The Most Beloved McDonald's Menu Item Of All Time (That's Not Fries)

McDonald's may not be everybody's go-to spot when the pangs of hunger start to call, but you have to admit that a meal from the chain really hits the spot every once in a while. Just the french fries alone are enough to convince thousands of people to swing through the drive-thru every day, resulting in nearly 9 million pounds of the world-famous potato sticks going into the hands of hungry customers every 24 hours, per Zippia.

That being said, it probably won't come as a shock to anyone that fries are the number one best-seller at Mickey D's, according to Reader's Digest. However, what may be a bit of a surprise to some is what follows them up on the list of most beloved McDonald's menu items of all time.

When you think about it, the accolade of second-best could potentially go to a number of staples from the Golden Arches, and if you're thinking Chicken McNuggets, Apple Pies, or Egg McMuffins are contenders, you wouldn't be too far off — all three fall into the top 10 most popular McDonald's items. 

But the menu item that is truly most beloved by McDonald's fanatics comes topped with a special sauce. Yes, that's right. With more than 550 million sold annually, the infamous Big Mac is not only the chain's best-selling sandwich but also the second-best seller of all right behind its fries. No wonder a Big Mac and french fries make such a good pair!

French fries and Big Macs completely dominate McDonald's sales, and if you're really curious about just how popular the best-sellers are, you can even watch the numbers grow in real-time. The website Every Second tracks just how many Big Macs and pounds of fries are sold by the fast-food restaurant every second.

The stats may come as a bit of a surprise, but possibly not as much as finding out which McDonald's menu items allegedly get the least amount of love from customers. Filet-O-Fish sandwiches apparently aren't a big seller according to one Redditor, who claimed that they "probably won't be fresh" because they are ordered so infrequently. "Say you want a fish filet cooked to order. It will take ~5 minutes more but worth it compared to the filet that has been in the heated cabinet for hours," another Reddit user suggested. You may, however, be safe ordering your Filet-O-Fish without the special request if you happen to be getting it during the lenten season, during which the chain makes nearly 25% of its sales of the meatless menu item, according to Dayton Daily News.

In 2021, Fox News reported that one McDonald's owner went viral on TikTok for revealing that hot tea was the least-popular item at their restaurant. However, this is likely due to location, as hot tea is a major seller at Mickey D's locations in the U.K.