Has McDonald's Ever Had Seafood Items Outside Of The Filet-O-Fish?

McDonald's, with its 40,000-plus locations across the globe, knows a thing or two about success. The home of the iconic Big Mac it keeps raising the bar when it comes to the quality of its burgers, chicken, nuggets, and fries. As varied as the menu is, you may have wondered whether, other than the stalwart Filet-O-Fish, McDonald's has ever served any other forms of seafood. We're here to report that it indeed has.

On not one, not two, but three different occasions, McDonald's has tried to make seafood happen, with varying degrees of success. In one instance, in 2013, the Golden Arches tried to capitalize on the popularity of its Chicken McBites by selling similar Fish McBites, which were served with tartar sauce. They lasted mere months before they were pulled. As part of a targeted campaign along the Mid-Atlantic coast, McDonald's also tested crab cake sandwiches. We don't know if they were made fresh, but people didn't exactly go wild over them, given their access to the real thing.

Finally, maybe you've heard tell of the McLobster, which sounds like a truly heinous crime against seafood. It was essentially McDonald's version of a New England lobster roll, featuring 100% real lobster tossed with mayo, topped with lettuce, and served on a hot dog bun.

The McLobster actually stuck around for a little while. First debuting all the way back in the early 1990s, it was available only seasonally in the New England region and parts of Canada. And while it was made with real lobster, it wasn't prepared fresh to order; instead, the meat arrived frozen at restaurants, where it was thawed and then tossed with mayo and seasonings.

After its initial run, the McLobster again found a place on menus seasonally until 2005, when it was removed. It didn't make another comeback for a decade, when it was brought back again and again throughout the 2010s and even into the 2020s. However, despite one Redditor's claim in 2024 that their local Maine McDonald's still served it, it does appear as though the sandwich has once again been discontinued.

If you didn't have the opportunity to get your hands on a McLobster but really want to know how it tasted, it seems it was pretty decent. One Reddit user related that their grandma said that "for the price it wasn't bad." Another said they ordered it personally a few times and liked it. If McDonald's ever brings it back again, it may be worth trying at least.