In honor of Lent the Foghorn staff chose to sample the different fish sandwiches at fast-food restaurants. We chose to review the Filet-O-Fish from McDonald’s and the Whatacatch from Whataburger.
JONATHAN GARCIA
I was in the mood for a fish sandwich after class, so I ventured out to McDonald’s near East Campus. Since it is nearby I decided to walk, and I couldn’t wait to try the Filet-O-Fish. They have a special for the sandwich for Lent but I set out to see if this is a sandwich not just for Lent, but also a sandwich you can eat anytime.
Since I had some time to spare I decided to go ahead and dine in the restaurant and hopefully to sink my teeth into a tasty fish sandwich. I went to the counter and saw that indeed there was a special called “Pick 2 for $5” and I got the Filet-O-Fish with a large order of fries with a large Diet Dr Pepper.
I took a seat near the front register with the tall tables and chairs and I decided to take a look around. Being a fast-food chain each location varies on what standards they have, and this location’s cleanliness was kept up well.
Since it was the start of lunchtime many people were starting to come in, and I took a look outside and the drive-thru was starting to pile up. Because of this it did take a while to get my order, but I knew they had to get the drive-thru orders out to avoid angry customers.
I finally got my order and they accidentally thought I was going to take it to-go, but then they placed my order on a tray. I sat down, popped open the box the sandwich came in and took a bite.
This is one of McDonald’s moneymakers and it was clear the moment I sunk my teeth into it because it was absolutely delicious. The fish was hot and the tartar sauce is what set the sandwich off and made this fish sandwich stand out from other fast-food places. And the fries that McDonald’s was also known for didn’t disappoint that you didn’t even need ketchup to dip them in.
The meal and the drink rang out to $6.81, which is a steal with the “Pick 2 for $5” deal in which you could even order two fish sandwiches if you wanted to. For a fast food chain, McDonald’s Filet- O-Fish sandwich proves to be a sandwich you can enjoy for Lent season and in general.
Rating: 4/5 Price: $6.81
Follow Jonathan on Twitter @jonathan10894.
SAMANTHA DOUTY
For this issue’s economic crunch I went to Whataburger to try the Whatacatch. I had never ordered fish from a fast- food restaurant, so this was a new experience for me.
I decided not to go inside and use the drive-thru instead because I am a busy college student and had to get back to my mountains of homework.
I ordered the fish sandwich all the way with lettuce, a fried fish patty, topped with a tartar sauce all packed onto a small wheat bun. I got an order of french fries on the side, because who can resist, and a large water.
I was reluctant to take my first bite of the fish sandwich because of the lack of experience I had with the food.
I ate my french fries first and they were good, just as expected from the Texas staple.
I then moved on to the Whatacatch. The fish was crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside — exactly how a fish patty should be.
The lettuce was soggy in some places and crunchy in others, which was average for a chain restaurant. The tartar sauce was like any other tartar sauce. It was adequate, but it still left my sandwich a little dry.
The bun for the most part was good. It is hard to mess up on a wheat bun. Having a wheat bun for the canvas of the fish sandwich was great because it helped amplify the flavor of the fish. The bread wasn’t overpowering in any way.
All in all it was a relatively decent sandwich. I didn’t have any complaints, but I don’t think I would eat a fish sandwich every time I went to Whataburger. I do, however, have a newfound trust in Whataburger’s ability to produce a fish sandwich.
Rating: 3/5 Price: $6.05
Follow Samantha on Twitter @SamanthaDouty