We all know that fast food isn’t exactly healthy, but it’s oh-so-tempting and endlessly addictive, with the likes of Burger King and KFC keeping us coming back for more, time and time again. When you step foot into these locations, you usually know exactly what you’re getting each and every time.
However, if you do a little traveling and visit a McDonald’s in China or a KFC in South Africa, you might be surprised to see a few unusual items on the menu. Fast food chains often adapt their offerings to suit the local tastes and preferences, leading to some very unique dishes that are only available in select locations. Here are 65 of the most interesting options out there.
1) The Hot Dog Stuffed Crust Pizza
Originally found only in Pizza Huts around the UK, this pizza takes the stuffed crust concept to the next level by baking mini hot dogs right into the dough. You can easily pull them away from the rest of the pizza and dip them into the sauce provided, and the idea spread to Canada, Australia, and South Korea too.
2) Jollof Rice
KFC is pretty big in Africa, with a range of unique sides and main meal options exclusively reserved for various African markets. This spicy jollof rice can only be found at KFCs in Nigeria and is just perfect for anyone wanting to add a little more fire to their meals.
3) Ham And Cheese Bites
There are some amazing McDonald’s sides to be found all over Europe, like these mini ham and cheese croquettes in Spain. They’re a super delicious alternative to fries or wedges.
4) Super Stuffed Crust Pizza
There’s stuffed crust, and then there’s super stuffed crust! This pizza, sold at Pizza Hut in the Philippines, has a massive crust filled up with bits of barbecue chicken covered in cream cheese. The crust takes up so much space, there’s barely any room left for the actual pizza.
5) Truffle Fries
In Australia, McDonald’s seems to be a little fancier than in the US. You can get loaded fries covered with classy truffle mayo. There are some special ‘Gourmet Creations’ burgers with truffle mayo too.
6) The Double Down Dog
The Double Down has gone down in history as one of KFC’s craziest creations. It’s basically a burger, but with fried chicken being used instead of bread. KFC in the Philippines adapted the concept to make it work for a hot dog too. Oh and did we mention the dog is filled with cheese?
7) The X-Tra Long Chili Cheese
If you’re looking for a fast food item that’s worth traveling halfway round the world to taste, the X-Tra Long Chili Cheeseburger, found in Burger Kings all over Europe, might just be what you need. It features three patties on an extra-long bun, covered in jalapeno slices and a tasty chili cheese sauce.
8) Blueberry Patbingsu
Patbingsu is a tasty South Korean shaved ice treat with fresh fruits and sweet syrups on top. KFC made its own version of the traditional dessert, featuring blueberries and red beans.
9) Stroop Wafel McFlurry
One thing you notice when traveling around the world is that, even though pretty much every country has McDonald’s everywhere, they’re all a little different, especially in terms of which McFlurry options are on the menu. Over in the Netherlands, you can enjoy a Stroop Wafel McFlurry, featuring chunks of a waffle-like caramel cookie.
10) The McKroket
Another Dutch delight you can find at McDonald’s branches in the Netherlands is the McKroket. This special sandwich features a patty made of ground beef and cheese, covered with a mustard sauce.
11) Red Bean Bagel Balls
Dunkin’ Donuts has some totally different options depending on which country you happen to be in at the time. Over in South Korea, customers can grab these bagel balls filled with red bean paste. Other fillings include tomato paste, red velvet, and green tea.
12) McCurry Wurst
Germans love sausages of all kinds, and this love affair even extends to the country’s fast food offerings. German McDonald’s offer the McCurry Wurst, a box filled with chopped, steamed sausage covered in a curry-infused sauce.
13) Chili Cheese Nuggets
If you enjoy cheese, chili, and fried crunchy goodness, the Chili Cheese Nuggets available in various Burger King outlets around Europe are sure to be a big hit for you.
14) Black And White Burgers
Burgers can come in all shapes and sizes, but the buns are usually always the same color. Well, over at McDonald’s in China, you can sometimes find these black and white burgers instead. The black buns are filled with squid ink, while the white ones come with a mushroom and peppercorn sauce.
15) Cheeseburger Stuffed Crust
Stuffed crust pizzas usually come with cheese or maybe sauce inside the crust, but this one, available at Pizza Huts in the Middle East, takes it to a whole new level. Here, the crust is filled up with little burger patties covered in cheese.
16) Shrimp And Broccoli Sub
When you walk into a typical American Subway, the likes of shrimp and broccoli aren’t usually found on the menu. Over in Japan, however, it’s perfectly possible to find shrimp and broccoli sandwiches.
17) Bubur Ayam
A traditional Malaysian dish known as Bubur Ayam is served at the country’s McDonald’s outlets. It’s a kind of savory porridge with chicken, ginger, and chopped up chilies.
18) Fiesta Mexicana
When you first see this Mexican-style sub with its spicy chicken strips and thick layer of guacamole, you probably wouldn’t associate it with Poland, but that’s exactly where it’s from! It’s also appeared in a few other European locatons, but never in North America or Mexico itself.
19) Shaka Shaka Chicken
Here’s a fun little McDonald’s offering that we wish was available all around the world: shaka shaka chicken. It’s basically a piece of fried chicken in a bag. Then, you get to sprinkle over your own spices, close the bag, shake it all up, and enjoy!
20) Edible Coffee Cups
Only available in the UK for now, KFC’s edible coffee cups are the perfect option for those who are sick of styrofoam and want a little snack to go along with their warm drink. They’re made from a multi-layered mixture of heat-resistant white chocolate, sugar paper, and wafer.
21) A Pizza-Sized Burger
Imagine a burger the size of a pizza. Imagine you can slice it up and share it out with your friends. You just imagined a burger that really does exist at BK in Japan. There’s no way one person could eat all of that thing!
22) The Chocodilla
Down in Guatemala, Taco Bell decided to get a little crazy by adding chocolate and Baby Ruth candy bar pieces into a quesadilla, creating the Chocodilla. It sounds a little odd, but it’s supposed to be delicious!
23) Kit Kat Sandwich
Japan has some really inventive ideas when it comes to food. And then they have some really simple ideas too, like putting a Kit Kat on a sandwich with whipped cream.
24) Lobster Roll
Over in Hawaii, you can say ‘Aloha’ to an actual lobster roll from your local McDonald’s!It looks pretty darn tasty too.
25) Pork And Seaweed Donut
They tend to get a little ‘out there’ with their donut selections over in Asia, and here’s the perfect example of that! These donuts are topped with a mixture of pork and seaweed sprinkles.
26) Chicken Nugget Burger
When you just can’t decide between a burger and chicken nuggets, head to a Burger King in South Africa to try the Chicken Nugget Burger!
27) Paneer Pizza
Paneer is a very important ingredient in Indian cuisine. It’s a kind of fresh, unaged soft cheese used in a range of curries and other dishes. You can even find it on pizzas at Indian Domino’s.
28) Chocolate Pie
Here’s one that really gets us salivating! Over in South Korean McDonald’s, you can order a hot chocolate pie, with molten lava-like chocolate oozing out from the center.
29) Doritos Pizza
Here’s an innovative and totally awesome idea from Pizza Hut in Pakistan! It’s a pizza with Doritos making up the crust, adding a little extra crunch and crackle to every bite.
30) Matcha Ice Cream
Anyone who loves to follow healthy food trends will be all in on this one! It’s ice cream that has been flavored with matcha, a kind of green tea leaf famous for its antioxidants and other nutritious qualities. It’s basically like having a superfood ice cream!
31) Chick ‘N Roll
For just 99 rupees (about $1.50) you can grab this crispy, crunchy, flavorsome treat from any Indian KFC. It’s like a little wrap with delicious fried chicken inside.
32) McDonald’s Macarons
Over in several parts of Europe, like Spain and France, you can grab boxes of macarons (or should that be McArons?) direct from any local McDonald’s.
33) Filet-O-Shrimp
We all know the Filet-O-Fish, but how about the Filet-O-Shrimp? It’s one of the most popular McDonald’s menu items over in Japan.
34) Black Zinger Burger
Here’s another black bun burger, and this time, it’s coming to us from Australian KFCs. The burger was colored using a kind of vegetable carbon dye and it was only available for a limited time.
35) Cheesy Broccoli Baked Potato
When you go to a fast food, you’re usually looking for fries, burgers, cheeses, and sauces. Broccoli doesn’t really fit the whole ‘fast food vibe’, but over in Indonesia, this cheesy baked potato covered in broccoli is super popular with Wendy’s customers.
36) Loaded Nacho Fries
Blending nachos and fries together, these loaded nacho fries from Taco Bell in the Netherlands look so tasty! They’re covered with melted cheese, sour cream, salsa, and more.
37) Poutine
Poutine is a really popular Canadian dish made from fries, cheese curds, and gravy. McDonald’s was clearly paying attention to the local tastes as they decided to make and sell their very own poutine too.
38) Shawarma Rice Bowl
Over in the Philippines, KFC got pretty fancy with this shawarma rice bowl, featuring rice, eggs, classic fried chicken, and other ingredients for a full-flavored combo.
39) The Chizza
KFC has never been afraid to think outside the box and mix ideas together to create some highly original menu items! The Chizza has been sold in several countries and is basically like a regular pizza, except with fried chicken as the base.
40) Kai Young
Here’s another odd entry from Dunkin Donuts in Thailand. This time, we have a triangular donut, which is already a little odd, covered with dried chicken pieces and a spicy chili glaze.
41) McRice Burger
KFC had the Double Down, featuring fried chicken instead of bread. McDonald’s Philippines has the McRice Burger, which makes use of dried rice cakes instead!
42) Chicken McDo
And here’s another entry from McDonald’s in the Philippines. This time, we’re looking at a two-piece fried chicken meal, served alongside some McSpaghetti.
43) Barbecue Rib Sub
Almost like Subway’s answer to the McRib, this barbecue rib sandwich can only be found in Subways around a few different European locations like Sweden and Germany.
44) Cheese Katsu Burger
A very interesting burger from McDonald’s Japan, the Cheese Katsu Burger features a pork patty that has been filled up with melted cheese. It’s not available all the time, but Japanese fans go wild whenever it makes an appearance.
45) Crab Croquette Burger
Another tasty snack from McDonald’s Japan is the Crab Croquette Burger. It’s made with snow crab and mushrooms, all covered in breadcrumbs and fried up, served on a ciabatta bun.
46) Foie Gras Burger
Wendy’s always seems to try and stand out from the crowd by making itself seem a little classier than the likes of Burger King and McDonald’s, and it really went to great lengths to preserve that ‘sophisticated’ image with the release of a Foie Gras Burger in Japan. Featuring a patty infused with duck liver pate, this sandwich cost around $16 upon release.
47) Bacon Potato Pie
The US gets apple pie pockets, but Japan gets bacon potato pie instead! Believe it or not, this is actually a dessert, with a sweet and crispy outer crust protecting the hot molten mixture of bacon, taro, and potato inside.
48) McCurry Pan
Everyone knows that curry is huge in India, so it seems only fitting that the nation’s fast food outlets have a few curry items on their menus. Indian McDonald’s, for example, offer the McCurry Pan, which is a kind of rectangular bread bowl filled up with chicken and vegetable curry.
49) Cheese Donuts
Cheesecakes are fine, but cheese donuts? We’re not so sure. Over in Singapore, however, you can routinely find cheese-based donuts in Dunkin’ Donuts stores, often combined with other ingredients like wasabi and seaweed.
50) Spinach Parmesan Croquettes
Did you know that you can buy wine in Italian McDonald’s? You can also place an order for these cheesy treats, made from spinach and melted cheese with a mixture of herbs added in for flavor.
51) Chocolate Croissant
Found in McDonald’s around Canada, France, and other nations too, this delicious croissant is filled up with a chocolate and hazelnut spread.
52) Veg Shammi Sandwich
There are plenty of vegetarians in India, so fast food chains there tend to offer more veggie-friendly options, like this Veg Shammi Sandwich. It’s filled with lentil-based, 100% vegetarian patties.
53) McBeer
The idea of walking into McDonald’s and ordering a beer seems totally insane to anyone in the US, but in Europe, it’s pretty normal. Many McDonald’s branches in countries like Italy and Germany offer beer and wine on the menu to go along with your Big Mac.
54) McSpicy Paneer
Another vegetarian, Indian-only option for our list is the McSpicy Paneer. It features a patty made from breaded, spiced, and fried paneer cheese.
55) Veg Strip Rice Bowl
WIth around 40% of all Indians being meat-free, even KFC, which built its whole menu around fried chicken, needs to adapt to survive in the Asian nation. That’s why they came up with this veggie strip rice bowl, featuring tender-like strips made from corn, carrots, and other vegetables.
56) Chicken Tikka Sub
British people love Indian food, with Chicken Tikka Massala often ranking as the nation’s favorite dish, so it makes sense that Subway decided to offer this chicken tikka sandwich for British diners.
57) McArabia
A thoroughly Middle Eastern fast food treat, the McArabia comes with either grilled chicken, beef, or lamb kofta served in a pita pocket with onions and salad.
58) Dragon Twister
KFC was one of the first big fast food joints to make the leap to the Chinese market, opening a branch there back in the late 80s. It’s the most popular fast food chain in the country too, thanks to little China-friendly menu items like the Dragon Twister with its sweet bean sauce and Peking Duck-style filling.
59) Kebab Pizza
Kebabs are a popular fast food staple in many European countries like France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Pizza chains in those countries also tend to offer kebab pizzas, which often feature thin slices of kebab meat, onions, and special kebab sauce drizzled over the top.
60) Kiwiburger
Found only in New Zealand, the Kiwiburger is a typical New Zealand favorite. It’s like a regular hamburger in many ways, but with a couple of unique toppings like a fried egg and some beetroot slices too.
61) Cheese Top Burger
Where do you think cheese belongs on a burger? Above the patty? Below the patty? How about on top of the bun? Well, at KFC Philippines, you can enjoy a cheese-topped fried chicken sandwich.
62) McMollette
If you head south of the border and stop off at a local Mexican McDonald’s for a light bite in the early morning hours, you might be surprised to see this item on the menu. It’s like an English muffin, but with a crusty bolillos base topped with beans, cheese, and salsa.
63) Birizza
When two culinary styles meet, magical things can sometimes happen! Over at Pizza Hut in India, Italian and Indian dishes have combined to form the Birizza! It’s a mixture of an Indian curry dish called biryani and a classic Italian pizza.
64) Pumpkin Burger
Only available during the fall months, the Pumpkin Burger, which is actually made with slices of fried kabocha squash, is a seasonal favorite with Japanese fast food lovers.
65) Mashed Potato Burger
This unique treat was unveiled in 2012 and has proven pretty popular with Chinese McDonald’s visitors. It’s a double-patty burger with bacon and salad on top and then a layer of mashed potato on the bottom.
And there you have it, 65 of the most intriguing, delicious, and downright bizarre fast food offerings from different countries all over the globe. Which one would you be willing to go the distance for? Be sure to share the list around with friends and family to get their opinions.