Today, we review Wendy’s Chili. This is an offering from Wendy’s Fast Food restaurant.
Dave Thomas founded Wendy’s in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. He named the restaurant after his fourth child. It’s headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. Today, the company is part of Triarc, the publicly traded parent company of Arby’s. By 2018, Wendy’s had become the world’s third-largest hamburger chain, behind McDonald’s and Burger King.
Wendy’s chili has been a staple on the menu since the restaurant’s inception. It is made using cooked hamburger patties and features a beef-and-bean base. While I know there is a debate about whether beans belong in chili, I won’t delve into that discussion here. Instead, I will focus on evaluating Wendy’s chili as a whole.
The Construction
For the most part, the Wendy’s Chili was assessed as ordered. A request for Wendy’s Hot Sauce was made. There are no options to remove ingredients from the chili. There are also additional options for cheddar cheese, sweet onions, and sour cream if one chooses
- Tomato Base
- Ground Beef
- Onions
- Celery
- Green Pepper
- Red Kidney Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Hot Chili Sauce (Served separately)
- Saltine Crackers (Default – Served Separately)
- Size: Large
- Bowl Diameter: 4.0 inches
- Weight: 13 ounces
- Location: Indian Trail, NC
- Price: $3.59
The Appearance (*)
This is a new section we have recently introduced. This will be included (where we can) in Coalition Eats reviews. It is not part of the scoring, but this section compares the actual product with how it was advertised. Below this is the photo from Wendy’s site. While not exact by any means, the chili is similar to the picture, and it is within striking distance in terms of appearance. Wendy’s Chili is actually closer in appearance to its advertised image than most fast food offerings.
Comparison Rating: Fair
The Experience
We use the same scoring algorithm we used to assess George’s Chili from Culver’s.
- Stock: 4 points
- Ground Beef: 2 points
- Vegetables and Extras: 2 points
- Intangibles: 2 points
I did not include saltine crackers in the assessment because I do not eat them in chili.
Stock
The chili stock is tomato-based and is definitely on the milder side. It enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. If you enjoy mild, sweet flavors, this stock is perfect for you. However, if you’re looking for a bit more heat, you can add Wendy’s Chili Sauce (more details on that later).
Score: 2.0 out of 4.0 points
Ground Beef
The beef in Wendy’s Chili is extremely tender. It will take on some of the qualities of the tomato chili stock, with spices and sweetness imparted. It’s average meat, as it doesn’t really have much rich, meaty flavor. Wendy’s does say their meat is never frozen, so while it’s from hamburgers cooked already, it still wasn’t frozen…