Cheapism; Thao N. / Yelp; Keiki-O-Kalani A. / Yelp
McDonald's doesn't have the exact same menu everywhere. That's a given when you're talking about international locations, but there are regional variations in the U.S., too. McDonald's restaurants in Hawaii have some of the most interesting local menu items. They're based on the islanders' tastes, and frankly, we're drooling over some of these, especially the pies. Here are McDonald's menu items you can only try if you head to Hawaii.
Thanks to the heavy Asian influence in Hawaii, rice is on the menu at McDonald's on the islands. It's only available for breakfast, though, which might seem odd to some mainlanders. You can get it as part of a Local Deluxe Platter with rice, eggs, and your choice of meat. Packets of soy sauce are usually available as a condiment.
One of the meats you can choose from for breakfast is Portuguese sausage. They're griddle-cooked pork patties, similar to the regular McDonald's breakfast sausage you're used to, but they taste more like the local favorite sausage. It's a slightly spicy meat that's similar to Cajun sausages like andouille. If you ask nicely, they might even put it in your Egg McMuffin instead of Canadian bacon.
Spam is super popular in Hawaii, and McDonald's is capitalizing on it. During World War II, soldiers were served the canned meat because it was portable, shelf-stable, full of protein, and pretty much perfect as a military ration. It never really left, and now you can get it fried on a lunch plate with macaroni salad, as Spam musubi, and on your Spam, egg, and rice breakfast platter at McD's.
Related: 28 Slamming Spam Recipes That Will Have You Wanting More
Move over, Big Mac, and make room for the McTeri Deluxe. It's a burger that's coated in sweet and savory teriyaki, a popular Japanese-style sauce on the islands. It makes for a messy but delicious lunch when it's available — it tends to come and go from the menu quite a bit.
Behold: deep fried McDonald's apple pies! Those amazing pies from your childhood are no longer fried in the continental U.S. (minus one rogue location in California), but things are different in Hawaii. Locals didn't like the baked pies as much as the fried version, so the restaurant operators decided to keep on frying all their pie varieties for that blisteringly crisp and bubbly crust. God bless America.
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Besides the apple pie, Hawaiian McDonald's restaurants also serve Haupia Pie. It's got a smooth, creamy, and pudding-like filling full of coconut for a tropical treat. And yes, it is also deep fried.
Saimin is pretty unique to Hawaii thanks to its melting pot of cultures. It's comfort food made of noodles in broth, and it's a mashup of various Asian dishes from Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino cuisine. It's usually garnished with toppings like nori and brightly colored fish cake. It's another menu item that tends to come and go at McDonald's on the islands.
Taro is a root vegetable that you often see in Asian sweets or drinks like bubble tea. Its flavor is similar to a sweet potato, and it has a gorgeous purple color. Taro pie is a limited-time dessert menu item in Hawaiian McDonald's, and everyone loves it. Guava and pineapple pies have also made appearances in Hawaii over the years, and we're totally jealous of them all.
