The 7 Best And 3 Worst New Chick-Fil-A Items Of 2026 (So Far)

Whether you love Chick-fil-A or don't quite get the hype, there's no doubt that the chain's newest releases throughout 2026 have been interesting. Though several returning favorites showed up on the menu this year, there were also plenty of brand-new options for fans to enjoy, most of which sounded downright delicious. 

Still, as with most chains, there's always the possibility that new items won't taste as good as anticipated — and though we're certainly fans of Chick-fil-A, we'd be wrong to pretend every new release was a home run. In the upcoming post, we're revealing the seven best and three worst Chick-fil-A items of 2026, thus far. We'll showcase how fans really feel about these latest releases, from drinks to sandwiches and everything in between, along with when (and where) the chain offered each item on its menus.

Before we dive in, keep in mind that some of these new offerings may or may not still be available, and a few of the releases mentioned were limited to select regions. With that out of the way, join us as we uncover the best and worst Chick-fil-A menu items of 2026.

Similar to Chick-fil-A's secret menu chocolate banana milkshake, the chain's frosted sodas have been around for a while, but it wasn't until January 2026 that they became an official menu item. Members of our staff reviewed Chick-fil-A's unofficial frosted soda back in 2024, and even then, they were impressed. Thankfully, the days of having to anxiously explain to employees how to make the creamy concoction are over — simply waltz right up to the counter, tell 'em you want a frosted soda, and get it handed to you.

The premise is simple — select the fountain drink you want to use as a base, and Chick-fil-A will hand-spin it with its signature vanilla Icedream for a richer, creamier version of what you started with. Almost everyone who's taste-tested the new quencher has had positive things to say — the carbonation of the soda stays enjoyably fizzy, and the ability to customize the base lends itself to endless possibilities. 

From what we hear, Dr Pepper is one heck of an addition when added as a Frosted Soda base; as one reviewer from The Daily Meal wrote, "Is this the way my favorite soda was always meant to taste? That deeply satisfying black-cherry flavor is flawlessly buoyed by vanilla soft serve, with the zip of carbonation providing a pleasant sensation on the tongue. It's decadently sweet, but I had to fight the urge to finish the entire thing." Pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

The Chick-fil-A Float was officially released in January 2026 alongside the aforementioned Frosted Soda, and while both sport similar ingredients, the two aren't the same. In true float fashion, this classic new beverage features your choice of soda topped with several scoops of Icedream. Of course, you shouldn't expect the drink to come hand-spun this time around — the soft serve is just plopped right in, which is just the way it should be. Right?

Unfortunately, Chick-fil-A customers didn't take well to the release of this familiar classic. As one disappointed Redditor noted: "I got a float yesterday, and there was too much ice cream, and it wouldn't melt, so I only had a little bit of soda to wash my meal down. No idea if this is how they are making them or if my serving just had more ice cream than normal." The reviewer from The Daily Meal recommended using a spoon rather than a straw to help avoid globs of ice cream getting stuck in your straw, but when you're driving or in a hurry, this still might not prove the best option. 

Thus, though the new Chick-fil-A Float might suit some taste buds, most agreed it wasn't the greatest. If you do decide to grab the float, consider setting aside a (long) period of time for the ice cream to melt — one Redditor claimed it creates the perfect soda-to-cream ratio and, eventually, makes it easier to sip through the straw, too. 

Released in August 2026, Chick-fil-A seemingly pulled out all the stops with the release of its Chicken and Waffles — countless fans proclaim this all-American menu item with (supposedly) Southern roots to be absolutely scrumptious, featuring your choice of either a traditional, spicy, or grilled chicken patty nestled between two fluffy maple-flavored waffles.

"I had the larger filet version for dinner, and I loved it," a Redditor stated. "I ate in the restaurant, so everything was fresh, the chicken was hot, and the waffle was the perfect texture, firm, moist, and sweet. I dipped it into the syrup occasionally, but it was great without it. The bacon was a great complement, too." 

Oh, and can we talk about its ingredients? As if sweetened waffles and perfectly fried chicken weren't enough, expect Chick-fil-A's Chicken and Waffles to come with a slathering of creamy honey butter and three crispy slices of applewood bacon. The best part? The offering is available all day. And in case you're one of the many customers to notice a disappointing trend of shrinking Chick-fil-A sandwiches these days, know that the breakfast rendition is intentionally smaller (and cheaper) than what is served during lunch and dinner hours.

We may get some flak for this one, but the S'mores Milkshake from Chick-fil-A isn't our favorite 2026 release. The summer-inspired treat hit menus in August and featured a tantalizing description that includes the chain's famous Icedream, chocolate-flavored shortbread pieces, graham cracker crumbles, marshmallow syrup, and, gasp, marshmallow-flavored whipped cream. With ingredients that good, how could anything go wrong?

"The Chick-fil-A S'mores milkshake is so sweet I could practically feel the sugar coursing through my body after the first sip," a reviewer from The Takeout stated. "It's a shame, because there's something at the core of this seasonal beverage that's actually working, but it's covered up by the cloying presence of too much sugar."

And it's true — according to the Chick-fil-A website, the  S'mores Milkshake contains 100 grams of sugar (and only comes in one size, by the way). This uncanny amount of sugar is enough to give anyone a heart attack (no pun intended), especially given that the recommended daily intake, per the American Heart Association, is 25 to 36 grams for most folks. And while the amount of sugar, carbohydrates, fat, and calories in some fast food milkshakes are usually enough to warrant a pause before buying, the stats for Chick-fil-A S'mores Milkshake are worth the extra cautious mention. Thus, though this frozen dessert certainly sounds promising, it's probably best left as a once-in-a-while, if at all, kinda thing.

On the heels of the S'mores Milkshake came Chick-fil-A S'mores Frosted Coffee in August 2026. Released at the same time as the previously mentioned beverage, this caffeinated grab at least has less sugar at 69 grams (still high, we know). The drink is described as containing much the same ingredients as the milkshake — it, too, contains vanilla Icedream, chocolate shortbread and graham cracker crumbles, and marshmallow syrup, all of which is then added to cold brew coffee. 

"Have y'all tried the S'mores Frosted Coffee at Chick-fil-A?" one happy customer from Facebook asked. "It's a 10/10 for me." Another from Reddit chimed in with praise for the menu item, stating, "The S'mores Frosted Coffee tastes excellent! The marshmallow flavor makes it really unique. S'crumptious! Next time I'll add cookie crumbles, but the chocolate shortbread and graham cracker crumbles that come in it are already fire."

Of course, as with most new releases, there are a few who weren't pleased with the drink, mainly because of the amount of sugar it contains. We don't disagree — though not featuring as much sugar as its cloyingly sweet sibling, it still packs a punch. Nevertheless, if consumed sparingly, the S'mores Frosted Coffee is, for most, one of the best new Chick-fil-A releases of 2026 so far. If you've got a sweet tooth and love lots of sugar in your joe, this option could be the brew for you.

Okay, so maybe not all the drinks from the Strawberry Hibiscus release were a complete bust, but because hibiscus is an acquired taste, this line of beverages didn't always sit well with all customers. Chick-fil-A released its Strawberry Hibiscus drinks in spring 2026 alongside the Jalapeño Ranch Club Sandwich. The lineup came in four varieties — lemonade, frosted lemonade, Sprite, and the chain's signature Sunjoy drink.

Reviews for the Strawberry Hibiscus and Sprite varied: While some customers claimed the drink to possess an odd, medicinal flavor, a Tasting Table reviewer found the sip quite good, stating that the notes of strawberry stood out well against the natural acidity of Sprite. As for the frosted lemonade, reviews were much the same — a Chowhound review brought up the issue concerning the jarring medicinal flavor again, while others claimed the drink to be one of their favorites out of the bunch.

Now, if you aren't familiar with Chick-fil-A's Sunjoy, it's basically a drink with both lemonade and sweetened iced tea. According to reviews, the chain's Strawberry Hibiscus Sunjoy still tastes like tea, and though layered with all sorts of yummy flavors, they all manage to work together to yield a fairly decent flavor. Thus, all things considered, there were certainly highs and lows with the Strawberry Hibiscus drinks, but because of their polarizing attributes, we don't feel right calling them some of the best 2026 releases.

Released in spring 2026, Chick-fil-A's Jalapeño Ranch Club Sandwich is a unique, uber-flavorful take on a traditional club. It came with your choice of grilled, original, or spicy chicken patty topped with candied caramel onion bacon, pepper jack cheese, pickled jalapeños, and a buttermilk ranch-flavored bun. As if that weren't enough, the sandwich also came with a packet of jalapeño ranch sauce on the side, granting customers more control over its heat.

Reviewers had nothing but positive things to say about this new menu item, which really isn't surprising. Given its many layers of robust flavors, we had a hard time imagining anything else! A reviewer from Tasting Table who sampled the Jalapeño Ranch Club adored this flavorful springtime sammie, stating, "The herbs of the buttermilk ranch bun, the smokiness of the bacon, and the freshness of the lettuce and tomato balance everything out like a classic club sandwich should. But with a little oomph to it. Each ingredient plays its role in creating a sandwich that I would definitely order again." 

And while the spicy chicken filet once again seemed to reign supreme as the customer-preferred patty, each variation of the sandwich delivered potently delicious flavor. We had a hard time saying goodbye when it finally flew off the menu early June.

Okay, so the Avocado Sriracha BLT was only available in Oklahoma City, but based on reactions from Sooner fans, it was definitely two thumbs up. As its name implied, this limited-time test-market option came layered with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and smashed avocado, all atop Chick-fil-A's signature original fried, grilled, or spicy chicken patty. As usual, the popular chicken chain paid extra close attention to detail when it came to the "bun" — the offering came sandwiched between sriracha-infused swirl bread that was just as fun to look at as it was to eat.

Like the Jalapeño Ranch Club Sandwich, the Avocado Sriracha BLT sounded hard to mess up — thankfully, the OKC crowd confirmed that it totally lived up to the hype. Fans of the sandwich claimed its taste was incredible and totally hit the spot. Online, people were pleading for the option to be released at a Chick-fil-A in their area, and those already living in the lucky city excitedly commented, "Can confirm it was delicious!" on Facebook. 

Sigh. We can't help but be jealous. But hey, given its success, who knows: Getting an Avocado Sriracha BLT on a menu near you might not be such a far-fetched idea. Time will tell!

Chick-fil-A is no stranger to dragonfruit-inspired drinks — the chain has been pumping them out since 2025, but only for a limited time before snatching them off the menu. Thankfully, 2026 brought with it the return of  several drinks in the Pineapple Dragonfruit lineup, including lemonade, frosted lemonade, iced tea, and Sunjoy options, along with a fizzy new flavor: Pineapple Dragonfruit Sprite.

According to customers, the Sprite variation has everything you love about Chick-fil-A's dragonfruit drinks, only this time with lots of hard-hitting fizz. "10/10 recommend these Sprite Pineapple Dragonfruit drinks from Chick-fil-A," stated a fan on Facebook. "Have y'all tried them yet? They are so good". Various other customers  also shared how delicious they are. 

For those of you dying to know exactly what it tastes like, don't worry, Reddit has your back — commenters described the Dragonfruit Sprite as pineapple-forward with all the crispness of a fizzy Sprite. Not into carbonated drinks? No problem. While not exactly new, you can still grab the iced tea, lemonade, or Sunjoy options in a gallon-size jug to share with family and friends at home. Currently, every dragonfruit-flavored drink, including the Sprite, is still available at our local Chick-fil-A. Better grab it while you can!

Another test-market release, the Chick-fil-A Sweet Chili Lime Crunch Sandwich is a little peculiar, with a ginger-lime coleslaw and a sweet chili sauce. We'll be honest and say the combination of flavors here was a bit unexpected, but folks in North Carolina sure didn't seem to mind. Customers in the Triad cities claimed this limited-time offering was delicious from start to finish. 

Available only in Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem from February to March 2026, the Sweet Chili Lime Crunch Sandwich came with your choice of a grilled, fried, or spicy chicken patty. "I just went and got two. They are truly phenomenal," a Redditor stated. "[There's] sauce underneath the top bun, cabbage, kale, lime dressing underneath the filet. Exquisite." Another chimed in, writing, "Tried it with the regular chicken. It was awesome. I love sweet chili sauce anyway, so when I saw it on the menu, I had to try. Had no idea it was a trial item. Will try the spicy next when I'm up that way." 

Will the Chick-fil-A Sweet Chili Lime Crunch Sandwich end up a national release? We sure hope so. With flavors this complex, you'd be hard-pressed to find a similar chicken sandwich like this sold anywhere else!

The seven best and three worst Chick-fil-A menu items of 2026 were evaluated based on customer consensus and staff review. Websites that include Tasting Table, The Daily Meal, Chowhound, The Takeout, and Mashed are Static Media-owned brands; therefore, reviews from across these websites, along with customer consensus gathered from a variety of online social media outlets, helped form the basis by which we categorized a menu item as worst or best.

Of course, because everyone has a different take on what tastes "good" or "bad," we did our best to stick with the majority before placing a Chick-fil-A release in a particular category. Keep in mind that some 2026 menu items received split reviews based on nutrition, taste, and other factors — therefore, opinions may vary across the Chick-fil-A fanbase. 

Lastly, note that two of the offerings were released in select test market cities and weren't nationally available. As always, pricing, availability, and other details covered in this article are subject to change. 

Static Media owns and operates Mashed, The Takeout, Tasting Table, Daily Meal, and Chowhound.