The One Thing You Should Avoid Ordering At Fast Food Burger Chains

A visit to your local fast food burger joint is simple, or, at least, should be. You roll into the drive-through and then roll out with food in hand. And you may think that every item on that glowing wall-sized menu is made equally. But you'd be wrong. In fact, there are some items that you are simply better off avoiding entirely. Chief among them? Grilled chicken. The reasons for this are manifold. 

For one, grilled chicken simply isn't the focal point of a burger joint's menu. Rather, it usually serves as an afterthought, with many fast food places producing rubbery pucks of grilled meat with false grill marks pressed on for effect. On a Reddit thread asking fast food workers about the foods they should avoid, one user noted that grilled chicken and chicken tenders took a longer amount of time to prepare than other menu items. 

They continued, noting that "...tenders took forever to cook and we didn't really make them that often, so most times they were made to order." According to the poster, the grilled chicken also sat out for extended periods of time before being served. This means that your grilled chicken has most likely spent a good amount of time sitting out before they get to you, and you are likely to end up with a dry, stale, and tasteless bit of chicken. No, thank you.

Of course, this doesn't mean that you are stuck getting a basic beef patty at your next fast food meal. There are hot and ready beef alternatives at most burger spots. Chicken nuggets, while not exactly as lean as grilled chicken, are usually a safe bet at fast food spots (though, of course, there are good and bad chicken nugget options). However, if you really want a good grilled chicken sandwich, you'll have to visit a restaurant that focuses on the poultry product. Fast food spots such as Chick-fil-A have grilled chicken sandwiches that are actually menu standouts (pair the grilled nuggets with a delicious packet of Chick-fil-A sauce).

In fact, one Reddit user declared the restaurant's grilled sandwich to be "...infinitely better than its regular chicken." That is high praise considering the fast food chain's reputation for fresh and delicious fried chicken. Other fast-casual restaurants, such as Shake Shack, have a surprisingly strong showing in the chicken department and feature delicious and hearty grilled chicken items, including grilled chicken sandwiches, that are more than worth ordering. So, while you may not want to order just any grilled chicken item from your nearest fast food burger joint, there are certainly a few spots with great and delicious grilled chicken. No need to fly the coop entirely.