Big Macs might get all the adoration, but there’s a pretty big contingent of folks who root for McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich. The crispy fish handheld with tangy tartar sauce and a slice of yellow American cheese has been on the menu since 1965, and the fast food giant sells as many as 300 million of them each year. With that kind of longevity, it’s almost a surprise to find out that Filet-O-Fish lovers have figured out a way to elevate their favorite sandwich with Old Bay seasoning — and even better, McDonald’s is totally on board.
If you’re not already eating Old Bay on everything, either you’re not in the know or you’re not from Maryland. An iconic seafood seasoning, Old Bay is a secret proprietary blend of celery salt, paprika, mustard, red and black pepper, and other spices. It’s been flavoring the state’s beloved blue crabs and other assorted seafood since it was invented more than 80 years ago in Baltimore by Gustav Brunn. Marylanders love the stuff so much that it’s become a part of the state’s cultural identity, so it’s perhaps no surprise that an Old Bay Filet-O-Fish emerged in the Old Line State in 2015. For a limited time, the Golden Arches teamed up with McCormick & Co. (the owner of Old Bay) to serve Old Bay-flavored fish sandwiches in around 700 regional restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.
McDonald’s served up Old Bay as an optional sauce
The collaboration between Old Bay and McDonald’s came about thanks to the ingenuity of a Maryland franchisee named Mark Furr, who had the idea to get his state’s favorite seasoning on a sandwich while trying out new menu items. Furr approached the restaurant chain with his concept, and the two companies came up with an Old Bay-tinged tartar sauce as an optional add-on.
The Old Bay experiment at McDonald’s was never meant to be permanent, so don’t expect to find it on your local menu. There are rumblings online that sometimes it reappears as a limited-time offering, but you don’t need to wait for the special edition to get an Old Bay fix. All you have to do to hack your Filet-O-Fish is ask for tartar sauce on the side with an order of the sandwich, and mix a bit of Old Bay into the packet of sauce. Of course, if you’re a fan of the seasoning, you might want a bigger dose of Old Bay, which is amazing on a fish fry, so try experimenting with sprinkling some of the stuff right onto the fish patty itself. If you have a little left over, or you’re traveling with an entire tin, it’s never a bad idea to dust your french fries while you’re at it. When in doubt, channel some Maryland energy, a state where you can find merch that says “I Put Old Bay On My Old Bay.”
