I Love Arby’s, but I’ll Never Eat These 11 Items Again

While Arby’s last slogan, “Serving Up Freshness,” didn’t seem to translate well and only lasted two years, “We Have The Meats” has been their recognizable slogan for the last decade.

Their freshly sliced meat is served hot and incredibly juicy. But they don’t make everything as they used to, and some things on their menu aren’t appetizing.

I probably love eating at Arby’s more than the average person, but here are 12 things I recommend you never order to avoid wasting money.

Arby’s has been improving its value menu recently. While the regular chicken slider is crispy fried chicken snacking perfection with Swiss cheese on a small bun, the buffalo chicken slider is another story.

It’s oversauced, though the parmesan peppercorn ranch and buffalo sauce would be great in smaller portions. The bun is soggy before you can get it to the table.

Every once in a while, Arby’s limited-time deals make me wary. I don’t often suffer from heartburn, but when I ate the Bourbon BBQ Brisket Sandwich, it was inevitable.

If you’re prone to dripping sauce on your clothes, wear a bib. And know that you may have to take antacids after surviving the brown sugar bacon, crispy onion strings, and lathered-on barbecue sauce.

I’ve become deeply acquainted with the dessert options at most fast-food restaurants. The apple turnover at Arby’s? Not really anything to write home about.

In fact, it is on the dryer side. If you're opting for a pastry, the cherry turnover somehow never disappoints.

The chicken salad sandwich was a limited-time offering about once a year before it became a staple on the menu. It has since been taken off the full-time menu but does come around occasionally.

While it was my favorite menu item for years, the bread has had dry edges, and the portion of chicken salad on the sandwich has diminished.

Arby’s did something fun when they put their roast beef spin on a gyro. Unfortunately, their Greek gyro menu offering falls flat.

While Arby’s does a great job with most of its meats, the pita is often over-sauced, and there are just too many other places that do gyros right to mess with this.

The corned beef Reuben meal has increased in price by 62% in the last decade, but the quality hasn’t gotten any better. While I respect the meats that Arby’s carries, I’ve had better Reubens.

This sandwich isn’t good enough for an investment of around $12 when I could get mom-and-pop shop quality for a similar price.

Fries are a polarizing topic, but if I go to Arby’s, I’m committed to the curly fries.

I’ve given the crinkle fries multiple chances at this point, and while I enjoy the texture, there isn’t enough seasoning or flavor for me to be a fan.

While I have been known to enjoy a Jamocha shake a time or two, the limited edition strawberry shake is nothing to rush to Arby’s for.

The artificial flavoring misses the mark, and the whipped topping is nothing to get excited about. Save your ice cream cravings for other storefronts.

I have never been happier than when Arby’s discontinued The Pizza Slider.

People raved about them, but they never looked appetizing, and the sauce was always compressed into the soft bun. Plus, the ratio of toppings was never quite satisfying.

In the last decade, the roast turkey ranch and bacon sandwich meal has experienced a price hike of 67%. There seemed to be less and less turkey piled on it every time I did order it.

This, paired with the fact that the Market Fresh bread can be a dry choking hazard, keeps me away from this sandwich when I stop at Arby’s.

As someone from one of the barbecue epicenters of the United States, the Smokehouse Brisket sandwich falls flat.

The brioche bun and natural cheddar are perfection, but the brisket just isn’t the quality or consistency I prefer. Plus, there usually isn’t a great ratio of brisket to other toppings.

Arby’s has a bit of a cult following online, with people defending its reputation to anyone who dares question the quality. But that doesn’t mean they’re the go-to for every item on their menu.

Stick to what they do well — a loaded roast beef, a creamy shake, and the highly-touted potato cakes that made a solid comeback — and you can stretch your fast food budget a little more.