Chick-fil-A Adds New Fish Sandwich for Lent

Chick-fil-A may be known for its chicken, but this Lenten season the fast food chain is putting fish on the menu.

The popular Georgia-based chicken-sandwich chain is switching up its signature sandwich in order to make it more pescatarian friendly as Christians observing Lent abstain from eating meat. Throughout the Easter season, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday, April 12, the fast food restaurant will have a fried fish sandwich on its menu.

The seasonal sandwich, which has been available at participating locations since 2015, includes two lightly battered fried cod fillets between a warm, buttered bun. The sandwich is topped with cheese, lettuce, and an optional lemony tartar sauce that “pairs perfectly with the flaky white fish,” according to Today.

News of the sandwich’s arrival at select locations – the chain is encouraging customers to “contact their local restaurant directly to determine if it is offering Lenten Fish” – is being met with a round of praise from those online, who are hungry to sink their teeth in the meal.

“Hi, You All Are Awesome…Love Chick-Fil-A!!” one person wrote on Twitter. “May I also say…Thank you so much for bringing your Fantastic Fish Sandwich Back during Lent!!”

“A fish sandwich made by Chick-fil-a can’t be anything less than amazing,” another wrote.

While the sandwich is largely being met with good reviews and messages of excitement, some did feel as though Chick-fil-A let them down when it came to the name “fried fish sandwich.”

“Hey, @ChickfilA, you didn’t name this product “Fish-fil-A,” and I’ve honestly never been more disappointed in my life,” one customer commented.

Not in the mood for a sandwich? The beloved chicken chain will also offer boxes of fish tenders, each served with a side of waffle fries, the chain’s best-selling menu item.

The sandwich clocks in at 370 calories, while boxes of the fish tenders start at 190 calories.

Both seasonal menu items will pair perfectly with the recently introduced “thick and goopy” cheese sauce. Currently being served at more than 430 locations nationwide, the sauce boasts a mix of Swiss and Parmesan cheeses and consists of a thick, goopy texture in order to allow it to better cling to menu items, such as the fish sandwich, fish tenders, and the beloved waffle fries.

The cheese sauce, however, will set customers out an additional $1.19, as it is not a free offering like the other sauces, such as barbecue or buttermilk ranch, which only hold 1 ounce of sauce. The cheese sauce holds 3 ounces of sauce.