Introduced in 2007 amid the heady, early days of the internet’s fixation with salty, cured meats (and with a name that presages the “hello, fellow kids!” tone that would come to define its Twitter feed), Wendy’s Baconator has somehow managed to endure for more than a decade despite the push for healthier fast food menus and bacon’s ruinous omnipresence in our culture. Probably because people still just really love bacon. The chain even introduced a breakfast version of the sandwich earlier this year, just in case you want to start your day with an “Oops, All Bacon!” experience. And if you indeed do, you can get one of the sandwiches for free each day between now and Dec. 27.
To claim your free sandwich (which is really only free with purchase), you must place an order using the Wendy’s app that includes the Breakfast Baconator and any other item. There’s no minimum purchase threshold, so even just a drink will do. If you prefer to order at the counter, you can also show the cashier the QR code for the offer, but you’ll still need to download the app to access it. Full terms are available within the app, available on iOS and Android.
So what exactly is a Breakfast Baconator? I’m glad you asked. In Wendy’s own words, it is “a combination of a fresh-cracked egg, 6 strips of Applewood smoked bacon, one square breakfast sausage patty and two slices of American cheese all topped with a Swiss cheese sauce between two premium buns.” If you ask me, that sounds like an awful lot of shit to pile on a sandwich before 10:30 a.m., but I’m not saying I would not eagerly choose to ruin my day by eating it. Profound regret would inevitably follow, but if you live your life only to avoid regret, you might as well stop eating fast food altogether. And really, is that living?