Remember Chili’s Chicken-Fried Steak? Fans Want It Back

Every few weeks, social media cooks up a new trend. It seems Chit and his "Do It Lady" moniker is out, and nostalgic menu items are in this week.

My TikTok FYP and Instagram have been filled with people pleading with chain restaurants to bring back old, discontinued menu items.

They say:

“Why’d you get rid of the good stuff?”

And honestly, they’re not wrong.

Why Chili’s Chicken-Fried Steak Stood Out

Case in point: Chili’s chicken-fried steak. If you know, you know.

It wasn’t just good for a chain restaurant, it was one of the best you could find anywhere. Crispy batter, peppery white gravy, mashed potatoes that were just the right kind of lumpy. The kind of plate that made you wonder why you even bothered with the burger menu in the first place.

It was elite, but the chain nixed it when health trends swept in in the mid-2000s (the trend that killed Super-Size Fries at McD's), and Chili's replaced it with something equally as unhealthy - by the macros - but had enough keywords to make you think it was better for you.

Definitely a big swing and a miss for Chili's across Oklahoma... It's practically our state entree.

Some restaurants get rid of things because nobody orders them. But the chicken-fried steak wasn’t one of those dishes. It was reliable comfort food in its truest form. There wasn't a Friday night that went by that I didn't have one while the lady I dated at the time chowed down on the Cajun Chicken Pasta. It was almost routine.

Of course, the internet can’t really bring back a menu item just by yelling at it. Though if it could, we’d all be enjoying Taco Bell’s Cool Ranch tacos by now. But it does make you wonder why chains drop the classics.

Why Nostalgia Drives Menu Trends

It's the same reason McDonald's is spending millions to tell people the old prices are coming back, to sell more stuff. How they ever imagined McD's as "upscale fast casual" is beyond all logic, but here we are today. They even brought back the snack-wraps.

If you want to hop on the trend, what are some long-gone and forgotten favorites you miss from back when?

Oklahoma's Most Iconic Foods

While Oklahoma isn't often thought of as a culinary destination, it'll surprise you how many iconic dishes either came from or were perfected in this state.

Some of these dishes are wild, others are rare, and we finally settle the debate on what does and doesn't belong in chili.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Eleven Foods Oklahoman's Eat When Fall Finally Arrives

When it comes to the favorite foods in Oklahoma, most of them revolve around a grill. Whether it's steak, burgers, dogs, BBQ, beer can chicken, etc... If it can be grilled, it will be an instant favorite across all palates in this state. But what do Okies survive on when Fall finally comes sweeping down the plains? Here's the quick list of things every Oklahoma home should be pumping out when the endless Summer finally ends.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Ten Iconic Oklahoma Restaurants You Have To Try

I think it's fair to say that each state probably has its own legends when it comes to restaurants. Pennsylvania has cheesesteaks, New York has wings and pizza, Texas has Franklin BBQ and Tex-Mex, etc...

Oklahoma is no different.

Birthed into statehood as a cattle state, there's no shortage of beef on any menu here, but there's a little room for chicken and fries too. Here are the absolute, hands down, best restaurants, in no particular order, everyone has to try in The Sooner State.

Gallery Credit: Kelso