I compared fish sandwiches from 4 major fast-food chains, and all of them were terrible except one
I started at Arby's, where I ordered the crispy fish sandwich ($3.79).
It featured an outsized triangular slab of fish slapped between two rather impressive sesame seed buns.
But balance is the key to a good sandwich, and this one was short on lettuce and sauce.
The fish itself tasted gritty and pungent. White fish shouldn't taste very fishy, but this did. Hard pass.
Next, I went to Dairy Queen, where I ordered the crispy fish sandwich ($6.39).
The bun was small and plain, the fish fillet also triangular for some reason.
This sandwich's combination of lettuce, tartar sauce, and crispy, inoffensive fish was, at first bite, much better than Arby's.
But then I made the mistake of tasting each component individually. Turns out tartar sauce is an effective cover-up for other not-so-fresh flavors.
Next, I tried the original fast-food fish sandwich: McDonald's Filet-O-Fish ($4.59).
It was much smaller and much plainer than the other two sandwiches.
The fish was crispy outside with the same frozen gritty texture inside. But thankfully, it had no fishy flavor whatsoever. In fact, it had very little flavor at all.
The tartar sauce does most of the heavy lifting in that department. For McDonald's, that's pretty par for the course.
My last port of call was Burger King, where I ordered the Big Fish sandwich ($6.49).
Out of all the sandwiches, this was the most sophisticated. It had pickles and a sweet brioche bun.
The fillet had the thickest batter of all, but the fish inside was just fine.
The crunch of the pickle, crispy fish, and tartar sauce all worked together for the most flavorful — albeit salty — bite of the day.
Overall, it was clear that Burger King was the Popeyes of the fish sandwich, not least because of its pickles and sweet brioche bun. It had by far the most interesting flavors and the crispiest fish. I'd keep a cup of water handy, though.
For those with less adventurous palettes, the Filet-O-Fish remains a solid if uninspiring choice for the fast-food-loving fish eater.
Note: At the time this taste test was conducted, Chick-fil-A's and Wendy's fish sandwiches were not yet available.
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