Customer Reviews Warn: Worst Fast Food Chains

Fast food companies may not be the healthiest fare available, but they are typically inexpensive and readily available, which makes them convenient. Of course, convenience doesn’t count for everything, especially when you don’t feel like the fast food chains delivered the minimal value you were expecting. 

Although fast food is not considered fine dining, it’s reasonable to expect to get your money’s worth at least. However, we know from nearly 95,000 fast food reviews on PissedConsumer that this isn’t the case. Customer reviews about almost 600 fast food restaurants are strikingly similar in some ways. People complain about poor interactions with staff and issues with customer service. There may be some positive mention of tasty food or specialty food items at times, but those positive reviews don’t offset the complaints about staff being rude, inattentive, or simply nonprofessional.

So, what is the worst fast food place according to consumers? With thousands of reviews about terrible customer experiences, we’ve decided to dig through the data to find the worst fast food chains out there. 

• McDonald's
• Pizza Hut
• Taco Bell
• Domino’s Pizza
• Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen
• Little Caesars
• Subway
• Jack in the Box
• KFC
• Panera Bread
• Tips for fast food success

1. McDonald’s: Slow Service and Missing Items

Number of McDonald’s reviews: 10K
McDonald’s rating*: 2.1

As one of the most popular fast food restaurants, McDonald’s is a household name. The golden arches are easily recognized and are associated with quick burgers and fresh, crispy fries. In fact, location is one of the positive aspects mentioned in McDonald’s reviews. 

What do McDonald’s reviews say?

McDonald’s reviews don’t just mention convenient locations, however. The McDonald’s complaints focus on unprofessional service and rude treatment. Fast-food customers report “extremely slow service,” “poor management,” and “missing items” when sharing their experiences. They even write about raw meat being served in restaurant locations. In one review, a McDonald’s customer took only two bites of a quarter pounder cheeseburger before discovering that the meat was raw. 

The customer took pictures of the raw meat in her burger and went to the store to complain. The manager was resistant to hearing feedback about the burger, and the exchange ultimately devolved into personal comments. It goes without saying that the customer was dissatisfied with the raw meat, and certainly wasn’t impressed with McDonald’s customer service that day. 

2. Pizza Hut: Messed up Orders and Poor Customer Service

Number of Pizza Hut reviews: 8.2K
Pizza Hut rating: 2.1

With decades of history, Pizza Hut has developed from a table-top pizza joint to a home-delivery or to-go pizza model. Pizza Hut’s mission statement claims that they “take pride in making a perfect pizza” and they work to deliver “helpful service on time all the time” as reviewers note. While Pizza Hut’s delivery service and timelines may not always beat that of the worst food delivery services, they at least claim to be trying.

What do Pizza Hut reviews say?

Poor customer services, messed up orders, and unprofessional behavior are some of the most common issues mentioned in Pizza Hut reviews. At the same time, Pizza Hut gets things right and some customers do praise good food in their feedback.

This was not the case for one reviewer, however. In their Pizza Hut review, they explained that they ordered from the company for the first time and it delivered burnt breadsticks. Over the course of three phone calls with the company, she was increasingly displeased with how the store treated her and her concern, including using profanity directed at the client. This customer was not impressed and summed up:

I am more disgusted with the fact that corporate doesnt care about employees treating pain customers in this manner…Ive never heard of someone talking to a paying customer this way its like unbelievable!

3. Taco Bell: Bad Management and Service

Number of Taco Bell reviews: 6K
Taco Bell rating: 2.1

As a well-known fast food joint specializing in Mexican fare like burritos and tacos, Taco Bell brings different offerings to the convenience food industry. The company’s values include "providing fast, friendly, and accurate service." Is it really so? What do customer reviews tell us?

What do Taco Bell reviews say? 

The type of food and taste are often mentioned in the pros of Taco Bell reviews. However, there are plenty of negatives as well including bad management and poor customer service. Taco Bell customers note that in some locations they have experienced bad service with a bad attitude. 

One small business owner left a review about being frustrated by the lack of communication and the poor customer service at his local Taco Bell. Despite buying his landscaping crew in the restaurant every weekday, he was not able to sort out a problem with an order. 

In fact, after going back and forth with the management during five or six phone calls, he’s determined that it was the “last dollar I would spend there until this was fixed.” To date, the issue has not been resolved and the customer now drives farther away to a different location. 

4. Domino’s Pizza: Burnt Food and Rude Staff

Number of Domino’s Pizza reviews: 5.4K
Domino’s Pizza rating: 2.1

Another pizza chain, Domino’s Pizza claims to have the “humility and courage to embrace and lead change.” Clients and their satisfaction have become the company's priority. Let's look at what customer reviews have to say about it.

What do Domino’s Pizza reviews say? 

Some customers have noted the combination of convenient locations and good pizza at this establishment. Others, however, leave frustrated Domino’s reviews about poor customer service, burnt food, rude staff, and challenges when they need a refund. 

One disappointed customer ordered from Domino’s Pizza while she was at work. The pizza arrived at her home to feed her children but was burnt. Since it was the third time it had happened, the reviewer called the store to ask about solutions. The manager at Domino’s suggested the solution was to “come in to pick up my order from now on.” The reviewer was frustrated with “all the attitude” and wanted a credit on the order, but to date that has not occurred. 

5. Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen: Incomplete Orders and Slow Service

Number of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen reviews: 5.4K
Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen rating: 2.1

Originally founded in New Orleans, Louisiana, Popeye’s is a popular fried chicken restaurant serving mild and spicy varieties of customer favorites. Customers leave many reviews on PissedConsumer.com expressing their worries and certain disappointments. 

What do Popeyes reviews say? 

Popeyes reviews tell us that the restaurant does some things well, like serving good food and good chicken. Other areas, however, are concerns. Some customers complain about bad customer service and negative attitudes on the part of the employees. Others aren’t impressed with the food offerings. 

In her Popeyes review, one frustrated customer noted that the restaurant she ordered from was out of certain types of food before the dinner rush even started. She was already on the phone with customer service after driving away when she noted that it “certainly smelled like burnt chicken in my car” and found that the chicken she had paid for was burnt. She claims the service representative was focused on “training issues” at the store rather than solutions for the problem at hand and now 

I know I AM NEVER going back to Popeyes… Avoid Popeye’s the way you did Covid.

6. Little Caesars: Bad and Rude Customer Service

Number of Little Caesars reviews: 4.5K
Little Caesars rating: 2.3

Another pizza joint joining the list of worst fast food restaurants, Little Caesars offers cheap pizza to-go. With their hot and ready offerings, customers can walk in, grab a freshly made pizza, and be out the door almost immediately. 

What do Little Caesars reviews say? 

Customers praise the good pizza and affordable prices in their Little Caesars reviews.

But not every review is positive. People note poor customer service at the restaurants and at the company in general. They also report a poor quality of food and difficulties in ordering. In the review, one customer explained that they ordered from a store in Miami that had raised prices and promised more pepperoni. 

Instead, the customer complained that there was very little tomato sauce or cheese and that they were not able to speak to the store manager due to language barriers. Additionally, they did not find a person to speak to at the district office:

NO ONE gets back to you from their District Office. NO ONE answers on their toll free number, despite being on hold for extremely lenthy times. NO ONE replies to your comments on the feedback page.

The customer was left without a solution and with a bad experience overall. 

7. Subway: May Leave a Knife in Your Sandwich

Number of Subway reviews: 4K
Subway rating: 2.0

As a build-it-your-way sandwich shop, Subway should be able to cater easily to customer needs. They need only choose the items to put on their sandwich and enjoy. How are things going in reality? 

What do Subway reviews say?

Subway reviews tell us that things don’t always go as expected. Despite having many positive reviews about good food, customers complain about poor Subway customer service, foreign objects in their food, and rude staff at the restaurants. 

One customer left a review after placing a mobile order to a local Subway store. When her husband arrived to collect the food, the restaurant claimed they didn’t have the mobile order and then proceeded to make the two sandwiches incorrectly. The employee argued with the customer, dug through the trash with her gloved hands, and charged the customers for extra meat when none was provided. 

8. Jack in the Box: Poor Management and Lack of Attention

Number of Jack in the Box reviews: 3.7K
Jack in the Box rating: 2.0

Known for being one of the first fast food restaurants to stay open twenty-four hours, Jack in the Box is a favorite of late-night snacks and desserts.

What do Jack in the Box reviews say? 

While some Jack in the Box reviews praise the company for good food and close locations, other customer reviews mention issues with staff attitude, management, and inappropriate customer service. 

One reviewer claimed in their review on PissedConsumer.com that after ordering at the local Jack in the Box, the drive through employee was “obnoxious and refused to refund or remake my order” when it was burnt and had an odd taste. The conversation escalated to the point of the employee threatening to call the police on the customer, and the customer ultimately left feeling like the employee was “unacceptable and racist.”

9. KFC: Raw Food and Poor Product Quality

Number of KFC reviews: 3.6K
KFC rating: 2.0

Another well-known fried chicken joint, KFC specializes in their “passion for serving finger lickin’ good food.” Of course, customers don’t always find this to be the case based on the many KFC reviews left on our site. 

What do KFC reviews say? 

KFC reviews mention reports of raw or old food being served, foreign objects in the food, and poor customer service. KFC customers are frustrated about “gravy taste,” “rotten,” or “cold” food. Still, there are some positive bits of feedback, including good chicken and store locations being close to home.

 Review#3649115 had little to do with chicken, however. A customer complained in her review that she drank her drink from KFC only to find the spout from the drink machine at the bottom of her cup. Additionally, a “thick black dirt” from the spout in the bottom of the cup caused the reviewer to feel sick and throw up. She claims the restaurant offered her a new cup and the company has not reached out to her at all since the incident:

KFC HAS NOT REACHED OUT TO ME AT ALL!!! AND HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY EMAILS AT ALL!!

10. Panera Bread: Inaccurate Orders

Number of Panera Bread reviews: 2.9K
Panera Bread rating: 2.5

Panera Bread is set up differently than many of the other fast-food restaurants on this list. Panera specializes in quick-service soups and sandwiches as a bakery rather than a fast-food joint. That being said, Panera Bread is not free from complaints outlined in customer reviews. 

What do Panera Bread reviews say? 

While customers enjoy good, fresh food from the restaurant, the Panera Bread reviews include many complaints about customer service, the amount of food in portions, and the higher price for what customers received. 

In Panera Bread review#4409432, a poster was frustrated by the high price and small portions of the food received. He complained about “little slivers of steak that didn’t even cover the bread” on his sandwich. A commenter on his post also noted that some of the menu options are “a total rip off.” The original poster and the commenter did say that there was no issue with delivery and that it’s best to buy a whole sandwich instead of a combination.

Tips for Fast Food Restaurant Success

If you’re looking to avoid the worst fast food blunders, it’s always good to go in aware of what you’re working with. 

• Visit off-peak times. If you come during the lunch or dinner rush, you’re less likely to get good service. Visit when the location isn’t jammed, and employees are frantic. 
• Check reviews online. Some locations are known to be slow in the drive-through or have difficulties with customer service.
• Review the menu before you go to make sure that every choice you make is the best one for you. 
• Consider using mobile apps or online ordering to simplify the process and make the most of your time.
• Leave feedback for others. There are many government organizations that monitor consumer experiences. You can leave feedback on those websites or leave a public review on PissedConsumer.com. 

*The company ratings on the PissedConsumer website are calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the company’s profile. The algorithm parameters are: users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company responses and more. The PissedConsumer algorithm is also subject to change in the future.