Why Culver's Cut This Fan-Favorite Chicken Menu Item, According To Redditors

While Culver's is best known as a burger chain, it does try to run with the likes of KFC and Popeyes by offering fried and grilled chicken sandwiches and multiple kinds of chicken tenders. What the best fried chicken chains offer that Culver's doesn't, however, is bone-in fried chicken, but the Midwestern chain actually used to sell the item. Now, fried chicken and other Culver's items that disappeared from the menu exist only in the murky archives of discontinued fast food. Redditors have taken up the job of figuring out why.

A Reddit user who identified as an assistant manager at Culver's recalled that while the bone-in fried chicken tasted amazing, "It's also a pain to make (15-minute cook time plus 5 minutes to bread and bring it to the fryer)." They went on to note that it also hogged fryers needed for other items. Other commenters echoed that the chicken was not easy to prepare. An additional Redditor familiar with Culver's operations and its bone-in fried chicken noted, "Restaurants are too high volume to deal with it anymore."

The menu item is gone, but it has not been forgotten. One Redditor reported, "We still get 1 to 2 guests a year looking for it." Fans of Culver's bone-in chicken said their piece on Reddit, too. "I haven't forgiven them," said one, while another stated, "My dad and family still talk about missing Culver's fried chicken." As for how it actually tasted, one commenter shared, "The chicken was very good and very high-quality."

If you want bone-in fried chicken, your best bet is to head to an actual fried chicken chain. KFC sells drumsticks, breasts, thighs, and wings, as does Bojangles. Popeyes offers wings and signature chicken dinners, while Jollibee has a signature Chickenjoy Bucket filled with thighs and legs. Considering KFC has more locations than any other chicken chain in the world, it's the most generally available option.

When you're at Culver's and want fried chicken, the options include two kinds of tenders and two chicken sandwiches. The original chicken tenders or the flavor-packed buffalo chicken tenders come with tons of sauce options to dunk them into, from Culver's Signature Sauce to Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ to honey mustard. If you're more partial to a sandwich, you can choose from a crispy chicken or spicy crispy chicken sandwich. Both include lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo.

These don't appear to be bad substitutes either. In a r/Culvers Reddit thread, fans had high praise for the boneless chicken sandwiches. One Redditor said, "This might be the best fast food spicy chicken sandwich I've had. Perfect crunch. Perfect spice level. So good." Another preferred the non-spicy option, saying, "[Culver's] chicken sandwich is hands down the best chicken sandwich I've ever eaten. It's probably my favorite thing to get as a treat." So while bone-in may not be an option anymore, Culver's reputation for high-quality fast food chicken still stands.