8 Frequent Customer Complaints About Jollibee

As the biggest Asian restaurant company in the entire world, Jollibee has plenty of supporters. In the U.S., where it has roughly 80 locations, it's loved by many Filipino-Americans and visiting Filipinos, for example, because it offers a taste of home, with its sweet spaghetti and ube pies. Increasingly, Jollibee is also gaining a big following outside of this community. It makes sense, as the fast food chain has been actively courting new customers with more Americanized menu items and rapid expansion plans. By 2030, it hopes to hit 500 stores in the U.S. But — and there's always a but — Jollibee might have to win over a few unhappy customers first.

We scrolled through social media and review platforms to find some of the most common customer complaints about the Filipino fast food chain, and while some of what we found was all subject to opinion (that sweet spaghetti isn't for everyone), some of it was more concerning. From undercooked food to chicken that tastes like drywall, here are some of the most frequent complaints customers in the U.S. make about Jollibee.

In July 2026, USA Today readers awarded Jollibee the prestigious title of Best Fast Food Fried Chicken in the U.S. for the third year in a row. The competition was fierce, but the Filipino chain seemed to easily beat out major rivals like Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane's (interestingly, KFC didn't even get a look-in on the 2026 top 10). Clearly, Jollibee's chicken, known as Chickenjoy, has a legion of fans. But not everyone agrees that it's much to write home about.

"I don't understand why Jollibees is loved," said one Redditor in the r/fastfood subreddit. "When I tried the fried chicken, it was so bland I forced myself to eat, because I had paid [and] didn't want to waste it." They're not alone; in fact, bland-tasting chicken is a pretty common Jollibee customer complaint.

While some claim Chickenjoy is significantly better when dunked into gravy, others maintain sides and sauces are simply not enough to save the dish. "The fried chicken is bland and even their hot sauce [can't] improve it," wrote one Redditor in r/LosAngeles. In one particularly descriptive Yelp review, another customer said: "I took one bite and genuinely wondered if I had Covid because there was absolutely no flavor. Drywall has more moisture than this poor thing." Yikes.

For some Jollibee customers, the issue with Chickenjoy is more serious than a lack of flavor. "When I went to the Greenville location (opening weekend), they served me undercooked chicken," said one Redditor in r/Dallas. "The batter was still wet while the skin was crispy." They added that when they complained, Jollibee exchanged the chicken, only to give them another undercooked piece. "Lost my appetite after that," they added.

Undercooked chicken isn't just off-putting in terms of flavor and texture; it's also a health risk. According to the CDC, eating chicken that hasn't been cooked to a safe temperature can increase the risk of consuming harmful bacteria, including Salmonella. Unfortunately, more than one person has complained online that they've been served undercooked chicken at Jollibee. In fact, one customer even consulted the legal advice platform Avvo to ask if they could sue Jollibee after being served raw chicken on two occasions.

In one particularly alarming Jollibee incident, one customer claimed on Yelp that they had discovered worms inside their Chickenjoy from a location in Anaheim. "This is completely unacceptable and raises serious concerns about food safety and hygiene practices in this establishment," they wrote. The customer added that when they complained, they were informed by a manager that the chain aims to always follow food safety procedures.

Unfortunately, though, many customers seem to have come across food safety issues at Jollibee. Some people claim that they have also been given undercooked burgers at the chain, while others say they have developed food poisoning multiple times after eating Jollibee food.

It seems the issue isn't limited to the U.S. One TripAdvisor review of a London Jollibee refers to the location as "food poisoning paradise." They noted that all of the food was cold, and some even had to be taken back into the kitchen for a temperature reading.

Alongside Chickenjoy, Jollibee is known for its Jolly Spaghetti. The popular dish is, of course, made according to a Filipino recipe, so don't expect Italian or even Italian-American flavors. In fact, it's actually quite sweet because it's made with banana ketchup. Fun fact: During the Second World War, tomatoes were hard to come by in the Philippines, so people started mixing spaghetti with banana ketchup instead, and the recipe stuck.

Plenty love Jolly Spaghetti (our taste tester was a fan), but others aren't so sure. Some aren't so keen on the sliced hot dogs that appear where they were expecting meatballs, but for many, it's the unique sweet flavor profile that just doesn't land. "It's too, TOO sweet for my taste," wrote one Redditor in r/foodquestions. Another said in r/AskAnAmerican: "I like the burger with the pineapple slice. The chicken is good too, but the spaghetti is a bit sweet for me."

If you're a Jollibee fan, you're probably familiar with its unique Angus Aloha Burger, which is a sweet-and-savory mix of beef, cheese, bacon, lettuce, Aloha dressing, and a grilled pineapple slice. Plenty love the combination, but again, it's divisive. For some, the issue isn't the taste, but the fact that the pineapple slice is bigger than the actual beef burger. "I suppose the size of the meat is in proportion if you deeply imagine the pineapple as the bun," wrote one Yelp reviewer.

Jollibee offers several other burgers besides the Angus Aloha Burger, including cheeseburgers and Yumburgers (which is a beef burger topped with the chain's signature special sauce, and again, it's a sweet-and-savory situation). Many people love them, but plenty also find them disappointing. In fact, one common complaint is that they taste frozen rather than fresh. "I've had [freezer-burned] expired gas station burgers that tasted much better," wrote one Redditor in a particularly scathing review in r/fastfood. Another added: "I don't care for the burgers and I say that as [a] Filipino American."

For some Jollibee customers, the issue isn't just the quality of the food, but the quantity. Many people say the burgers are so small that they get lost in the bun, for example. And the problem is not just with the pineapple-packed Angus Aloha Burger, either. "Ordered a yum cheese burger meal with no sauce," wrote one Yelp reviewer. "I received a small unattractive oval (OVAL!) burger that tasted subpar and way smaller than the bun."

Some have complained about the size of the Chickenjoy, too. "Is it just me, or are chicken thighs really this small? It looks like it's cut in half??" said one Facebook user in a group for Filipinos in Southern California. "Why do I feel that I have been getting scammed??" Others agreed, stating that they, too, had noticed that the size of the chicken portions had shrunk. "Jollibee must be AWARE of this," commented another user. "I noticed it too. We pay the right amount and yet ... omg!"

To be fair to Jollibee, this seems to be a problem across the fast food industry in general. Many people have noticed that McDonald's menu items are also noticeably smaller, while others frequently complain about Burger King's shrinking portion sizes.

When you're getting a good deal, you're more inclined to let things slide. Okay, probably not worms in your chicken or raw meat, but maybe a slightly smaller burger or spaghetti that is too sweet for your liking. However, if you feel like you're getting ripped off, well, let's be honest, you're more likely to want to make your negative opinions heard. Case in point? This Reddit review: "Jollibee is overrated," reads the comment in r/fastfood. "I really like their spaghetti but it is so greedily overpriced. $8.50 for low-quality spaghetti is absurd. Should be [$4] at most."

Other customers have also complained about the price of the spaghetti for the amount that you get in a pot, while others don't like the cost of the chicken and rice. Even for hardcore fans, rising prices are off-putting. "I honestly love [Jollibees] but the cost is ridiculous," said another Redditor in r/sanantonio. Again, this is an industry-wide problem, and chains like Chick-fil-A, Wendy's, Burger King, and Raising Cane's have also been called out for being too expensive.

In the Philippines, Jollibee is an institution. Many Filipinos grew up eating its Chickenjoy and Jolly Spaghetti, and to them, it's a nostalgic, cultural experience. It's also, according to many people, way better than the kind of Jollibee experience the U.S. has to offer.

"[It's] a [Filipino] fast food and they captured what [Filipinos] like in the [Philippines]," said one Redditor in r/PhilippinesExpats, before accusing Jollibee in the U.S. of "Americanizing" the taste. "Instead of feeling nostalgic and satisfied, I always end up feeling sorta depressed and missing [JB] Philippines more," they added.

They're not alone. Many who have been to Jollibee in both the Philippines and the U.S. maintain that the taste and quality are better in the former. Some say the prices are more reasonable, too, and the menu is more varied. "Man, if y'all visit the motherland of Jollibee, it hits different in P.I. than the U.S.," said another Redditor in r/FoodLosAngeles.