I went to Wendy's for the 1st time. I thought it was bizarre that it sold baked potatoes, and I'm still not sure what a Frosty is.

Wendy's is rapidly expanding in the UK. The US burger chain exited the market two decades ago, citing high costs, but relaunched in June 2021. It currently has 20 restaurants here.

But I'd never been before and decided it was time to give it a go.

I went to Wendy's restaurant in Camden, London. It was in a beautiful building just seconds' walk from the Tube station. Signs advertised its new Jalapeño Popper burger and its 2 a.m. closing time on Friday and Saturday nights.

The restaurant was split over two floors, with the downstairs including its order kiosks, order counters, and a collection window, as well as some seating.

The restaurant had two manual order counters, but most people ordered at the digital kiosks. The menu advertised its combo deals – adding a drink and fries to your burger, sandwich, or nuggets for £2.50 (about $3) more.

I ordered at a kiosk. The pictures on the screen made the food look appetizing and it was easy to customize your burgers.

I was surprised, though, that to see my order total I had to go to my basket. On many digital kiosks, the total cost of your order is always displayed on the screen, making it easier to limit your spending. Other than that, Wendy's kiosk was really easy to use.

I was also surprised to see the hot drinks available – I certainly hadn't expected mochas and hot chocolates to be on sale. Wendy's also sells iced coffees in the US, but these haven't made it to the UK yet.

When customers weren't using the kiosks, Wendy's used them to promote its products.

Whereas some chains have separate pickup locations for mobile orders, Wendy's just had one window to collect dine-in, takeout, and mobile orders. A screen next to this showed which orders were ready. Through the window you could peep into the kitchen.

This is everything my friend and I got, which set us back £31.91 (around $38.50). I took some home for the next day.

We ordered a range of items: Sandwiches, baked potatoes, cheesy fries, chicken nuggets, Frostys, and an Americano.

First up, we tried the baked potatoes. I was intrigued as I'd never seen them on a fast-food menu before. Lots of people eat fast food on-the-go, and unlike a burger or fries which you can eat with one hand while walking or driving, baked potatoes wouldn't be practical at all.

I was glad I'd brought my own reusable plastic cutlery with me – I would have struggled to cut into the skin with Wendy's wooden knives. While the potatoes were fluffy and piping hot, we thought they needed more topping. They were a bargain at around £3 ($3.60) each, but were nothing special and didn't stand out from the baked potatoes I make at home.

If that wasn't enough carbs, we also got a £3.89 ($4.70) portion of cheese fries to share. They didn't look as tasty as the photo on the digital order kiosk, but they tasted good, though the cheese wasn't very evenly distributed.

I got a four-pack of nuggets with a choice of dip for £2.49 ($3). At first I thought this seemed pricey, until I realised that a nearby Burger King charged £4.49 ($5.45) for six nuggets. Wendy's nuggets tasted good and the Heinz Garlic Sauce was delicious, though I was given quite a large tub to go with just four nuggets.

Wendy's nuggets are made from chicken breast with flavorings including garlic, onion, spices, and "smoke flavoring." What struck me was how irregularly sized they were, which made them seem a bit less processed than the uniform nuggets some other chains like McDonald's sell.

We also got a Frosty each. At £2.19 ($2.65) for a regular, which turned out to be much bigger than expected, it was good value for money. We were a bit confused about what they were, though. Are they milkshakes or desserts? Should we eat them during or after our savory food? And with a straw or a spoon?

In the end we both ate them with a spoon after our meal, by which point they'd melted a bit. I enjoyed the vanilla one, but my friend thought the chocolate one was "really bland." Considering how proud Wendy's is of its Frostys, I was surprised that there were only two flavors available and that, unlike McDonald's McFlurrys, there were no fun toppings available.

Wendy's is known for starting the so-called chicken-sandwich wars, so I made sure to grab one. The avocado chicken club caught my eye, but when it arrived I thought its foil packaging was pretty lackluster, though a good way to keep it warm.

The packaging was actually really clever though – rather than having customized branding for each product, the wrapper read either "hamburger" or "chicken" on the outside depending on which way you folded it.

The £7.19 ($8.70) sandwich was made up of a breaded chicken breast topped with applewood-smoked bacon, avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and mayonnaise.

I thought the bacon tasted delicious, though I was surprised that the avocado was smashed rather than sliced. When I looked on Wendy's menu online, I found that the sandwich is actually made from frozen avocado, mixed with lime juice, salt, and pepper.

I really enjoyed the sandwich. I ate it later that day and it got a little squished in my bag, but it still tasted great.

I also got a £4.99 ($6) curry bean burger, which seemed quite adventurous compared to the vegetarian burgers offered by some other chains – typically just a beef-substitute patty with cheese and generic burger accompaniments. Wendy's patty is made from black beans, brown rice, chickpeas, sweetcorn, carrot, bell pepper, onion, and a range of herbs and spices.

The square patty was topped with Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickle, onion, and curry mayo. I paid £1.50 ($1.80) extra to add smashed avocado to mine, too. The patty was spicier than I expected, but the avocado helped counterbalance it. The vast majority of the time I opt for vegetarian meals, but I actually preferred the chicken club to this.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by Wendy's. The vegetarian options were quite limited, but the bean burger was definitely more imaginative those though generally offered by fast-food chains. The service was pretty fast and the prices were reasonable, though the baked potatoes were disappointing.

If I came back, I'd order the avocado chicken club and the cheesy fries again. I'd get a vanilla Frosty too – but I wouldn't let it melt next time.