Taste Test: Fish Fillet Sandwiches by McDonald's, Wendys, Popeyes

(SPOT.ph) It's always during the Lenten season that we see more meatless options, and for whatever reason, it's always fish fillet sandwiches that have been the go-to dish of fast food joints. It's either brought back, like clockwork, as it's a seasonal item; or in other cases, it's part of the core menu but gets marketed heavily during this season of meat abstinence. 

Not that we're complaining—we do love ourselves a perfectly cooked, seasoned-just-right fish fillet patty, but having one too "many fish in the sea" can be overwhelming. In this SPOT.ph Taste Test, we put to test three fish sandwiches from three different fast food chains, namely McDonald's, Popeyes, and Wendy's.

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What is a fish fillet sandwich?

A fish fillet sandwich typically consists of a boneless and skinless fish fillet, breaded and fried or grilled, as its main protein. This fish patty is placed in between buns, and the sandwich is often accompanied by various toppings and condiments—more commonly tartar sauce and cheese. While not an integral part of the sandwich's anatomy, the usual takes on this sandwich include crisp iceberg lettuce and a slice of cheese. As far as the fish is concerned, the kind of fish used for the patty does vary depending on the place. Common options are cod, cuttlefish, cream dory, and red snapper.

Which fast food joint makes the best fish fillet sandwich?

McDonald's: Crispy Fish Fillet Sandwich

Price: P156 a la carte
Pros: Consistent taste across different McDonald's branches.
Cons: The fish fillet patty could use more seasoning.
Rating: 4/5 

McDonald's has always had this cult following when it came to their fish fillet sandwich. It's one of the most anticipated seasonal items, possibly right next to the Twister Fries. This year, we get what's called the Crispy Fish Fillet Sandwich. We're still reunited with the familiar components of soft buns, tangy tartar sauce, a slice of American cheese, and a crispy fish fillet patty.

For this particular fish fillet sandwich, we'll need to zoom in on the fish patty. The one thing we loved about how McDonald's makes it is that the patty has a solid foundation—that the thickness of the crunchy coating holds it together. Our only gripe is that it could be seasoned more with salt because, as it is, the tartar sauce's tangy flavor profile overpowers everything else. If you prefer your fish fillet with a little more flava, you can ask for a salt packet from the counter and sprinkle some on the fish patty before taking a bite.

See list of McDonald's branches. For deliveries, McDonald's is available via McDelivery website, GrabFood, and foodpanda.

Popeyes: Fish Burger

Price: P143 a la carte
Pros: The fish patty is cooked just right.
Cons: The fried coating could stay more intact to the fish patty.
Rating: 4.5/5

Out of this sea of fish fillet sandwiches, Popeyes stands out for the reason that it doesn't fit the expected ingredient of a tartar sauce. Instead, it uses a sweet melted cheese spread (the kind you can get from the supermarket!) with a tinge of pepperiness that compliments the saltiness of the fish fillet patty. And just because it doesn't use tartar sauce doesn't demerit the sandwich—it's a welcome break from the usual given the sweet, milky taste of the cheese spread.

We also like how seasoned the fish fillet patty is. It's not oversalted that it hides the taste of the fish—and despite the breading separating from the meat, it still does have a bit of crunch to it. Plus points for them not overcooking the fish fillet patty, too!

As far as the other components of this burger go, i.e. the lettuce and the buns, they were average. If anything, we recommend purchasing a Fish Burger Snack Box upgrade, as it comes with Popeyes' crisp Cajun fries and a drink of your choice.

See list of Popeyes branches. For deliveries, McDonald's is available via the Central.ph website, GrabFood, and foodpanda.

Wendy's: Fish Sandwich

Price: P150 a la carte
Pros: You can taste the fishiness of the patty and the big slices of pickles.
Cons: It could use a slice of cheese.
Rating: 5/5

Considering McDonald's and Popeyes' popularity in the seafood burger realm, we went to a food court with a Wendy's stall, without too much expectation for it. The fast food chain has long been known for other items such as their BMM or the Bacon Mushroom Melt, Macaroni Salad, and Iced Tea, but there wasn't really any buzz when it came to their Fish Sandwich. To our surprise, it left us speechless—the good kind of speechless.

The Wendy's Fish Sandwich has an impressive fish fillet patty. The crust on ours had an audible crunch to it (note: we got ours piping hot)—plus they seasoned the batter just enough that you can taste it. They also didn't overcook the fish—which seems to have a mackerel-like taste to it. 

Wendy's also uses lettuce and tartar sauce for their Fish Sandwich, but what particularly made us giddy with excitement were the bigger slices of pickles added to the sandwich. The slices were thick enough that there was a bite, and these were sour enough that you would pucker. The only negative thing we can say about Wendy's Fish Fillet is that it could have used a slice of American cheese, which is how it's served in other countries.

See list of Wendy's branches. For deliveries, Wendy's is available via the Wendy's website, GrabFood, and foodpanda.

*Note: All of these fish fillet sandwiches were consumed inside the establishment. This taste test is not sponsored.

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