The Strange Fast Food Fish Sandwich That Didn't Make It Past The 1990s

The world of fast food is always changing, and we are constantly remembering old menu classics that were discontinued in the 70s and those forgotten from the 90s. But some foods are more intriguing than others, and one of those is Burger King's fish sandwich, the Whaler. Despite jokes from those who ate it as children, the sandwich contained neither whale nor grizzled old mariners with a taste for blubber and a knack for harpoon-throwing. Rather, it was BK's answer to McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. This sandwich was the first non-burger main on McDonald's menu and was aimed at Catholic fast-food lovers that didn't eat meat on Fridays during Lent. Because of this, sales were impressively high.

Understandably, Burger King wanted in. They launched the Whaler as a franchise item in the 60s, and it was a national offering by the mid-70s, advertising the breaded fish filet sandwich with tartar sauce as a hearty meal. At various times in its first few years, it was served on a sub-style bun (as the Long Fish), as well as on a Whopper bun. The changing bread was presumably an attempt to differentiate the product from the Filet-O-Fish, which was a minnow compared to this whale of a sandwich. The Whaler soon became a core menu item and is remembered fondly by many. "In the 80s I would wake up craving one, drive 10 miles for one. Whaler with extra cheese," said one fan on Reddit. 

The Whaler graced the menus of Burger King for well over a decade and even got its own "Star Wars"-themed advertisement to publicize a comeback after Burger King ditched the Long Fish concept and returned to the classic name. Then, there was a late-80s revamp as the Cajun Whaler, presumably a limited-edition menu item. All these changes to the beloved sandwich were a sign of things to come. In 1990, BK was making changes to other menu items, attempting to jump on healthy-eating trends as it got ready to launch the BK Broiler, a broiled chicken patty without breading, which came with lettuce, tomato, and dill ranch, and was originally served in an oat bran roll. They also swapped out the breading and the bun of the Whaler. With a panko-style coating and the same oat bun as the Broiler, the fish sandwich was basically a different menu item by that point, so they changed its name, too. Enter the Ocean Catch Fish Fillet.

While the BK Broiler was a runaway success, Burger King's new fish sandwich never gained the popularity of its predecessor. These days, Burger King's fish sandwich option is the Big Fish. But apparently, some traditionalists still order a Whaler (and receive a Big Fish), while many fish sandwich fans wish the real thing would return. Reddit is full of Whaler reminiscing, with r/BurgerKing having no shortage of BK fanatics calling the sandwich amazing.

If you've been missing the Whaler for over 30 years, or you're intrigued after discovering how diehard fans of the 70s fish sandwich are, you can recreate the vintage Burger King menu item at home. It's pretty simple, too, although nothing is quite as easy as rolling up to a drive-through and being handed your lunch in a warm paper bag.

To make your very own Whaler, fry up a decently sized piece of breaded Alaskan Pollock before mixing up your tartar sauce. This involves mixing mayo, sweet relish, and lemon juice with salt and pepper to suit you. Next, warm up your sesame buns, add a slice of American cheese, and assemble your fish sandwich.

Judging by descriptions of the defunct Burger King menu item, it seems like this is a pretty close approximation of the Whaler, but it's hard to tell for sure. We'll only know how close it is to the real thing if Burger King reverses their big mistake and brings the Whaler back to be enjoyed by a new generation of fast food fans. They did bring the Yumbo in 2014, a ham and cheese toasty-style sandwich, so there's hope. Should we start a petition? Trump might even switch sides (that's Burger King to McDonald's), as his usual fast food order includes two Filet-O-Fish.