Chick-fil-A has quietly altered the recipe for one of its most iconic menu items — the waffle fries — and fans are less than thrilled. The change, intended to make the fries stay crispier for longer, has instead left a bad taste in many mouths.

According to a statement on Chick-fil-A’s website, the company “recently made a slight adjustment to our Waffle Potato Fries recipe, which offers the same great taste while also making our Waffle Potato Fries stay crispier, longer.” The secret ingredient behind this adjustment? Pea starch.

While the change might sound minor, it’s had a major impact on customer satisfaction. The new formula has been met with widespread disappointment, with many fans claiming the fries now have a grainy texture and lack their signature flavor.

Longtime Chick-fil-A loyalist Daryl-Ann Denner, a regular who frequents the chain several times a week, was among the first to notice the difference.

“By the middle of November, I caught on to something being different with the fries,” Denner told Southern Living. Initially, she thought it was just a bad batch or a one-off issue at her local location. But when she visited another restaurant with her mom, she realized the change was widespread.

“The fries are dry, grainy, and have no flavor anymore,” said Denner, who now skips them altogether, opting for just an entrée and a drink. “My kids won’t even eat them.”

Denner’s sentiments echo those of many customers who have taken to social media to express their dismay. One commenter described the fries as “sooo gross,” while others lamented the loss of a fan favorite that had been a staple of their meals for years.

The waffle fry fiasco isn’t the only recent revelation about Chick-fil-A’s menu. The chain was recently named among five fast-food brands that don’t use real whole eggs in their breakfast dishes. While working toward serving 100% cage-free eggs, the company admitted its current egg products contain eggs, water, and other additives.

For now, it seems the recipe change is here to stay, leaving devoted customers to decide whether they can embrace the new fries or say goodbye to their beloved side dish. The move underscores a larger challenge for fast-food chains: balancing operational efficiency with maintaining the flavors and textures that made them popular in the first place.

As one of the most beloved fast-food chains in the country, Chick-fil-A’s recipe tweak has sparked an unexpected wave of sadness—and skepticism. Whether the company will respond to the backlash remains to be seen, but for many, the iconic waffle fry may no longer be what it once was.

Fans will be watching closely, fries in hand…or not.