Wendy’s Fresh, Never Frozen Beef FAQ

Wendy’s® hamburgers look different because they are different.  Our founder, Dave Thomas, set out to create the best hamburger, with quality at the center of everything we do. Since the first Wendy’s opened in 1969, our fresh, never frozen beef* has reshaped the game with the square patty as a symbol of our commitment to provide only the best for our fans. 

Today, we’re sharing the many reasons why our customers know to look for the square when craving the best hot and juicy hamburger.  

First, a little history: Who invented the hamburger? 

There’s no definite answer for who created the original hamburger or where it came from, but most sources agree its origins are somewhere in the United States around the late 1800s or early 1900s.  While Dave Thomas didn’t invent the hamburger, he did set a standard in quality.  At Wendy’s, we take pride in our square beef, because we know not all hamburgers are created equal. Since day one, we’ve been serving up our hamburgers made with fresh, never frozen beef – no frozen pucks or precooked patties!  We can’t say the same for the other places.  

Why are Wendy’s burgers square? 

Dave Thomas’s vision wasn’t just about building a better hamburger, quality is in everything we do.  That’s why at Wendy’s, we don’t cut corners.  Wendy’s hamburgers have always been square, and they hang over the bun so our customers can see the quality beef before even taking that first bite.  When you see the square, you’ll taste the difference.  

What’s makes the Wendy’s square hamburger the best?  

Our food vision, Fast Food Done Right, is focused on delivering a quality meal to every customer, every time.  Square beef patties make it easy to know you're enjoying the very best hamburger for your buck:  fresh, never frozen and made from 100% real beef.  Our signature square hamburger patties have no fillers or additives, because we know the beef is what matters when it comes to making the best hamburger in the game.  

Are Wendy’s hamburgers really fresh and never frozen? 

Yes, Wendy’s uses fresh, never frozen beef on every hamburger, every day.*  We go the extra mile to ensure we are sourcing only the highest quality beef, and we transport fresh beef in refrigerated trucks to Wendy’s restaurants thousands of times every week.  To keep our patties fresh, we closely monitor temperatures during shipping and work with the most technologically advanced companies in the business.  In our restaurants, square patties are prepared fresh on the grill for the hot, juicy hamburger our fans know and love.  You won’t find frozen pucks passed as a meal at Wendy’s... unlike what the other guys are serving up.  

Who supplies Wendy’s beef? 

To ensure the highest quality square hamburgers for our fans, we source 100% of our fresh, never frozen beef from Beef Quality Assurance certified farmers and ranchers.  While some fast-food chains source their frozen beef from far away, we stick with the freshest suppliers close to home, so we don’t have to turn to the freezer. 

Where did the ‘Where’s The Beef®’ slogan come from? 

The original “Where’s The Beef” slogan originated in a Wendy’s commercial in 1984.  You can find countless GIFs and memes of the iconic catchphrase when you scroll online, celebrating the nostalgia of this classic 80s slogan.  When someone asks, “Where’s the beef?” they know they can find it at Wendy’s.  We wanted to take this iconic slogan and make it known that the answer is in the square.  If you’re looking for fresh, never frozen beef - “Square’s the beef®” - because square is better than the best. 

What are Wendy’s hamburger offerings?  

From beloved classics to innovative, trend-forward flavors, Wendy’s is always pushing the boundaries to deliver the most craveable hamburgers for our fans.  

You can’t go wrong with a classic Baconator®, dressed up in six-strips of Applewood smoked bacon, or a Dave’s Single®, delivering a quarter pound** of fresh beef – but for those who just can’t get enough fresh, never frozen beef, Wendy’s has you covered with our Dave’s Double® and Dave’s Triple® hamburger options. Make that beef squared... or triple it, we don’t blame you! P.S., we have options for smaller appetites, too. You can always opt for the small, but mighty, Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger or Son of Baconator®.  

What is Wendy’s Made to Crave menu?  

Wendy’s is the only QSR innovating every aspect of the hamburger, from the bun to the cheese, while others tend to focus solely on sauces and toppings. 

Building on our hamburger history, we introduced the Made to Crave menu in 2019 to unlock even more bold flavor innovation – all built upon our fan-favorite, fresh, never frozen beef and chicken sandwiches, featuring fan faves stacked with our iconic beef, chicken and bacon.  While our Made to Crave menu is full of limited time menu options, fans can snag a Big Bacon Classic® Cheeseburger off the Made to Crave menu year-round.  Chicken lovers, we didn't forget about you! Our Made to Crave menu also features the Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich and Asiago Ranch Chicken Club (Spicy or Classic) made just for you, every day of the year. 

Wendy’s culinary team knows the importance of tracking culinary trends when it comes to creating the next best thing in our kitchen.  Our team prides themselves on experimenting with flavor profiles, innovating limited-time-only Made to Crave offerings for every season’s craving.  Some past fan faves include the game-changing Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger and Loaded Nacho Chicken Sandwich, Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich and Italian Mozzarella Cheeseburger, Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger, Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger and the Jalapeño Popper Chicken Sandwich. 

Our limited-time Pretzel Baconator is a fresh twist on the classic Baconator and is currently available at restaurants nationwide.  Complete with fresh never frozen beef patties, melty American cheese, saucy condiments, Applewood Smoked bacon and our irresistible Pretzel Bun – you’re going to want to get your hands on the Pretzel Baconator while you can!

Next time you’re craving a hot, juicy hamburger, look for the square.  Check out all of our hamburgers made with fresh, never frozen beef here. 

*Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska and Canada. 

**Approximate weight before cooking.