The Seriously Nostalgic Burger King Fries That Are Long Overdue For A Revival

In a theoretical in-memoriam montage of discontinued Burger King items, one stands out as something that may have simply been too far ahead of its time to succeed when first released. Burger King Shake 'Em Up Fries were introduced in 2002 and consisted of French fries and a little baggie of cheese-flavored powder. You'd pour the cheese powder into the bag of fries, shake them up, and be left with cheesy, coated, flavorful spuds.

In the early oughts, this proved to be a little too high-concept for Burger King customers, despite the iconic commercial. Shake 'Em Up Fries were discontinued within a year. But fast-forward a couple of decades, and fans are more than ready for their triumphant return. "Brooooo that was my childhood," one Redditor reminisced. "Go to Burger King for the Shake 'Em fries and the cream Icee. Head home and sit watching the Cartoon Network Friday Night line up."

"I still think about these at least once a week," another fan wrote. "I was obsessed." Others have recalled being so obsessed that they would beg their parents to take them to Burger King just to order the fries. "I was so sad when they left the menu and waited for their return, hoping it wouldn't be too long," one Redditor wrote. "My youthful hope eventually got crushed lol." They're not alone in that sentiment, which is why it might be exactly the right time to bring them back.

One devotee started a Change.org petition to "urge Burger King to reinstate the beloved Shake 'Em Up Fries." They wrote that "the Shake 'Em Up Fries were not just food; they were an experience that brought delight and fun to every kid's meal at Burger King," and cited nostalgia as a powerful force in marketing that might make the Shake 'Em Up Fries successful this time around.

For many years, it looked like the Shake 'Em Up Fries were among the fast food menu items we may never get back. However, moves from Burger King's biggest competitor, McDonald's, may indicate that there's a greater appetite for this kind of product as of late. In 2005, McDonald's started serving a very similar fries product called Shake Shake at locations in Hong Kong. These proved so popular that they spread to other countries, too. They're still going strong overseas, and in 2025, McDonald's brought the concept to the U.S. with dill pickle-flavored McShaker Fries in its Grinch-themed, limited-time holiday meal.

Does this mean U.S. fast food fans are ready for the return of BK's Shake 'Em Up Fries? Not necessarily. But with the worldwide popularity of Shake Shake fries and McDonald's dip into the U.S. shaker fry game, we may be closer than ever to the return of BK's cheesy, delicious version.