McDonald's Serves A Unique McGriddle In Hawaii You Won't Find On Most Menus

If you're ever lucky enough to find yourself in Hawaii, you'll know that Spam, the canned meat that's been around since the Great Depression, is a crucial part of Hawaiian cuisine. So it makes sense that McDonald's fans have a chance to customize their breakfast sandwiches in an island-inspired way: swapping the usual meat in a McGriddle with Spam. Now, it's not an official, advertised menu item. This is more of an off-the-books situation made possible by the fact that Hawaiian McDonald's already serves Spam in some of its regional breakfast offerings. In fact, its Spam Eggs & Rice breakfast is infamously a fast food item that's only available in Hawaii.

The best approach, as always when customizing, is to visit the counter inside a McDonald's or the drive-thru. Ordering through the chain's mobile app won't work in this case. Start by ordering the Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddle (or the Sausage McGriddle), and then ask to substitute the sausage patty for a slice of Spam. Foodie influencers report that Hawaiian McDonald's employees are usually happy to accommodate meat substitutions in breakfast sandwiches, though that can depend on the roughly 72 locations around the islands.

If the restaurant agrees to indulge you, expect a unique, salty-and-sweet combination, similar to when a pancake's syrup oozes on over to your breakfast meat. Those maple-infused griddle cakes complement the salty, savory pork flavor of Spam, while each bite is meatier and thicker than the regular bacon option.

Spam isn't the only Hawaii-exclusive McDonald's treat. The Local Deluxe Breakfast Platter features steamed rice, scrambled eggs, and pan-fried Spam and Portuguese sausage — yes, Portuguese. The sausage is also part of the islands' food culture, going back to the late 19th century when Portuguese immigrants arrived to work on Hawaii's sugar plantations. When perusing online discussions on Reddit, the locals seem to love both proteins. One fan wrote that "Spam is part of Hawaiian culture," while another added that "Portuguese sausage is also pretty common in local modern Hawaii food."

Spam doesn't have to be limited to just McGriddles. Another documented Spam experiment is the Spam McMuffin, which replaces the Canadian bacon in an Egg McMuffin. Fans say the thick-cut Spam blows the lid off the usual limp slice of ham, and that it's also worth subbing Spam into the Sausage Biscuit, too. Among the many McDonald's breakfast sandwich upgrades, all of these customizations are certainly worth trying once.

If you didn't think Hawaiian McDonald's could get any better, we have three words for you: fried apple pie. Unlike the baked versions found on the mainland, the Hawaiian pie has that extra-crispy, golden fried exterior. And while the rest of the 49 states bemoan their deep fried apple pie void, Hawaii also boasts two other regional favorites: Fried Haupia (Coconut) Pie and Fried Taro Pie. No matter which Mickey D's regional dish you choose, there are plenty of tasty reasons to visit the Aloha State.