The best items on the Wendy's menu, ranked

Wendy’s now offers a whole menu of saucy nuggets—think chicken nuggets tossed in sauces like the wings or tenders at your favorite sports bar. In that spirit, we went with the classic: Buffalo. Unfortunately, they were underwhelming. While I’ve definitely had worse Buffalo chicken experiences, these nuggets get bogged down by the sauce, leaving them a bit mushy—something that doesn’t do the already chunked-and-formed chicken texture any favors.

Price: 6 pc $3.99

Calories: 6 pc 320

Order with: Sauce on the side. You can actually salvage these nuggets by dipping them rather than having them tossed, so they keep some crispiness.

Look, for a fast food burger, this one is fairly substantial, offering a little more heft than your standard quarter-pounder or drive-thru meat pancake. It’s got bacon and cheese and generous amounts of lettuce and tomato, and with pickles thrown in, it has a surprisingly complex flavor profile. That said, it still can’t overcome the heavily processed cheese and sad, griddle-fried beef, leaving you to throw in the paper napkin after about four bites.

Price: $7.19

Calories: 580

Order with: More of an “order without,” because the burger’s weakest ingredients by far are the cheese and the mayonnaise. Leave those off and this burger becomes more palatable.

You’ll find meat in abundance with Wendy’s signature Baconator, and while the beef still suffers from a heavily processed flavor and texture, you can’t complain about the quantity. Also, Wendy’s packs a ton of flavor in the Baconator between the salty bacon, the creamy cheese and mayo, and the big pieces of beef. It’s a great value at under $10, but it skews greasy and heavy. Prepare your stomach accordingly.

Price: $8.49

Calories: 930

Order with: The Son of Baconator. Wendy’s understands the regular Baconator might be too much meat for a lot of people. And even as a larger male, the smaller portion feels a little less like a heart attack and more like lunch.

Protein-obsessed gym rats take note: If you’re looking to protein load at Wendy’s, this is your move. The chicken portion is more than generous, with 27 grams of protein in this fairly small wrap. One of Wendy’s more nutritionally efficient offerings, the wrap brings a surprisingly well-seasoned chicken. The lettuce could be improved with a spring mix instead of romaine and the ranch can be overpowering. But aside from the tortilla, there’s not much in this wrap that’ll needlessly fill you up.

Price: $7.49

Calories: 420

Order with: Skip the ranch and get barbecue sauce on it. The ranch can overpower the chicken, and the BBQ sauce makes this taste more like a sandwich.

Wendy’s opted to stay out of the great Spicy Chicken Sandwich wars of the late 2010s, and there’s a reason. While there’s nothing particularly wrong with this sandwich, it would be hard to discern it from the standard frozen spicy chicken breast you’d get in the grocery store. There’s a distinct peppery kick and the crunch you expect from a fried filet. But beyond that, the sandwich is rather unremarkable.

Price: $7.49

Calories: 470

Order with: Buffalo sauce. Put that on top instead of the mayo and you’ve effectively created a giant Saucy Nugget.

Wendy’s got in on the energy drink game with a small line of carbonated drinks packing 80-120 mg of caffeine. That’s about triple the amount you’ll find in a standard Coca-Cola, and the Pineapple-Citrus flavor is delightfully crisp and delicious. It tastes like a more robust version of Celsius, and I would argue that it is objectively better. It’ll also help stave off the post-Wendy’s food coma.

Price: $3.79

Calories: 320

Order with: Vodka. What? They don’t serve vodka at Wendy’s? Well, if Wendy’s ever does go the Taco Bell Cantina route ,this will be a way better mixer than Red Bull.

While Wendy’s other chicken sandwiches are fairly indistinguishable from other fast food offerings, the Asiago Ranch Chicken Club has a garlicky, tangy overtone that makes it something special. I’d stop short of calling it restaurant quality, but you can tell a lot of thought went into its complementary flavors, where the saltiness of the bacon and the sweetness of the breading ride on a smooth wave of creamy ranch.

Price: $7.99

Calories: 600

Order with: Ask for a spicy chicken filet instead of the standard one. It adds one more layer to an already intriguing sandwich.

Sometimes eating fast food isn’t so much about a culinary experience, but about having fun. Such is the case with this limited-time offering in conjunction with Season 2 of the Wednesday Netflix series. The meal comes served in cool, purple branded containers, with quippy names like “Rest in 10-Piece Nuggets” and “Dips of Dread.” Said dips just have a big “?” on the packaging, which doesn’t tell you anything about the flavor. I’d say it’s close to blackberry, which feels more at home on a peanut butter sandwich than on chicken nuggets. But the branding is so good you don’t even care. Ditto with the Raven’s Blood Frosty, which tastes a little like Robitussin Ice Cream. Then again, ice cream that tastes like cough syrup seems like it would be right up Wednesday’s alley.

Price: $9.59

Calories: 1010-1140

Order with: Normal dipping sauces. While I love a good TV show tie-in, the Dips of Dread are, well, dreadful.

For years, I’ve maintained that Wendy’s salads are the hidden gem of the fast food world. My go-to for years has been the Apple Pecan, which is better than probably 80 percent of sit-down restaurant salads I’ve had. With dried cranberries, candied pecans, blue cheese, and fresh apple, the salad has a fresh—dare I say—healthy flavor that’s more like a meal than an afterthought. The chicken is still fast food chicken, but it’s several cuts above the meat in pre-made salads found in supermarket coolers. It’s good enough that it’s a legitimate regular lunch option, not just something not-bad-for-you to order if you happen to be on Franchise Row.

Price: $8.39

Calories: 450

Order with: Barbecue sauce instead of dressing. It makes the whole thing taste like a picnic and cuts down on the calories.

Much like the salads, Wendy’s chili isn’t just good for fast food. It’s flat-out good. Better than anything I’ve ever gotten in a can and several notches above the “famous” chili from my older male relatives. The stuff is meaty, packing 21 grams of protein in a large order. The spices are a meticulous balance of chili, cumin, and garlic. The red and pinto beans bring some much-needed starch, and the cheese on top gives it a gooey tang if you let it melt for a while.

Price: $4.19 (large)

Calories: 370 (large)

Order with: Tortilla strips and hot sauce. With those and the cheese on top, a large bowl is a legitimate meal

Just so we’re clear, there’s nothing healthy about a taco salad. And though Wendy’s version doesn’t come served in a big, fried tortilla, it’s still not exactly a dieter’s delight. That said, when you add a bowl of chili to the already impressive salad, you have the best item on Wendy’s menu that’s eaten with a fork. The blend of flavors and textures is bold and crisp—the heat from the chili balances the cool lettuce and tomatoes, while the crunch from the tortilla strips borders the soft beans and corn. The dressing gives it a little zip at the end, bringing a creamy finish to an otherwise perfectly balanced bite. Wendy’s has almost achieved perfection with their Taco Salad, and I’d recommend it over any sandwich on the menu.

Price: $8.39

Calories: 470, 520 w/dressing

Order with: For a little protein boost, order a chicken breast on the side and mix it in with the chili before putting all of it on top.

If there’s one thing Wendy’s does inarguably better than any other fast food restaurant, it’s the Frosty. Even people who like to humble brag about “I never eat fast food” admit they’ll stop in for an occasional frozen treat, and while we could do an entire article ranking Frosty flavors, the Oreo Brownie is the standout. It combines the childhood nostalgia of original chocolate with the satisfying crunch of an Oreo cookie. Yes, those cookie bits sometimes get stuck in the straw, but that just gives you an excuse to start scooping the stuff into your mouth.

Price: Small $4.19

Calories: Small 520

Order with: Do I even need to say it? Fries. If you know, you know.