This Once-Underrated Wendy's Item Is Now Considered Overpriced

Wendy's has long tried to differentiate itself from other burger restaurants, in particular McDonald's and Burger King. They serve square hamburger patties, have a real fascination with bacon, and made chili famous as a side dish. But one item stands head and shoulders above the rest of Wendy's menu as unique and, if we're being honest, kind of awesome: the simple baked potato. It's a standout on the menu in a world of french fries and onion rings, but it has fallen victim to inflation.

For many years, Wendy's baked potato was a cornerstone of the 99-cent menu. These aren't skimpy potatoes, either, and each Russet weighs about 11.5 ounces. Toppings included butter, sour cream and chives, bacon, or even cheese and broccoli back in the day. It was a great deal. One Redditor claimed that the $1 baked potatoes with sour cream and chives got them through college. Fans still acknowledge the potato as an underrated star of the fast food world, thanks to its uniqueness and deliciousness. But there is some dissatisfaction about current prices.

In a thread that calls out baked potato prices as absurd, one Reddit user suggested that Wendy's charged $0.99 for decades and then "the world went nuts." It's true that prices have gone up considerably, and it really depends on where you are. Right now, a single baked potato with sour cream and chives from Wendy's in Los Angeles costs $4.38. It's $4.34 in Manhattan, $3.41 in Miami, and $2.64 in West Virginia.

Right now at Walmart, a 10-pound bag of potatoes costs under $5. That works out to 160 ounces, or around 14 potatoes from Wendy's. At Los Angeles prices, Wendy's would make over $60 on $5 worth of potatoes, and no amount of sour cream and chives can make up the difference. Even with labor and other business costs factored in, that's a lot for one potato. This doesn't take into account that Wendy's likely has a deal with potato suppliers to buy them in bulk for substantially less than that Walmart price. When people complain about them being expensive, they have a point.

One angry Redditor agreed that the potato "is one of the best options in the business" before adding the caveat "I'm not spending five f***ing dollars on a potato, Wendy's." While we've seen that prices of Wendy's potatoes cover a range and that $5 criticism might sound hyperbolic at first, it's actually not. The Wendy's at Union Station in Washington, D.C. charges $5.31 for a single baked potato after taxes. It's very hard to justify that price, especially when you consider you're probably going to order it as a side in a larger meal that will now cost close to $20.

If you're a fan of Wendy's, you've been presented with a real Catch-22. The baked potato is tasty and has some great topping options. It's arguably a healthier choice than some other sides, but the price is becoming discouraging. Perhaps a better idea is recreating a Wendy's cheesy baked potato at home.