Chick-Fil-A Dialed The Sweetness Up To 11 For Its New Fall Menu Items, For Better Or Worse

I love a seasonal take on a classic food or beverage. Case in point, I don't care how basic it is I will always proudly enjoy a pumpkin spice latte when the leaves start to change. So, when I heard Chick-fil-A, the fast food chain popular with teenagers and Gen Z, was introducing a new fall menu, I was intrigued.

Although Chick-fil-A has been around since the late 1960s, it's exciting to see it's still innovating for new appetites in the current culinary climate. This fall will see the introduction of the limited-time Chicken & Waffles Sandwich, S'mores Frosted Coffee, and S'mores Milkshake as part of Chick-fil-A's "Newstalgia" lineup that's been rolling out all year. These items are meant to feel comforting and familiar with inspired twists on old favorites. As someone who associates late summer bonfires with s'mores, I was excited to revisit a personal favorite childhood treat as well as try a hand-held version of a Southern classic to see how they all came together to represent the fall season.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I'm based in New York, so I was invited to taste test these new items at Chick-fil-A's largest location in the world, which is located on Fulton Street in downtown Manhattan and certainly set an impressive tone for the launch. After ascending three floors into a private room, I was in a space decorated with specialty branded Chicken & Waffles plates and merch all in Chick-fil-A's signature colors of red and white.

All of the items I tasted were presented fresh from the kitchen (hot or cold, as appropriate) and came in the same packaging as any customer would receive them. When I try any new food product, I look to evaluate on taste, presentation, and value while also taking into consideration my own personal preferences and experiences. I tasted the chicken sandwich first (there were two sizes, but more on that below), took a sip of the S'mores Frosted Coffee between the breakfast size and all-day size, and reached for the S'mores Milkshake to finish the meal.

To be honest, I think of chicken and waffles as a mostly Southern dish even if the best chicken and waffle dishes can be found all across America. In any case, it makes sense that Chick-fil-A as a national chain would want to hop on that food trend.

As mentioned, there are actually two sizes of the Chicken & Waffles Sandwich. There's a smaller breakfast version that's only available during breakfast hours (6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday) and a full-size sandwich you can order as soon as breakfast ends. Both of these sandwiches have the same ingredients: a maple-flavored waffle bun, fried chicken filet, three strips of bacon, a honey butter spread, and a side of syrup for dipping or drizzling. While both sandwiches are exactly the same aside from their size, I will note that I found the regular, non-breakfast chicken patty a bit crispier and juicier. The regular sandwich also comes in a cardboard clamshell box which may have helped maintain the crunch of the sandwich longer than the foil-wrapping on the breakfast sandwich did.

Overall, I found the sweetness of the maple-flavored waffles combined with the honey butter a bit overpowering despite the fact the savory chicken and bacon should have balanced things out. Add in the syrup and you've got a sugary overload. This may be a breakfast item that someone with a sweet tooth can get excited about, but I wanted a bit more contrast. I ended up removing one of the soft waffle pieces and enjoying the sandwich open-faced.

I am a caffeine addict: I love coffee. However, I am a very simple coffee drinker. Generally, I prefer to pick up coffee grounds at the store and drink it black at home with an occasional splash of non-dairy milk. But there's a reason so many consumers love blended coffee drinks (particularly the ever-changing Frappuccino), so I approached the S'mores Frosted Coffee as an open minded s'mores lover.

The first taste that hit my tongue was the marshmallow syrup. It reminded me of a marshmallow-flavored Jelly Belly. Once again, extremely saccharine. However, the flavor profile makes sense given that this drink contains almost all sweet ingredients. It has the Chick-fil-A Icedream as a base with chocolate shortbread and graham cracker bits mixed in with the marshmallow syrup. Again, I was hoping for a bit more contrast. You might think the bitterness of the cold brew coffee would have balanced things out, but I never tasted anything other than a candy-forward dessert drink. For non-coffee drinkers or those who need their coffee sandwiched between a sizeable amount of milk and sugar, this might work for you, but I couldn't do more than a few sips without feeling overwhelmed.

Of all of the items I tasted here, the S'mores Milkshake was the one I actually expected to be sweet — and it really delivered. Here, however, I enjoyed the sugary treat as it felt appropriate for a dessert item. The S'mores Milkshake comes with the same ingredients at the S'mores Frosted Coffee minus the coffee (Icedream base, marshmallow syrup, chocolate shortbread, and graham cracker), but it also has toasted marshmallow whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top.

On my first sip, I got a good mouthful of the chocolate shortbread pieces, which gave the milkshake a pleasant texture combined with the creamy Icedream (in the Frosted Coffee those bits were much more blended in). Of the two drinks, I also got a fuller spectrum of s'mores flavors here. Nothing was overwhelming everything else, and each sip was smooth with a little bit of extra crunch. It also wasn't so thick that I couldn't get a good straw-full of it. I did go back for more sips of the S'mores Milkshake and could see myself enjoying it as a treat as the weather starts to turn chilly.

As I've tried to note throughout this review, I am personally someone who generally prefers savory to sweet flavors, or at least a good balance of both. Throughout Chick-fil-A's new fall menu items, the sugar-forward nature of the ingredients came through on the palate more than anything else. If you are the kind of person who dreams of dessert for every meal or can't get enough of sugary treats, these menu items are likely going to appeal to you more.

I will also note that these menu items are customizable so there may be a few ways to tamp down the sweetness I've mentioned. For example, on the Chicken & Waffles Sandwich, you could swap out the breaded chicken breast for a spicy filet instead, which may help to counterbalance some of the flavors. If you're like me and prefer a less sugary coffee, I was told that each drink is hand-mixed, so I'd suggest telling the Chick-fil-A employee making your drink to dial it back on the marshmallow syrup pumps.

All of these fall menu items will be available nationwide for a limited time beginning August 24, 2026, with pricing varying by location. Check your local Chick-fil-A for exact prices and availability to confirm details near you.

The Chicken & Waffles Breakfast Sandwich has 470 calories and will start at $4.95, while the regular Chicken & Waffles Sandwich has 620 calories and rings up at $7.59. The Classic Syrup on the side has 60 calories of its own (and comes complimentary with the sandwiches). 

We don't have nutrition info for the plain waffles, but you can purchase them separately if you're a vegetarian (or just want a waffle). A Plain Breakfast Waffle (a la carte) is $1.49, and a Plain Lunch/Dinner Waffle (a la carte) is $1.59. As for the S'mores Frosted Coffee, it contains 400 calories and costs $4.75. The S'mores Milkshake has 640 calories and will set you back $4.85.