The Golden Archives: McDonalds Sandwich Hall of Fame
While perusing the internets looking for McDonalds commercials the other week, I also found some cool information on weird sandwiches that McDonalds either used to serve, or serves in other countries that we don’t know about. McDonalds foreign and regional menus can bring a decidedly different feel to the American so used to the menu here in the states. First, lets take a look at a few sandwiches that have come and gone from the mostly static McDonalds menu. After these forgotten sandwiches, let’s take a look at some regional/foreign Mickey D’s delicacies you may not know about. It’s fascinating what people in other places love to eat.
Yes, this was actually on the McDonalds’ menu in the mid-1960s. Ray Kroc noticed that he was losing lots of sales on Fridays. When he realized that Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays, he decided he needed to come up with a non-meat replacement for hamburgers. His first choice? The Hula Burger. It consisted of a bun, a piece of cheese and a slice of pineapple. That’s it. Sounds kinda kooky, and it was. Unfortunately, people wanted real food and not just toppings on their sandwich so the Hula Burger flopped. A popular phrase during the time was, “I love the Hula, but where’s the burger?” Lou Groen, owner of a Cincinnati based McDonalds, created the Filet-O-Fish and when the Hula-Burger crashed and burned Kroc had to try it on the menu. The fish sandwich was a winning success and has been there ever since.
Ahh, the McJordan. When MJ was shilling for McDonalds in the early ’90s there wasn’t anything they wouldn’t slap his name on. The McJordan burger was the most famous. A quarter-pounder with cheese, BBQ sauce and TWO onion rings adorned this artery clogging heart attack machine. That silence you hear is the stopping of many people’s hearts upon eating this chunk of meat and cholesterol. Yikes. I remember my friend Steve got this one time and he snuck it into the movie. When he opened the bag the overwhelming smell of BBQ sauce and beef nearly made me hurl…that would then have caused a chain reaction of ralphing not unlike the pie-eating scene in Stand By Me. Luckily I have a strong gag reflex.
The McJordan brings to mind the 1993 promotion between McDonalds and the movie Jurassic Park. McDonalds added the “Dino-Size” your meal option to its menus. The Dino-sized version of the quarter pounder with cheese was the DOUBLE quarter pounder. My friends and I called it the McDeath, because to eat it would cause immediate cardiac arrest. I actually ate it once, and was sick the rest of the night. Oh the memories. This was actually the first time I remember seeing the Double Quarter-Pounder with Cheese on the menu. Did you know that at one time you could order a McDonalds POUNDER? It’s was 4 quarter pound beef patties on one sandwich. Tell me your arteries didn’t clot just reading that sentence.
I know you remember this one, the McDLT (McDonalds Lettuce and Tomato). The funky styrofoam container is a dead giveaway. It keeps the hot side hot and the cool side cool. Interesting gimmick for a burger with just lettuce and tomato. Check out a very-80s commercial for it starring Jason Alexander (George Costanza). I don’t remember ever eating it, but it looked like it was good.
The entire line of Deluxe sandwiches was a complete disaster for McDonalds. This line included sandwiches that had been fancied up with mayo and nice sesame buns. Although most of the sandwiches were good, the lack of difference with any of the other sandwiches on the menu created confusion. I, along with many other people, couldn’t justify paying any extra money for a fancy bun and some mayonnaise. Check out a really dumb commercial for it here. Also in this line was the McLean Deluxe. A “healthy” alternative to the regular burgers (it had fewer calories and fat than the regular burgers). The way Mickey D did it included adding fake meat to their hamburger mix. Not sure how much “healthier” that is. I, consequently, never ate it.
How about some regional sandwiches that you may not have ever heard about? These can be ordered today somewhere in the world.
France/Belgium Mcdonalds have the Croque McDo. It’s McDonalds take on the classic sandwich, Croque-monsieur. Steph and I had a Croque-monsieur when we visited France earlier this year. It’s a fried cheese sandwich with either ham or chicken on it. Very good. Mcdonalds version has 2 slices of cheese and ham toasted on a hamburger bun.
The McLobster sandwich is an interesting animal. It’s really like a seafood salad sandwich with bits of lobster instead of whitefish. You can find this up north in Maine (along with other Northeast states). I think it looks pretty good, I’d like to try it but, what do I know, I tried Garlic Seafood Pringles.
Japan’s Mega Mac is a double Big Mac. Yes, in case you weren’t incontinent enough, it has 4 Mcpatties on it…..and the children cried. Japan also has the Tamago Double Mac which includes two beef patties special sauce, bacon and a fried egg. Yes, a fried egg. It’s like the Egg McMuffin and the Big Mac got drunk one night and got biz-ay (if you know what I mean). How do those Japanese stay so thin? My heart is seizing just reading about some of these.
Japan puts fish and shrimp in everything. They have the Shrimp Burger (picture shown), shrimp nuggets and a fish/shrimp sauce for dipping. Yikes.
McShoarma is a flat-bread turkey delicacy found only in Israeli McDonalds restaurants. Not crazy in and of itself, however the commercial for it is a classic. It’s a re-creation of the “Royale with Cheese” scene in Pulp Fiction.
Worried about what to drink to wash down some of the above culinary insanities? If you are in Europe, order cups of beer. Nothing like getting completely bombed to work up the courage to try a burger made of pre-processed shrimp meat.
Want to see some awesome McDonald’s commercials from the ’80s and ’90s? Check out my look back at vintage McD’s commercials here.
Technorati Tags – McDonalds menu pop culture reviewsfoodfast food
Cavalcade of Awesome 
August 21, 2007 at 9:30 pm
I gained weight just reading about all that greasiness! I think I need to go for a run now. When I worked at McDonalds my senior year of high school (and the summer before it started) I was really glad my classes were so spaced out across the campus. I’m just now getting to where I can eat McDonalds again (well I didn’t work with breakfast so that was never tainted at least).
August 22, 2007 at 2:21 pm
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August 30, 2007 at 2:49 pm
My favorite was the MDP (named after Michael Dean Perry, the Fridge’s little brother, when he played for the Browns) which was a Big Mac with three patties and bacon.
Yummmmm.
However, I was pretty stupid and didn’t realize it was only offered in Cleveland. So, on a drive to Pittsburgh, I asked for one, and the clerk looked at me like I was quite possibly the dumbest person on the planet. You really have never felt low, until you have received that particular look from either a counterman at a McDonalds or a 2 year old.
August 14, 2016 at 3:09 pm
It wasn’t like a Big Mac at all, it was a triple cheeseburger with bacon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibmaP9dMTho
August 20, 2008 at 7:03 pm
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September 17, 2008 at 1:59 pm
i worked at a macdonalds in the chicago area when we made the macjordans. it was actually a quarter pound patty. and squirt of mustard, a squirt of bbq sauce (the container read MacChicken BBQ sauce, even though our MacChickens had lettuce and mayo on it and not this sauce.) onions, and bacon. there were no onion rings on it.
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March 1, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Man …..i could go for a McDLT right now !! That was the apex of clown burgers.
April 23, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Why cant i find any information about the sandwich the big and cheesy. I wanted to find out how many beef patties did it have and how many cheese slices. Maybe you can help thanks
April 30, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Never had the McDLT, but do I ever miss the Arch Deluxe. That was good, especially with that bacon they put on it. And it wasn’t simply mayo applied, but more of a special sauce… or at least, a special mayo. Loved it, though.
I wish they’d bring that back now and again as they do the McRib.
Hopefully I get to try the Shrimp Burger someday. And the McLobster.
May 3, 2010 at 9:09 am
I too would like to try the McLobster.
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July 3, 2013 at 7:26 am
I do remember the McJordan Deluxe having bacon on it too.
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