The Major Difference Between McDonald's And Wendy's Beef

To a neutral observer, the only real difference between McDonald's and Wendy's might appear to be cosmetic. After all, each fast food chain is a literal behemoth of the quick-service world, slinging various cheeseburgers and fries to hungry customers (and drastically outpacing the absolute worst American burger chain in the process). Yet even a casual consumer of fast food knows far more separates these two than a redheaded pigtailed girl and a pair of golden arches — like the type of beef used by Wendy's compared to what's cooked at McDonald's locations.

It's no secret that Wendy's uses fresh, never-frozen beef at every one of its North American restaurants; that fact has been openly touted by the Dave Thomas-founded establishment since the first location opened in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. Even after more than half a century of near-exponential growth, Wendy's has never wavered from its commitment to serving burgers prepared with never-frozen beef on all menu items, from the iconic Dave's Single to the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger.

Conversely, while McDonald's boasts about serving billions of customers on its signs, it didn't become a fast food juggernaut thanks to never-frozen beef. The home of Ronald McDonald (because a clown lives in each location, right?) almost exclusively uses frozen beef patties on its burgers, though one weighty exception on the McDonald's menu uses fresh beef.

If we were writing this article prior to 2018, we might not need to elaborate any further on the major difference between the beef from McDonald's versus Wendy's. After all, before that year, any and all burgers on its menu were prepared with frozen beef. But with an eye toward retaining customers in the long run while somewhat boosting the reputation of its food among the general public, McDonald's opted to begin using fresh beef for its Quarter Pounder with (or without) Cheese in 2018.

Of course, despite the hullabaloo surrounding the Quarter Pounder's switch to fresh beef, the chain hasn't followed Wendy's lead and become an exclusively never-frozen beef establishment. As of this writing, Mickey D's still opts for flash-frozen patties on all of its other burgers, and doesn't appear inclined to make a larger operational shift regarding its beef any time soon.

Still, Wendy's isn't alone in its prioritization of fresher ingredients in the fast food realm. Plenty of other popular fast food chains use fresh, rather than frozen, ingredients, as well, so there's no shortage of options for enthusiasts of fresh fast food beyond Wendy's (or a Quarter Pounder from McDonald's).