Answer: few people have seen either one.
Lots of fans of McDonalds–and of Lobster–have been passing rumors back and forth online that McDonalds could soon be releasing the McLobster nationwide. The rumors started flying back in March 2011. (You can read about it in my first McLobster Rumor post.)
What the heck is a McLobster, anyway? My first instinct was that the McLobster would probably be a lot like Subway’s Seafood and Crab sandwich: maybe it would have some real lobster in it, maybe it would just be a lot of Alaskan pollack (cheap fish) with lobster flavor added–and plenty of mayonnaise, of course.
Upon examining photos of the fabled sandwich, it seems I was basically right. The McLobster is a lobster and mayo mixture served on something like a hotdog roll. Apparently, McDonalds IS using real lobster meat–which is actually pretty impressive, in my book. However, we can pretty much bet that the lobster isn’t fresh–most likely it’s canned, because that would be the most efficient way to store it with the least spoilage.
Unfortunately, McDonalds’ officials are saying (via Twitter) that McLobster IS NOT planned for a nationwide release in the foreseeable future. More’s the pity–I would have liked to have tried it. But then, Lobster has never been a “mainstream” food in the U.S.–it’s just too expensive. (A McLobster sandwich costs consumers about 6 bucks in McDonalds restaurants, when you can find it.) In addition, lobster is highly perishable, and it’s in limited supply when compared to ground beef, the mainstay of McDonalds restaurant. Perhaps if some of these factors change, McDonalds would reconsider. But as things stand, releasing the McLobster nationwide just wouldn’t be a good business decision.
For anyone who’s curious, here’s the nutrition information for the McLobster sandwich:
| Calories | 170 | Sodium | 630 mg |
| Total Fat | 4 g | Potassium | 0 mg |
| Saturated | 0 g | Total Carbs | 25 g |
| Polyunsaturated | 0 g | Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Monounsaturated | 0 g | Sugars | 4 g |
| Trans | 0 g | Protein | 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg | ||
| Vitamin A | 2% | Calcium | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 2% | Iron | 8% |