If you're a die-hard Dairy Queen fan, we apologize for bursting your bubble,
but you probably want to find a new restaurant for your chicken cravings.
While you're at it, you might also want to avoid their burgers, chili dogs, and other menu items.
The reason? Unfortunately, Dairy Queen reportedly has a history of
less-than-stellar food incidents — including a lawsuit over a burger that made a Texas man
so sick he had more than $20,000 in medical bills. But, even if you avoid
their standard food items and stick to the ice cream, there still may be some concerns.
DQ's soft-serve machines have reportedly had difficulties
meeting health-code inspections in the past, so it might be time to rethink
that Blizzard and stick to a local ice cream place to get your sweet tooth fix.
When it comes to chicken in particular, Dairy Queen is allegedly a repeat offender
for serving up raw poultry to its customers — and it isn't isolated to just one menu item.
Some people have reportedly received chicken tenders that were absolutely pink on the inside,
like a case from Indiana reported by WRTV. The employee that served those tenders was fired,
but, unfortunately, this isn't the first or last offense by the chain.
Another woman posted on the Dairy Queen Facebook page claiming she received raw
chicken in her chicken strip basket, to which Dairy Queen simply suggested that she contact
the management of that store. Yet another customer posted the same complaint on Yelp,
alongside an image of raw chicken that her daughter had received in her order.
Sadly, the list continues: one person on Reddit said that they took a bite of a chicken sandwich,
only to realize that the meat was freezing cold and totally raw. They posted a picture that,
quite frankly, could send shivers down your spine.
A few TripAdvisor reviews have also complained of undercooked chicken. Yikes! With so many reports,
it would make sense for Dairy Queen to take steps to change their chicken-preparation protocol,
but there is no public information as to whether or not that has been done.
"Try the DQ chicken basket deal. Come on, we dare you. What, are you chicken?"
Even the employees working at Dairy Queen advise against eating the chicken. And,
you know, typically when someone who works at an establishment won't eat the food,
it's because they know something the general public does not.
In one case, a shift manager posted on Quora explaining why customers
should avoid chicken close to the end of the day:
"I would also stay away from our grilled chicken closer to closing time. The chicken is pre-cooked
and just needs to be warmed up. Usually this would be done by placing it directly onto the grill.
But as it gets closer to closing we have to bring back dishes to be washed for the night.
So usually when the last chicken is used I bring back the tray to
be washed and heat up the chicken in the microwave if I need one."
Nobody should be spending their hard-earned money on pre-cooked, microwaved chicken! If you're
grabbing food from Dairy Queen late at night, maybe consider a different item, like some fries.
It's important to understand that there are a number of risks when it comes to consuming
undercooked or raw meat, especially poultry. Chicken is the leading cause of food-borne
illness according to the CDC, so you do not want to take your chances with raw chicken. The CDC
further estimates that about 1 million people get sick annually from eating contaminated poultry.
So if you really must eat at Dairy Queen, you may want to play it safe and choose another menu item.
The burgers, ice cream, and other yummy treats have less notoriety, though that doesn't mean
they are totally in the clear either. As for the poultry, there are so many other
awesome places out there specializing in chicken offerings, so there is no shortage of good picks.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about fast food
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