10 Menu Items From American-Based Fast Food Chains You Can Only Get In Canada

At first glance, a McDonald's in Montreal may not seem that different from one in Montana. With the familiar golden arches and the same name displayed on the building, the two won't seem that different — until you take a look at their menus.

It turns out that the maple leaf country has an entire secret stash of menu items that you won't find south of the border. From pancakes and waffles being served at Starbucks to your favorite Easter candy turned into a McFlurry, Canadian fast food is full of surprises. While some of these menu additions cater specifically to Canadian tastes, others are ones that American audiences would surely get behind as well. (Who wouldn't want to buy waffles at Starbucks?).

So before you can sing, "O Canada," let's dig into the 10 fast food items from American-based fast food chains that you can only get in Canada. 

While poutine is virtually nonexistent on fast food menus in America, it's practically everywhere in Canada. But if your trips up North have been few and far between, you may not even know what poutine is. 

Poutine is kind of like Canada's version of loaded fries. Specifically, it's french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. The Canadian staple originated in Quebec and while there's a difference between how poutine differs in Canada vs. the United States, some argue that Quebec is the only place that can really do it justice. 

The McDonald's version of the popular Canadian dish deviates from tradition. Coming in both regular and large sizes, poutine at McDonald's can be ordered in anything from classic to spicy buffalo chicken to spicy maple bacon. With that many variations of the same dish, it's clear poutine is a hit with Canadian customers.

And McDonald's isn't the only one with this item on their menu. Other fast food chains like Burger King, Wendy's, Carl's Jr., KFC, and even Pizza Hut offer their own versions of the dish. 

Maybe it's Canada's French connection, but one craveworthy breakfast item that remains unattainable for American customers is Wendy's French Toast Sticks. The chain launched the menu item in January 2023. And the breakfast addition wasn't just a hit — it became a social media sensation thanks to the help of the "French Toast Guy." His entire mission was to showcase how easy it is to eat French toast on the go with Wendy's new French Toast Sticks. But first, he made sure to remind us how inconvenient it would be to eat traditional French toast in transit, lugging a full breakfast tray onto the subway to prove the point. The campaign was a huge success. As a result, Wendy's reported a 30% increase in breakfast sales.

Sadly, American fans could only watch from their screens as the French Toast Guy (and the rest of Canada) enjoyed the new launch. But all hope is not lost for American French toast lovers. Burger King still offers its own version of French Toast Sticks in the United States – but opinions are mixed on which chain does it better.

Next up, we have Subway's Tandoori Twist. The flavorful sub was launched about a year ago in Canada and serves as part of the sandwich chain's "Subway Series" — a menu that includes five "Globally Inspired" sub sandwiches and a bowl.

According to Lisa Mazurkewich, head of marketing at Subway Canada, the decision to introduce these international flavors came from research that showed Canadians hunger for exploring a variety of culinary flavors. The Tandoori Twist draws inspiration from Tandoori chicken which is a classic Indian dish. But true to its name, Subway puts a spin on this classic by featuring a different meat: tandoori-spiced pork instead of chicken. In addition, the sandwich is layered with spinach, tomatoes, banana peppers, onions, Monterey cheddar cheese, and tandoori sauce. This bold fusion of flavors takes classic Tandoori chicken in a new direction.

But the Subway Series menu doesn't highlight just one cuisine. Other globally-inspired offerings include the Cuban Crunch, the Nashville-Style Hot Chicken, the Chimichurri Steak & Cheese, the Little Sicily, and the Shawarma Chicken Rice Bowl.

Starbucks is a go-to for millions of Americans when it comes to coffee. In Canada, it's also a popular breakfast spot — and they've learned to order Starbucks food the right way. When it comes to breakfast variety, Starbucks Canada definitely has the United States beat. That's not to say that Starbucks in the U.S. is doing a bad job — the menu includes plenty of solid breakfast options, including egg bites, oatmeal and yogurt, and breakfast sandwiches and wraps. But Canada? They're doing all of that and more. 

While not listed under their traditional "Breakfast" menu, Canada offers a variety of sweet breakfast items that you won't find at your local American Starbucks, including Maple Mini Pancakes and the Belgian Liège Waffle. Both of these items are on the smaller side portion-wise (no diner-style pancake and waffle breakfast over here). But, you know, waffles and pancakes on-the-go? Yes, please. Would you expect anything less from the land of the maple syrup?

Sliders? At Taco Bell? That's not a sentence you hear everyday. And yet they're very much a thing — just not in the continental United States.

Taco Bell Canada is serving up sliders like you've never seen before. Forget the mini burger bun. The chain puts a special twist on the dish by wrapping the contents in a tortilla. Inside is steak, chipotle sauce, pico de gallo, cheddar cheese, and a crunchy tostada shell to give it that texture customers would expect from a classic Crunchwrap.

And if that's not enough to get you interested (and a little hungry), each order of sliders comes with a side of Taco Bell's Green Chile Queso sauce to add to the cheesy experience.

Note: This menu item is offered in the United States, but only for a limited-time item — leaving U.S. Taco Bell fans to eventually get their steak and queso fix elsewhere.

While A&W is known for its burgers, onion rings, and, of course, root beer, not all A&W menus are the same. Canadian locations offer more burger variety, perhaps most notably through their Burger Family.

The Burger Family doubles as both a branding technique and set of menu items for A&W. It became a cornerstone of the chain's branding (seriously, "Home of the Burger Family" is a part of A&W Canada's website title) in the 1960s. The idea was to use these characters as brand mascots (think Ronald McDonald at McDonald's).

At the same time, these characters were also burger options. The original Burger Family trio included the Papa Burger, Mama Burger, and Baby Burger. While the Baby Burger keeps things simple with just a single patty and ketchup, the Mama and Papa step things up with more patties and toppings. Later on, other burgers were added to the family, like the Teen Burger and the Grandpa Burger.

In the United States though? It's basically a solo act. American A&W locations only offer the Papa Burger (as well as a spicy version). The rest of the fam is MIA on this side of town.

When you think of Kentucky Fried Chicken, plant-based food probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. So this next menu item may come as a bit of a shock to some: a plant-based sandwich. That's right, a chicken sandwich — except, you know, hold the chicken. A plant-based diet prioritizes whole foods that are derived from plants (like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds) and often excludes processed foods. On the other hand, vegetarian and vegan diets tend to focus more what is excluded from their diet.

This difference is crucial to understanding just how huge it was for KFC to offer a plant-based food option. Although the chain had vegetarian options on the menu as early as 2009, it took another decade to get something more suitable for plant-based eaters.

In November 2019, KFC Canada launched a plant-based chicken sandwich in partnership with Lightlife, a well-known brand in the world of plant-based protein products. The product was sold for $6.99 and launched for just one day as a trial with the Canadian masses. After what the company described as an "incredibly successful" test run in a media release, plant-based chicken became a permanent menu item across Canada by August 2020. Despite the success of the sandwich up North, the game-changing menu item still hasn't made its way to the United States. 

In North America, Cadbury Creme Eggs are pretty much synonymous with Easter. So much so that McDonald's brought back their Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry in time for the holiday — just not in the United States.

Luckily for Canada, the decadent McFlurry made its sweet return to their own menus this year. But this isn't the first time Canadians have seen it. This special-edition sweet treat launched in 2002 in the United Kingdom, which is also the birthplace of the beloved Easter chocolate, and has since made appearances in various countries around the world including Australia, New Zealand, and, of course, Canada.

So, what's all the hype about? Why does this specific McFlurry flavor have American fans sad over its lack of appearance on U.S. menus? Because here's a taste of what you're missing: A creamy vanilla soft serve ice cream base with decadent milk chocolate and Cadbury creme egg fondant sprinkled throughout. Mouth watering much? It sounds rich, indulgent, and perfectly nostalgic. Honestly, it might be time to get this McFlurry a passport.

Have you ever seen nachos on a Wendy's menu? For customers in the United States, the answer is probably a firm no. But in Canada, that isn't the case. The origins of Wendy's Chili Cheese Nachos are a bit unclear as there's no official launch date to be found. Why they haven't crossed the border into U.S. locations is an even bigger mystery because, honestly, they sound like a hit waiting to happen. For just $3.75, Canadian customers can get a bowl of crispy tortilla chips topped with Wendy's signature chili and cheese sauce. 

What a steal. While this surprisingly affordable menu option seems like it would do pretty well in the States, for now, it can only be found in the Cayman Islands and countries like Canada. But with a little creativity (and perhaps a bag of tortilla chips), U.S. customers just might be able to make their own version at home. Or better yet, convince their local Wendy's to make it a new addition to their secret menu.

If you're on the hunt for French fries, you may be likely to head to McDonald's or Five Guys. But Taco Bell? That's a chain that may not typically come to mind. While fries aren't offered on American Taco Bell menus ... in Canada, it's a different story. Taco Bell Canada not only serves fries but has an entire section of their menu dedicated to them. Even when it feels a little bit out of left field (talking to you, Pizza Hut), these chains often add them to their menu in the form of the nation's favorite comfort food: poutine.

But Taco Bell Canada took a different approach. Not a single drop of gravy or cheese curds can be found on their fries. Instead, they offer a "Taco Bell style" spin on classic poutine with their Fries Supreme Beef. The dish features seasoned fries topped with nacho cheese sauce, tomatoes, sour cream, and, of course, beef. Considering how far off the Fries Supreme Beef are from traditional Canadian poutine, the reasoning as to why this menu option isn't available in the United States remains a mystery.