The Wendy's Salad You'll Want To Order Every Single Time

The fast food landscape can sometimes pose a lot of problems for diners with certain dietary restrictions. There often aren't many plant-based options at fast food chains, gluten-free meals, or otherwise don't deal well with typical fast food fare. Luckily, Wendy's has such diners covered with its salad line. Most of its salads are either gluten-free or can be made gluten-free by removing the croutons, and while they all come with meat, this can be removed, and the salad will still stand on its own. Even for those without dietary restrictions, a Wendy's salad can be a nice alternative to greasier fast food offerings. One of its salads, however, stands above the rest: the taco salad.

Tasting Table tried and ranked four of Wendy's salads and had high praise for the taco salad. The salad components are rather simple, featuring romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and spices. However, Wendy's then mixes it up by pouring chili over the entire thing and adding fire-roasted corn and tortilla strips flavored with chile lime. We worried the chili would overtake the lettuce, but instead the flavors and textures complemented one another perfectly. "There were just enough heavy, rich elements to contrast against lighter ones, and the chips added just enough crunchy texture to make this salad interesting to eat," our writer noted. It's sure to please any taco salad lovers out there.

While Wendy's taco salad tends to be well-received, the item got a revamp a while back that many longtime customers were not fond of. Less than a year ago, a user posted on Reddit praising the taco salad's salsa, sour cream, and plain tortilla chips — items which are missing from the current rendition. Instead, it offers a creamier salsa dressing and the chili lime tortilla strips. This change seems to have happened in November of 2024, and many people in the Reddit thread complained about the new salad. Some claimed the change was most likely a cost-cutting measure rather than one meant to improve the taste, and one user said their bowl felt about half the size of the old salad.

However, while many people didn't like the change, others were huge fans. In another Reddit thread, a self-proclaimed current Wendy's manager said that around the time of the initial change, their store was selling twice as many of the new taco salads. It really comes down to personal preference, and it seems most complaints about the current salad come from fans of the old rendition. If you're simply a taco salad lover in general, you'll likely find the new version plenty satisfying, just as we did.