Once Upon A Time, McDonald's Sold A Shockingly Affordable Lobster Roll

McDonald's has offered the same signature menu items for decades. However, once in a while the fast food giant provides us with some new, limited-time food and drinks — including discontinued McDonald's menu items we're not getting back and international McDonald's menu items you can only find when traveling. An example of a lesser-known and equally surprising Micky D's menu offering was its lobster roll. Offered only at McDonald's locations in the New England area – including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Albany, New York — the lobster roll consisted of chunks of lobster meat mixed with mayo and shredded lettuce on a toasted hoagie roll.

The lobster sandwich first debuted as the McLobster in 1993 for a limited time. In 2015, it made a comeback as the Lobster Roll and was offered for the super low price of $7.99 (which increased to $8.99 in 2016) at select McDonald's locations for a limited time during summer. This might seem pricey for a Micky D's sandwich, but it's actually quite the steal considering it was made with 100% real North Atlantic lobster. The regular price for a lobster roll in the area was around $15 to $20 in 2015(in some areas, the price today is closer to $35 to $40). 

Unfortunately, the lobster roll was discontinued in 2017 on McDonald's menus, due to the rising prices of lobster. But it's anyone's guess whether McDonald's will bring it back to New England someday — after all, its nutritional information and ingredients are still listed on the McDonald's website. 

The first lobster roll is believed to have been created in the 1920s by restaurant owner Harry Perry in Milford, Connecticut. This beloved New England sandwich, particularly popular in Maine during the summer months, consists of chunks of fresh lobster (knuckle, claw, and tail meat) typically mixed with mayo or butter on a toasted or grilled top-split bun. The lobster meat is often mixed with mayonnaise, butter, chopped celery, lemon juice, and/or Old Bay seasoning. Lettuce is sometimes added for crunchiness. Not all lobster rolls are the same — there is actually a difference between Maine and Connecticut lobster rolls. 

How does the McDonald's version stand up to seafood restaurant lobster rolls on the Northeast coast? Well, the lobster is the real deal, which is a likely reason why it's only offered in the New England area where fresh-caught lobster is plentiful. According to a 2016 press release on the McDonald's website, the lobster is North Atlantic lobster meat that was wild caught from East Coast wharfs. Stephen Felsenthal, employee of one of McDonald's lobster suppliers, stated in the release: "The lobster we supply to McDonald's is a hand-picked, artisan quality product, caught by seasoned veterans of the industry. This is the same quality lobster served at white tablecloth restaurants on the East Coast." However, despite using real lobster, according to some food critics, it still tasted like a fast food lobster roll, and not surprisingly pales in comparison to those sold at fresh seafood shacks.