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A heated exchange erupted on X between Steak ‘n Shake and Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) influencers regarding allegations about the restaurant chain’s cooking oil practices. The controversy centered on claims that the company continued using seed oils for their french fries despite their January announcement to transition to beef tallow.
The dispute intensified when Turning Point USA’s Alex Clark challenged the company’s claims, suggesting their “tallow fries” underwent pre-cooking in vegetable oil. Steak ‘n Shake responded assertively, dismissing Clark’s allegations and referencing previously unanswered messages to her Instagram account.
The MAHA message to get corruption out of science and clean up our food supply is bipartisan.
I pray Democrats can join @realDonaldTrump and @RobertKennedyJr in generating wins for American children – instead of refusing to clap for a 13-year-old overcoming brain cancer. pic.twitter.com/Vcw8Nwl6mF
— Calley Means (@calleymeans) March 8, 2025
“You also said we tried to pay you, also untrue. Whats your beef? Try our beef tallow..we hear it creates positive energy,” the company stated in their response.
The situation escalated when Clark demanded photographic evidence of their tallow usage, while simultaneously revealing that a company account manager had approached her about promotional opportunities. Seed Oil Scout, an app tracking restaurant oil usage, joined the debate, interpreting Steak ‘n Shake’s responses as potentially incriminating.
In their Instagram response to Seed Oil Scout, Steak ‘n Shake stated: “We are committed to abolish all seed oil! The frying oil was switched to 100% beef tallow that has no preservatives or chemicals or additives. It’s not like most chains with tallow. Yes, it costs more. Switching to pure beef tallow oil was just step 1!”
3 MAHA pillars:
(1) Gold Star science (we currently reccomend added sugar to kids and 50% of FDA studies can’t be re-produced)
(2) Stop subsidizing poison (Soda is top SNAP item)
(3) Patient choice (less mandates, more flexible funds)
MAHA will bring transformational change. pic.twitter.com/SItmjb1Gnh
— Calley Means (@calleymeans) February 2, 2025
MAHA ally Calley Means entered the fray with a pointed message: “Dear @SteaknShake – I celebrated your move on Fox. We are all supportive of your efforts. But horrible idea to question the integrity of @yoalexrapz who is a leader in this movement and is only trying to get to the truth. If you can’t fully get seed oils out of supply chain yet, just let us know why it’s difficult and how you’re working to do that. We all understand changing food supply chains is a long term journey. But if you get substantial good will from saying ‘no seed oils in fries’ and your fries have seed oils, then just explain that. And don’t attack leaders in the movement like Alex.”
The company has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
