Fans Have Been Asking For This Culver's Side Dish To Return, On And Off, Since The 2010s

Culver's is best known for its ButterBurgers, frozen custard, and Wisconsin-inspired sides like cheese curds. However, the chain used to offer an unexpected yet delicious side that's sadly no longer available. We're talking about sweet potato fries, which made their grand debut at Culver's in 2011. Featured on our list of items that disappeared from the Culver's menu, these fries apparently made a big splash with customers. So much so that people are still talking about them all these years later.

On Reddit, one poster wrote, "I've emailed the company directly, and called my local Culver's [to see] if sweet potato fries were coming back." Elsewhere on the platform, a Reddit user expressed, "Those sweet potato fries are excellent. I wish all fast food places made them." Over on Facebook, an aggrieved fan asked, "What's a girl gotta do to get you to bring back the sweet potato fries?!" We don't know exactly when these fries left Culver's menu after their initial launch, but the much-loved item has made a few returns. The restaurant re-introduced them in 2013, and then again in 2020.

Although fast food fans continue to clamor for this sweet and savory Culver's item, it doesn't seem like the chain has plans to bring them back again. That leaves a crucial question for the restaurant: why did Culver's discontinue the fries in the first place, especially with how much patrons apparently loved them? There are plenty of potential possible reasons why fast food chains discontinue popular items, from inadequate sales to seasonality (limited time availability creates a sense of urgency that can boost sales).

According to a statement from Culver's (via Facebook), "We often need to make difficult decisions on certain lower volume menu items to make room for new offerings." A self-described employee on Reddit offered some additional insight. Characterizing the process as "a huge pain in the butt," the commenter explained, "Different cook time than traditional crinkles and lots of guest complaints saying they were 'burnt' when they naturally darkened by the cooking process because of the sugar content." If you're hankering for sweet and savory spuds but can't find them at a restaurant near you, check out this crispy sweet potato fries recipe.