Bites and Sips: Summer of Pickles and Promos

In a Pickle I: Sweet, Sour and “Swalty”

Pickles are having a moment—or two, or even five if you count the multi-course all-pickle dinner featured in an April episode of “Top Chef.” And while some critics might deem the current pickle-palooza a touch excessive, R&D chefs are still going full speed ahead—as are their patrons. This past spring, Popeyes rolled out a limited-time special menu comprising Fried Pickles, Pickle-Glazed Wings, Pickle Lemonade and a Pickle Glaze Sandwich. And in July, Sonic Drive-In teamed up with beloved pickle producer Grillo’s to launch a Big Dill Menu and celebrate National Pickle Month; the bill of fare includes burgers, fries, tots and slush, all redolent of dill pickle.

No parts of the menu have been immune to pickling. Last fall, Jimmy John’s offered a promotional Picklewich, with giant dill pickles taking the place of bread. To grab attention on April Fools’ Day, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse featured a one-day-only Fryckle Pizookie that topped the signature dessert cookie with vanilla ice cream and fried pickles. Ohio-based micro-chain Sunny Street Café is serving fried pickles with Creole ranch sauce for dipping as a summer special. And in suburban Minneapolis, QC Pizza packs a trio of pickle pizzas: Everything Dill (cream cheese base and everything bagel seasoning), Kinda Big Dill (with an extra layer of pickles, housemade garlic dill sauce and a finishing sprinkle of dill) and Hot Honey Dill (hot honey-infused sauce, smoked Canadian bacon, dill pickles and a drizzle of hot honey).

Pickle power resonates with younger demographics. Researchers at culinary and ingredient consultancy Rubix Foods surveyed 45,000 Gen Zers and identified pickle’s signature “swalty” profile, a mash-up of sweet and salty, as an emerging trend with staying power—after all, it’s the flavor combo behind other menu darlings, like candied bacon. There’s also an important element of fun with the current pickle craze: Fried pickles are quintessential state fair foods. In 2024, these crunchy, craveable snacks drew the longest lines of fairgoers by far at the jam-packed Minnesota State Fair, and pickle fever is sure to continue this year with the fair adding Dill Pickle Iced Tea to the lineup.

In a Pickle II: Briny Beverages

In late May, The New York Times ran a story headlined “How Pickle Lemonade Took Over the Group Chat” that detailed the growing popularity of the drink. It even recommended a recipe to keep readers hydrated over Memorial Day weekend. The impetus for the report was Popeyes’ Pickle Lemonade, made with pickle brine and served with a pickle. The chain reported that it took five years to perfect the recipe and procure enough barrel-aged pickles to support a national rollout.

The article also cited historical precedents like pickleback shots, in which a shot of brine follows a shot of bourbon. In a similar vein, Dutch Bros Coffee served The Pickleback Rebel, which added pickle juice to its signature energy drink as an April LTO.

Swalty combinations loom large here, too. Sonic’s Big Dill menu includes the Picklerita Slush, a neon-green frozen drink made with pickle juice and lime plus pickle juice-flavored boba for good measure. It’s all topped with a pickle chip.

And Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, which operates a half-dozen restaurants in the U.S., in addition to 17 international locations, collaborated with New York City icon Carnegie Deli for a springtime Fried Pickle Classic Shake promotion that infused vanilla ice cream with Carnegie’s signature pickle brine seeds and seasonings, finished with a hot honey drizzle and a crunchy fried pickle.

So, have we reached peak pickle? Not likely. TikTokers are fueling the buzz with pickle-related content, like how to make a “glickle” (by dousing a pickle spear in edible glitter) or a “chickle” (by wrapping a pickle in fried cheese), which is reportedly racking up millions of views. When pop star Dua Lipa took to the site and recorded herself adding pickle juice and jalapeños to her Diet Coke, she broke the internet. Viewers helpfully reported that there were no exact measurements for the quaff, “just vibes.”

Summertime Promotions Heat Up

Credit: First Watch

The most popular summer specials bring a sense of playfulness as with First Watch’s “ice cream for breakfast” collaboration with Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream.

KPMG’s Consumer Pulse Summer 2025 survey forecasts that Americans expect to spend 7 percent less in restaurants this summer, buffeted by concerns over tariffs, inflation and general economic uncertainty. Restaurants are responding by revving up their menu promotion efforts.

Predictable seasonal strategies include the broad appearance of barbecue items, as at Logan’s Roadhouse, where the Backyard BBQ Menu includes Fried Ribs Appetizer, Smokehouse BBQ Strip, Roadhouse Smokehouse Platter and more. There are also blockbuster movie tie-ins, like McDonald’s Happy Meal partnership with Disney-Pixar for the animated feature Elio that offers eight collectible, movie-themed toys meant to drive family traffic. And, of course, there were patriotic nods to July 4, like Krispy Kreme’s Stars, Stripes & Sweetness Collection, featuring three festive red-white-and-blue donuts.

Some programs are opportunistic fun, like First Watch’s summer kick-off that served ice cream for breakfast at Orlando-area stores. Kids could order a free scoop of Cake Batter N’ Sprinkles Ice Cream atop pancakes, waffles or an entrée of their choice. The ice cream was provided by local favorite Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream, and the fun came courtesy of delighted young diners.

In June, Cava celebrated the summer solstice with a free order of pita chips all day for its rewards members. Meanwhile, other chains have embraced bright, seasonal produce, as with the Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade at Wayback Burgers or the returning Sweet Peach & Goat Cheese Salad at Mendocino Farms.

Summer menus regularly sprout a spate of Dreamsicle-inspired items that pay homage to the favorite summer treat-on-a-stick invented over a century ago. The classic combination of vanilla and orange flavors retains its appeal in specials like Sammy’s Sliders’ Orange Sunset Ice Cream Shake, which combines real orange juice with vanilla ice cream for the “tastes of summer in a cup.”