It’s the 40 days before Easter, and for many Christians, that means it’s time to celebrate the Lenten season. It’s a time of fasting, reflection, and no meat (except fish) on Fridays for some Christians. Today is the first Friday of the season, and if you’re looking for somewhere to grab a quick bite to eat, without breaking the promise of no-meat Fridays, look no further. Here’s where you can eat, and save, for the next seven weeks.
Wendy’s Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich
Year after year, Wendy’s releases a fish sandwich for the season. It’s crispy, cheesy, and has just the right amount of tartar sauce for a savory undertone. The sandwich is made with wild caught Alaskan pollock (responsibly-sourced) that’s breaded with panko breading and topped with American cheese, pickles, and dill tartar sauce. It’ll be available at over 5,200 Wendy’s menus for a limited time, and may stay at some locations throughout the year.
Popeyes Fish Deals Starting At $5
Seafood is back at the well-known fried chicken chain. Popeyes has re-released the classic flounder fish sandwich. It’s made from Alaskan flounder, marinated with Louisiana herbs, fried, and topped with pickles, tartar sauce or spicy spread. The restaurant also has a spicy version of the sandwich that can also be topped with spicy spread for an extra kick. And if you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, the fast food chain has a shrimp tackle box that has eight pieces of crispy butterfly shrimp, a buttery biscuit, any regular side and sauce on the side.
McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish
McDonald’s was one of the first fast food chain restaurants to launch a fish sandwich for Fridays. The sandwich is available all-year-round. It’s become a popular staple for those abstaining from meat during the Lenten season, and this year many locations are having Lenten deals. If you’re on the west coast, some locations are offering the filet-o-fish for $2.50. Be sure to check in the app to see if your location is participating in the deal.
Burger King Fish’N Crisp
Burger King used to launch a spicy fish sandwich for those that love heat. Unfortunately, this year, the Home of the Whopper will only have their regular Fish’N Crisp sandwich. It’s a fish filet (fish type isn’t specified) with American cheese and tartar sauce served on a sesame bun. You can make it a meal by adding fries and a medium coke or fountain drink.
Subway’s Breaded Fish Bites
Subway released new breaded fish bites this year. They’re golden, bite-sized, and lightly breaded. You can buy the sandwich as a footlong or six-inch sub, and for a limited time, if you purchase a footlong, you can get a free drink. If you’ve had enough fried fish and are looking for something else, Subway also offers a classic tuna sub, a veggie sub and a series of salads.
Eat’n Park
If you’re looking for somewhere to grab takeout or even sit down in a restaurant, Eat’n Park has developed a guide for some simple Lenten Friday options. They offer fried fish as a sandwich, on its own or even on top of some mac’n cheese. They also have a spicy version of the crispy cod. And if you’re not feeling seafood, the restaurant has mozzarella sticks that can be made plain, with spicy serrano, or with a tangy buffalo sauce. Speaking of cheese, the restaurant also has pierogies that can be served as a meal. And every Friday during Lent, you can enjoy a warm bowl of clam chowder.