Seasonal offerings from fast food chains are nothing new, but for many practicing Christians
and fish fanatics, the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday is a particular cause for
celebration.
That's because, every year, select chains release special fish-based menu items to cater
to the dietary restrictions the Lenten season places upon Christians.
The reason many Christians give up meat on Fridays during this time is because they believe
Jesus died on a Friday and they should honor that sacrifice by fasting.
This practice can be traced as far back as the first century, a time where meat was considered
a luxury and going without it constituted an act of self-discipline.
Fasting became legally mandated in England during the 16th century, through a law that
also insisted Christians replace meat with fish.
The idea was that this would benefit England's fishermen, who had been struggling ever since
fasting fell out of favor after the country's split from the Catholic Church.
America's seasonal fish sandwich trend originated in 1962 at a McDonald's near Cincinnati, Ohio.
The owner, Lou Groen, was facing slumping sales during the Lenten season due to the
high number of Roman Catholics living in the area.
Back then, many Catholics would abstain from eating meat every Friday of the year, and
went meat-free for the entire 40-day period of Lent.
Groen saw how well another local chain was doing with its fish sandwich during this season.
He went to McDonald's chief Ray Kroc with his idea to market a similar sandwich, and
the rest is history.
Groen later told USA Today:
"My fish sandwich was the first addition ever to McDonald's original menu.
It saved my franchise."
According to Chick-fil-A's blog, Chick-fil-A will offer fish on the menu at select restaurants
from Wednesday, February 26th through Saturday, April 11th.
The brand joined other fast food companies offering fish options for the first time in
2016, joking that the news of a seasonal menu for it's customers looking for an alternative
to chicken is "fin-tastic".
"Good one."
They even provide a handy list of every location the sandwich and other fish-based meals will
be available, so you can check to see if your local chain will have it on hand before heading
over.
Chick-fil-A says you can also order ahead through their app to pick it up in store.
Chick-fil-A restaurants will offer two variations of the fish-based sandwich the Traditional
Fish Sandwich and the Deluxe Fish Sandwich.
The Traditional Fish Sandwich contains two pieces of breaded and fried cod with tartar
sauce and dill pickles on a buttered and toasted bun, while the Deluxe Fish Sandwich upgrades
this to include slices of tomato, lettuce, and American cheese.
Chick-fil-A notes you can also purchase the fish fillets in orders of two or three, along
with a side of waffle fries.
As for the health stats, the Traditional Fish Sandwich contains 370 calories, while the
Deluxe Fish Sandwich has 430, with the filet two- or three-packs coming in at 190 calories
for two fillets or 280 for three.
The fish sandwich could also count as a healthier option for diners than the traditional Chick-fil-A
Chicken Sandwich, which Chick-fil-A's nutritional guide lists as containing 440 calories.
Last year, USA Today reported the price of the Traditional Fish Sandwich began at $3.35,
while the Deluxe Fish Sandwich was sold at $4.15.
The box meals started at $3.09 for two fillets with waffle fries, or $4.59 for three plus
waffle fries.
And here's the great news: Chick-fil-A's fish sandwich is getting great reviews, with Catholic
News Agency claiming the only real downsides to the dish are the fact that they're not
available at every location and the fact that they're made to order meaning you might have
to wait a little longer than usual to get your hands on one.
The Catholic News Agency also ranked Chick-fil-A number one among the fast food chains offering
fish during lent, and gave the Traditional Fish Sandwich 5 out of 5 fishes.
"Fin-tastic" indeed.
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