TL;DR: As of October 19, 2025, Steak 'n Shake announced that its French fries are now completely free of seed oils, following a full transition to beef tallow across all U.S. locations, including changes at the supplier level.
What Happened
- Complete Removal Announced: On October 19, 2025, Steak 'n Shake officially confirmed that its French fries no longer contain any seed oils, including "fries with even a trace of seed oil will no longer be served at our restaurants".
Details of the Change
- Beef Tallow Frying: All 436 Steak 'n Shake locations now use 100% beef tallow instead of seed oils to fry French fries, onion rings, and chicken tenders.
- Supply Chain Overhaul: The company worked with suppliers to eliminate seed oils from the pre-cooking (par-frying) process before freezing and shipping fries to restaurants.
Timeline
- January 2025: Initial switch to beef tallow for in-restaurant frying announced.
- March 2025: Confirmed that all restaurants were using beef tallow, but seed oils remained in supplier processing.
- October 19, 2025: Final supply-chain changes completed and publicly announced.
Reasoning
- Health and Flavor: The change was driven by customer demand for healthier, less processed ingredients, and a return to traditional frying methods using beef tallow.
- Official Support: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said seed oils "have been called one of the most unhealthy ingredients in foods" and supports the broader "Make America Healthy Again" initiative.
Additional Measures
- Other Menu Changes: Steak 'n Shake also replaced artificial butter blends with 100% Grade A Wisconsin butter and now offers Cane Sugar Coke as an alternative to high-fructose corn syrup sodas.
- Ongoing Commitment: The company stated it is continuing efforts to eliminate seed oils from more items, including buns and other fried foods.