US Filet-O-Fish Fans Are Confused Over This Variety That's Not Available Everywhere

While seasonal menus and secret items are by no means new phenomena in the quick-order world, customers are still unpleasantly surprised when they discover that the delicious shake they ordered at one fast food restaurant in their hometown isn't available at the same fast food place across the country. That's been the case with McDonald's beloved Filet-O-Fish entree, which is available as a double in some parts of the world, but not in others. As one Redditor put it: "The double filet is a sandwich all its own... if your location supports it."

That's right: Depending on where you live, you may or may not be able to swipe open that McDonald's app and place an order for the Double Filet-O-Fish. There's no official explanation about why it's available at some McDonald's locations and not others, but there's plenty of speculation. "The double filet is actually only a 'core' item during Lent; otherwise, it's optional, and not all areas choose to sell it or know how ..." suggested one Reddit user, noting that the fast food giant is among one of 12 restaurant chains that serve up Lent seafood specials. Another possible explanation, according to this Redditor, is that the "restaurant might be a franchise that just hasn't incorporated [the Double Filet-O-Fish] into their menu yet." Or, the Double Filet-o-Fish may not be available in certain areas simply because "if it's not that popular, many franchises will just choose not to sell it," according to one of the earlier Redditors.

McDonald's Double Filet-O-Fish is made with two fish fillet patties, melted American cheese, and tartar sauce on a bun. Like the singular Filet–O-Fish, the double is made with Alaskan Pollock patties, though back in its original iteration, the Filet-O-Fish was created with halibut — something else you need to know about McDonald's famous Filet-O-Fish. Where available, it often averages between $5 and $9, at the time of writing. There doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason to the sporadic-ness of availability, as customers in Jacksonville, Florida, can order the Double Filet-O-Fish no problem, but customers in Long Island City, New York, cannot. "Why is [the Double Filet-O-Fish] not available everywhere?" asked one frustrated Redditor, which led to the aforementioned theories in the responses.

If you happen to live in a city where the double patty isn't an option, you can always try this ordering trick to double or triple the fish on your Filet-O-Fish: simply asking for more fish. This isn't a foolproof hack, though, as some customers report being unable to add additional patties on their own, such as this Maine-based Reddit user who explained that they "tried customizing the number of patties, and [they] could only choose 0 or 1." In this case, savvy customers have come up with other solutions, like this Redditor who said that they "just wait for the 2 for $6, or [they] will do a fish filet and order an McDouble, and put the patties in the [Filet-O-Fish]," ensuring that the double patties end up in that sandwich one way or another.