By Dathan Kazsuk | March 7, 2017
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I'm typically not a fan of fast food “fish” sandwiches, because, c’mon now … they are fast food fish sandwiches! But when that Lenten time of the year rolls around, I find myself on Fridays eating something boring such as a salad with some veggies on top – or going to one of the local fast food establishments and ordering, you guessed it, a fish sandwich.
So instead of just feeling the guilt of eating fast food fish, I thought I’d make a blog out of this. It will sort of put some justification to my actions. So this is easy. I’m going to sample 5 fish sandwiches from some of the large fast food chains here in Raleigh, and seeing which sandwich I like the best. I’m sacrificing my stomach for you, my fellow Catholics … or Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans or even Anglicans.
Now, another reason to appreciate what I'm doing is that under my current diet, I am no longer eating dairy, grains or processed foods, but for this week my diet is off. To make up for that, I am only buying the sandwich only - no combos.
McDonald’s Filet O’ Fish - Honestly, this is one of my guilty pleasures. It can rank in my number one position – or wind up at the bottom of the list. It all depends on how it’s made. Bun, tarter sauce, processed orange cheese and a breaded square of Alaskan Pollock. It’s winning when you get a nice and warm steamed bun that melts the cheese and heaping globs of tarter sauce ooze out the side of every bite you take. It’s downright nasty when you get a non-steamed bun, no melted cheese and a spoonful of sauce. I would rate this a 7 when made properly, and a 5 when not done right.
Wendy's Premium Northern Pacific Cod Sandwich - This honestly tastes like something I would make at home. And that's not a bad thing - since my culinary skills are slightly above the average male. And it actually seemed a little healthier than most of the other sandwiches. Wendy's advertises their Cod is wild-caught from the North Pacific. The filet is lightly coated with Panko breading and topped with a large leaf of lettuce, a dill-style tarter sauce and 4 slices of dill pickles. The pickles makes the sandwich, unlike the Filet O' Fish or King Hawaiian, there is no cheese on Wendy's sandwich. I would rate this a 7 out of 10.
Burger King’s BK Spicy Big Fish – I was just going to order the Big Fish, but when I saw they had a Spicy Big Fish, I couldn’t resist. But I was very disappointed when I sat down to eat my sandwich. Upon removing the top bun, it was like I ran into a mess which I was eventually going to eat. The bun, appears to have been toasted, medium-well on the grill, with a handful of lettuce tossed between the buns with 2 pickles and a squirt of orange spicy sauce. With no tarter sauce, no cheese, and disappointing spicy sauce this one wasn’t what I was looking for. I would rate this a 5 out of 10.
Arby's King Hawaiian Fish Sandwich – This was a rather impressive sandwich – and by far the largest of all I have sampled this past week. In between the King's Hawaiian Bun, along with a flank of flaky fish was shredded lettuce, two slices of tomatoes, tarter sauce and a slice of cheese. Put a little bit of Arby's famous Horsey Sauce in there to kick it up a notch and this sandwich fills your appetite – and your tummy. Another plus, is they give you three options – the one listed here, a fish flatbread and two crispy fish sandwiches for $5. I would rate this a 8 out of 10.
Bojangles' BojAngler Fish Sandwich – Known for its chicken and biscuits, I wasn't expecting the BojAngler to be something to write home about. Made with an Alaskan Pollock fillet, the sandwich features a slice of cheese, tarter sauce and leaf of lettuce – I was actually impressed with this fish sandwich. The fish was hot and flaky, and would pair well with those seasoned fries, which I had to steer clear of that and the famous Ice-Tea. I would rate this a 6.5 out of 10. Would have tied with Wendy's sandwich if they would have included fresh dill pickles.
So there you have it. I've given you 5 options to check on during the next 5 Friday's of Lent this year. Now it's time to get some extra walks on the greenway to burn off all this excess fish!
