Many visited McDonald’s this week to get their Filet-O-Fish Friday 2023 Lent deal but were left severely disappointed.
The religious period, which commemorates the six weeks Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert, began on Wednesday.
As well as abstaining from certain foods and giving up a ‘luxury’, a popular Lent tradition sees people eating fish on a Friday.
Many Christians across the world, especially Catholics, refrain from eating meat every Friday until Easter, concluding on Good Friday.
Fast food chains have long offered fish deals throughout the period and the Filet-O-Fish discount at McDonald’s was the most popular.
However, it appears to be gone this year…
McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Friday Lent deal gone in 2023
In previous years, McDonald’s restaurants across the US have offered two Filet-O-Fish burgers for $5 and other deals during Lent.
The burger contains delicious white Hoki or Pollock fish in crispy breadcrumbs, with cheese and tartare sauce, in a steamed bun.
However, many went to visit their local branch on the first Friday in 2023 to find that they weren’t offering the discounted Filet-O-Fish Friday deal this year.
McDonald’s fans are outraged on Twitter and have been tweeting the chain to try and get some answers.
One person wrote: “@McDonalds No Filet-o-Fish specials for Lent this year? What’s up with that?!?”
“It’s Lent and I don’t see @McDonalds Filet-O-Fish deal,” said another.
A third person added: “WTF @McDonalds ! Where is Filet-o-fish Friday!”
“@McDonalds why isn’t your Filet-O-Fish on special for Lent?” someone else tweeted.
Another said: “@McDonalds what happened to the fish fillet special deal discount on Friday during Lent?”
The Filet-O-Fish was made for Lent
The famous burger was actually created just for the religious period as a McDonald’s franchise owner in Cincinnati, Ohio, noticed falling hamburger sales.
In 1962, Lou Groen noticed less people were buying burgers on Fridays due to the Western Christian practice so wanted to add a fish option to his menu.
At first, executives at the fast food chain weren’t sure about adding fish and McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc preferred the idea of a pineapple burger.
He wanted to call it the Hula Burger and it would consist of a slice of grilled pineapple and cheese on a bun – so he launched a competition.
Kroc made a deal with Groen that he would sell the Hula Burger and Filet-O-Fish on a Friday and whichever sold the most would be added to the menu.
He was convinced the pineapple option would win and even made a bet with a grillman that the loser would buy the winner a new suit.
However, the Filet-O-Fish won by a huge majority and the burger was added to the menu nationwide three years later, in 1965.
Right now, McDonald’s stores across the US are giving away Harper Collins books in Happy Meals for a limited time.
Cardi B and Offset have also teamed up with the chain and launched their own McDonald’s meal on Valentine’s Day.
Fish Lent deals 2023
McDonald’s might not be doing any deals on the Filet-O-Fish, but there are loads of other places offering discounts during Lent.
Here are some of the best:
- 7-Eleven: 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards members can get a $2 fish sandwich.
- Popeyes: Bag a Shrimp Tackle Box for $6 which includes eight butterfly shrimp.
- Arby’s: Get a Crispy Fish and Small Fry combo for just $5 at participating locations.
- Long John Silver’s: Grab a $6 shrimp basket or $10 shrimp sea-shares box.
In other news, Outrage as McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Friday Lent deal disappears in 2023
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