Each year around Lent, McDonald’s reminds consumers that it offers an appropriate fish sandwich for anyone avoiding meat during the season. This year, the company is doing the same, but adding a bit of spice to the mix in select East coast states: Old Bay seasoning.

The Baltimore Sun reports that for a limited time starting Feb. 16 nearly 700 McDonald’s locations in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware and West Virginia will offer Filet-O-Fish with Old Bay tartar sauce.

“We know that Old Bay is as popular as salt and pepper on our tables here in Baltimore,” Mark Furr, the brains behind the idea and franchisee from Baltimore tells the Sun. “McDonald’s is extremely excited to be able to deliver a true, local taste to our customers.”

Appealing to the Old Bay-loving Mid-Atlantic area might be a good move for the golden arches, some area restaurateurs tell Baltimore Magazine.

“McDonald’s tried going locavore a number of years ago on the Eastern Shore with the addition of a crab-cake sandwich,” John Shields, a local restaurant owner says. “Not so good, and it didn’t last long. But Old Bay and Filet-O-Fish? How could it go wrong?”

For those of you not living in the Mid-Atlantic area, we suppose you could just buy a bottle of the seasoning and spice things up yourself.

McDonald’s to offer Filet-O-Fish with Old Bay [The Baltimore Sun]
Old Bay Fish Filet Comes To Area McDonald’s [Baltimore Magazine]

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