McDonald's Locations Where You Won't Find The Filet-O-Fish

In 1962, Lou Groen, a McDonald's franchisee in Cincinnati, wanted to come up with a solution for all the business his store was losing on Fridays, when his predominantly Catholic clientele were abstaining from meat and going to other restaurants for fish instead. With that, the Filet-O-Fish was born, soon becoming a nationwide menu item and remaining a favorite to this day. How much of a favorite? Well, Keystone Foods, the company behind McDonald's fish, supplies 15 million pounds per year to the chain. That being said, you can't find the Filet-O-Fish at all McDonald's restaurants.

While only certain U.S. regions offer the Double Filet-O-Fish — a fact that sometimes causes confusion among the sandwich's fans — the classic Filet-O-Fish is otherwise a standard menu item at all regular McDonald's locations across the U.S. That's not the case internationally, however. Of the nearly 100 countries that host McDonald's franchises, 10 of them completely lack the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Korea, Peru, the Philippines, Slovakia, South Africa, Turkey, and Uruguay either never had a Filet-O-Fish sandwich or had it at one point, but have since removed it.

It can be difficult to know the specific reason why certain countries don't have a Filet-O-Fish on the menu. McDonald's has said that the company tailors its international menus to regional culture, tradition, and taste preferences. It seems that the Filet-O-Fish doesn't pass those guidelines in every country where the chain operates. It's worth noting that some parts of the world get a different type of fish in the Filet-O-Fish, while others have what is essentially a Filet-O-Fish under a different name due to a slight difference in toppings. McDonald's locations in the 10 nations listed above don't fall under either of those categories.

That's not to say that all of those countries lack any McDonald's seafood options, or that the Filet-O-Fish is the only seafood sandwich offered at McDonald's restaurants worldwide. Korea, for instance, has the Supreme Shrimp Burger, which features a breaded patty made with shrimp. Japan has the Filet-O-Fish, but it also offers the Shrimp Filet-O, a similar-looking version of the Korean sandwich. Some countries have also sold special limited-time seafood sandwiches that haven't been available anywhere else, such as when McDonald's in Singapore had a special Laska Delight prawn burger in 2022 to coincide with that year's National Day (Singapore Independence Day).