The American fast-food chain Arby’s has taken a hit in popular culture recently. Across platforms like TikTok, it has become something of a punch line. Does the criticism actually hold up? A group consisting of Lyle Cidlik, August Yancey, Chase Diehm, and myself set out to find out. Our order was extensive: a Classic Beef and Cheddar, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Deluxe Burger, Corned Beef Reuben, White Cheddar Mac and Cheese, curly fries, crinkle fries, a Half Pound Roast Beef, and most notably, a “Meat Mountain.” Altogether, the total came to about $61.
The in-store experience was unusual. While the staff were polite and efficient, the restaurant itself felt empty. Aside from one older man eating in the corner, I was the only customer inside. On the plus side, the lack of traffic meant the food was ready almost immediately. I was in and out in under five minutes. We began with the sides. Arby’s offers more than its signature curly fries, but after trying both options, it’s clear why the curly fries dominate the spotlight. The crinkle fries were noticeably more bland and lacked the seasoning that makes the curly fries stand out. The White Cheddar Mac and Cheese, however, was a pleasant surprise. It was rich and creamy with a strong flavor, even if its appearance didn’t reflect that quality. This became a recurring theme throughout the meal: much of Arby’s food looks unappealing at first glance but tastes better than expected.
Moving on to the sandwiches, we divided them among the group for efficiency. August took the Chicken Cordon Bleu, Lyle the Deluxe Burger, Chase the Beef and Cheddar, and I took the Corned Beef Reuben. Our initial ideas of how this would go was, the burger would be the best item, followed by the chicken cordon bleu, then the reuben, and then the beef and cheddar.
We had high hopes for the chicken sandwich, as it arguably looked the best out of the lineup. After eating the Chicken Cordon Bleu, August mentioned that, “The chicken is a bit dry, the ham tastes more like bacon and there isn’t a lot of cheese.” When Chase Diehm was asked about the classic beef and cheddar, he didn’t have a lot to say: “Yeah, It’s fine. It’s meat and cheese.” This reflected the overall opinion on the Beef and Cheddar, off of looks alone you would expect it to be bad, but it was surprisingly good. After taking a few bites of the Deluxe burger, Lyle Cidlik had this to say: “This is a very solid burger. It’s very similar to Runza’s, but better than McDonald’s because of the thicker patty. If I was craving a burger, this would satisfy that.” The Corned Beef Reuben was unusual, largely because it’s not typically associated with fast food. Made with Swiss cheese, corned beef, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing, it leans closer to deli fare than drive-thru staple. I approached it cautiously, especially the sauerkraut, but found it surprisingly enjoyable. That said, the sauerkraut dominates the flavor profile, so it’s not a sandwich for everyone. By the end our ranking had changed; the Burger, the Rueben, The beef and cheddar and then last, the chicken sandwich because it was dry.
With the standard items covered, we moved on to the heavy hitters of this meal: the Half Pound Roast Beef and the Meat Mountain. These are not everyday orders, and it shows. The Half Pound Roast Beef is exactly what it claims to be, half a pound of roast beef on a bun, with no added toppings. Going in, expectations were low, but the result was better than anticipated. The meat was tender and not overly dry, though the sheer quantity made it somewhat overwhelming. Still, it was far from the disaster one might expect.
The Meat Mountain, however, was a different story. Priced at $18 and packing around 1,100 calories, it arrived as an imposing stack of meat layered with minimal structural support. This unofficial menu item includes bacon, roast beef, cheddar cheese, steak, brisket, corned beef, Swiss cheese, ham, turkey, and two chicken tenders. The cheese felt almost incidental, buried beneath the overwhelming mass of protein. Physically, it was difficult to eat, too tall to bite comfortably, and once I did manage a bite, it was clear why this item is not on the normal menu. You can’t distinguish any individual ingredient. Despite its long list of components, the sandwich delivers a single, uniform taste: meat. Not a balance of flavors, not at all a layered experience. As we passed it around the table, each of us took a bite, and by the end, roughly three-quarters of the sandwich remained untouched. Not from a lack of eating, but from the sheer size of this sandwich.
In conclusion, Arby’s is a lesson to not judge a book by its cover. While the food may look questionable at times, the majority of the items that we tried were genuinely good. Arby’s might be a TikTok punching bag, but our taste test proved that the jokes don’t tell the whole story. It isn’t fine dining, and it certainly isn’t pretty, but it’s reliable. Just do yourself a favor: skip the “Mountain” and stick to the curly fries.
