The McDonald's Seafood Item That Couldn't Survive The '90s

For a fast food chain with a handful of truly iconic items — the Big Mac, those delicious french fries, the McNuggets that were almost made of onion (and thank goodness they aren't) — McDonald's could be forgiven for resting on its laurels. But to its credit, it's always been interested in introducing still more new items and seeing what happens. Sometimes they're a hit, like when the McFlurry was invented by a Canadian franchisee before spreading to the rest of the chain. Other times, they fall flat, as with the catfish sandwich McDonald's tested in 1991 before quickly abandoning.

If you don't remember seeing this menu item back in the George H.W. Bush administration, that's understandable. It was only tested in the South, where catfish is a popular fried dish, and yet it didn't catch on even there. There are at least a curious few on Reddit who would be eager to have it for themselves. "Screw the McRib. Bring THIS back," said one commenter. Another concurred. "Def woulda tried this. Grew up eating bullhead which I guess is just another kind of catfish. Dunno if there's much of a difference flavor wise." (Bullheads are in fact part of the catfish family, though the flavor varies.)

The continued existence of the Filet-O-Fish is proof that there's a sufficient appetite for fish sandwiches from McDonald's (for Christians observing Lent, at the very least). So why don't we see catfish sandwiches on the McDonald's menu today? We can only guess. There are very few contemporary reports about the sandwich, and those who remember trying it are mostly positive but vague. 

Said one Facebook commenter: "I remember this. The McDonald's on the base when I came back from Desert Storm had them and I thought they were pretty good." Said another: "I do remember hearing about it from someone who worked in management at the time in McDonald's. They said they tried it while traveling and while it was okay it wasn't the quality you'd get at a seafood restaurant like Long John Silvers or Captain D's."

It may come down to catfish being something of an acquired taste. Due to the regional habitat of American catfish, it's not a fish most people who live in, say, New York or Los Angeles will have eaten. And while the flavor is mild and a bit sweet, it's known to absorb the taste of the catfish's diet, which may make it taste unpleasantly muddy. That's more of a problem with wild-caught catfish rather than anything farm-raised, but it may explain the reluctance to try it that kept the dish from taking off.