The Only Way To Get A Fresh And Crispy Filet-O-Fish Sandwich At McDonald's

While some might turn up their noses at the idea of a fish sandwich from a fast food joint, McDonald's Filet-O-Fish definitely has its fans. This sandwich, introduced in the 1960s because Catholics were eschewing the burger-centric chain during Lent, is so simple: the eponymous fried fish fillet, a piece of cheese, a smear of tartar sauce, and a pillowy bun with its smooth, gleaming dome. But if your Filet-O-Fishes have been kinda soggy in the past, you need to try one fresh. And the only way to do that is to request it be made fresh when you place your order; you can use the words "cooked to order."

Unfortunately, the kiosks, app, and McDonald's website don't offer any spaces for special requests, so you're going to have to place your order voice-to-voice — either in the drive-thru lane or at the counter. But because it's a reasonable enough ask, chances are very good that the kitchen staff will honor it. You'll just have to be prepared to wait.

That's because, as one Redditor pointed out, if you get your Filet-O-Fish in less than six minutes, it was not made fresh. "It takes [three minutes and 40 seconds] to cook the fish, 12 seconds to steam the bun (depending on equipment), and the rest of the time is allocated to assembling the sandwich, bagging it, and then delivering it to you at the designated 'parked' order spot," the commenter broke down.

If you sally up to the McDonald's registers but notice that you had to wait in a fairly long line and the cars in the drive-thru are backed up, then you should perhaps be prepared to hear "we'll try our best" — or even a flat "no" — when you request a fresh Filet-O-Fish. Here's why that's okay. First of all, you're making a special request at a fast food restaurant; the employees are under no obligation to honor your ask, because their jobs are just to get the food out to waiting customers as quickly as possible. Just because you want something prepared a certain way doesn't mean you get what you want.

Secondly, the very reason your request was turned down — because the restaurant is getting slammed — means you're likely going to get a Filet-O-Fish that, while it might not be at its peak freshness, at least hasn't been sitting around in a warming bin for an hour. With the restaurant so busy, there will surely be plenty of food turnover, with no time for anything to sit for very long.

Here's a tip, too: If you want a fresh Filet-O-Fish but you don't like confrontation or asking for extra effort, head to the Golden Arches at 10:30 a.m. This is when the McDonald's menu switches from breakfast to lunch, so all of the lunch items — including the fish sandwich — have to be made fresh.