I Tried Wendy's Entire Breakfast Menu & the Best Item Was Sweet and Savory

Fast-food chains are among the most dynamic players in the restaurant space. Constant expansions, new product rollouts, and technological advances at these food and beverage epicenters are a marvel. But it's rare to see a large change catapult a chain into an entirely new category. This happened in March 2020 when longstanding hamburger hub Wendy's threw its proverbial hat in the breakfast ring.

You may remember the days when fast-food breakfasts were significantly more finite. My family teetered between an Egg McMuffin and hash browns at McDonald's or a sweet foursome of Cini Minis at Burger King.

So, when Wendy's entered the breakfast game, I was happy to expand my palate and try it. As an Ohio native, I may have subconsciously rooted for the Columbus-based company. For the chain's 2020 rollout, "the breakfast worth waking up for" featured the mighty Breakfast Baconator and biscuit breakfast sandwiches. In true fast food style, the menu is ever-changing, with new additions rolling out frequently (like the Breakfast Burrito, which debuted in January.)

Wendy's breakfast menu fuses the new with the old for a mixed bag of items, as I discovered on my taste test. After biting into or sipping on every Wendy's breakfast item, I better understood what this chain's breakfast is all about. Some options were not my cup of tea, but others were pure morning-time magic.

Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit

Ah, the humble sausage, egg, and cheese. It's a breakfast order as old as time and one with enough aplomb to show up on Wendy's breakfast menu three times. In one rendition, the trio is plopped between two buttermilk biscuit halves for a hearty yet straightforward start to the day. An American slice is the cheese of choice. The egg is advertised as fresh-cracked and grade A. One sandwich cost me $3.79.

The look: The sandwich stands tall and proud, with each ingredient visible from the fringes. The biscuit is soft and gently flaky. The sheer size of the biscuit gave me pause as I was afraid it might clobber the rest of the flavors.

The taste: There was truth behind my visual assessment. My vexation was caused by more than the overpowering biscuit. The entire sandwich is marred by dryness from the sausage patty and the surrounding bread. It was a double whammy that no amount of melty American cheese could fix. This may have been a case of over-grilling the meat. This is unfortunate because a juicier patty could have elevated the sandwich and offset some of the salty and bland tones from the biscuit.

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Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit

A variation on the biscuit theme, this option swaps sausage for bacon, creating a version of the sammie, which is affectionately known as a BEC (bacon, egg, and cheese). But the bacon isn't any old slice. It's applewood-smoked bacon, which should present a mild sweetness. Despite the protein swap, this sandwich still rings up at $3.79, as did its sausage relative.

The look: More squished and skewed compared to the sausage biscuit. Three slices of bacon sat upon the over-hard egg, hinting at the flavor potential, but I didn't have my hopes set too high.

The taste: Another mediocre offering. The biscuit-to-protein ratio is wildly out of whack—so much so that the bacon hardly made an impression under the mound of boring bread. I had to take several sips of water for moisture to return to my mouth. Saltiness is one of the only flavors that comes through, although I couldn't tell if it was coming from the bacon or the biscuit. The American cheese was scanty, with just a few smears here and there. To make matters worse, no sauce accompanies the meal to boost its appeal.

Sausage, Egg & Cheese English Muffin

English muffins were not part of Wendy's original 2020 breakfast plan. Instead, they were tacked on last summer to fulfill customer requests and presumably compete with other quick breakfast titans like McDonald's and Starbucks. Now, two English muffin sandwich options grace the menu board, including a sausage and a bacon option—no shock. Both are priced at $3.99, and the sausage makeup is the same as the biscuit sandwich with American cheese and an egg as complementary toppings.

The look: Generously sized compared to other English muffin sandwiches I've seen that have been reduced to the thickness of a pancake. The muffin is robust, and there are equal parts egg and sausage, though the cheese is more elusive, hiding on top of the lower bun.

The taste: If I were to rank the English muffin itself, it would be higher on my list. It is fluffy and airy with a mouthwatering buttery, almost honey-like tang to it that leaves you wanting more. Unfortunately, the sausage and egg didn't hold up their end of the bargain. The patty was overcooked, dense, and dry yet again. I also questioned if it was a real sausage patty or one of those Impossible plant-based meat options because of its strange, gritty texture. At the same time, I had a major aversion to the egg after spotting a dark blemish on one end—likely a one-time flub but enough to turn me off completely.

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Oatmeal Bar

With whole oats plus a handful of dried blueberries and cranberries baked in, Wendy's Fresh Baked Oatmeal Bar masquerades as a more "wholesome" choice. But don't be fooled. If you select the oaty bar as your breakfast, you'll be kicking off your day with more carbs than most of the chain's breakfast sandwiches and 23 total grams of sugar—expect a zippy start that will have you crashing before lunch. Despite these critiques, I was intrigued by the lesser-known Wendy's specialty and ordered one from the Sides and More section of the menu for $1.69.

The look: Circular, like a cookie, rather than rectangular or bar-shaped. Grains stick out from the top accompanied by dark berries—at first glance, it's hard to tell if they are of the blue or cran variety.

The taste: Like a cinnamon brick. I struggled to break it in half with my hands and worried for the well-being of my teeth—a little more give and chewiness is what I had anticipated. Despite this less-than-ideal texture, I didn't turn my nose up at the flavor. A light spice and sweetness from the cinnamon played well with other flavors of tart berries, honey, and basic oats. It could have turned out to be a satisfying little treat if it hadn't given off the impression of being pulled from yesterday's batch.

Frosty Cream Cold Brew

A Frosty in the morning may be somewhat of a polarizing idea. But, as an avid lover of coffee and ice cream, I say keep the sweet breakfast beverages flowing—and that's what Wendy's has done. The burger joint debuted its Frosty Cream Cold Brews last summer after sunsetting its previous caffeinated concoction, the Frosty-ccino. This fresh new drink combines cold brew coffee with a Frosty-based creamer and is offered in three flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and caramel. I couldn't pick just one, so I ended up with a medium cup of both chocolate and vanilla, each for $2.79.

The look: The two see-through plastic cups would have been interchangeable, except the Chocolate has a slightly darker, barely noticeable hue. Each is a caramel-like brown shade and seems to have a balanced ratio of brew to cream.

The taste: Both real coffee drinkers and Frosty enthusiasts would likely agree that there's work to be done here. The liquid is not inundated with a strong java essence. It was so weak that my coffee-loathing husband could stomach it. But, at the same time, the distinct Frosty flavor doesn't come through. Don't get me wrong, it's plenty sweet and sugary—even more so in the vanilla cold brew—but the combination leaves much to be desired. As I sipped, I realized the taste was almost a dead ringer for the Starbucks bottled Frappuccinos. So, if that's how you enjoy your bean juice, the Frosty Cream Cold Brew is for you. Otherwise, you may want to save the ice cream for dessert.

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Sausage Gravy & Biscuit

Sausage gravy and biscuits are not a breakfast for everyone—and probably shouldn't be an everyday breakfast for anyone. But, as a born and raised Midwesterner, it's a favorite in my family. Whipping it up fresh at home is the preferred method. Many restaurants and dives serve up their own renditions, but I wasn't aware that Wendy's was one of them. It's the only item on the breakfast menu that isn't an ideal car meal and comes at a price of $2.39.

The look: So smothered in greyish-white gravy, I could hardly see the biscuit halves in my plastic container. Pepper speckles decorate the top, and just a couple of square cuts of sausage are haphazardly included.

The taste: Though not made from scratch or with love in a southern-style kitchen, the gravy isn't entirely offensive. A faint pepper taste and its country-like creaminess soaks into each buttery biscuit. It is made from a formulated gravy mix, though, so it is more watery than thick and flavorful. The biggest problem with the dish is the sausage. It's not crumbled and incorporated into the mixture like a classic plate of sausage gravy and biscuits should be. Instead, it's cut-up pieces of the chain's sausage patties that are thrown in after the fact, which means that the spice and meatiness don't seep into the surrounding gravy. A major design flaw that I'd hope the Midwest-based company would be keen on remedying.

Bacon, Egg & Cheese English Muffin

Another iteration of the English muffin sandwich, this version combines egg and cheese with applewood smoked bacon. What I failed to mention in the sausage muffin's introduction is that both of these sandwiches—even in their short lifespan on the menu—have been dubbed the classics of the breakfast section. A true honor next to the Breakfast Baconator and French Toast Sticks. To jog your memory, this BEC on an English muffin is priced at $3.99—the same as the sausage sandwich.

The look: The muffin doesn't swallow the three bacon slices nearly as much as the biscuit did. But bread is still the most dominant ingredient.

The taste: Another soft, pillowy, and satisfying English muffin with just a Goldilocks amount of buttery spread. Beyond this outer shell, nothing here is memorable. The over-hard egg is standard and mostly a filler. To my dismay, the melty cheese is in short supply, rendering it powerless. With good flavor and a texture somewhere between crisp and floppy, the bacon isn't an utter disappointment, but it is nothing really remarkable, either.

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Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant

Bringing a touch of French cuisine to the fast-food scene is the croissant breakfast sandwich. It's hard to beat a fresh and flaky croissant for breakfast, no matter what form it's served in. Once the pastry is glutted with meats and cheeses, true magic can happen. Wendy's menu offers three varieties of this winning combo, including a bacon, egg & Swiss croissant for $3.79.

The look: Four-sided and the flattest sandwich in the lineup. Two bacon slices barely reach from end to end. Meanwhile, the fresh-cracked egg dominated, taking over the sandwich and spilling beyond the sides.

The taste: I must have missed the word "Swiss" as I ordered this sandwich. Expecting another familiar slice of American, I was worried when I found a suspicious glob of creamy white paste decorating the croissant. This is the chain's Swiss cheese sauce made up of cream, milk, Swiss, cheddar, sour cream, egg yolks, and more. It's not nearly as disturbing when you know what you're eating—the whole sandwich is quite the opposite. The sauce mixed with the light butteriness of the croissant introduces much-needed moisture and richness to the sandwich. While the excess of egg and meager amount of bacon detract from its success, overall, the sandwich strikes a more enjoyable balance than the other biscuit and English muffin options.

Homestyle French Toast Sticks

In the summer of 2022, Wendy's gave its customers some sweet relief by adding Homestyle French Toast Sticks to its breakfast menu, which was otherwise dominated by savory sandwiches. If you're like me, brought up in the pits of public school, these may bring you back to the days of 11 a.m. lunches and paper milk cartons. The stick form is nostalgic and perfect for on-the-go breakfasts and syrup dipping. I bought a four-pack for $2.99. Six-packs are available for those days when you need more of a pick-me-up.

The look: Like steakhouse fries, but a darker brown. There doesn't appear to be a coating of sweet granules on the outside, which is disappointing. My spirits were raised by my order, including an extra stick, bringing my total to five.

The taste: Crunchy on the outside, soft and pancake-like on the inside. I think this balanced texture alone is a win for fast-food French toast sticks. A great start, indeed. But Wendy's could do more. As I picked up during my visual inspection, the sticks are not sugar bombs. Which is fine: I'm not asking for an Auntie Anne's Cinnamon Sugar pretzel where every open space is blasted with sweet crumbs. However, something beyond faint cinnamon notes would be welcome and help the sticks stand on their own without needing to be drenched in syrup.

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Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit

In the world of breakfast sandwiches, the egg came before the chicken. But, the full bird is finally having its day in the sun, available on Wendy's morning-time menu not just once but twice. The honey butter chicken biscuit is the simpler of the two—a fried breast and maple honey butter spread exist between a halved buttermilk biscuit. Whataburger fans recognize the southern chain's breakfast delicacy, which shares the same title but has earned the saucy nickname HBCB. Both sandwiches sell for the same price of $3.79.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: Meaty. The thick white-meat chicken breast holds its own against the bulky biscuit in a way that flat strips of bacon or a slab of sausage can't. A glimmer of hope emerged with this realization, alongside the freshness of the chicken. This isn't one of those school cafeteria patties; it's the real deal.

The taste: Texture-wise, this sandwich performs swimmingly. Juicy, slightly crispy chicken fuses with the soft biscuit, making each bite easy to manage. The flavor department is where this sandwich disappoints. The breast is seasoned well enough with hints of garlic and onion powder, but the maple honey butter was applied sparingly, if at all. I had to dig deep to experience any of the sweetness. Without this extra dash of gusto, neither the chicken nor the biscuit reaches their full flavor potential—a darn shame.

Cinnabon Pull-Apart

This is not a drill. As of Feb. 26, Wendy's has another sweet treat on the breakfast menu in collaboration with none other than the king of cinnamon baked goods itself, Cinnabon. Made up of cinnamon and brown sugar-coated dough and topped with that mouthwatering cream cheese frosting, the Cinnabon Pull-Apart is more of a dessert than a breakfast food. But I'm willing to turn a blind eye to that minor detail. It cost $3.69—less than expected—and I was beyond excited to dig in.

The look: Nuggets of dough all form together, reminding me of monkey bread. This conglomeration allows cinnamon sugar to be more evenly distributed and melted frosting to seep into every open crevice.

The taste: The scent instantly transported me to the shopping mall, where Cinnabon locations tempt with their tantalizing aromas. I desperately wanted the taste to follow suit—and it gets pretty close—but it doesn't quite hit the mark. With a gooey center, just enough cinnamon flavor, and sufficient icing, it's a saccharine dream. As a Cinnabon product, I expected a bit more. It's missing that certain je ne sais quoi or freshness you get from one of the company's real storefronts—that quality that makes you melt and want to close your eyes just to savor the moment. On the bright side, this is a great, accessible back-up for when those sugar cravings hit. Wendy's locations outnumber Cinnabon, and you're less likely to pop into a mall or airport to get your fix.

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Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant

We return to the pastry-inspired sandwich. While all other ingredients remain the same—the croissant, egg, and Swiss cheese sauce—the star of the show here is a square-cut, pork-based sausage patty. The three-part sammie costs the same as the bacon version at $3.79.

The look: Just as deflated as its bacon counterpart. There does appear to be a double layer of white and yellow egg at play, however. Slightly larger than the croissant, the sausage looks like a thinner hamburger patty.

The taste: While the gentle crispness of an authentic, fresh croissant is missing, the flavor is not. The soft layer of sweet and mildly greasy bread on the top and bottom elevates the entire sandwich and would have made any inside ingredients taste that much better. The sausage is a tad charred, but it's less noticeable against the texture of the croissant. The creamy Swiss cheese sauce also offsets the meat's faint spiciness. The entire sandwich is rich, and just like the bacon croissant, all of its separate pieces and parts work in better harmony than most of Wendy's other sandwich options.

Seasoned Potatoes

A breakfast without some form of potatoes is a sad breakfast indeed. And Wendy's has not left its customers yearning for a starchy side. Its seasoned spuds set out to satisfy all cravings and deviate from the standard hash browns offered at most other fast food chains. Potatoes can be added to any of Wendy's breakfast sandwiches to make it a combo or purchased separately in small, medium, or large sizes. A small order cost me $1.59.

The look: When Wendy's says small, it means it. My tiny cup came with eight fries. But each is thick-cut and ranges from light tan to golden brown with uneven seasoning. The skin was still attached to every piece.

The taste: Wendy's takes the obligatory breakfast potato to the next level. And, dare I say, they are the best fast food chain breakfast potato–even over McDonald's greasy hash brown patty. A satisfying crunch erupts as you bite into them. They remain satisfying even as they cool and lose some of that firmness. Don't shy away from indulging in those forgotten bits that dribbled to the bottom of your to-go bag. Garlic powder, onion powder, and cracked pepper bring life to each bite, elevating the simple and tender potato, but not in an overwhelming way. I surprised myself by finishing all eight without a thought of ketchup or condiment—a true testament to the flavor and quality going on here.

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Breakfast Burrito

Before the Cinnabon Pull-Aparts, 2024 gifted us a Wendy's breakfast burrito. The new hearty handheld rolled out to more than 4,500 restaurants nationwide in January. Each one is loaded with two eggs, six slices of bacon, potatoes, American cheese, and the Swiss cheese sauce found on the chain's croissant sandwiches. Two Cholula sauce packets come on the side to dribble on at your discretion. With all these special fix-ins and the sheer volume of ingredients, the burrito ties with the Breakfast Baconator as the most expensive single item on Wendy's breakfast menu, at $4.49 a pop.

The look: The price tag is justified. I wouldn't compare it to one of Chipotle's behemoth burritos, but it has some weight. If I had finished off the entire thing, I would have been teetering on stuffed. The ingredients come in muted colors, but each is accounted for and abundant. Specifically, I noticed the cheese, which oozes from all sides.

The taste: A cohesive blend of flavors wrapped in a tender flour tortilla. The smokiness from the bacon defined my first couple of bites. The flavor gradually balanced out with the buttery creaminess of the cheeses and the neutral tones of the potato. Depth comes from all directions, but no one ingredient tramples the next. Each bite also presented a new flavor experience, highlighting a different ingredient each time. I never reached for my Cholula packet. The burrito is satisfying enough all on its own.

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Breakfast Baconator

The breakfast spinoff of Wendy's iconic burger, the Baconator, aims to not just break your fast, but destroy it, according to the chain. The stout sandwich takes after its predecessor by marrying two meats—a sausage patty and applewood-smoked bacon—and it's the only breakfast item on the menu to do so. A premium bun is another "must," along with a fresh-cooked egg. Both American cheese and Swiss cheese sauce are slathered on. It's priced at $4.49, the same as the sizeable breakfast burrito.

The look: Less thrilling than its advertisements, but that's to be expected. Underneath the glistening golden brown bun, multiple bacon slices exist on top of and underneath the egg. The sausage patty is par for the course, and American cheese fills many of its nooks and crannies–though the Swiss spread is more elusive.

The taste: I wish Wendy's offered more breakfast options on this premium bun. With its light and fluffy texture and tiny hint of sweetness, it's unbeatable and tame enough to let its contents do most of the talking. With double meat plus protein from the egg, I worried it would all be too overwhelming. But everything flows together seamlessly. You get a spicy kick from the sausage, smoky crunchiness from the bacon, and the cheesiness ebbs and flows with each bite. The egg gets a little lost in the middle, but that's not a negative. All in all, I think the Breakfast Baconator's complexity was a bold move, but also what makes it one of the most satisfyingly indulgent and memorable items on Wendy's breakfast menu.

Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant

We finally reach the last of Wendy's breakfast sandwich options with the maple bacon chicken croissant. Part of the chain's original 2020 breakfast launch, the sandwich often fills the number one spot on the menu board, comparable to the Breakfast Baconator in notoriety. It comes with the same slab of fried chicken as Wendy's version of an HBCB, along with bacon and maple butter, all on a croissant. One sandwich costs $4.39.

The look: The chicken came almost in the shape of a heart (a good omen) and was sizable, taking up more space than the croissant. Two pieces of well-cooked bacon joined the poultry, and everything glistened under the influence of the honey butter.

The taste: This has always been my Wendy's breakfast order of choice, and adjacent to all other menu items, it still has my heart. The experience of eating this sandwich is akin to enjoying a well-crafted (and portable, mind you) order of chicken and waffles. The maple butter seeps into the croissant and chicken, making every bite mouthwatering and somehow not soggy. A sweet and savory balance permeates the entire sandwich, and it's heartier than you might think with all that juicy chicken at the forefront. Though less noticeable, the bacon provides a subtle crunch and saltiness that rounds out all the tastes. And, of course, none of it would work without the croissant—the perfect vehicle to transport this morning-time flavor infusion.

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