Culver's Might Regret Dropping This Menu Item. Fans Still Haven't Moved On

If you've never visited a Culver's location, you're in for a treat. The Midwest fast-casual staple specializes in comfort food favorites, from ice cream to burgers to fried cheese curds. But at one point, Culver's also boasted delicious pieces of golden, crispy fried chicken. Opened in Wisconsin in 1984, the Culver family's claim to fame was their frozen custard and ButterBurgers — patties of beef with pats of rich butter cradled in the sealed center. One unexpected fact about Culver's is that the first ButterBurgers were actually created with an ice cream scoop, "then pressed into the grill to achieve the sear we know and love today," according to the company.

As the menu expanded, so did the chain's offerings, and fried chicken became a beloved item. So why would Culver's pull such a delicious, juicy, fan-favorite like fried chicken off the menu? There were many rumors about the decision, but it seems like Culver's ultimately decided to take its fried chicken off its menu due to three factors: long cook time, food safety concerns, and sales.

The chicken's long cook time was because it needed to be hand-breaded before being put in the fryer, unlike other fried items, such as cheese curds, chicken tenders, and fries, which arrive frozen and pre-breaded. According to employees on Reddit, they were less than thrilled about the concept of having to bread the chicken and then wait close to 20 minutes for it to cook in the fryer. Employees also mentioned that one batch of fried chicken could take up an entire vat, causing delays and backups on other orders.

Another reason Culver's discontinued fried chicken was due to kitchen safety risks. In another Reddit thread, former managers and employees noted that an internal memo highlighted the difficulties of handling the chain's raw fried chicken. They noted that while other items that could go straight into the fryer were pre-cooked, these chicken pieces were raw. Raw chicken can hold a multitude of harmful bacteria, so using the same fryers and prep space as pre-cooked and cooked items feels like a recipe for disaster.

The franchise is known for its burgers, custard, and signature root beer, but given the time and labor required to prepare it, fried chicken simply wasn't a good return on investment. And while it wasn't considered a menu item you should always avoid, it still has devoted fans — many who are still hoping that the juicy fried chicken might one day return.