In a fast food ecosystem that’s rapidly running out of alternative uses for fried chicken breasts—taco shells, pizza crusts, delicately breaded roofing tiles—McDonald’s usually sticks with what it knows. Still, even the Big Arches wants to occasionally take a swing for the fences, hunting for that sweet “Get a load of this” press attention. Hence, presumably, why the fast food chain is messing around with seafood yet again, this time with the McDonald’s Crab Sandwich.
In case the non-cutesy, clinical name didn’t clue you in, this is pretty simple as far as weird fast food goes (no fried pineapple slathered in cheese, a la the Hulu Burger, here). Instead, it’s just a pretty basic snow crab salad with mayo, sitting on some lettuce, a tomato, and a sourdough bun. Created by celebrity chef Ryan Scott, it’s pretty reminiscent of McDonald’s last bout of maritime exploration, the pricey McLobster roll. Also like the McLobster, it sounds like the rare fast food experiment we might actually eat outside the constraints of a bet, especially if they toss in those Garlic Gilroy fries they’ve been trying out in a few markets, as well. Sadly, the Crab Sandwich (McCrabbit?) is only available in San Francisco; if it’s a hit, it might expand out to more Bay Area restaurants.