Chick-Fil-A's Discontinued Salad We Wish Would Return

One of the most contentious Chick-fil-A controversies that can't be explained is the disappearance of beloved food items. Over the years, we have had to say goodbye to orders like chicken salad, the Frosted Key Lime drink, and lemon pie, which are either gone for good, consigned to seasonal availability, or only for sale at CFA spinoffs like Little Blue Menu. One Chick-fil-A side that's apparently had its last hurrah is the carrot & raisin salad. Sweet and wholesome, this little side salad was something of a cult favorite for CFA diehards, a kind of "IYKYK" situation.

"Carrot salad was the best side ever," one commenter gushed on Reddit. Former employees on the forum recalled that the side fell off menus about 10 years ago, in the early 2010s. For some reason, senior customers in particular really appreciated it. But perhaps not everyone enjoyed the side quite so much. "No one bought it" another Reddit denizen reflected dismissively, noting that the carrot and raisin concoction required a lot of prep work, especially for what they alleged was an infrequently-ordered menu item. 

Fans of the carrot & raisin salad, as isolated as they may or may not be, got to savor their Chick-fil-A favorite one more time in May of 2024 when the chain brought the salad back as a limited time special in honor of CFA founder Truett Cathy. It was only available in the Atlanta metro area, at the three Truett's Grill restaurants and the Dwarf House concept location in Hapeville.

Luckily, you don't have to sit around waiting for Chick-fil-A to bring the carrot & raisin salad back again in order to take a bite. The chain has generously made the original recipe for the salad available on its website, proving that it is simple to whip up for your next barbecue or holiday dinner. All you need is shredded carrot, raisins, crushed pineapple, lemon juice, sugar, and mayonnaise. Yup, you read that right — this is another example of a Southern salad made with mayo, which can be baffling to Yankee diners but makes sense given Chick-fil-A's Georgia roots. All you have to do is mix the ingredients together and let it chill. Some variations on the classic formulation use coconut to amp up the salad's texture and latent tropical flair, but that's strictly optional. 

Reading the recipe really puts in perspective the fact that this "salad" was practically a dessert, given how sweet it was. Some commenters on Reddit reflected that Chick-fil-A customers initially perceived the carrot & raisin salad as "healthy," only to be sorely disappointed. Of course, "healthy" is almost always in the eye of the beholder, and alternate sides like waffle fries definitely aren't much better from a nutritional perspective. Still, next time you are downing your Chick-fil-A nuggets with an ice-cold lemonade, pour one out for our fallen buddy the carrot & raisin salad, and think fondly of other fast food menu items that are long gone.