8 Warnings About Eating at McDonald's From Ex-Employees

McDonald's is the most famous fast food joint in the world. However, according to some ex-employees, there are a few things you should avoid ordering. Over the years, former workers have made shocking claims about the company, involving not-so-fresh food, less-than-sanitary practices, and possible health hazards. Here are key warnings about eating at McDonald's from ex-employees. 

In a Reddit thread (via the New York Post), a former worker issued a warning about the popular Filet-O-Fish sandwich. "I can promise you that filet of fish is not fresh by any stretch of the imagination," they wrote. "At McDonald's just say you want a fish filet cooked to order," another user recommended. While you might have to wait a few minutes, it will be "worth it compared to the filet that has been in the heated cabinet for hours."

A surprising order to stay away from, according to former employees on Reddit via Mashed? The OG hamburgers and cheeseburgers which allegedly might be overcooked. They explained that the not-so-popular basics end up spending a decent amount of time under the heat lamps, where they "finish cooking." So, while you might get an overcooked burger at slower times of the day, during busier hours, you might get served undercooked meat.  

Stick to the ketchup packets. "I would recommend not eating the ketchup from the ketchup dispensers," Sandra Blair, CEO of CoffeeShan, told SheFinds. "A friend of mine has worked in McDonald's for 6 months and she told me that the ketchup in the dispensers is not changed as frequently as it should be," she warns. When they are cleaned, the employees allegedly take the old ketchup out and then put it in after cleaning. "The new ketchup only gets put in after the old one gets used up," Blair added. 

A former McDonald's employee recently revealed why McDonald's iced tea is so sweet. In a viral TikTok video, Nicole Weiser explains that she worked at the fast food joint for three years. "For every four gallons of the red jug, the sweet tea, there was a full four-pound bag of sugar emptied into it," Weiser explained. "One pound per gallon of tea."

Former employees told Readers Digest that you might want to skip the apple pie. The item, which isn't one of the most popular orders, reportedly also sits around for a long time under heat lamps.  

According to Mashed, former McDonald's employees said that newer menu items probably aren't the best thing to order. Why? Employees might not know how to make them, and there may be wrong or missing ingredients, they say. 

Did you know that you can request for your food to be made fresh? You might have to wait a few minutes, but former employees recommend asking for your meal to be freshly made. While there is a store policy that food should only be left out for a specified amount of time, many employees reset timers for hours on end. 

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Social media went into a meltdown in 2017 when a McDonald's employee from Louisiana posted pictures of the drip tray he pulled out of the ice cream machine at his location, revealing that they were rarely cleaned.