The Old-School McDonald's Menu Item You Can Still Get (But Only In One Country)

Think of McDonald's, and their signature items like the Big Mac, fries, and soft serve come to mind. Yet the innovative fast food chain sells a surprisingly varied amount of products — occasionally reaching over a hundred menu items at once. Not to mention, an abundance of dishes come and go, like their Snack Wraps that made a 2025 return.

Among this circulating assembly of items, perhaps you may faintly recall the McSpaghetti. Amidst the last several decades of the 20th century, the Golden Arches tried their hand at pastas, offering comforting dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, and even lasagna. Seemingly limited to only franchised locations, it's unclear when pasta service kicked off, and how widespread the noodles became. Yet curiously, there are still some locations that serve it — in fact, nearly all McDonald's outlets in the Philippines.

On the island archipelago, spaghetti is a signature comfort food, usually tossed in a ketchup, banana, and vinegar based sauce, then finished with a hot dog garnish. McDonald's remains faithful to such a preparation, also topping the dish with a handful of shredded cheese. The item is available both as a standalone and as an add on side to fried chicken. And similar spaghetti is also found at the fast food chicken chain Jollibee, making this accessible at several Filipino fast food joints.

Across the many McDonald's worldwide locations, you'll find tons of other comfort items tied to specific regions. In India — where consumers favor plant-based eating — the McDonald's menu features many items without meat. Yet few draw international intrigue quite like the McAloo Tikki burger. This unique rendition features a spiced potato and pea based patty that's then covered in a tomato mayo sauce and garnished with fresh vegetables in the classic bun.

Meanwhile, McDonald's in several Asian countries offer distinct takes on congee — a rice porridge commonly enjoyed on the continent. China-based locations of the chain sell the Century Egg and Chicken Porridge, slow-cooked for nearly two hours into a dense, creamy result. Meanwhile, Malaysian locations feature a congee — called Bubur Ayam McD locally — uniquely topped with ingredients like chiles, onions, and chicken strips. And in Indonesian McDonald's, the dish goes by the same name, but is garnished with crispy onions and celery for their breakfast menu. So like with the McSpaghetti in the Philippines, regional McDonald's adapt to local comfort foods — undoubtedly a reason for the chain's widespread success.