The Unique Meatless Sandwich That McDonald's Almost Sold Instead Of The Filet-O-Fish

McDonald's probably isn't the first restaurant that comes to mind when you think of meatless sandwiches. However, in the 1960s, there was a hopeful contender that ultimately wound up becoming another old-school fast food sandwich that disappeared — the Hula Burger. The sandwich was a curious burger, and if you didn't read what you were ordering, you'd be confused when it arrived sans patty. The sandwich was little more than a grilled pineapple ring and a slice of cheese served up on a hamburger bun. 

The Hula Burger was the brainchild of then-McDonald's president Ray Kroc as a challenger to the newly invented Filet-O-Fish sandwich brought to the table by franchise owner Lou Groen. After experiencing poor sales every Friday — the high Catholic population in the area wasn't allowed to eat meat that day — Groen looked for a way to expand beyond regular beef patty burgers and recoup lost sales.

Groen approached Kroc with the fish sandwich idea in 1962, and the sandwiches went head-to-head on Good Friday that year. Kroc supposedly wasn't a fan of Groen's fish sandwich idea, and was convinced his Hula Burger would be a hit. There may be many things you didn't know about McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, but it doesn't take an expert to know which sandwich won the face-off. The sandwiches were offered at select McDonald's restaurants, and by the end of the day, 350 Filet-O-Fish were sold. The same love was not given to the Hula Burger — only six sold throughout the day.

Although McDonald's Hula Burgers were a massive flop, customers still think about the sandwich that could have been. However, most agree that the lack of any actual burger patty sours the idea. One Reddit user admitted that, with a patty, they'd likely give the burger a chance. "You go to McDonald's for burgers, not pineapples." Soon after the official launch of the Filet-O-Fish, the U.S. Catholic Conference ended the requirement that meat be avoided on any Friday, outside of Lent.

While modern-day diners missed the opportunity to taste the Hula Burger for themselves, in 2017, some McDonald's customers got to experience a contemporary take on it. One characteristic remained the same — no hamburger patty. The limited-time Empress' Pineapple Burger, released in China, featured a pineapple ring, lettuce, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, and a chicken patty. If McDonald's tried to reintroduce the Hula Burger with an actual burger, it might find success as a new menu item. But for those who are curious about the original Hula Burger, you can try making your own at your next backyard barbecue with all the fixings (and no patty). You may even enjoy it.