It’s that time of the year folks – seafood season. With lent and Easter upon us, fast food chains all rush to bring back popular specials – as well as release something new. Arby’s have done both this year launching the all new Spicy Fish Sandwich, as well as bringing back the Crispy Fish and King’s Hawaiian Fish Deluxe for 2022.
At my local Arby’s here in Salt Lake City the sandwich is priced $4.49 ala carte. This compares to the Crispy Fish at $4.29 and the King’s Hawaiian Fish Deluxe. All three essentially comprise the same triangular fish patty. Here’s a quick picture of the regular and spicy Crispy Fish side by side:
As you can see from the picture above, both sandwiches sport hugely oversized fish patties. The buns comically struggle to contain the breaded and fried fish. I tried both side by side, but for the purpose of this review, I am focusing just on the Spicy version, the new for 2022 dish.
So what separates the regular Crispy from the Spicy version? It’s a double whammy from Arby’s, coating the fish with what they call a “Fiery Seasoning” and also a flurry of chopped jalapeños. What’s notable about these is the jalapeños. I was expecting canned or pickled, but not freshly diced pepper as found here; a more than pleasant surprise and immensely more enjoyable than the slimy canned stuff.
The fish fillet itself is also praise worthy in that there’s demonstrable flaky fish, it’s not a pseudo-mushy-reformed thing. That said, it lacks any really flavor, it’s exceptionally mild, especially so when served with all the capsaicin. And do note, this is a quietly spicy sandwich – those fresh jalapeños really do add some bite. For fast food world this is spicier than most. There’s a pleasant all over heart that subsides to the back of the throat, it doesn’t last too long.
The sandwich is rounded out with lettuce, tartar, tomato and the laughably puny bun. As you can see in the pictures below, it quickly becomes a mess. The bun is no match for the myriad toppings. If you’re eating this one on the go – bring lots of napkins
This doesn’t come close to matching the height’s of 2020’s Beer Battered Fish Sandwich from Arby’s, but nor is it horrible. The spicier than usual toppings make for a fun experience, but the fish itself is ultimately muted and forgettable.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic Salt Lake City, and a former freelance restaurant critic. I’ve worked extensively with local, regional and national food and drink organizations. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have been writing about food and drink for more than fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I don’t mind admitting to a certain secret obsession with fast food as well – and that’s where Menu And Price comes in…