Hot dogs hold an unusual place in the culinary world. The traditional hot dog in a bun has existed for well over a century. They’re a staple of street vendors, ball games, and backyard barbecues, yet they’re constantly the butt of jokes and looked down upon, even by those who enjoy them. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (which is a thing), Americans eat around 20 billion hot dogs per year. That number seems a tad high at 70 hot dogs per person, but it’s the number they provide. Suffice it to say, Americans love hot dogs. Still, you’re going to want to avoid Dairy Queen’s because, oof, it’s not good.

Tasting Table tried and ranked 10 fast food hot dogs, and Dairy Queen was the clear-cut loser. In the past, Dairy Queen would grill its hot dogs, but these days they steam them. Our taste tester pointed out that it looked like the wiener was shellacked and tasted watery inside. Combine that with a lack of flavor and a very chewy bun, and the whole experience falls flat.

To get any taste out of a hot dog like this, you need to add condiments. Of course, most of us are going to do that anyway, but it would be nice if the base hot dog had some taste of its own. A little texture from the bun also goes a long way. Unfortunately, it seems like the chain isn’t putting in the effort, and the list of items to avoid ordering at Dairy Queen is unfortunately expanding.

Read more: 8 Items To Avoid Ordering At McDonald’s

How do others feel about the Dairy Queen hot dog?

Our taste tester was not alone in being underwhelmed. In 2016, a Business Insider review called the chain’s chili dog the worst fast food item the tester had ever tasted. Their experience was similar to ours, noting that much of Dairy Queen’s food was flavorless and soggy. The hot dog in particular was criticized for tasting like it was old. In a different Business Insider review, the hot dog was described as salty with an offal flavor. The bun was dry and bland this time around. The final verdict was that they’d only eat a DQ hot dog again if there were no other choices.

Reddit threads are no kinder to Dairy Queen. One poster said it wasn’t a good hot dog and they were pretty sure it was microwaved. Later in the thread, they say it was wrinkled. While our taste tester noted the dog was steamed, one Reddit user who claimed to work at Dairy Queen said the dogs are steamed and then microwaved in the bun. That’s one of several posts that also state at least some Dairy Queen locations microwave their hot dogs. One DQ manager even said they boil water in the microwave, add the hot dogs, and then continue boiling until done, per Reddit.

However Dairy Queen does it, the end result is not particularly appealing. If you’re looking for a good hot dog, we recommend trying one of these hot dog recipes instead.

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Read the original article on Tasting Table.