Bottom Line: Arby’s Spicy Fish Sandwich is a hefty sandwich which will satisfy your appetite and need for heat.
As a big fan of fish sandwiches, I happen to love this time of year. Since it is lent, seafood becomes a prominent addition to menus as an option to meat. And since the fast food chains out there want to keep people coming to the drive thru even if they are abstaining from beef and pork and chicken, many of them add fish sandwiches to their lineup during this season. And a few of those restaurants are wising up and adding spicy seafood options as well.
Popeye’s introduced its Spicy Cajun Flounder this year (you can read my review of that one here), and Arby’s has given its fish sandwich offering a spicy option for the new lent season. This is basically a kicked up version as the regular fish sandwich that comes out this time of year which includes a spicy seasoned crispy fish fillet topped with diced fire-roasted jalapenos, shredded lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce on a toasted sesame bun.
This is definitely a sizeable sandwich, and the oblong piece of fish stretches beyond the bun. The breading on the fish is nicely seasoned with some added spice, and it has some crunch. It’s not a very thick filet, but satisfying enough with good taste and no fishiness. The tartar sauce adds some notable sweetness but doesn’t go overboard (unless you get a bite with mostly sauce). The lettuce and tomato add some texture and freshness, but they are not essential. The diced jalapenos don’t add much flavor (slicing might have been better than dicing to fully experience the taste), but they do kick up the heat. They also add to the messiness of the sandwich with a couple of jalapeno pieces dropping out with each bite. (But hey, just mix those in with the ketchup for your fries.)
Heatwise, this sandwich definitely delivers some spice. I would put it at medium level, and the heat does linger for a bit. If you ask them to hold the lettuce and tomato, it will be even hotter since those act as a counterbalance to the heat. And if you ask for extra jalapenos, it will be even hotter (and messier). This one compares favorably to the Popeye’s fish sandwich, though with a variance to the flavor profile since it goes with lettuce and tomato instead of pickles.
Now don’t be thinking that you are eating healthy with this sandwich just because it is fish instead of meat. That filet is FRIED and that adds plenty of fat and calories. This one comes in at 582 cals with 21 grams of fat (and nearly 1200 mg of sodium). If you add on a medium order of curly fries, you are over a thousand calories and will be spending at least thirty minutes extra on the treadmill working that off. So don’t make this a regular meal, but once in a while it is surely worth the splurge.
I would certainly love for Arby’s to add this to their permanent menu, but I guess it does not fit in well with their “We have the meats!” motto. I expect that the fish sandwich offerings will swim back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville sometime after Easter (April 17th), so get on over to Arby’s and catch one of these while you can.
Tale of the Tape
Calories: 583
Fat: 21g (4g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 68g
Sodium: 1197mg
I just tried Arby’s crispy fish sandwich, big mistake! It is possibly the worst I’ve ever had ,I didn’t finish it my dog did. It’s not crispy it mushy ,doughy and not good flavor there was no cheese on it as advertised and tartar sauce was bland. I’m not a big fan of McDonalds fish sandwich but it is by far way better. I think Arby’s needs to stick with Beef. In Olathe drive a bit further to Culver’s for a great fish meal or sandwich.
You likely got jinxed by a bad Arby’s. Sadly that chain is very inconsistent. I really enjoyed the Spicy Fish Sandwich I got and went back several times while it was on the menu. But the particular Arby’s I go to is usually reliable. Check the reviews for the Arby’s near you and if one gets high marks you may give the sammy another try.