The 'Grown-Up' Version Of The Filet-O-Fish That McDonald's Discontinued In The '90s

The Filet-O-Fish is one of the most iconic McDonald's sandwiches in the chain's lineup. The handheld — fried Alaskan pollock, American cheese, and tartar sauce on a steamed bun — has been winning diners over since the 1960s, when it was invented to attract Catholic customers abstaining from beef and poultry during Lent. Fans have long adored the original — so much so that when the fast food chain offered a supposedly improved "grown-up" version in its place, customers rebelled.

The Fish Filet Deluxe came aboard in 1996 as a replacement for the Filet-O-Fish and a companion to the Arch Deluxe cheeseburger. The Deluxe line was touted as "McDonald's with a grown-up taste" (via Consumer Time Capsule), and the fish number boasted "50% more tender filet" than its predecessor, plus lettuce. Customers didn't care — they demanded the return of the original (this time, with the larger fish patty) and got their wish in 1997, while the Deluxe iteration was quietly removed from all stores by 2000.

The discontinued fast food fish sandwich walked, so today's Filet-O-Fish could run — who knows if McDonald's ever would've upgraded the patty without it? The unconventional sandwich has always defied the odds, even against Mickey D's executives, who weren't sure it would perform. (To the contrary, it dramatically outsold the pineapple Hula Burger in the '60s, earning a permanent spot on the menu.) It's still most popular in the spring; according to the fast food giant, approximately 25% of all Filet-O-Fish sales are during Lent.

The Fish Filet Deluxe is one of many flops in McDonald's history, and not the only one starring seafood. Fish McBites were launched in 2013 to celebrate the Filet-O-Fish's 50th birthday. Released exclusively in the Philadelphia area, they were poppable morsels of Alaskan pollock. Many enjoyed them, including one Huffpost reviewer who said the pepper-kissed batter was crisp and not overwhelming against the fish. However, the bites didn't spark enough interest and were nixed from the menu.

Stranger was the McLobster, a 1993 offering in New England and Atlantic Canada. It was a riff on a lobster roll with lettuce and special sauce. Due to fluctuating prices, the fast food giant had supply chain issues that affected the sammy's profitability, so it was cut from the menu. (Rumor has it a newer version, called the Lobster Roll, can still be found along the U.S. East Coast and Canada when lobster is abundant and cheap.)

And let's not forget the 2017 Crab Sandwich, an evolution of 1992's Crab Cake Sandwich and 2003's McCrab that had herbed butter, seasoned mayo, and crab meat on sourdough. Tested in four San Francisco-area stores, it ultimately missed the mark. Not all McDonald's fish items have tanked, though. Take the Old Bay Filet-O-Fish's successful limited run in the Baltimore area. There's no telling if Old Bay tartar sauce will ever return, but we think spring would be the optimal time for a comeback.