Here's Why The Cheese Always Slides Off Your McDonald's Filet-O-Fish
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish serves as a tasty alternative to the plethora of burgers and chicken on the chain's menu. However, customers have a common complaint regarding this otherwise popular sandwich, as the cheese seems to frequently end up askew. According to that font of McDonald's knowledge, Mike Haracz, who enjoys a thriving presence on TikTok, it's all about how the sandwich is made. The Golden Arches' former Manager of Culinary Innovation explains that the Filet-O-Fish is actually constructed within the box it's served in, and this box gets jostled around quite a bit before you can get your hands on it.
As a result, it's quite common for the cheese on the bottom of the sandwich to become off-center as the crew member creates the sandwich and passes it along to the next person. Keep in mind that McDonald's serves approximately 69 million customers each and every day, so the staff definitely has their work cut out for them. Additionally, building the Filet-O-Fish is a multistep process, so it's easy to see how mishaps might occur.
Building a better fish sandwich takes work
According to Mike Haracz, all McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwiches begin with a box. Each side of the open container gets one part of the bun, which Haracz describes as the crown (top) and heel (bottom). On the top bun goes the tartar sauce that adorns all Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, while a half slice of American cheese goes on the bottom bun. As for why only half a slice is used, the McDonald's website says that's simply how it was done when the sandwich was first developed in 1961. However, customers are free to request a whole slice if they prefer.
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As for the star of the sandwich, the square fish filet goes on the top bun, after which the box is closed quickly to slam the ingredients together. Keep in mind that both portions of the bun are steamed prior to being placed in the box, so the cheese is likely to melt slightly when the box is closed. Under ideal circumstances, the two sides of the sandwich should come together beautifully, but circumstances are rarely ideal at a bustling fast food establishment.
Other McDonald's menu items may suffer the same fate
At the end of his TikTok video, Mike Haracz asks viewers if they can identify any other sandwiches at the chain where the ingredients end up a little messy. One commenter hazards a guess, stating, "Could happen on a Big Mac because half is made in each side of the box." While Haracz does not provide an answer, a McDonald's training video shared on YouTube shows that the Big Mac construction process is quite similar to what the former corporate chef described regarding the Filet-O-Fish.
After toasting all three buns that make up the Big Mac, the top and middle bun go into the top portion of the box, while the heel goes into the bottom. Each side of the box gets a squeeze of Big Mac sauce, then onions (which go on either side), followed by lettuce. Pickles are only distributed on the top portion (and as the staff member cutely says, pickles must be "dating, not mating," meaning they're just barely touching), while cheese goes on the bottom bun. Beef patties are then distributed on either side, with the patty, toppings, and middle bun carefully lifted and placed over the patty sitting on the bottom bun. Finally, the box is closed to situate the top bun atop the Big Mac. This complex process shows that there's a real science to making McDonald's popular sandwiches.