Who Makes The Better-Value Fish Sandwich: McDonald's Or Culver's?

Getting sticker shock when you order at a fast-food restaurant? You're not alone, fast food has become expensive. When you're choosing where to go, you want the best value for your money. When it comes to seafood, we determined the best fish sandwich is at Culver's (the North Atlantic cod sandwich), and we found it's a far better value than McDonald's Filet-O-Fish.

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is a square fish patty on a standard hamburger roll, with tartar sauce and American cheese. It dates back to 1962, when a midwestern McDonald's franchisee wanted to improve his sales on Fridays when Catholic customers skipped meat for Lent. That long history makes it a standby, but not special. In our review, we felt it was "solid, if unspectacular." Prices vary depending on location, but range roughly from about $5.50 to about $7.50.

Culver's North Atlantic cod sandwich has a hand-filleted piece of cod that's battered and fried to order and served on a hoagie roll with tartar sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded lettuce. We liked Culver's option from the start. "It's an impressive-looking sandwich that is clearly meant to serve as nothing less than a meal," our taste tester wrote. "Culver's fish is simply better than what McDonald's has to offer." Culver's sandwich is more expensive — around $7.50 to $8.75, depending on location, but for a much larger piece of fish on a sandwich we considered superior overall, Culver's works out to be the better value.

Customers have noticed McDonald's Filet-O-Fish isn't the best value on the market. "I wish it was either bigger or cheaper, but I really enjoy it," wrote one commenter on Reddit. "It's more of a two-bite appetizer," agreed another. Others recommended an option for a more filling Filet-O-Fish experience: Simply order the Double Filet-O-Fish, which is the same sandwich but with two fish patties (but also for a higher price). Multiple comments offered a different alternative — just go to Culver's and get that fish sandwich instead.

Meanwhile, social media users agreed Culver's equivalent is among the best fast-food fish sandwiches, if not quite as good as a full-service restaurant. "Not exactly culinary excellence but they make a pretty damn good fish sandwich ... if you're just craving a quick and tasty bite that won't bite your wallet," wrote one Facebook user. Others are more enthusiastic. "Culver's fried cod is easily the best fish sandwich in fast food," said one Reddit post. "Your single post has convinced me to get this for dinner," replied another Redditor. "Gambled on fish and won the lottery," responded another.