fast food – Topical Fruit

Wendy’s Went Full Goth for Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’—I Waited in Line Five Hours for It

Yes, you read that right. I waited in line five-and-a-half hours for Wendy’s, but it wasn’t an ordinary Wendy’s. It was Wednesday’s.

For one day only – a Thursday for some reason 🤷‍♀️ – a location in Norwalk, California was transformed into a Wednesday Addams-themed spookfest to celebrate Season 2 of Netflix’s “Wednesday.”

“The Meal of Misfortune”

It was a themed drive-thru experience, and I got to try the new “Meal of Misfortune” a few days earlier than the rest of America.

The meal includes “Rest in 10-Piece Nuggets,” “Cursed & Crispy Fries,” a “Raven’s Blood Frosty” (vanilla with a dark-cherry swirl), and two mysteriously spicy “Dips of Dread.” There’s a total of four different sauces you can get. Oh, and they’re different shades of purple, too.

The Raven’s Blood Frosty is great!

The Frosty was probably my favorite part. It includes a purple spoon that has a handle with a raven and skull. Since it was a special event, I also received a collectible pin at the start of the experience.

Not your normal drive-thru experience

Once I ordered my meal, I drove through the foggy “Nevermore Academy” gates and into different rooms inspired by the show. At the end, a worker got your order by opening a morgue door.

You can try it too… without waiting five hours.

Wendy’s announced the “Meal of Misfortune” would be available nationwide starting Monday, August 4th, just in time for the new season of “Wednesday” premiering August 6th.

@thetopicalfruit
Yes, I waited 5 and a half hours for the Wendy’s x “Wednesday” pop-up event! 🍟👻🖤 #pov #wednesday #addamsfamily #Netflix #wendys #spooky
♬ original sound – The Topical Fruit

Americans Eat 17 Pounds of Fries a Year (And Still Want More)

If your 9-to-5 has you feeling fried, maybe it’s time to lean in and treat yourself to something fried—because apparently, you’ve earned it. Last Friday was National French Fry Day, and it turns out America’s love affair with fries is alive, well, and deeply seasoned.

According to a new report, the average American eats a whopping 17 pounds of fries each year. If you think that sounds suspiciously low, you’re not alone—either you’re a superfan, or you’re unknowingly carrying the weight for someone out there who’s not pulling their fry-eating weight.

Collectively, the U.S. downs at least 5.6 billion pounds of fries annually. That’s reportedly enough to fill over 155,000 school buses, although who decided that’s the go-to unit of measurement remains a mystery.

Virginia tops the list as the most fry-obsessed state, with the average Virginian putting away more than 21 pounds a year. Alabama, Georgia, and Maryland also ranked high, making the South a real stronghold for spuds.

When it comes to style, most of the country (28 states) prefers the classic straight-cut and seasoned variety. But there’s regional drama in the fry world:

Shoestring fries are the top pick in Hawaii, New Hampshire, Michigan, Maine, and Texas.
Curly fries rule in Alaska, Kansas, Connecticut, and Oklahoma.
Crinkle-cut is the go-to in Nebraska, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
Waffle fries? They only have one loyal state: Colorado. (We see you, Chick-fil-A fans.)

And if you think fries are just a side dish, think again. A solid 63% of Americans say fries can totally stand on their own as a main meal. (Honestly, who among us hasn’t just eaten a tray of fries and called it dinner?)

Salt is still the reigning seasoning champ, followed by garlic powder, but some fry lovers are getting creative with Parmesan, Old Bay, paprika, and cayenne. Top dips include the classics: ketchup, ranch, and cheese sauce.

The social dynamics of fry-sharing are… complicated. While 77% say they’d share their fries with a group, 65% admit to straight-up stealing fries from someone else’s plate. So next time you’re out with friends, guard your fries accordingly.

The Ultimate French Fry Board with Curly Fries, Potato Gems, Crinkle Cut, Steak Fries, Take Out Fries, Sweet Potato and Waffle Cut Fries with Dipping Sauces. 📸 Lauri Patterson / Getty

Confused Chicken Shows Up at Buffalo Wild Wings

If I was walking into Buffalo Wild Wings and saw this, I’d still eat there. But I’m probably getting a burger.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa got a call after someone spotted a chicken hanging out by the front door of a Buffalo Wild Wings in Des Moines.

They noted the hen must have been “confused,” since B-Dubs is the last place a chicken would want to be caught hanging out.

“WHAT THE CLUCK? Talk about a chicken on the wrong side of the road!”

How the chicken got to Buffalo Wild Wings is anyone’s guess, and whether it crossed the road to get there is also a hot topic.

People on Facebook were quick to offer up their own theories – a common theme being she’s finally buckled under the crushing weight of existence, and can’t deal with the unrelenting nature of life itself.

“She’d just given up. Was like ‘Just take me Lord!'”

“It wanted to be someone’s dinner.”

“How 2025’s been going, she just wanted to be done with it all!”

Thankfully, the story has a happy ending.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa was able to catch the chicken, adding that she was safe and receiving the care she needed. And the best news is it appears the wayward fowl never made it inside the restaurant.

Imagine the level of PTSD you’d endure if you realized you’d been just a few short steps away from becoming a combo meal.

America’s Favorite Fast-Food Fries? Not McDonald’s

If you had to pick one fast food fry to eat for the rest of your life, who would you ride or die for? McDonald’s? Chick-fil-A? Dairy Queen? (Sorry… “Dairy Queen” was a joke, obviously.)

Well, brace yourself: A new study just dropped the fry equivalent of a mic… and these results feel like a joke.

A restaurant supply company analyzed over 40,000 Yelp reviews across 21 major fast food chains, looking specifically at what people were saying about the fries. And the winner is… In-N-Out.

Yep. We’re not saying it’s wrong, but we are saying that’s a bold choice.

Here’s the Top 10 Best Fast Food Fries, according to the Yelp hive mind:

In-N-Out
Shake Shack
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Bojangles
Chick-fil-A
Raising Cane’s
Zaxbys
Arby’s
Hardee’s
Checkers / Rally’s

Now for the real chaos: McDonald’s — yes, THE McDonald’s, purveyor of the fry so iconic it has its own scent — came in 20th out of 21. Second. To. Last.

Only KFC fared worse, possibly because nobody’s ever voluntarily ordered fries there on purpose.

Here are the Bottom 5:

KFC
McDonald’s
Burger King
Church’s Chicken
Popeyes

Notably missing from either list? Sonic. Wendy’s. Probably because their fries fall somewhere in the middle, in that mysterious category of “technically edible, but no one’s writing home about it.”

At the end of the day, fry rankings are subjective, emotional, and borderline religious. But this list proves one thing: Yelp reviews are apparently the new democracy. And in this one, even the mighty can fall.