Most people grab a fast food meal without thinking twice about what goes on behind the counter. But the workers who make that food every single day have opinions, and they are not shy about sharing them online. From ice machines full of mold to chicken that smells weird right out of the bag, employees have been spilling secrets on Reddit for years. Some of these stories might make anyone rethink their usual order next time they pull up to a drive-through window.
Ice machines are way dirtier than most people think
That cold, refreshing cup of soda with ice seems harmless enough. But according to a large number of fast food workers, the ice machines at many restaurants are rarely cleaned the way they should be. Multiple employees have shared stories about opening up ice machines only to find black mold coating the inside. One person who took over managing a store said the entire ice machine was covered in it. Another worker mentioned that they had to travel to different locations just to teach people how to clean the machines because nobody had ever read the manual.
It gets worse. One employee shared a story about a mouse problem at their restaurant. They only discovered it because there were mouse droppings inside the ice maker. They suggested dumping the ice and replacing the filter, but management said it wasn’t in the budget. Studies have found that restaurant ice can contain bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. A study in Switzerland found that more than a quarter of ice cube samples from bars and restaurants failed basic safety standards. Cold temperatures do not kill bacteria the way most people assume. So next time, asking for no ice might not be a bad idea at all.
Slushie and soda machines have the same problem
Ice machines aren’t the only guilty ones here. The machines that make Slurpees, Icees, and other frozen drinks have their own set of issues. Several employees have pointed out that the blades inside these machines are often coated in mold because they are so difficult to take apart and clean properly. Some workers have called out specific chains, saying the machines are just not designed for easy maintenance. When something is hard to clean, it tends to not get cleaned. That is just how it goes in a busy fast food kitchen where speed matters more than anything.
Soda machines and the guns used to pour drinks are not much better. One worker described finding what they called a “soda gun snake” inside a dispenser. That is basically a tube-shaped growth made of sugar, yeast, and moisture that forms when nobody cleans the equipment often enough. Places that have active yeast in the air, like pizza restaurants, can make things even worse. The soda machines at many locations simply do not get the attention they need. Some workers admitted they were never even trained to clean them at all.
Subway’s chicken strips have a weird smell
Subway has a pretty long menu with all kinds of sandwich options. But if workers at the chain are to be believed, the plain chicken strips are something to skip. One employee from New Zealand said that even though their location followed strict food safety rules, the chicken still had a major issue. The moment anyone opens the bag of chicken strips, it apparently hits with a smell that is deeply unpleasant. They were not alone in this complaint either. Other workers chimed in to say that managers told them about the smell on their very first day of training.
Now, a bad smell does not always mean the food is unsafe. But it is enough to make workers avoid eating it themselves. When the people making the food refuse to eat something on the menu, that feels like a pretty strong signal. If a chicken sub is calling, maybe go for a different protein instead. The cold cut subs at Subway have actually been ranked higher by food reviewers, and employees tend to agree that those are a safer bet when it comes to overall quality and freshness.
The McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sits around too long
Have a soft spot for the Filet-O-Fish? A lot of McDonald’s workers would like a word. The sandwich itself is not the problem. The issue is that hardly anyone orders it compared to burgers and chicken. Because it is not popular, the fish patty often sits in a warming cabinet way past the point where it should be served. Workers have said this again and again online. The sandwich just does not move fast enough to stay fresh. It is one of those menu items that sounds good until someone learns what happens behind the scenes.
Some people think they can outsmart the system by asking for a fresh one. Unfortunately, employees say that in many locations, the old fish patty just gets dropped back into the fryer for a few seconds to warm it up. That is not exactly the fresh-made sandwich most people are hoping for. On top of all that, some workers have noticed the portions getting smaller over time, even though McDonald’s officially denies any shrinkflation. It might be worth choosing something that flies off the line a little faster.
The McDonald’s McRib frustrates even the employees
The McRib comes and goes from the McDonald’s menu like a guest who overstays their welcome every visit. While it has a dedicated fan base, the workers who have to make it are far less enthusiastic. Employees describe the pork patties sitting in barbecue sauce for hours without the sauce being refreshed or the container being swapped out. There are entire Reddit threads filled with workers venting about this sandwich, and much of what they say is not suitable to repeat here. The consensus is clear though. The McRib is not a favorite behind the counter.
The barbecue sauce seems to be the biggest complaint. Workers say it gets everywhere and is nearly impossible to clean off trays. Some have said the smell of it has turned them off barbecue sauce entirely, which is saying something. Others mention feeling bad every time they hand one over to a customer. Whether or not someone agrees with the employees, it is hard to ignore the fact that the people making it would rather eat almost anything else on the menu. That kind of enthusiasm gap is worth paying attention to.
Burger King chicken sandwiches can be undercooked
Getting a raw chicken sandwich from a fast food restaurant sounds like a nightmare, but it happens more often at Burger King than people might expect. There are a surprising number of social media posts from customers who bit into an undercooked chicken sandwich. The pictures are not pretty. Workers have offered some explanations for why this keeps happening. Different chicken products at Burger King come in different thicknesses, meaning they need different cooking times. In a busy kitchen, it is easy for someone to pull something out of the fryer too early.
Some employees say that during rush periods, nobody has time to check the temperature of the chicken before it goes out to a customer. One person shared a secondhand account from a friend who worked there, saying they almost never checked to see if the chicken was fully cooked when things got busy. Even when raw sandwiches were returned, the work area did not always get a proper cleaning afterward. That is the kind of thing that makes ordering a burger at Burger King seem like the smarter move.
Subway tuna has a mayo problem
Subway’s tuna sub has been at the center of a lot of drama over the years. There was even a big lawsuit questioning whether it was actually real tuna. It is, by the way. But employees still have reasons to suggest skipping it. The biggest issue is the amount of mayonnaise that goes into the tuna mixture. Workers say the standard recipe calls for a one-to-one ratio of mayo to tuna by volume. That is an incredible amount of mayo, no matter how much someone likes it. Some stores have apparently cut the mayo in half just to make it bearable.
Beyond the sheer amount, workers have also raised concerns about how jugs of mayo are stored at some locations. Improper storage of mayo is not something unique to Subway, but it is something workers have noticed and talked about. On top of that, the tuna mixture seems to vary a lot depending on who makes it. There is no real consistency from one store to the next, or even from one shift to the next at the same store. For a sandwich that is supposed to taste the same everywhere, that is a pretty big gap.
Restaurant soup is where leftovers go to hide
A warm cup of soup from a fast food place sounds comforting, especially on a cold day. But workers have a few things to say about what actually ends up in those soup pots. Some employees have admitted that soup is where leftover food goes when it is too overcooked or messy to serve on its own. Instead of throwing it away, it gets tossed into the soup. That is one way to cut down on waste, but it is probably not what most customers have in mind when they order a bowl of something warm.
There are also concerns about how the soup is prepared and stored. Workers say that soups are often made in very large batches and then cooled down. The problem is that the batches are so big they do not cool fast enough, which can create conditions where things go wrong. Some locations also use frozen soup that gets reheated in bags, and workers have mentioned finding bits of melted plastic in the final product. Making soup at home suddenly sounds a lot more appealing after hearing those stories.
Steak ‘n Shake milkshakes come with a hidden cost
Steak ‘n Shake is known for its hand-dipped milkshakes, and there is no question they taste good. The chain has strict guidelines for how shakes should be made, and the ice cream base is the real deal. But here is the thing workers want people to know. Nobody wants to be assigned milkshake duty. The ice cream base is apparently so hard and frozen that scooping it is back-breaking work. Staff members have a window of just two to three minutes to get each shake finished and out the door. That does not leave a lot of room for perfection.
When orders start backing up and the restaurant is short-staffed, which happens often, things start to slip. Workers have admitted that keeping things clean is not the top priority when there are ten milkshake orders waiting and a line out the door. Speed wins every time. The shake itself might still taste fine, but the conditions under which it was made might not be what anyone would hope for. It is one of those cases where a great product on paper runs into the messy reality of a fast food kitchen running at full speed.
None of this means fast food needs to be off the table forever. But knowing what workers see every day can help anyone make slightly better choices. Skipping the ice, picking a popular menu item that moves quickly, and avoiding things that sit around too long are all simple ways to get a better meal. The people making the food have the inside view, and when enough of them agree on something, it is probably worth listening to.
