The Culver's Menu Item Customers Call 'Inconsistent'

When people talk about Culver's, the chain's signature ButterBurger, or perhaps its creamy, dreamy custard, comes to mind. But there's a more niche menu item that select dedicated fans flock to: Culver's fried fish sandwiches. While its cod meals are available all year, come Lent, Culver's Northwoods Walleye Sandwich and Dinner are back on the menu. With two types of fish offered throughout the year, this fast food chain is certainly appealing to its seafood-loving customers.

What sets Culver's' fish sandwiches apart from any other fast food fish sandwich is its hand-filleted, fried-to-order fish. Coming to your plate on a lightly toasted, buttered hoagie bun and topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tartar sauce, fast food critics and fans have fondly labeled it one of the best fast food fish sandwiches out there. But is it really that good? 

At its worst, disappointed customers call Culver's' fish sandwiches inconsistent, with a primary culprit being the size of the fish. One unhappy customer took to Reddit, asking fellow fish lovers: "Is the Culver's cod sandwich also experiencing shrinkflation? Usually when I order, the filet is larger than the bun. Tonight's sandwich was about half of the bun. What's going on??" Since the cod is hand-filleted, the fish pieces aren't always the most uniform in size. While one customer may pull into the drive-thru and receive a generous serving of battered fish, another might receive a pitifully sized fillet in their hoagie roll. Unfortunately, it looks like dinner's a roulette when it comes to who gets the bigger fish.

Other Reddit diners appear to be unenthused by the fish sandwich's flavor: "My son and I ordered one cod and one walleye sandwich and cut them in half so that we could both try both kinds. First of all, I'm pretty sure that we received two cod sandwiches. The fish pieces were identical. ... Secondly, even though the fish was light and flaky inside, it tasted like nothing at all. It was like light, flaky cardboard." 

Granted, the Lenten season tends to experience higher sales in fish as consumers give up meat and switch to fish, leading to major rushes and possible cut-corners as more people order fish sandwiches from their local fast food chains. Regardless, it appears that the fish sandwiches at Culver's are just not for everybody. Whether quality complaints stem from inconsistent portions, or criticisms on the fish sandwiches' lack of flavor, it's clear that the fish sandwiches at Culver's are at the center of some heated debates.