What To Expect When You Order A Filet-O-Fish With Extra Cheese

The perfectly golden McDonald's Filet-O-Fish might be one of the best fast food fish sandwiches out there — but it's also got some minor drawbacks. The meal only comes with a half slice of cheese, and consumers who try to add more find themselves facing a quandary — does that mean they're getting a slice and a half? Or is it two half-slices? 

Some customers report that they were given a slice and a half at their local Mickey D's. Reddit users who claim they work for the company admit that this is what they do. One user said, "At my store it really depends on who is working in the kitchen. I will always give a full slice for extra cheese (so 1.5 slices on filet extra cheese), because there is no price difference between adding extra cheese to a filet vs a quarter pounder," adding that most of their colleagues add a full slice when given the chance as well. 

If you'd like to add extra cheese to your Filet-O-Fish, it will cost you 99 cents extra per sandwich (all prices taken from a Rhode Island location). Adding anything but ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise will also up the price. Even adding extra tartar sauce to the festivities will cost you roughly 40 cents more. Another dollop of that tangy sauce is one easy way to double the creaminess of your Filet-O-Fish order at a very low price point, and you can definitely request it through the McDonald's app.

Why is McDonald's so specific about how much cheese goes on each Filet-O-Fish? The answer lies in the fact that each sandwich is made just the same way it has been since 1961. That's why you only get half a slice of cheese with each dish. 

Lou Groen invented the Filet-O-Fish for his Cincinnati McDonald's franchise. His branch was located in a neighborhood dominated by Catholics who didn't eat meat on Fridays; his solution both gave his hungry customers something to nosh on during those hamburger-free days and kept his franchise from losing cash. Ray Kroc, who bought McDonald's soon after Goren's innovation, thought he might take the sandwich national, but had a caveat — the Filet-O-Fish would compete for menu space with the Hula Burger, a slice of pineapple on a bun with cheese. Customers went wild for the Filet-O-Fish, and so it become a part of the chain's nationwide menu in 1965. It became a dish that was so popular that petitions and letter-writing campaigns were launched when it was taken off the menu in 1996 in favor of the Fish Filet Deluxe. Half a slice of cheese or not, McDonald's fans are still hopelessly devoted to it.