13 Biggest Complaints Customers Have About Chick-Fil-A

Even those who don't frequent Chick-fil-A can attest to the fact that the brand has become iconic over the years. We've all seen the clever billboards that feature a cow cheekily urging onlookers to "Eat Mor Chikin," with this simple but playful marketing ploy charming Americans since 1995.

Sure, there are tons of great fast food and fast casual restaurants that whip up a mean chicken sandwich, so Chick-fil-A may not be the top choice for all sandwich fans. However, there are plenty of other ways that the brand has won over people's hearts and stomachs. For example, Chick-fil-A is one of the few chains that serve waffle fries, along with Carl's Jr. But as much as people appreciate the chain's food and atmosphere, no brand is perfect.

Some folks have gripes with Chick-fil-A, while others have felt so betrayed that they've temporarily boycotted or even refused to ever return. Read on to discover if you can agree with any of the 13 most common complaints customers share about the chicken chain.

There are tons of posts online where people lament the fact that their biggest Chick-fil-A cravings always occur on Sunday. It's as if their bodies have internalized the chain's schedule and actively work to sabotage their appetites. Some people are lucky enough to experience a lesser form of grief by discovering the closure on Chick-fil-A's app, while others feel like complete fools after taking the time to get in their car and drive all the way over only to arrive at a wasteland.

Chick-fil-A has deep Christian ties, so it's understandable why the brand would want to give its employees a day off. On Chick-fil-A's website, the brand explains that its founder, S. Truett Cathy, wanted the chain to close on Sundays to give everyone the chance to worship or simply spend time with loved ones. America has become a country of convenience and nonstop flow, so it's a bold move to risk losing 14% or more in profits by closing for an entire day. While the employees likely appreciate some rest, some customers aren't quite as appreciative of the chain's six-day schedule.

Some disgruntled Chick-fil-A customers have taken to Reddit to vent about their mobile order experiences. The introduction of mobile ordering was meant to help both the restaurant and customers save time and make retrieving the food less stressful. Not only can customers earn loyalty points to redeem freebies in the future, but they can also pull into a separate drive-thru lane that moves much faster. At least, the intention was to make the mobile order lane quicker.

One customer was baffled by their mobile order experience. They ordered a single ice cream cone and waited 25 minutes to receive it. Another Redditor who has experience working at Chick-fil-A shed some light on the situation. Apparently, at their location, there are two separate stations for drinks and desserts. If people only order drinks or desserts, the server may not even see their name pop up on the restaurant's screen because they're focused on pairing main dishes with corresponding drinks and desserts. The Redditor chalked this up to a training issue, but also stated that it's something that just happens from time to time.

The customer who shared this experience said that two servers approached them and disappeared into the restaurant, never to return again during those 25 minutes. If you find yourself in a situation like this, the best thing you can do is walk into the restaurant to resolve the problem immediately.

Chick-fil-A is renowned for its impressive customer service, but just like any other chain, this can vary depending on the location. In one Reddit thread where a user was asking if anyone else had bad Chick-fil-A customer service experiences, they got the ball rolling by explaining how much drama a medium drink once caused.

After they realized they hadn't received the medium drink they'd paid for at the drive-thru window, they parked and went inside to politely correct the harmless mistake. Once inside, the Redditor had to explain the whole situation to not one, not two, but three different Chick-fil-A employees. One had even insisted that he was the one who handed them their drink. It was clear that they believed the customer was trying to score a free drink. However, most of us can agree that 10 minutes of arguing in front of a big crowd of judgmental bystanders is hardly worth a medium drink if they were, in fact, lying. The Redditor finally got the drink they purchased, but the employee handed it to them rudely. They later complained on Chick-fil-A's website and got a generic call from the store's manager to help smooth things over.

Chick-fil-A is known for its commitment to customer service. Thankfully, judging by their scarcity online, these stories are far from the norm. However, it's worth keeping in mind that most locations are franchised. As is the case for all fast food franchises, one bad owner or manager can tarnish a restaurant.

If one of your favorite restaurants or stores were opening a new location near you, the expected response would be complete enthusiasm. However, those who live near a Chick-fil-A or encounter at least one during their daily commute can attest to the fact that this particular business changes traffic patterns for the worse.

With its emphasis on drive-thru rather than stopping inside, drivers trying to place orders take up tons of space on the road. There are several reports of cities across the U.S. struggling to fix these traffic issues to make the areas safe again. One Redditor shared that their city had to build a different location on the same street to reduce the number of cars clogging the street towards the main road. As much as the average person may adore getting their Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich fix closer to home or work, it's also valid to dread how a new location could make driving more frustrating.

Chick-fil-A certainly doesn't have the largest fast food menu out there, and there aren't too many limited-time items to keep track of. Plenty of fans already have their favorite orders memorized for specific cravings, so they're ready to go when they enter the drive-thru lane. However, some people may not visit Chick-fil-A often enough to know what they want, enjoy trying different things each visit, or experience anxiety that causes them to totally blank on what they want.

It's silly to imagine that a fast food restaurant could get complaints for being too efficient, but Chick-fil-A has accomplished just that. Some customers have complained that employees are visiting each vehicle in line quickly to cut down on wait times. "Even if I've been somewhere a zillion times, sometimes I want to look at the menu for a second without someone standing over me," one Reddit user said.

While this efficiency is fabulous news on paper, it's unfortunate if the employee reaches you before your car even approaches the menu and you're still undecided. Of course, the employees will never give you grief if you ask for a moment to review the menu, but it's still awkward being face-to-face with someone while you know the line behind you is growing longer. To beat this, you could simply bring the menu up on your phone. At that point, though, you may as well place a mobile order so you can skip the regular drive-thru line.

Fast food became such a staple in America due to its convenience and affordability. From breakfasts on the go to afternoon pick-me-ups and effortless dinners, we've all felt grateful for our favorite chains saving us bouts of hanger. Nowadays, though, many folks who keep a close eye on menu prices have come to the shocking conclusion that they can get a much better dining experience sitting down at a casual chain like Chili's or Applebee's and spend the same for higher-quality food and a relaxing ambiance.

One Reddit user who described themselves as a longtime fan of Chick-fil-A announced that their family is officially done visiting the chain. The user got 12 grilled chicken nuggets, a drink, and a fruit cup on the side, and had to pay a whopping $19. If you can't bring yourself to say goodbye to your beloved Chick-fil-A despite it burning a hole in your wallet, then it's at least worth knowing the best ways to spend $20 at Chick-fil-A, so you can get the most bang for your buck.

In 2024, customers started wondering why the Chick-fil-A waffle fries tasted a little different all of a sudden. It was odd because nothing drastic happened, but many agreed that something was most definitely off. Chick-fil-A came forward to confirm that it had added a coating of pea starch to the fries. Instead of being able to chalk their spoiled fries up to one bad visit, fans had to accept that the waffle fries they knew and loved were gone forever (or so they thought).

According to Chick-fil-A, the rationale behind adding pea starch was that it would keep the fries crispier longer when facing the rough elements in a hot, steamy bag. While this move was successful on that front, customers didn't appreciate the flavor tweak. Some brave folks were vocal about their appreciation for this innovation after previously complaining that the fries were soggy, but they were largely drowned out by a furious mob. One Reddit user compared the fries coated in pea starch to cardboard, while others claimed that the extra crispiness also came with a stale flavor. It's possible that Chick-fil-A's sales took a hit from this experiment because, in March 2026, the brand moved back to its original waffle fry recipe.

Back in 2021, Chick-fil-A fans had to ration their sauces to get through their meals when the chain went through a nationwide shortage. At least half the fun of eating chicken nuggets is dunking them in sauce, so this was, indeed, a trying time for many. Unfortunately, the employees who had no say in the matter received plenty of attitude from folks who couldn't get their usual sauce fix. In one Reddit thread where an employee begged folks to be kind to the employees, others quickly chimed in that Chick-fil-A sells various bottles of its sauces at grocery stores, in addition to salad dressings. If you can't get enough, it may be worth having a bottle on hand.

Even once this shortage was resolved, though, fans have still flocked to Reddit to question why the brand continues to be stingy when doling out sauces. In a 2024 post, one user was baffled by why the employee was refusing to give them extra sauce, even after offering to pay for it. They got the manager involved, who apparently gave a long, practiced speech about keeping costs down. The situation made no sense to the user because they were willing to throw money at the problem, but were still refused.

This isn't a one-off problem. In another post from 2025, a user complained about always receiving two sauces per mobile order, even after maxing out the app's five-sauce request limit.

A sad fact of life is that restaurants will almost always evolve and change their menus. From seasonal runs and collaborations to culling items that simply aren't popular enough to keep around, there are plenty of driving factors that cause fans to mourn.

As it turns out, there are plenty of discontinued Chick-fil-A items that fans desperately miss. Some beloved items that are no longer available but live on in fans' hearts include the Asian Salad, Cinnamon Cluster, and Cole Slaw.

In a previous Mashed survey, 30% of people wanted Chick-fil-A to bring back its spicy chicken biscuits. The brand axed this menu item back in 2016, but by 2023, it had slowly become available nationwide again due to fans' online campaigning. It just goes to show that if you love a dish loudly enough, there's always a chance it can come back to you in due time.

Chick-fil-A tries its best to make using its app fun and useful. In an attempt to lure customers back more often, the brand offers freebies on a regular basis. Every summer for a limited run, fans look forward to playing Code Moo, which is a game that awards users treats each week. Past rewards have included a free cookie, medium waffles fries, and a five-count of nuggets.

The problem is that whenever Chick-fil-A offers freebies, there's a set number of users who can grab them on the app. It makes sense because, if every Chick-fil-A lover got free stuff, the brand would lose a lot of money. However, if someone is excited to grab a reward and then sees they've already missed out, the marketing trick still works because now they're in the mood for some Chick-fil-A. It may be a sneaky ploy that plays with people's emotions, but that's business, baby.

You may not know that there's a tedious process behind Chick-fil-A's crispy chicken. However, as we already understand based on the brand's blunder of adding pea starch to its fries, crispy fast food can turn soggy quickly due to the steam in the bag. Limp fries are somewhat expected and tolerable, but a soggy chicken sandwich can be downright heartbreaking — something documented by more than a few Chick-fil-A customers.

As it turns out, there's a reason why the sandwich can become soggy. Most folks gobble up their Chick-fil-A before it sits out too long, but one Redditor pulled back the curtain to give fans a peek at its fascinating operations. Not only has Chick-fil-A reinvented the drive-thru lane, but it also streamlines its service by assembling chicken sandwiches before they're even ordered. As a result, some sandwiches are sitting wrapped in tinfoil for several minutes before they reach you.

If you want peace of mind that you're getting the freshest, crunchiest chicken possible, one way you can beat this system is to order customizations for your sandwich. For example, you could order one without pickles. This ensures that the employees make yours fresh after you place the order instead of grabbing from the pile, reducing the odds of securing a soggy sandwich.

The former CEO of Chick-fil-A sparked backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, plus millions more who are allies, during the 2010s. The news broke that the Chick-fil-A Foundation was donating money to institutions that have opposed LGBTQ+ rights. One franchise even faced a lawsuit after a transgender employee accused her Chick-fil-A coworkers of sexual harassment, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and retaliation.

In light of these controversies, some called for mass boycotts of Chick-fil-A. These efforts were powerful enough to persuade college campuses to turn away Chick-fil-A franchises. In Texas, a retaliatory bill was signed into law that prevented discrimination against businesses over religious beliefs or charitable contributions.

Chick-fil-A made changes to its foundation in 2019, and a new CEO took over in 2021, with the press quieting down somewhat in the following years. However, lots of folks still have complicated feelings about Chick-fil-A and whether they should spend their money there. Considering how many billionaires and monopolies there are in America, some of those who still eat at the chain note that there are likely arguments against eating at a much wider range of establishments than just Chick-fil-A.

One of the most controversial takes has been saved for last because people have extremely strong opinions on both sides of the "my pleasure" spectrum. Many Chick-fil-A fans feel right at home when they pull up to the restaurant because the employees are so kind and welcoming. In a world that's struggled with feelings of isolation since 2020, polite conversation and Southern hospitality can feel pretty healing.

However, plenty of other customers have shared their discomfort with the phrase and the general vibe because the interactions feel so forced. Most people's natural response to "thank you" is "you're welcome." Many folks also have empathy for customer service workers due to having a job in the past or from hearing countless horror stories.

It's even become a joke online that people film themselves trying to maximize the number of times they're told "my pleasure" in one Chick-fil-A visit. Whether you love it or hate it, "my pleasure" is likely here to stay since it's a huge part of the brand's identity. If you're the type to cringe during these interactions, remind yourself that you're only a few awkward minutes away from a tasty meal.