The Pizza Mac Might Be McDonald's Most Unusual International Burger

In order to stay on top, fast food chains are always coming up with new and unique fast food burgers customers want to try at least once. One of the techniques they use is to marry another popular food item with their signature burgers. This is exactly what McDonald's did in Germany and Finland when it briefly added Pizza Macs to menus in the late 2010s and early 2020s. These were not pizzas with Big Mac toppings but rather burgers with pizza toppings.

In Germany, the Pizza Mac was heavy on the burger and light on pizza flavor. "Smells like a pizza and tastes like a burger," tweeted one customer on X (formerly Twitter). The bun was made special for this sandwich with mozzarella cheese baked into the top. Two burger patties were layered with a special pizza-style sauce, slices of cheese, and the tiny chopped onions typical of McDonald's. Commenters on YouTube called the burger disappointing and dry. McDonald's Finland took a different approach with the Chicken Pizza Mac, which has a similar cheese-topped bun, chicken patty, tomato sauce, and slices of mozzarella cheese. It was more like chicken parmesan on a bun than a classic cheeseburger.

Not many people today may remember that McDonald's used to sell pizzas. At times called McPizza and others simply McDonald's pizza, the unique departure from its iconic burger and fries menu didn't last more than a decade outside of select markets. In the United States, the world's largest McDonald's in Orlando, Florida, is the only McDonald's location with pizza still on the menu.

In 2022, McDonald's Italy added panzerotti, small fried calzones that resemble pizza pockets, to its menu. Customers were still able to find panzerotti at Italian McDonald's in 2025, but in July 2026 it was gone. The panzerotti was filled with tomato sauce and mozzarella and likened to "a doughy Hot Pocket" by one taste-tester on YouTube. Curious McDonald's patrons who want to try the panzerotti today will have to settle for the similarly fried, handheld cheese empanada instead, which was listed as part of McDonald's Italy's limited-time international menu known as World Menu Heist, but they are a regular menu item at McDonald's Chile.