Fast Food Chains That Serve The Highest And Lowest Quality Fish Sandwiches

Let's be honest here: It makes sense to go out to a restaurant when the craving for a fish sandwich hits. Sure, you can make your own at home with a nice piece of fresh fish and your own beer batter, but what happens after you fry your fish, add your tartar sauce, and enjoy that delicious sandwich? Your kitchen ends up smelling so fishy that it starts attracting all the neighborhood cats. It's not that we have anything against cats, but that smell is the kind of smell that lingers... and not in a good way.

The easy answer is to head to your favorite fast food chain and let them handle the fish, and the good news is that you have no shortage of choices. The bad news? They're not all created equal.

While many of the biggest chains have made massive strides toward sustainability and responsible sourcing when it comes to fish, others are more transparent about it than others. In order to determine the fast food chains with the highest and lowest quality fish sandwiches, we looked at a few things. For starters, we wanted to see how sustainable chains were. A fish sandwich is better when you know that it's sourced in a way that's going to help guarantee fish sandwiches for generations to come, but that wasn't our only criteria. We also looked at what chains were doing with their sandwiches, and what the popular opinions on each offering was. Here's what we learned.

Nope: Don't even make that face before hearing us out, because honestly, this one surprised us, too. Sure, you might think you need to rely on some brilliant Filet-O-Fish hacks to turn McDonald's fish sandwich into something you'd want to eat, but while a Filet-O-Fish with Big Mac sauce is delicious, the OG version isn't too shabby, either. And we're not the only ones who think so. Head over to Reddit, and you'll find threads full of fans who sing the praises of the Filet-O-Fish, from one who calls it "One of the greatest sandwiches of all time," to another who said, "It's so soft that whenever I eat one it's like my teeth are getting a lil hug," and another who summed things up by saying, "It's my favorite sandwich on their menu, and possibly the best fast food sandwich out there."

The sentiment "McDonald's fish sandwich is a culinary masterpiece" was posted in the subReddit /unpopularopinion, but in truth, it's an opinion that's almost shocking popular. But what about sustainability?

McDonald's uses wild-caught Alaska pollock, and way back in 2013, it was announced that McD's was the first national fast food chain to have one of its products certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. The announcement referred to U.S.-based restaurants, and came two years after the chain made the same commitment in Europe. Other markets have also been added: In 2023, McDonald's China added the MSC label to more than 5,000 restaurants, in a move to double-down on responsible sourcing.

Starting back in 2021, Subway started making headlines when it was sued over the tuna fish sandwich. Subway's tuna lawsuit ended up teaching us all about fish, and it was dismissed with prejudice in 2023, which means that was the end of the case — no further lawsuits would be able to be filed with similar charges. Just to be clear, we're not saying Subway's tuna sandwiches are low-quality because they're not real tuna, it's because they're subjectively terrible.

In all fairness, Subway had made a commitment to sourcing sustainable fish, adding that it only uses sustainable skipjack tuna. Subway also works with the Marine Stewardship Council, but there are other things not to like about Subway's tuna sandwiches. For starters, there's the bread. In 2020, Subway made headlines when Ireland's supreme court ruled that there was too much sugar in Subway's bread to actually classify it as bread. What is it? Confectionery.

Although there are a fair share of people who speak up in defense of Subway's tuna sandwiches in various Reddit threads, others have different opinions. One who identified themselves as a former employee wrote, "It is literally... tuna in a giant foil pouch mixed with a bag of mayonnaise nothing more nothing less. Now you can make it at home! Enjoy!" Others point out that the combination of tuna, mayo, and roasted bread is a weird one, while others note that it's given them some serious gastrointestinal distress every time, and that there's just way, way too much mayo.

Check out a Reddit announcement that Culver's was bringing back its North Atlantic Cod Sandwich — along with some other fishy favorites — and after one customer noted that it would be tough to lure them away from the burgers, another explained: "If you're remotely a fish (sandwich) lover, then I'd encourage you to go for the walleye sandwich. One of the best fish sandwiches I've had, and I've had quite a few." Others agreed, and there's quite a bit of love for the cod sandwiches on Reddit, too. Some confessed to getting them weekly, and they're regularly lauded for serving up consistently delicious, high-quality meals.

In another thread asking for recommendations, one Redditor said, "Try the cod sandwich or dinner. I've often said that Culver's fish stacks up against traditional sit-down restaurants that charge considerably more than Culver's." Check out the chain's commitment to sourcing, and it makes sense.

Culver's has a section of its website dedicated to detailing the sourcing of fish. The wild-caught North Atlantic cod come from the Barents Sea, sourced through sustainable fisheries that have been worked by the same families for generations. It notes that because the fish are sourced from incredibly cold northern waters and because they grow very slowly, they're naturally flavorful. Throw in Culver's commitment to hand-breading each portion of fish by hand before frying, and you've got a fish sandwich that's a total win.

On paper, Long John Silver's looks great. Back in 2014, the chain spearheaded the movement toward more sustainable, responsibly-sourced fish, and it launched an entire campaign built around its image overhaul. Interestingly, though, checking out the website reveals surprisingly little information on the sourcing policies, aside from using wild-caught fish and partnering with "the best managed supply partners." Some more digging leads to Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, which named the chain among its clients back in 2022.

Whatever LJS is doing, there's not many fans out there. In one Reddit thread debating about how it manages to stay in business, answers included, "my mother-in-law," and "stoners." Those who love it tend to love the hushpuppies, but the sandwich gets less loved. Some who have ordered it say they take it home and give it a major overhaul to make it into something decent, and in a less-than-favorable discussion about the quality of the brand's fish on Quora, one respondent likened the quality to supermarket fish sticks, adding, "To me, they are not worth anything." Common complaints on Reddit include batter that's too salty, and fish that's too heavy, greasy, and in one scathing review, "inoffensive to such a degree it's offensive."

There's another common complaint, too: Some locations just don't have the fish sandwich. When one Redditor tried to do a side-by-side comparison, the one place that didn't have the fish sandwich available was literally the place that supposedly specialized in fish. Go figure.

Check out the pictures for the fish sandwiches at Captain D's, and there's no doubt that they look absolutely mouth-watering. Do they hold up? The majority of customers posting on social media seem to agree that they do, but there are some complaints that we feel we need to address. Many posting on Facebook complain about the size and the price of the Giant Fish Sandwich, saying that recently they've gotten much smaller portions. It's a well-known fact that groceries and food items are still ridiculously expensive, so it's not a complaint specific to the chain. The switch from a roll to a bun is also a common complaint, but if you can set those criticisms aside, there are plenty of others who say this is a total win.

"My favorite fast food fish sandwich. They are so yummy," wrote one commenter on Facebook, while other chimed in with: "This place has the best fish. It is great," even as others say that the sandwich is all that they order. Other Facebook posts are filled with customers continuing to rave about the sandwich, and according to expansion plans, it seems as though more people in more places are going to see franchises opening around the corner.

What about sustainability? Captain D's prides itself on wild-caught, sustainable fish, and in 2024, it announced a partnership with Foods Connected to better manage things like supply chains and sourcings.

Let's start by saying that Wendy's gets points for transparency around its Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich, which is made from wild-caught Alaskan pollock sourced from carefully monitored populations around the Aleutian Islands, and in both the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. Wendy's is named as one of the partners of the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, and in 2017, it celebrated a partnership with Trident Seafoods. Trident is currently certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, confirming a commitment to sustainability.

However, popular opinion is that Wendy's fish sandwich just isn't that great. Although some swear by the sandwich and its high-quality fish, those comments are in the minority. More common are complaints condemning this as lacking in flavor and texture, having a disappointing batter that is nothing as special as "Crispy Panko" might lead one to expect, and some say that it's declined in quality over the years.

Even die-hard Wendy's fans seem to struggle to say something good about this. One Redditor said, "Wendy['s] hardly disappoints, and I can't turn down a fish sandwich. With that being said... it was edible." Others say it was so bad that they were forced to throw it out, while another simply observed, "Meh, better ones out there."

A fish sandwich doesn't have to be gourmet to be delicious, and White Castle is proof of that. Let's start by saying that the fish is sourced through suppliers certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, so there's some serious points there for responsibility and sustainability in the supply chain. It's also on the list of partners for the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, and when it comes time to talk about popular opinion, the general consensus is that White Castle is doing the fish proud with the Panko Breaded Fish Slider.

In a discussion on Redditors' go-to White Castle order, one wrote, "The fish sliders! I'm one of those people that really likes fast food fish sandwiches. White Castles are really good," while another agreed, "I had a fish slider yesterday and was baffled at how good it was. Didn't deserve to be that good lmao." Comments on Instagram and Facebook largely agree,  (with some suggesting that in lieu of a fish slider, a build-your-own combination of a burger, onion ring, and fish nibbler is the best thing since sliced bread).

Others say it's a smaller, better, crispier version of the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, that it's perfect with a side of onion rings, and say that it made them lament the lack of White Castle locations in their area. White Castle, it seems, is where it's at: It's no wonder it's often called the quintessential American fast food experience.

Sonic Drive-In has, like many other fast food chains, made a commitment to sourcing its fish with guidance from the Marine Stewardship Council. Details on what that means are scarce, but it does say that its fish sandwiches are wild-caught Alaskan pollock. That's great, but according to what many customers have to say about the sandwiches themselves, that's where the great things end.

Thoughts are summed up by one comment on Facebook that simply said, "This was the worst fish sandwich ever. Fish tasted strange." Others have gotten into more details, saying that the lettuce didn't hold up to the tartar sauce at all, condemned for being little more than mayo. Even some YouTube reviews have gotten in on bashing Sonic's fish sandwich, with comments on Old Nerd Review's video agreeing that the fish was generally lacking in taste, and in response to one of the comments, the video creator explained, "If someone put that sandwich in my hand and I had closed my eyes and took a bite, I would not have concluded that it was a fish sandwich."

There is, however, an interesting trend on Reddit that debates about the perception that Sonic just isn't as good as it used to be, with some even suggesting that a tendency to cook burgers and fish together is impacting the quality of both. Sentiments are summed up by one person who wrote, "I really wanted to like Sonic, but I just couldn't."

Arby's and Sonic Drive-In are both under the Inspire Brands umbrella, and in the same announcement that confirms Sonic's dedication to responsible sourcing of its fish, Arby's also gets a shout-out for also using Marine Stewardship Council-certified wild-caught Alaskan pollock. However, customer response to Arby's fish sandwiches is wildly different from the reaction to Sonic's, and in a Reddit thread debating who has the best fast food fish sandwich, Arby's gets a lot of mentions.

"I've tried a lot of them, and my favorite by a landslide is Arbys King's Hawaiian fish deluxe," says one, with others chiming in to agree and to say that the chain's standard fish sandwich is pretty delicious, too. "I do think they have the best quality fish though and they are my go-to," they added. Others have high praise for Arby's spicy fish sandwiches, and in another thread, one Redditor writes, "Arby's will fill a void in my life, especially at this price. Sandwiches were huge and perfect."

Fans of Arby's fish sandwiches have fans digging the standard offerings and looking forward to the specials, and those commenting on Facebook even also seem to overwhelmingly agree. Also a bonus? The fact that the brand often run deals on its fish sandwiches, which has made countless customers extra-happy. This chain, it seems, continues to be a fan favorite... even if Arby's did make an almost unforgivable curly fry vodka.

Here's where things get tricky, and it's with Burger King. Information on its sourcing is a bit lacking, and while it's listed as one of the partners of the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, there wasn't much information available beyond that. Although it seems as though the brand is taking strides to responsible sourcing and sustainability, more transparency would be nice.

Today, BK's fish sandwiches seem to be wildly polarizing. Some Redditors call the Big Fish "an outright wretched sandwich," and add: "There was nothing really good about it. Bad lettuce, bad pickles, bad tartar sauce... It smelled up the room when we opened it." For years, customers have been taking to Facebook to complain about the Big Fish Sandwich with criticisms that range from the price and the size of the sandwich — or rather, the lack thereof — to rubbery buns and soggy fish.

There is a flip side to this, though. Take the Fiery Big Fish Sandwich. This one has scores of fans on Reddit, with some saying that, with the exception of the pickles, it's pretty incredible. Another thread explained that the regular Big Fish had fans, too, with one Redditor writing, "The BF did not disappoint." Others agreed, with one saying, "I get the fish almost once a week. It's definitely my favorite item on the menu." Others say that it's middle-of-the-road, not as good as some, not as bad as others. This one, it seems, is truly polarizing: Especially considering many believe BK's Fiery new menu doesn't deliver on the sparks.