Arby’s Potato Cakes Are Back for Good: Price, Calories and the Comeback Story

Yes, arby’s potato cakes are back, and this time they are here to stay. Arby’s made them a permanent menu item in February 2025, after fans spent years asking for them, and they are now sold at Arby’s restaurants across the United States. A 2-piece order typically costs about $2.79 and has 250 calories, but the price at your store can be a little higher or lower, so check the app before you order.

Price and Calories at a Glance

The 2-piece order is the cheapest way to try them, and it is also the size that shows up on the breakfast menu. Larger orders go up to 5 pieces, and every size uses the same crisp shredded-potato patty. The table below gives the quick answer, and the rest of this post covers the price in detail, the full nutrition numbers, and the comeback story that made this side famous.

What Arby’s Potato Cakes Are

Arby’s describes them simply: shredded potato fried to a crispy golden brown. They are triangular patties, crisp on the outside and soft inside, and Arby’s own press language calls them its spin on a hash brown patty. They come in orders of 2, 3, 4 or 5 pieces, so you can add a small side to a sandwich or order a bigger box to share.

The Four Sizes on the Menu

The four sizes are 2, 3, 4 and 5 pieces. The 2-piece order is the one most people know, because it is the size listed in the Kids and Breakfast sections of Arby’s menu. The 3, 4 and 5-piece orders are listed under Signature Sides, and they are the sizes to pick when the Potato Cakes are the side for a full meal. Every size is the same patty, just more of them, so calories increase with each additional piece, from 250 to 620.

A Side With a History Since 1964

Arby’s potato cakes are one of Arby’s oldest items. Nation’s Restaurant News reported that Potato Cakes had been on Arby’s menu since the chain’s founding in 1964, and they stayed for decades before they were cut in 2021. That long run is why so many longtime customers noticed the day they disappeared, and why their return became a news story instead of a quiet menu change.

Arby’s Potato Cakes Price in 2026

There is no single national price for this side, because most Arby’s restaurants are franchised and each store sets its own price. The numbers below are typical in-store pickup prices from Drive Thru Index, checked November 12, 2026, and your store may charge a little more or less. Delivery apps almost always charge more than the counter price, so the cheapest way to get them is to order in the store or pick them up yourself.

Why the Price Changes by Store

A 2-piece order typically costs $2.79 across more than 3,000 US Arby’s restaurants, with stores ranging from $1.89 to $4.19 as of November 12, 2026. Some price guides list about $2.49 for the same order, which fits inside that range. California stores tend to be the most expensive, while Delaware stores tend to be the cheapest, so the state you order in matters as much as the size you pick.

Delivery prices may be higher than in-store pickup prices and vary by location and app.

Is the 2-Piece Order Worth Buying?

If you have never tried them, start with the 2-piece order. It costs less than three dollars at most stores, it has 250 calories, and it is enough to tell whether you like the crisp outside and soft inside. If you are ordering for two people, the 4-piece order is usually the better deal per piece than two small orders.

Calories and Nutrition

The nutrition numbers below come from Arby’s own September 2026 Nutrition and Allergen Guide, so they are the official figures. Each piece adds about 120 calories, which makes the math easy: 2 pieces are 250 calories, 3 pieces are 370, 4 pieces are 490, and 5 pieces are 620. Sodium climbs the same way, from 430 milligrams for 2 pieces to 1,080 milligrams for 5 pieces.

Full Nutrition for Every Size

Protein stays low at every size, from 2 grams for a 2-piece order to 5 grams for a 5-piece order, so this is a side for crunch and comfort, not a protein pick. Fat runs from 14 grams to 35 grams across the four sizes, and carbs run from 23 grams to 58 grams. If you are watching sodium, the 2-piece order is the easy choice, since it keeps sodium at 430 milligrams.

Are Arby’s Potato Cakes Gluten-Free?

Potato Cakes list no wheat ingredient in their standard recipe, which is better than Curly Fries, because Curly Fries contain wheat in their seasoned batter. But the official guide marks Potato Cakes with a shared-oil warning: they are cooked in the same oil as items that contain Egg, Milk, Soy, Wheat and Fish (where available), so cross-contact applies. If you have celiac disease or a strong gluten sensitivity, do not treat them as guaranteed gluten-free.

The Comeback Story: Cut in 2021, Back for Good in 2025

Few fast-food sides have a story like this one. Arby’s cut Potato Cakes in March 2021, when Crinkle Fries launched as a new permanent fry and took their place on the menu. Fans did not accept the change quietly. One Change.org petition to bring Potato Cakes back gathered more than 7,600 supporters, and Arby’s later said the item was mentioned more than 10,000 times on social media in one year, with pleas, petitions and fan accounts asking for its return.

The Limited Return in July 2024

Arby’s brought them back on July 1, 2024, as a limited-time item for its 60th anniversary. Actor Kyle MacLachlan fronted the return as the leader of a fictional group called the Order of the Potato Cakes, and Arby’s sold merchandise tied to the campaign. The return was meant to be temporary, but the demand was so strong that Arby’s made the bigger decision a few months later.

Permanent Since February 2025

In February 2025, Arby’s made Potato Cakes permanent again, back on the menu nationwide at participating Arby’s locations. To prove it meant it, the chain ran a viral stunt called the Pre-Class Action Lawsuit, promising that if Potato Cakes are removed from the menu before December 31, 2026, customers can split $1 million worth of Arby’s food. That promise is still running as this post is published, and it is the clearest sign that Arby’s does not plan to cut them again soon.

Potato Cakes vs Curly Fries and Crinkle Fries

Arby’s has three potato sides that look similar on paper, so the choice comes down to taste and sodium. Curly Fries are the famous one, seasoned since 1988, but they contain wheat and carry the most sodium. Crinkle Fries are the lighter-sodium pick. Potato Cakes sit in the middle: no wheat of their own, a soft hash-brown style bite, and less sodium than Curly Fries at a similar size.

Which Side Should You Pick?

Pick Potato Cakes if you want something soft inside and crisp outside, and if you like dipping your side in Arby’s Sauce. Pick Curly Fries if you want the seasoned spiral that made Arby’s sides famous, and you do not mind the extra sodium. Pick Crinkle Fries if sodium is your main concern, since a medium Crinkle has about 460 milligrams of sodium against about 940 milligrams for a medium Curly. All three are sold in several sizes, so the size you pick matters as much as the side you pick.

Where to Get Potato Cakes

Arby’s potato cakes are sold all day at most Arby’s locations, not just at breakfast, even though the 2-piece order also appears on the breakfast menu. You can order them on their own as a side, add them to a sandwich meal, or get them as part of a breakfast combo at stores that serve breakfast. Availability can still vary by store, so if you are driving somewhere special for them, check the app first.

The Steak ‘n Potato Bowl Uses Them Too

Potato Cakes are also the base of the Steak ‘n Potato Bowl, an entree that tops them with steak nuggets. That bowl has 770 calories and 1,640 milligrams of sodium, with 26 grams of protein, per Arby’s September 2026 guide. It is the one menu item where Potato Cakes stop being a side and become the main event.

FAQs About Arby’s Potato Cakes