The Sandwich Chick-fil-A Fans Won’t Stop Talking About Is Back for a Limited Time

Mark your calendars: A beloved favorite is making a much-anticipated comeback at one of America’s top fast food chains later this month.

The Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich is returning to Chick-fil-A menus after a years-long hiatus, the company announced this week. It’s set to land on menus nationwide on March 17, but allow us to make an early introduction: This thick chicken sandwich is stacked with crispy brown sugar-coated bacon, Colby Jack Cheese, lettuce, and a smothering of BBQ sauce. It’s served on a toasted sweet yeast bun and available in three chicken options (original, spicy, or grilled). 

This seasonal offering is sticking around only until June 7 — that is, if the fan-favorite sandwich doesn’t sell out before then. (As the brand tells us, it’s available only while supplies last.) You can wash it all down with one of four new Pineapple Dragonfruit beverages, including sweet tea, regular lemonade, the signature frosted lemonade (blended with soft serve), and sunjoy (a 50-50 blend of sweet tea and lemonade). 

Longtime Chick-fil-A chef Cristy Cook first developed this sweet-and-smoky bite around 2015, the brand shared via email. It initially hit national menus as a limited-time offering in 2017. 

“Ten years ago, we created the Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich to highlight the delicious grilled flavors our guests know and love,” Cook tells Food & Wine. “We’re thrilled it’s making a comeback — this time elevated with even more delicious customizations for everyone to enjoy this spring.”

The online response from Chick-fil-A devotees has, naturally, swayed overwhelmingly positive. Users are celebrating the return in the comments and sharing their own takes on the hearty sandwich. If you look back in Chick-fil-A’s archives, the sandwich’s brief return in 2022 also ignited a comment section filled with urgent pleas to bring back the item for 2024. When the sandwich was last available, fans offered it solid praise in video reviews: 

Chick-fil-A is sharing the love with customers this week. You might even notice a note of encouragement on your takeout bag during the brand’s Sunshine Days promo, which the brand says aims to recognize “little acts of kindness.” 

The Atlanta-based company isn’t the only chain to invest time in customer touchpoints with handwritten messages; Starbucks recently shifted its strategy to include Sharpied notes on cups, too. That strategy aligns with Chick-fil-A’s sunny messaging for the latest spring menu releases. 

“As warmer weather approaches, our guests are craving flavors that are reminiscent of longer, brighter days and time spent outside with family and friends,” Chick-fil-A’s director of menu and packaging, Allison Duncan, said in a press release. 

At the end of the day, nothing quite compares to a homestyle barbecue sandwich on a warm spring day.