You Should Never Order A Baked Potato At Wendy's. Here's Why

You can get a burger and fries anywhere that has a drive-thru — a baked potato, though, is a fast-food option exclusive to Wendy's. Available plain, or with a variety of tempting toppings, ranging from Sour Cream and Chive, to Chili & Cheese, a potato can pose as either a hearty side dish, or moderately-sized meal (via Wendy's). First introduced in the 1980s, and seen as a "healthy" option, the Wendy's baked potato has remained popular even as Americans have come to view the starchy vegetable with scorn in favor of a lower-carb diet, according to Fox News. The quick-service joint famous for the Frosty and chili sells approximately 1 million baked potatoes a week.

But before you get a tater with your takeout, be warned that Wendy's employees have shared some unsavory stories about what really goes on behind the scenes of potato prep. Tales of everything from poorly-cooked tubers to unhygienic storage abound.

If you're making yourself a baked potato at home, the easiest option is to microwave it; the traditional baking method can take an hour. But we all know that a hot, foil-wrapped, fresh-from-the-oven potato is going to taste better than one you nuked for a few minutes, which is why many of us who are having urgent spud cravings head to Wendy's. The official word from Lori Estrada, Wendy's VP of culinary innovation, is that the chain uses ovens to prepare this menu item (via Thrillist). A former employee on Reddit, however, warns they might not always be freshly oven-baked, saying, "If you come during/at the end of a lunch or dinner rush and you order a baked potato, there's a decent chance you're getting a microwaved potato."

While you're chewing on that revelation, here's one that may make you lose your appetite: Another former employee said on Reddit the potatoes at the Wendy's where he worked were "stored on the ground and mopped around every day."

Each Wendy's is different, and perhaps the one near you would never serve microwaved or floor potatoes. Still, here's a heads up: You might not be able to order them. Jessica White, assistant manager at a Wendy's, admitted on Quora, "The most typical reason to run out if potatoes is poor planning. At most locations they take about an hour to cook, so if you loose [sic] track or you're not paying attention, you will run out."

While you're chewing on that revelation, here's one that may make you lose your appetite: Another former employee said on Reddit the potatoes at the Wendy's where he worked were "stored on the ground and mopped around every day."

Each Wendy's is different, and perhaps the one near you would never serve microwaved or floor potatoes. Still, here's a heads up: You might not be able to order them. Jessica White, who is the assistant manager at a Wendy's, admitted on Quora, "The most typical reason to run out if potatoes is poor planning. At most locations they take about an hour to cook, so if you loose [sic] track or you're not paying attention, you will run out." Another Wendy's employee on the forum agreed that it can be difficult to anticipate how many potatoes will be needed on any given day. "Another possibility is that they just had a buttload of people order potatoes all in a short period of time (this happens a lot in the winter, or when several of the 'regulars' who always order a potato or two each come in right after each other.) Since they take so long to cook, all it takes sometimes is one streak of multi-potato orders to wipe out the whole supply before the new potatoes are done," explained Eddie Lee.

Potatoes aren't the only ingredient Wendy's sometimes runs out of — the goodies that go on top of those taters can be in short supply as well. The Wendy's menu lists five different baked potato options: plain, sour cream and chive, cheese, bacon cheese, and chili & cheese (via Wendy's). This seemingly wide assortment is all talk according to one marketing blogger Moz, who was jonesing for a bacon cheese potato, only to be told that sour cream and chive was the only option — a response that prompted an outburst of profanity from this bacon-craving customer. "So, basically I drove all the way to Wendy's for the sole purpose of getting a bacon and cheese baked potato which was advertised on their website, only to find out that they don't carry those any more," the blogger raged, adding that this false advertising is the very example of a poor customer experience.

Others felt similar heartbreak when the chain removed the broccoli and cheese option from the menu. As one customer vented on Wendy's Facebook page, "Hey Wendy's the broccoli and cheese potato was literally the only thing I liked at your establishment and had been eating it for years. I wonder how many other customers you are [losing] because you decided to take 1 little item off your menu. Not that you care that I walked out the door at my local restaurant this evening. I'll never be back."