6 Denny’s Menu Items to Skip, According to Reviews

For 70 years, Denny’s has been a staple for those in need of a road-trip pit stop, a place to curb the late-night munchies, or a reliably affordable and satiating breakfast. And for the most part, this famous fast food chain gets the job done. If you’re ordering a fan favorite like the cheeseburger or Super Slam — which boasts buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, two sausages, two strips of bacon, and a side of hash browns — you’re likely to leave the table content. But some menu items might leave diners with order regret and a stomach ache.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Few restaurants offer a menu that consists entirely of hits, and on top of that, Denny’s is known to have taken a bit of a nosedive. It’s been reported that by the end of 2025, the franchise will have closed over 100 locations due to reasons like a decline in profitability, poor employee retention, and negative reviews. 

Speaking of negative reviews, we’ve combed through the internet to create a list of Denny’s menu items that you might want to think twice about ordering. We’re not suggesting that you avoid the chain altogether — it’s hard to beat those breakfast deals! — but we do want to help ensure that your next Denny’s dining experience is a positive one.

There are lots of great places to order nachos: your favorite local Mexican restaurant, a bar with exceptionally good food, Taco Bell. But Denny’s? Not so much, say some Reddit reviewers. Denny’s’ Zesty Nachos, according to the official menu, come with “freshly cooked” tortilla chips, Pepper Jack queso, cheddar cheese, ground beef, pico de gallo, and sour cream “on the side to keep chips crispy.” 

Despite this considerate gesture, many diners report feeling disappointed by their order, both in terms of taste and visual appearance. One Reddit poster likened the nachos’ looks to “dog puke.” Another added, “I used to work at a Denny’s and let me tell you it’s just as bad as you can imagine.” Plus, this starter dish will set you back at least $11. For that price, you could get three and a half orders of Taco Bell’s Loaded Beef Nachos.

The official image of the Zesty Nachos on Denny’s website is the stuff of Super Bowl dreams, so we can understand why people are tempted to order them. They’re also a safe option for gluten-free diners. But based on the internet’s collective disappointment over their Denny’s nacho experience, we’d steer clear of this particular starter.

When it comes to hearty breakfasts, steak-and-eggs is an unbeatable combo. Though the dish’s origins trace back to Australia, it found its footing in America after World War II and became a popular menu option at diners like Denny’s. But if you’re looking to hit your morning protein goals at Denny’s, you might want to pair your eggs with bacon or sausage instead. 

Reviewers on Yelp and Reddit complain of dry, overcooked, and tough steaks; their accompanying photos of gray-ish meat slabs are not certainly not making a case for ordering this breakfast classic. Additionally, the Denny’s menu omits the USDA grade of their steak, unlike some of its competitors. Waffle House, by comparison, touts a USDA Choice Delmonico Steak. If beef quality is important to you, consider saving your steak order for a different establishment. As many Reddit users pointed out, it’s not Denny’s’ fault for overcooking the steak, but rather the diner’s fault for daring to order a steak of Denny’s. Harsh, but now you’ve been warned.

A salad topped with salmon might not be the most exciting menu option, but it’s a reliably nutritious one. However, ordering the Salmon Salad Your Way at a Denny’s, a fast food restaurant known for its breakfast, is … an inspired choice! Why not save the salad for a nearby Panera Bread? Or even Wendy’s, with its dependably solid Parmesan Caesar Salad?

Similar to the t-bone steak orders, diners who opt for Denny’s wild-caught Alaska salmon salad complain about dry, overcooked fillets, and a generally unappetizing presentation. 

One TikTok user posted a haunting video in which her knife clacked against her petrified piece of salmon like someone knocking on a hardwood door. A Yelp reviewer wrote, “The salmon was not fresh enough to say that they had to go to Alaska to catch it, but it seemed to take that long.” If you prioritize nutrition over taste, we won’t stop you from ordering fish from Denny’s … but maybe consider a salad-sans-seafood instead?

Despite being labeled a “fan favorite” on the Denny’s website, the Moons Over My Hammy — a sandwich consisting of ham, scrambled eggs, and Swiss & American cheeses—can be hit or miss. Some Denny’s diners have complained about the sandwich’s overwhelming saltiness. A food blogger reported that the Moons Over My Hammy “tasted of salt and not much else. Sodium with a sandwich texture. For some reason I thought the heavy salt flavor was coming from the bread, but I couldn’t really pin it down.” 

Others were shocked by the sheer amount of grease. A YouTuber who recorded himself eating the sandwich displayed the sandwich’s bright orange grease on his fingers. He likened the experience to eating a French Dip Au Jus, except with grease instead of beef broth. 

As you can deduce, the Moons Over My Hammy is not diet-friendly. This menu item packs a whopping 1150-1540 calories and nearly 3,000 miligrams of salt. We think we’ll pass!

Hybridized foods have skyrocketed in popularity over the last several years. Items like cronuts, sushirritos, and brookies can be purchased and enjoyed all over the country. But some foods are simply not meant to be combined. Case in point: Denny’s’ Philly Cheesesteak Omelet. Online reviews have slammed this breakfast item for both its taste and looks. 

One diner wrote on Yelp that the steak reminded them of “cafeteria mystery meat.” Another stated (rather harshly) that the cheese sauce looks like “dog’s throw up.” A more moderate reviewer said that the cheesesteak element just doesn’t mesh well with the eggs, and on top of that, the whole dish lacks seasoning. 

So, next time you find yourself jonesing for a Denny’s breakfast, stick with the time-tested Grand Slam, or opt for a different meat-and-egg combo, like the ham-studded Mile High Denver Omelette. If you’re really fiending for a cheesesteak breakfast, try your luck at Waffle House, which offers its own spin on the dish.

A pot roast melt, based on the name alone, sounds like a great idea. What could be more comforting than a warm, filling pot roast snuggled beneath a blanket of cheese and served between two soft slices of bread? A lot, apparently. Denny’s Pot Roast Melt has racked up quite a few complaints on the internet, including reports of sandwiches that are too salty or not meaty enough, unappealing presentation, and meat that’s too mushy. 

One Tripadvisor poster titled his review, in all caps, “WORST POT ROAST MELT.” Do with that information what you will. Similar to the Moons Over My Hammy, the Pot Roast Melt will set you back 1060-1570 calories. For a menu item that’s still handheld but a little less indulgent (and less poorly rated online), consider the Super Bird, a turkey, Swiss, bacon, and tomato sammy. Perhaps the Pot Roast Melt is better in theory than in practice, or maybe these reviewers just had some bad luck. In any case, think carefully before ordering this Denny’s dish.

For this roundup, we started by researching Denny’s menu and beginning two lightly aggregated lists: one of menu items that are generally regarded to hit the mark (like the famous Grand Slam) and those that seem a bit out-of-place. Following this, we scoured Reddit, Yelp, YouTube, and Trip Advisor for reviews of Denny’s locations, searching for menu items that repeat as flops for customers. 

We then noted which dishes were repeat offenders, and cross-referenced them with the official Denny’s menu to ensure that they’re still being served at Denny’s locations. Deeming a menu item “to avoid” has to do with more than just consumer reviews, however. We took a closer look at how cost, nutrition, and quality of ingredients affects whether or not you should consider ordering these dishes.