Why Are McDonald's Filet-O-Fish Patties Square?

Filet-O-Fish. What else is there to say but that it's big this time of year? Maybe not literally, when you think about all that shrinkflation talk. But one thing it always is? Square. Why is that? Well, it depends on who you ask. A few McDonald's franchisees say it's because of how the fish is frozen at sea. But according to Reddit, it has more to do with restaurant operations. Either way, you've got to give it up for a piece of food that inspires people enough to care about the shape of it.

Square patties have been a thing in fast food for a century plus, all thanks to White Castle paving the way. Although McDonald's has leaned on it a few times in the past for its burgers, its Filet-O-Fish square shape is less of a marketing gimmick and more the result of the system. According to a McDonald's in Warsaw, Missouri, the square filets are a product of the preparation process. "When we're at sea, we layer our whole pollock filets in a big block, and then we slice them into squares," says one franchisee.

Of course, all this likely happens after fishing boats harvest and flash-freeze McDonald's Alaskan pollock. A Facebook post from McDonald's in Tell City, Indiana, supports the reasoning offered by McDonald's Warsaw, and also mentions that the filets are cut square with customers in mind — as the end goal is ensuring a perfect and consistent delivery to each customer.

McDonald's answer to the question of why the Filet-O-Fish is square certainly centers on customer service and consistency in the guest experience. On social media, folks feel like the reasons may be more pragmatic. "Square patties allow for the greatest efficiency when cutting, and they can be placed on the bun without thinking about which way they go," says one user on r/answers. Others echo this operations-forward approach, noting that square patties offer more space-conscious packaging options and a variation from similar-looking items that are stocked on the prep lines. That sentiment is shared over on r/fastfood, where one user says the square shape is important "so the patties don't get mixed up with the chicken."

Reducing variables in favor of efficient and fast-paced environments is the McDonald's way. But some social media commenters feel inclined to point out that the choice to cut square filets is just better for the bottom line. Round cuts can naturally lead to waste, whereas with beef and chicken, it's a bit more straightforward to grind up the meat and then shape it into something round. Given that McDonald's sells around 300 million Filet-O-Fish per year, you can bet your bottom that the company is interested in maximizing the amount of filets per pollock.