McDonald's Still Actually Sells Spaghetti (But There's A Catch)

If you're in the mood for spaghetti, McDonald's probably isn't the first place you'd think to go. The fast food chain is well known for its burgers, fries, and nuggets, but back in the 1980s and '90s when Domino's and Pizza Hut were growing in popularity, McDonald's tried its hand at Italian food. For a while, you could get spaghetti and meatballs, fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna, and pizza at any McDonald's. However, the menu items were eventually phased out at the majority of its locations.

Currently, there are only two places in the world where you can still order McSpaghetti, but contrary to what you might assume, Italy isn't one of them. Though McDonald's Italy released a pasta salad and a calzone Happy Meal in 2013 for a limited time, the famous McSpaghetti has never earned a spot on its permanent menu. However, in the Philippines and at one McDonald's in Orlando, Florida, you can easily order one still.

Similar to other menu items like Onion Nuggets and the Hula Burger, McDonald's stopped offering the McSpaghetti nationwide because most customers weren't very interested in ordering it. But clearly, some fans continued to crave it because in 2017, the Orlando McDonald's, known as "Epic McD," made news for having build-your-own pizza and pasta options that made it possible to order DIY versions of both the McPizza and McSpaghetti well after they were nationally discontinued. As of 2023, many customers on Yelp and TikTok confirm it's still an option there.

The explanation for this is simply that not all McDonald's locations are run by McDonald's corporate. Some, including the Orlando one, are operated by franchisees who can decide what to put on the menu (within reason and upon approval). There's a McDonald's in Missouri, for example, that offers French fry refills, which isn't standard practice at corporate-run McDonald's locations. The reason that McDonald's Philippines still has McSpaghetti, however, is entirely different.

Getting McSpaghetti in the Philippines is a lot easier than doing so in the U.S. because you can order it at any location, and you don't have to DIY it — it's actually on the menu as McSpaghetti, not a build-your-own pasta. It was introduced to the menu in 1986, around the same time it launched in the U.S., except the recipe was and is slightly different. The McSpaghetti in the Philippines is Filipino spaghetti, not Italian spaghetti. Filipino spaghetti originated in the 17th century when America introduced canned goods to the Philippines. It's made with a much sweeter "Bolognese" sauce consisting of banana ketchup and hot dogs. At these McDonald's, it's also served with fried chicken.

Like its American counterpart, when McDonald's Philippines decided to release McSpaghetti, keeping up with the competition was a big motivation. But rather than Pizza Hut and Domino's, Filipino fast food chain Jollibee, which also sold spaghetti, was McDonald's biggest competitor. Fortunately for McDonald's fans in the Philippines, McSpaghetti didn't succumb to the same fate as it did in America, and it remains on the menu to this day.