought back. Then who knows? You may find yourself in a position to reconsider a stop, after all.

Having an open-at-all-hours policy is a great way to rack in traveling or night-shift-working customers who need a place to stop and grab a meal when the rest of the world is closed — and Jack In The Box's website, as well as many of its store windows, proudly state that it serves meals 24 hours a day. However, some consumers report that despite this assurance, the chain has not come through for them when they've attempted to stop at the chain during off-hours ... and it has put a decidedly distrusting aura around the alleged 24/7 policy.

Multiple Reddit users have called out their local Jack In The Box locations for being closed at seemingly unpredictable times overnight. In these discussions, alleged employees admit that many stores have break times built in, where there is limited staff working and patrons can be served via the drive-through only. Some locations, others claim, will close completely and turn their machines off for a period of one to two hours during the slowest times of night. These closures appear highly dependent upon location — and at some, they appear not to happen at all. This unpredictability can make stopping at an unknown Jack In The Box location a little difficult if you often find yourself traveling overnight and needing food; so, we can't blame anyone if they choose to opt for another, more reliable 24/7 chain for their midnight hunger.

Part of the appeal of fast food is that customers can get their order — well, fast. A restaurant claiming to be fast food that doesn't adhere to this innately-professed promise of speed may have a bit of a hard time hanging onto customers. Unfortunately, it appears that Jack In The Box may be making some patrons question their allegiance to the franchise on this very basis alone.

Complaints of long wait times are reported on regularly in regard to Jack In The Box across online platforms, inspiring thread titles such as "Why Is The Drive Thru So Slow At Jack In The Box?" or "Waiting in the DRIVE THRU [...] It's already 10 minutes past pick up time. Is this normal?" One Reddit discussion, in particular, featured a frustrated customer claiming to have waited an entire hour for their order — and a few alleged employees blamed the poor service on staffing and management issues. Whatever the reason for some of Jack In The Box's locations having extended wait times, the reality is that it has made the chain downright unattractive to some patrons. We can't say we blame them in this case — the title of fast food promises fast, after all. 

One of the pros of dining at a chain restaurant is consistency: that is to say, you know exactly what you're going to get when you order a company's signature burger, chicken sandwich, quesadilla, or dessert brownie no matter where you are in the world. While slight regional menu differences at fast food chains such as McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, or — yes — Jack In The Box can sometimes be found, the taste and quality of their products remain relatively standard across the board. At least, they're supposed to, that is.

In the case of Jack In The Box, customers frequently point out major consistency issues between locations. Some claim that while there are decent Jack locations that put out persistently tasty food, there are also some disappointing ones that send out products that are bland and unappealing — a fact that makes things difficult when ordering between cities or state lines when you're seeking a familiar bite. Additionally, some allege that this lack of consistency extends to the way in which each location is operated, with the level of efficiency with which orders are handled differing at every store. While unfortunate for those Jack In The Box locations operating at peak tastiness and timeliness, there's no doubt that the chain's reputation of inconsistency as a whole has given some cause to avoid stopping.

E. Coli is a bacteria that is often found normally in the guts of animals, but there are some strains that are extremely dangerous to humans upon exposure. These types are often found in infected vegetables or undercooked ground meat. In the 1990s, a string of infected, undercooked Jack In The Box burgers containing the notoriously nasty E. coli O157: H7 bacteria infected the masses.

The Jack In The Box E.Coli outbreak of 1993 caused over 700 children and adults in four different states to fall ill. Four people died, and others acquired permanent organ and brain damage as a direct result of the infection. The outbreak was so severe, it has gone down in history as an event that changed the way Americans consume fast food forever, helping to secure the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010.

Given the severity and public trauma surrounding this incident, it's no wonder that older millennial consumers have never forgotten it. Many in online threads and discussions have expressed their inability to eat at Jack In The Box (or any fast food restaurant, for that matter) for years following the outbreak ... and some still cannot. Even thirty years later, many consumers — in particular, those who personally knew or saw an individual who fell ill — are too terrified to allow the franchise's products onto their plates. 

If there's one thing that can be said for Jack In The Box, it's that the chain has a very large, varied menu. From waffle sticks to creamy milkshakes to spicy tacos and beyond, there's likely to be something to satisfy your craving up for grabs on the menu at any given point. But having a lot of food options doesn't necessarily mean that they will be slam dunks. According to consumers, while Jack In The Box might score an A+ in the way of choices, its overall grade for taste and quality falls much lower on the scale.

On a Reddit post titled, "Why is Jack-in-the-box so hated as a fast food restaurant?" the user points out that they have never heard anyone declare Jack In The Box their favorite fast food chain. "They're a Jack of all foods, master of none," replied a user cheekily in the discussion — giving voice to the seemingly often-held opinion that the company maintains a mere average ranking among fast food chains when it comes to customer satisfaction. Taste is subjective, however; if you're one of those enthusiastic Jack In The Box fans, don't be dissuaded by the naysayers. Continue to rep your preferred restaurant proudly, and we wish you all the best with your next Jack In The Box taco order.