Fried Chicken And 12 Other Items That Disappeared From The Culver's Menu

Culver's is a fast food restaurant that opened its doors in 1984 in Sauk City, Wisconsin. The original menu featured the chain's famous ButterBurgers and frozen custard, and they have remained menu staples ever since. In 1997, the Wisconsin-based restaurant tapped into its roots and started serving its famous Cheese Curds. While they may not be the healthiest option, cheese curds were just one menu addition that stuck around long enough to become a regular player.

It's only natural for a fast food restaurant to try new things every once in a while, but not every item can be a hit. Some items, like cheese curds, become a permanent part of the menu, some float around every few years or so as a limited-time offer, and some just never come back at all. After scouring Reddit threads, Culver's official social media, and various press releases, we've found plenty of beloved (and not-so-beloved) items that Culver's served at one point. Here are just a few of the items that disappeared from the Culver's menu.

Culver's is known for its ButterBurgers, but it also serves various other entrees ranging from classics like chicken tenders to more unique picks, like butterfly shrimp. One old stand-out entree Culver's served in the past was fried chicken. The oldest post from Culver's that mentions its fried chicken dates all the way back to 2015. Despite its long-time disappearance, customers can't seem to stop talking about it.

One desperate Redditor created a post titled, "Daily reminder to bring back Fried Chicken." The top reply in the thread mentioned that although the chicken was juicy and delicious, it simply took too much time and resources to keep up with the demand, making it one of the more costly menu items to the franchise. A commenter in a different Reddit thread echoed the same concerns, pointing out the operational issues that make the fried chicken's comeback highly unlikely. Lucky for chicken eaters, the tenders ranked pretty high in our Culver's taste test; the fried chicken may not be replaced, but at least there are decent alternatives.

Eating prime rib is usually reserved for special occasions, and making it at home is no easy feat. Luckily, prime rib sandwiches make the delicious meat more accessible for casual eaters. For Culver's fans, there was a time when a prime rib sandwich could be served up alongside cheese curds. It's an interesting combo, but some customers seemed to really enjoy it!

Way back when it was still on menus, Culver's Facebook asked fans what the perfect pairing was for this savory, salty sandwich. Cheese curds and onion rings were the overwhelming winners. No matter what the side was, people are still dreaming about the prime rib sandwich from Culver's. One Reddit thread highlights the delicious flavor of the entree, while also pointing out the enormous sodium intake it includes. Various nutrition websites, also report 1345mg of sodium in one sandwich, which is more than half of the American Heart Association's recommended sodium intake. Regardless, customers will have to mourn Culver's Prime Rib Sandwich.

Frozen custard isn't a staple of many fast food joints, but according to the Culver's website, Craig Culver decided this dessert was the perfect thing to pair with the restaurant's ButterBurgers. And Mr. Culver was right ... past and present, people adore Culver's frozen custard. In fact, our reporting shows that Culver's frozen treats champion over those of Dairy Queen's. Culver's does something special that few other fast food joints partake in: the flavor of the day. Chocolate and vanilla are menu staples, but just as the name suggests, Culver's features a different flavor every single day.

Orange Creamsicle was among the many flavors of the day, but it has become defunct, much to the dismay of customers. In a Reddit thread about cancelled FoD flavors, Orange Creamsicle came up on top. According to another Reddit post, the popular flavor was discontinued due to Culver's cutting ties with the supplier Weber Flavors. The flavor company were in charge of the orange creamsicle flavor, among others. For those who miss Orange Creamsicle, people suggest mixing Orange Fanta syrup with Culver's vanilla custard. Although the original flavor is gone, it's good to know there are alternatives that hint at the old taste.

Another popular flavor of the day was Coconut Cream Pie. Reminiscent of summer nights, coconut cream pie is the dessert that brings anyone back to a simpler time. The creamy nuttiness is surely one that stands out above all others, so it's no wonder Culver's toyed with this flavor in the first place. What's more surprising, though, is that it was taken off the menu, its last appearance being nearly a decade ago..

Among others, like Banana Cream Pie and Key Lime Pie, this was a huge hit when it first came out. People in the comments section of Culver's Facebook were more than excited for National Pie Day, commenting that they would stop by after work and find their way to a Culver's. Now that it's gone, customers still won't stay quiet about this flavor of the day. One Reddit commenter said Coconut Cream Pie was their absolute favorite dessert and that it's on the top of their list of items to bring back. Sure, you can easily make a coconut cream pie at home, but nothing beats the flavor packed in frozen custard form.

Culver's is known for its ButterBurgers, which are characterized by the buttery buns. Other than that, it's a pretty standard burger with a ground beef patty, lettuce, and tomato. It may seem like the signature ButterBurger is all the restaurant needs to stay in good graces with its customers, but the Pepper Grinder Burger opened a new world to Culver's fans. Originally debuting in 2013, the burger featured two ground beef patties, two strips of bacon, Swiss and cheddar cheese, and peppercorn mayo blend sandwiched between everything buns. It's no wonder fans were begging for this to make a comeback.

People on Facebook couldn't help but comment on how much they loved the Pepper Grinder Burger, with several saying it was their favorite burger on the menu. In 2023, the people got what they asked for, and this burger made a reappearance. Even then, fans were mourning the day it would eventually leave. While it's not on menus at the time of this writing, who's to say it won't make another comeback, especially with Culver's customers shouting for its return on multiple Reddit threads.

Another fan favorite burger is Culver's Pretzel Haus Pub Burger. First released in 2018, the Pretzel Haus Pub Burger featured two popular ingredients: pretzel buns and pickled vegetables. Among the cheese, bacon, and beef patties, these two were standout elements that brought fans head over heels in love.

During its initial release, some people were immediate fans. One Facebook commenter mentioned that it was "one of the best burgers [they've] had in a long time." Unfortunately, not everyone had the same experience and some comments in the same thread complained of underdone meat and unmelted cheese. Despite its mixed reviews, the Pretzel Haus burger made a reappearance in summer 2024. Fans were excited to see it return, taking to Reddit to share their joy about having getting another chance to enjoy it Love it or hate it, the Pretzel Haus Pub Burger made an impression on lots of folks, and despite not being on the current menu, it could always make another comeback at anytime.

Who isn't a fan of sweet potato fries? They're a (somewhat) healthy alternative to your regular french fry, and they add a fun, unique flavor to any meal. The fast food chain hopped on the sweet potato fry train back in 2011, and even though some Culver's employees would never reach for the stuff, customers were huge fans of this orange crinkle-cut fry. They were originally brought out as a limited-time, premium option, but the price hike didn't stop customers from loving it.

Back in 2013, Culver's posted a simple photo of its sweet potato fries, and the top comment with 58 likes begged Culver's to make the side dish a permanent menu fixture. The absolute urgency and passion were unfortunately not heard by the higher-ups, since these fries haven't been back since. One dedicated fan even called out Culver's on Facebook in 2022, asking when it would bring back the delicious side dish. And in 2024, a Redditor asked a similar question, which was met with agreement and disappointment from other sweet potato fry fans. Clearly, the fries are still on our minds years later.

What is a Culver's Frozen Cocoa? The summer version of a hot chocolate, frozen cocoa has become a delectable treat for many people. Dropped in 2022, Culver's Frozen Cocoa was an instant classic. As Culver's described it, it's "like hot cocoa, but make it Fresh Frozen Custard." Whether you think the name is silly or not, there's no doubt about its popularity.

When it first came out, people were obviously huge fans and customers on Facebook met the treat with resounding positive reviews, some even begging for a Culver's to open in California. People were skeptical, however, of how this was different from a regular chocolate concrete mixer. But other customers were quick to point out that Culver's Frozen Cocoa is made with hot chocolate mix rather than chocolate syrup and custard. Still, years after its initial release, people are raving about this limited-time treat. In numerous Reddit threads from 2024, people were disappointed to know that the frozen cocoa wasn't coming back. One commenter even bargained, saying they'd bring in a Swiss Miss packet and ask the employees to whip one up for them. Unfortunately, that's not how the cookie crumbles, and fans of the Frozen Cocoa are left waiting.

Anything with bacon is going to be an instant hit in the fast food world, and Culver's was banking on that when it brought in the Turkey Sourdough BLT. Although it is basically a relic now, last seen in 2008, people are still talking about it on Reddit.

In a thread about discontinued Culver's menu items that should make a comeback, the turkey sourdough BLT was mentioned twice. Fans on social media have also called out Culver's to bring back the beloved sandwich. There's not a lot of information out there as to why Culver's removed the sandwich. Perhaps it just wasn't as popular as other menu items and was taking up valuable menu real estate? Or maybe Culver's simply decided to shift its focus back to burger innovations?  Whatever the case, unfortunately for the fans of the Culver's Turkey Sourdough BLT, there has been no news about this item making a comeback.

The Crispy Southwest Chicken Sandwich made its debut in June 2015 as a limited-time offer and came back to the menu for two consecutive years. It was met with mixed reviews (we never said these items had to be beloved). Some Culver's customers mentioned that they enjoyed it, but others criticized it for being too dry. Regardless of how people felt, it's still a discontinued item that deserves a mention on this list.

The sandwich featured a fried chicken breast filet, habanero pepper jack cheese, jalapeno ranch dressing, shredded lettuce, dill pickles, and tomato on a toasted ciabatta roll. In a 2016 Culver's post about the Crispy Southwest Chicken Sandwich, some commenters mentioned that their meal was delicious and that it was their new favorite. Multiple customers, however, received their sandwiches without a top bun. While those customers are still waiting for the rest of their meal, fans of the sandwich will forever be waiting for it to make a comeback.

Here's another Culver's item that received mixed reviews: the Hot Honey Cheese Curds. For those who don't know what hot honey is, it's a sweet and spicy condiment usually featured with meats or cheese to balance its bold flavor. Hot honey has been a popular ingredient for many years, but it's making its rounds all over fast food. Wingstop and Subway are just some restaurants that are getting in on the hot honey trend, and Culver's simply couldn't resist joining. In 2024, it introduced its Hot Honey Cheese Curds on National Cheese Curd Day (October 15). Customers were excited to try these sweet and spicy curds, but some were left disappointed.

Customers on Facebook were quick to hype up the new limited-time offer, saying that one order wasn't enough and that Culver's should make this a regular menu item. Other customers, however, criticized their order of curds for not being hot or sweet enough, the two things you'd expect from any hot honey item. Many people on Reddit also had negative reviews, saying the original cheese curds were obviously superior and that they'd never order hot honey curds again. Regardless of how you felt about these cheese curds, they're off the menu, and there's no news of their return.

Sauce is an often underrated and overlooked menu item, but it's always obvious when your favorite one goes missing. Most fast food places even have signature sauces that have secret formulas, never to be repeated or shared with the public. Luckily for us, there are tons of copycat recipes — like this one for Chick-fil-A sauce. But fans of Culver's Sweet n Sour Sauce aren't as lucky.

From a since-deleted X status from Culver's official page in 2021, it had discontinued its sweet n sour sauce to make room for new offerings. People on Reddit have tried to find alternatives to this tasty condiment, turning to other fast foods like McDonald's to satisfy their craving. Sadly for them, it just doesn't hit the same. On a separate post, one Redditor even offered to start a petition to bring back their beloved sauce. Despite the passion to get a sweet n sour sauce back on the menu, fans would be dismayed to find that Culver's simply will not offer the sauce anymore.

The battle between Pepsi Co. and Coca-Cola is all too familiar to the regular fast-food goer. Whether you're a Pepsi fan or a Coca-Cola lover, you'll surely taste a difference between the two. Maybe that's why people were so shocked at Culver's switch from Pepsi products to Coca-Cola products. Not only do they taste different, but the companies offer completely different sodas. Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Tropicana were replaced by Coke, Sprite, Minute-Maid, and Hi-C.

Customers had mixed reactions to this switch: some users on Instagram were overjoyed about the Coke takeover, while some went as far as to say Culver's "signed a deal with the devil." One of the common complaints among customers is that Coke products are readily available at many other fast food joints, while Culver's was one of the few that served Pepsi. Unfortunately, Culver's has flipped sides and has no plans on jumping back.