You might not want to think about it, but
some pretty shady stuff goes on behind the scenes at fast food restaurants, and these
workers are ready to spill. From sketchy food prep practices to dirty
equipment, these confessions might make you think twice about hitting up that drive-thru
again. Delicious fast food doesn't just rain from
the heavens, like gifts from the gods of fat, salt, and sugar. It's made by the hopefully washed hands of
hard-working, underpaid employees who know all the gruesome details about how the sausage
is made. Most customers like to keep their heads in
the sand when it comes to how their meals are prepared, because honestly, the less you
know the better. Which leads us to some unfortunate insider
info about Taco Bell. As one Taco Bell employee expressed on Reddit,
people might want to stay away from anything on the menu that involves meat, which is basically
everything. "You DO NOT want to see how the meat comes
into the store. The meat we use for the tacos and other things
[...] comes in big plastic bags labeled 'Suitable for human consumption.' They smell absolutely awful until we put the
seasonings in." Another former employee dished that they sometimes
used meat after its expiration date. So the next time you run for the border, don't
be surprised if you also have to run for the bathroom. "Ay-yi-yi." One word no one wants to ever hear in a restaurant
is "infestation." Any pest is a nuisance but there's one bug
that's a cut above the rest: the mighty cockroach. A creature so fierce that even nuclear explosions
can't stop it. "Nuclear radiation! A mere, gentle kiss upon my back. I CANNOT DIE, FOR I AM DEATH!" As dark as that sounds… the poetic little
bugger is right and Starbucks learned it the hard way. Despite its powerful presence across the world,
the coffee giant is still privy to the mayhem-inducing woes of roach takeovers, and one ex-employee
had a particularly nightmarish experience. The traumatized barista dished on Reddit… "They were everywhere. The pastry case, in the storage, around the
dry powders." But the most horrific sight, according to
the informant, was that one of the roaches crawled out of a coffee machine's spout. And you definitely don't want your grande,
half-caff, skinny latte flavored with a sprinkling of roasted cockroach residue. Unfortunately, all pests enjoy snacking as
much as humans do, and there's one place where they can always find an all-you-can-eat buffet
and it can't be avoided, especially in restaurants. Now more than ever, restaurants are catering
to guests with a wide range of dietary preferences but there's still plenty of misunderstandings
between two major groups of customers. Some carnivores have a tough time accepting
that anyone wouldn't want a huge, juicy steak served to them. But then again, some hardcore vegetarians
have no idea how someone could sleep at night knowing their dinner was once an innocent,
defenseless animal that wanted nothing more than to graze in peace. Recently, one anonymous ex-employee of A&W
divulged a secret that perfectly illustrates this divide and, at the same time, will make
every vegetarian gasp in shock. The legendary fast-food restaurant had been
serving veggie burgers for quite some time, but as the informant said on Reddit… "Veggie burgers were grilled on the same grill
as the meat, and were often cooked in the grease of other burgers." Of course, it was only trace amounts of beef,
but try telling that to an angry vegetarian and see what happens. "What are you, nuts?! I’m a vegetarian." One Redditor who works at an undisclosed eatery
admits there's a shady reason behind those suggestions at their place of business. The anonymous tipster wrote… "Whenever we have ingredients that are going
to expire or just expired, we tell our cashiers to subtly 'promote' certain foods when a customer
seems unsure about what to buy." So, the next time a friendly person behind
the counter tries to push a side order on you, just know that it might not be because
they, themselves, are truly addicted to the stuff. "I do not work with junkies." The reason for their enthusiastic recommendation
is because that day's favorite dish is probably from yesterday, and like many aging flavor-sensations,
it's been mutating on a molecular level and taken on a life of its own. Those Golden Arches of McDonald's seem to
tug at our tummies every time we look at them, even if we're not in the mood for a quick,
cheap meal. Maybe it's our appetite's devil urging us
to give in to the diet-breaking delights of fast food, or the nostalgia of those childhood
Happy Meals. Either way, if that urge hits, one employee
implores customers to order with extreme caution when it comes to McCafe. According to their testimonials on Reddit,
they make sure everyone that matters to them never orders anything that flows out of a
'McCafe' machine. And coming from a current McDonalds employee,
that's a pretty cold thing to say. "Colder than a South Pole streaker." So what kind of disgusting buildup occurs
inside the machine? The Mickey D's insider went on to say… "A couple of times I stuck my hand in the
machine to pull out a literal [fistful] of black soot. [...] The insides are caked with it, the lines
where the product comes out as well." As horrible as that sounds, the innards of
the smoothie machine also belong far away from the human stomach. The same employee said... "The McDonald's I'm at now also has us cleaning
the smoothie machine with [...] glass cleaner." Those Golden Arches seem a lot more tarnished
now, and that's one stain even Windex will never be able to buff out. During those frigid days of Winter when it
feels like Jack Frost has wrapped you in a blanket of ice, nothing satisfies quite like
a hearty bowl of chili. Lots of fast-food restaurants serve this classic
comfort food but Wendy's has marketed their chili as a delicious cure for the Winter blues. However...once you hear how they create this
meaty concoction, you'd happily brave the frozen tundra just to escape the smell of
it. It's not so much the recipe as it is the gnarly
method of preparing the chili. One ex-employee describes the horrendous procedure
in vivid detail on Reddit, saying… "It's made from dried up, leftover hamburger
meat. It sits in bags of its own grease in the freezer
for god knows how long, until it's pulled out and boiled. Then it's mixed with giant cans of beans and
tomatoes that smell like vomit, and boiled again for hours." Now, if you think you've heard the worst of
it, prepare yourself because there's one more bit of information that the chili informant
went on to spill... "Whatever wasn't used at the end of the night
was poured back into vats and stored in the walk in until it would be reheated in the
morning." So, basically, that steaming cup of chili
you just ordered might have been hot, cold, stored and restored many times before it finally
reaches your taste buds. "Nooooo." There are times when a basic cheese pizza
is all you need to be satisfied, and there's no reason to shell out any extra cash for
more toppings. Other times, the idea of a pie loaded with
pepperoni, sausage, green peppers and olives is so enticing that you don't mind spending
more. But at Little Caesars, something smells a
little fishy about their pricing policy for additional toppings. One Redditor who worked at a location in Washington,
thought it was strange that the 'Cheese Pizza' and the 'Pepperoni Pizza' both cost $5.99. How could you charge the exact same price
when one pizza clearly has a meaty topping? According to the restaurant's manager… "It's that way because the customers are informed
that more cheese is added onto the cheese pizza.'" But is that really the case? The former employee responded... "This was a blatant lie, as we put equal amounts
of cheese on all the pizzas. The cheese is added before any other toppings. [...] So you don't really know which ones
are going to be baked as pepperoni." We hate to think that there's anything devious
going on at the headquarters of Little Caesars but something about their pizza-pizza pricing
doesn't add up. Oh, well...at least they didn't rub it in
our faces. "Only a dummy would pay more for less toppings." As much as the words "health department" make
managers panic, their existence is vital when it comes to safety. Every meal needs to be prepared by employees
wearing hats or hair nets and all food items must be properly stored in approved, sanitary
receptacles. Every square inch of the restaurant falls
under the microscopic eye of these serious professionals, and they'll try their hardest
to find even the smallest infraction. During one surprise visit to a KFC, the health
department stumbled upon an infraction that would have given The Colonel plenty of sleepless
nights. According to a Redditor... "There was a dead rat at the bottom of one
of the fryers. The sanitary city council group came to do
the 6 month check up [...] and found it. [...] [They] came to the realization that
it had been there for quite some time. Needless to say, the place was shut down immediately." But the larger question remains, how does
a rat magically fall into a deep fryer? Was this an accident or sabotage? Like many of the universe's greatest mysteries,
this one might never be solved. "There's got to be an explanation.” “Oh, I don’t know. I think some things are better left unexplained." Usually on the first day of a job or during
that dreaded training period where you walk behind a seasoned employee and awkwardly shadow
them, a new recruit will be informed about the company's rules and regulations. The strictness of the criteria varies from
place to place, but there are always some staple expectations: Dress appropriately. Don't arrive late. Don't tell customers what you're actually
thinking... "Do you want me to hold the spit? Haha, just kidding, officer." And, most importantly, keep drugs as far away
from the premises as possible. It's "puff, puff, pass," not "puff, puff,
work." However, some employees might have had other
things on their mind when that rule was discussed. One person who used to work for Domino's Pizza
confessed to lighting up before nearly every pie-slingin' shift. The chillaxed employee bluntly admitted on
Reddit… "I was always high when I worked for Domino's." It's bad enough that this cashier was standing
glazed-eyed behind the register but you won't believe who was providing him with the devil's
lettuce. It turns out that his supervisor was redefining
the meaning of "supply chain" and selling sticky-icky to members of his own team. While it sounds like a mellow workplace where
nothing is likely to go wrong, you might want to think twice about ordering from Domino's. Under these conditions, you could get a pizza
with a few extra ingredients and who knows how you might react to them. Ice: The
cornerstone of any drink you intend on keeping cold while you're in a hot car. Believe it or not, there are some individuals
who actually hate ice and prefer their beverages lukewarm. Most people, however, like to drop some frozen
cubes into their sugary drink of choice...even though by the last sip, it will be thoroughly
watered down . But, watered down sodas aren't the only thing
you need to worry about when it comes to ice. According to one Redditor, who's worked at
multiple establishments, ice machines are, quote... "Rarely cleaned out. Like almost never. Bugs, dirt, food particles, whatever." The employee went on to say that when the
unsanitary condition of the ice machine was brought to the attention of management, they
brushed it off and said the employee should have better things to do than monitor the
ice machine. But...in truth, we would all love to have
someone monitor the ice machine and ensure that our refreshing, chilled beverages don't
end up as rancid as some of our burgers. And, seriously, do you really want flies with
that order? “Here ya go.” Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about fast food
restaurants are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the
bell so you don't miss a single one.
