The Fast Food Fish Sandwich You Shouldn't Overlook, According To Customers

If you're hankering for a fish sandwich, restaurant versions definitely taste the best. But where should you go to satisfy your cravings? From batter-dipped fast food to wild-caught, various options are available, but there's one customers say you shouldn't overlook: the Whatacatch Sandwich at Whataburger. "[It's] perfection on a bun," one Redditor stated. "I don't know how I'll survive if I ever move to a state without Whataburger." A Facebook poster said, "It was good, it was hot, it was tasty, and it is a lot of food. That is a big piece of fish."

Ranked as one of the best fast-food fish sandwiches out there, the Whatacatch is comprised of wild-caught Alaskan pollock breaded in seasoned panko crumbs and topped with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce. The standard bun can be upgraded to a brioche bun for no extra charge, and the sandwich can be further customized with added cheese, toppings, and a variety of sauces.

The biggest problem for avid Whatacatch fans is that the sandwich and its companion menu item, Whatacatch Dinner (which serves up two fish fillets, sans bun, with tartar sauce, french fries, and a drink — à la British fish and chips), are only available once per year, during Lent. This drives up consumer demand for fish, making it an ideal time for a chain like Whataburger to roll out seafood offerings it doesn't normally have. "My wife and I split the platter and a burger the other day. I was really impressed that I was eating fast food fish," one Redditor replied, praising both platter and sarnie.

Fans across the internet have been clamoring for Whataburger to make the Whatacatch Sandwich a permanent menu item. At least one online petition has been launched urging the move. "Whataburger needs to keep [its] [W]hatacatch fish sandwich on [its] menu FOREVER...FOREVER. FOREVER," a Facebook user proclaimed. "Dear Whataburger, [if] you are reading this, please make the fish sandwich a permanent menu item. This is my official profession of love for the Whatacatch," a Redditor pleaded. "The Whataburger Whatacatch is the gold standard of Lent fish sandwiches[,] and we need it all year long. Like 365 days a year of pure bliss!" a Change.org petitioner stated.

According to other online posters, some introducing themselves as former or current employees of the chain, the Whatacatch Sandwich actually was a year-round Whataburger menu item once upon a time. Some self-proclaimed workers said the sandwich didn't sell well outside of the Lent season, and cooking the item to order — as the chain does with all its burgers — was time-consuming for workers. Still other posters, however, stated their work sites sold a lot of Whatacatch Sandwiches when it was a permanent menu fixture. "I don't know why they changed it since we used to sell it like crazy," one Redditor commented.

Whatever reasons Whataburger had for consigning the sandwich to its current seasonal status, that short Lent window remains the only option diners have for enjoying it — for now. Whataburger has hearkened to the pining of hungry fans in the past and brought back discontinued items, like the chain's Monterey Melt, Chicken Fajita Taco, and Mushroom Swiss Burger.