11 Chains You Should Never Order Takeout From

Picture this: It's late. You're tired. You're hungry. You open up a delivery app, choose your go-to menu items from your favorite fast-food chain, and hit order. You sit back, relax, and your food arrives in less than 20 minutes. (Fun fact: Research suggests people start losing their patience with waiting for a food delivery at around 29 minutes.) But not only is your food delivered quickly, it's also hot and tasty, making you a satisfied customer. Dreamy, right? Sadly, as many of us know too well, this doesn't always happen. 

Sometimes, you end up with cold, soggy food that took hours to arrive (or more than 29 minutes, anyway). You're not satisfied, you're angry. And to make matters worse: You feel like you've wasted your hard-earned cash.

Unfortunately, bad takeout is a universal experience. But which chains are the worst offenders? We scanned social media and review platforms to figure out which chains you should never order takeout from. Surprisingly, our search brought up some of America's most popular chains, from McDonald's to KFC to Five Guys. Sometimes, you'd be better off heading to the restaurant to dine in, or if that's too much effort, just opening the freezer and switching the oven on.

There are nearly 6,000 Wendy's restaurants in the U.S., where, every day, millions of customers stop by to indulge in popular menu items like the Baconator, the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, its classic French fries, and, of course, the Frosty. But if you've got a craving for Wendy's, it's probably best to skip the takeout. 

On Reddit, several customers have complained about being given the wrong food when they've ordered a takeout from the fast-food favorite. Others say that while they have been given the right food, it hasn't been up to the standard of quality that they are used to from the chain. In fact, one Redditor was so disappointed with their experience at the Wendy's drive-thru that they actually threw away their food and went to McDonald's instead.

On a separate Reddit thread for DoorDash workers, delivery drivers complained about the length of time it takes for Wendy's to prepare orders. In fact, some drivers said they actively avoided accepting any Wendy's orders for that reason. If you love Wendy's,  Some say it's much better to go in to the restaurant and order, that way, you can check your food at the counter and catch any issues before you leave. Others have noticed that mobile orders and delivery drivers seem to get worse treatment from Wendy's workers than dine-in customers. 

McDonald's is one of the most popular fast-food chains in the U.S., with nearly 14,000 restaurants across the country. But if you're tempted to skip Wendy's and head to the Golden Arches for a takeout, you might want to think twice — unless you're willing to wait a pretty long time for your Big Mac and fries.

According to several delivery drivers on Reddit, McDonald's restaurants often struggle to fulfill extra orders from popular takeout apps, which inevitably leads to longer wait times for customers. In fact, if you want to grab and go, many say it's better to head to the drive-thru yourself. They claim that, together with sit-in diners, this is often prioritized over delivery drivers. That said, delivery workers have also acknowledged that every location is different, and some are much better than others, so it's worth checking the reviews for your closest restaurant if you're in doubt.

But long wait times isn't the only issue associated with McDonald's takeout. Some customers have complained that, in general, ordering the chain's food for takeout just isn't worth the extra delivery fees — especially given that it often arrives cold anyway.

KFC is an American chain (the first franchise location was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, back in the 1950s), so you might assume that its U.S. restaurants would be some of the best in the world when it comes to quality. But actually, KFC in the U.S. seems to have quite a bad reputation. 

Customers complain that its more than 4,000 restaurants are inconsistent in terms of food standards and customer service, with some even speculating that KFC workers aren't paid enough in the U.S. to care enough about quality. That said, it's not all bad. Some say they love a fresh, hot KFC, which, let's be honest, you're more likely to get when you eat in. When you order takeout, you might be waiting a while.

Some customers have complained on Reddit that it's very hard to get a delivery driver to accept a KFC order. This is usually because restaurants aren't able to prepare orders quickly enough, which leads to delivery drivers hanging around waiting for orders, and (inevitably) unhappy hungry customers.

With more than 1500 restaurants in the U.S., Five Guys is a pretty popular fast-food chain. While it tends to be more expensive than other options, people still flock to its locations to feast on its fries, made-to-order burgers, and milkshakes. But not everyone comes away from Five Guys feeling good. If you're a delivery driver, accepting an order for Five Guys food can quickly turn into a nightmare. Takeout app workers complain of very slow service and extremely long wait times.

As you'd expect, unhappy delivery drivers lead to unhappy customers. People have complained of long wait times affecting the quality of their order, noting that milkshakes arrive warm, fries are soggy, and burgers are cold. This is particularly frustrating given the fact that it's not cheap to order from Five Guys — the food prices are already higher, and then the price shoots up again with delivery fees (sidenote: how high these fees are usually depends on your location). The lesson? If you're craving a Five Guys, it's probably best to make the drive yourself and eat in the restaurant.

Wingstop isn't as big as its chicken rival KFC, but with more than 2,300 locations, it's still an established fast food favorite and a go-to choice for many. Most go for the chicken, of course, but its fresh-cut fries are also pretty popular, too. If you want quality, though, it's probably best not to order delivery.

American customers on review site TrustPilot have reported long wait times after ordering Wingstop for delivery, as well as poor customer service, small portions, and bad quality food. Several say that the experience put them off ordering delivery from Wingstop ever again. In fact, one customer wrote "If I could give a negative 10 stars I would." On Reddit, the vibes aren't any more positive. Again, customers complain of long wait times (or orders not arriving at all) and poor customer service.  

Given the customer experience, it tracks that delivery workers don't seem to like picking up orders from Wingstop, either. Plenty say that they always reject or avoid orders from the fast-food chain. If you've got a Wingstop near you that has room for dine-in (some do and some don't), it might be best to stop by in person. Just maybe avoid peak times to get the freshest food.

If you've got a craving for a Sonic Smasher, a side of mozzarella sticks, and a Grape Nerds Slush, do yourself a favor and head to your local Sonic Drive In to pick up your order. If you opt for takeout from one of the chain's more than 3400 locations, you might end up being seriously disappointed. 

Customers have complained of long wait times and order cancellations, but the biggest issues seem to be with the fast-food chain's ordering app. Redditors complain of technical difficulties, which makes ordering their favorites near-on impossible. And we're not just talking about the odd error, but consistent problems. More than one person said that they hadn't been able to use the app to order from takeout for more than a year. And for those who do manage to place an order? Well, it's not plain-sailing there, either. Several Redditors complained of being given the wrong food.

Delivery drivers also have bad feelings about Sonic. Some noted on Reddit that, due to consistent mistakes, including giving customers the wrong food, they had decided to no longer accept orders from the chain.

Popeyes is another fried chicken chain that seems to be plagued by very slow service, especially if you order takeout. On TrustPilot, several American customers said they put their faith in Popeyes to deliver on Thanksgiving, but ended up receiving their turkey either late or not at all. Outside of the holidays, customers still complain about the service and food from the chain's more than 3,100 U.S. locations.

Redditors report issues like unsealed bags and frequently receiving incorrect orders. Many say that it doesn't matter how simple the order is, Popeyes will still, somehow, manage to get it wrong. To make things worse, many say the wait times are pretty long, too. Unsurprisingly, Popeyes also has a bad reputation with delivery drivers. Again, they complain of very long wait times and slow service. One delivery app worker even wrote on Reddit that they had delivered food in around 30 U.S. states, and Popeye's was consistently bad in every single one. If you want the best Popeyes experience, some Redditors say its best to go first thing in the morning (in person) just after the store has opened. 

Popeyes has had a pretty rough time of it lately. A key Florida franchisee, Sailormen, filed for bankruptcy in January 2026 because of debt. In 2025, the chain also faced a lawsuit in Canada over buying chicken from an unauthorized seller who was storing the meat in residential garages.

You might have heard already, but there is a story behind Whataburger's name. It goes like this: Entrepreneur Harmon Dobson wanted to create a burger so juicy and delicious that customers would exclaim "what a burger!" after taking their first bite. Just a warning, but if you order takeout from the chain, you might be exclaiming something else entirely.

Customers have complained of incorrect orders, missing food, and long wait times. In fact, even Whataburger employees have engaged with the chatter surrounding takeout from the chain on Reddit, noting that it's become harder and harder for stores to cope with demand from delivery apps, drive-thru, and the restaurant all at the same time. Some have even encouraged customers to avoid using the delivery service completely and instead just head down to the restaurant to enjoy their food. 

To make matters worse, customers have complained that, when things do go wrong with takeout, Whataburger isn't very good at handling it. People have noted that the customer service is long and complicated, and it's very difficult to receive a refund from the chain. This is another argument for ordering in, if things do go wrong, you can correct it with your server there and then. 

Pizza Hut is a takeout pioneer. In 1994, it became the first chain ever to offer online food delivery, and since then, it has become a core component of its business model. But even so, Pizza Hut, which has more than 6,700 locations in the U.S., doesn't always get takeout pizza right. In fact, it seems to get it wrong quite a lot of the time, according to Reddit. 

Again, delivery customers complain of long wait times, bad food, and problems with its online ordering service. Generally, these problems seem to have scaled up since Pizza Hut started relying more on external app services to deliver its pizzas rather than employing its own drivers. People have noticed that there seems to be a lack of communication between the chain's workers and the app workers, which leads to issues like delayed orders and problems with scheduling orders in advance. In a few cases, customers have reported not getting orders at all. 

These issues have led many customers to swearing off ordering from Pizza Hut takeout altogether. Some have vowed that they will only come back when the chain starts using its own delivery drivers again. But you don't have to order takeout to enjoy Pizza Hut. Those who choose to eat in seem to have better experiences (especially if they're lucky enough to come by a restaurant with a buffet).

Chipotle seems to have been on the back foot with customers for a while now. People have noticed that portion sizes are shrinking and the quality of the food is declining. And the vibe on Reddit seems to be that things aren't getting better, they're getting worse. 

As you may have already guessed, takeout and delivery is one particular pain point for Chipotle customers. People have noticed that online orders seem to be much smaller than the ones you're given in store. Workers confirmed on Reddit that people aren't imagining things — some have actually been told by managers to reduce the portion sizes of orders made online, as the customers weren't actually in front of them to see what they were doing (if you're there in the flesh, though, you can ask for more food). Customers have also noticed that their takeout orders are consistently wrong. This can have serious consequences; one person with a dairy allergy complained that their bowls frequently arrive covered in cheese.

Delivery drivers also seem to be frustrated with the chain. Several have complained about long wait times and rude employees, for example. These frustrations seem to be reflected in Chipotle's finances. In January 2026, it reported that its same-store sales have declined for the first time in two decades.

Ordering takeout is supposed to be an enjoyable experience. After all, especially amid the ongoing affordability crisis, it's a treat for many individuals and families, rather than an everyday occurrence. This means it's incredibly frustrating when you order takeout and end up disappointed. 

To find the worst offenders for letting people down with takeout, we scanned Reddit and review platforms to spot the chains associated with the most negative chatter. We looked at what customers were saying, but we also paid close attention to what delivery drivers thought of certain chains, too. If there are long waits and frequent complaints, delivery drivers are going to be the first to know, making them a valuable resource for figuring out which chains people should and shouldn't order from.

That said, it's important to note that, of course, there will always be exceptions, and not everyone will agree with bad reviews. The truth is people are always far more likely to rant about negative experiences on the internet than positive ones, which makes bad reviews far more visible than good ones. Still, the fact remains: Some chains are just not that reliable for delivery. In many cases, you're far safer dining in (or saving your money).